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"What the hell has happened just now?" Grandpa shouted furiously as we all were left in the room after the wedding and an unexpected groom swap had happened.

I just sat there silently, not even knowing how to react as I, myself, still couldn't believe the happening of the events.

After tieing the knot, he left from here angrily without even giving us a chance to digest everything and to know the exact reason.

"Will anyone speak up? Where is Ikshith? What was Indra doing in his place?" He again shouted and this time even I also lifted my head to look at Radha Athayya and Sudha Aunty, to get the answers.

"I was the one who had locked Ikshith in his room!"

"I was the one who had asked Indra to take his place."

They both answered as I could see my grandfather fuming at their answers and guilt-free faces.

"You both!!! Have you guys gone crazy or what? If you guys don't give me a proper explanation, don't think of stepping into this house again." He warned them as they both looked at him with a frown.

"Dad, we both didn't do anything wrong. In fact, we saved you from the further humiliation."

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"It's the truth. Your son-in-law never intended to bring yuktha as his daughter-in-law. He ordered Ikshith to leave her on the mandap itself as a rejected bride because he wanted her to face the same humiliation he had faced years ago."

Radha Athayya continued as I was so stunned and relieved at that truth. Stunned because of that jerk's damn audacity and relieved because I escaped from marrying him somehow.

"I knew all of their plans from the beforehand itself. That's why I approached Sudha and told her everything. She was more than willing to make Yuktha her daughter-in-law. So she pleaded with Indra to take his place." She concluded with an innocent face as if she wasn't the mastermind behind this scheme.

I secretly applauded her when I saw her standing so fiercely in front of my grandpa even when facing his deadly glares.

"Are you both thinking that you have done a great favor to me?" He asked them calmly.

"Of course we did." They both answered proudly as my mom chuckled a little at their audacity.

"This lady really had the cheek to laugh even at this situation! Old lady, despite having your daughter's life at stake here, why couldn't I see the tiny bit of worry on your face?" I thought to myself with a frown as my grandpa glared at my mom.

"You guys are shameless! Who asked you to take everything upon yourselves? Even if it's their plan, you guys should have informed me. How can you force Indra to marry her like this? Is this what I have taught you both? Did you both even think of the aftermath? You can force him to marry her but you can't force him to love her and accept her as a wife.

" what will you both do if he doesn't want to acknowledge her as his wife? If that's his decision, I don't even have the right to plead with him because of your stupid act. Talking about humiliation, her marriage must be the talk of the town because of the unexpected groom's presence. Either way, it had affected her life."

"Why did I even raise these ingrates? Such a shame!" He seemed to be so vexed as he started hurling profanities at them but they both were still not showing any remorse and even smiled sneakily at me.

"Gosh! These two!! They are so unbelievable!!"

Whatever my grandpa said was completely true. He married me because he wasn't given any choice and was forced to tie the knot.

So all his anger and his hateful gaze towards me were completely justifiable but what I feared the most was, him hating this whole family even more than he already do.

What if he thinks that they deceived him into the marriage by bringing him here. That too, his marriage happened without the presence of his father. He must be feeling very sad, frustrated, and betrayed.

God! What should I do now? I thought while looking at the culprits who were trying to coax my angry grandpa.

"You listen carefully!  since you dared to pull this stunt, handle your husband by yourselves. I don't want to see him coming to this house to cause another commotion." He ordered Radha Athayya before turning to Sudha Aunty.

"And you, go and inform your husband about your deed, about how you forced his son into the marriage without his presence. I don't know what you will do but do everything or say anything. So that he won't feel disrespected. I will find some time to find him and apologize personally." Saying this, he approached me and caressed my head.

"Sorry, Ammu. I couldn't do anything to prevent all these happenings because everything was out of my hands by that time. I just hope that you will lead a beautiful life. Don't worry. I won't let him abandon you at any cost." He assured me as I just smiled at him lightly as I was still thinking about what to do.

After he was done, he left the room in a huff after glaring at the culprits once. Even my mom followed him hurriedly in a worry that he might do something in the fit of anger.

"Yuktha, we are sorry." They both apologized as I shook my head at them.

What's the use of it now when everything has already happened and moreover, it's all because of them that I escaped from my nughtmare. So they really didn't need to be sorry when all they did was to protect me.

"You guys don't need to but you should have considered Indra's feelings. He hates this family to begin with. So have you both given a thought to the consequences?" I asked them in a low tone.

"No, because I trust my son. He will never abandon his responsibilities." Sudha Aunty assured me as I chortled a little

"Yes, I can only be his responsibility if he accepts me now and nothing more than that. So do I only deserve to be his responsibility all my life?" I asked her with teary eyes.

"Arey, yuktha dear, you didn't know my son too well. No one could force him to do something if he wasn't willing but now he married you even though it was because I forced him, I chose to believe that he was okay with it. If not, he would have stormed off the altar without giving a heck to others' feelings."

"Aunty, these are all your assumptions. He could be never okay with this marriage." Because he hates me that much.

"You don't worry too much. We will think of something! We won't let any injustice happen to you. We will confess everything to him and will take the whole blame."

"No don't do that. What you guys have done is already enough. So let me handle this matter on my own. Please don't interfere from now on, no matter what happens! Also promise me, you won't tell him anything about your involvement!!" I said them without giving them a chance to protest.

They nodded at me hesitantly and left the room after staying for a while and soon it was the cue for the girls to enter the room.

"My my my! Why there are so many twists in this marriage? So do I have to address you as my sister-in-law from now on? Though it's so weird, it feels so good to know that my ship is finally sailing." Aaru giggled while throwing her arms in the air.

"Shut up, idiot. You tell me what's going on?"

Daksha asked me as they didn't know anything about the reason for the groom swapping because they three left the room earlier, leaving only our family as they felt it wasn't right to meddle in the middle.

I was about to tell her everything but thinking of something, I changed my words.

"Oh. It's my plan actually. I pleaded with Sudha aunty to make him agree to this marriage."

"What? Why did you do that?" Aaru exclaimed.

"Because I recently inherited some properties from my great grandmothererer but for them to transfer to my name, I have to get married. I got to know about this yesterday only and you all do know about my uncle...right? He is so greedy. So I don't want to take the risk by marrying into his family. That's why I asked Sudha Aunty to do this."

"They tried to convince me to not do this but I didn't have any other choice. So I insisted on marrying him and threatened them. So having no choice, she forced her son to marry me. Grandpa is so angry with me because of this. He is so happy for meeting his grandson after so long but I managed to spoil everything."

"I just hope that Indra won't show his anger on them as they were complete innocents in all these things."

I ended it with a sigh as they three stood there, looking at me with an unbelievable expression, not understanding why I was spouting all this nonsense.

"What the hell are you speaking, girl? Have you successfully gone crazy after receiving the shock at the altar?" Daksha shouted at me as Rishu kept on looking at the side I was looking at and shook her head after passing me a sympathetic smile.

I nodded at her gratefully and shifted my attention to these unsettling figures in front of me.

"Hehehe. I was just kidding!" I waved them off with a smile and told them the actual reason.

I took a step back in disbelief after hearing her saying everything like she was reciting a tale. No ounce of guilt could be traced on her face. She was explaining so proudly as if she hadn't done anything wrong.

The version of her I was looking at right now was so foreign to me. Never in my dreams, I thought of her as someone who would only care about herself but my ears and eyes couldn't deceive me..right?

I heard every word of hers. How could she be so insensitive and so selfish? Could she do anything for the sake of money?

Because of her so-called uncle's greediness, she deceived the person who wanted to marry her. Because of the property, she deceived me into this marriage.

Was that her past self a pretense, a facade to lure everyone and make use of them when she needed them?

Till now, I was so angry at my mom for making me do this. I hate it when someone forces me to do things and she did. I was so angry at everyone for not stopping this.

So I left the house angrily, not wanting to face everyone but how wrong I was. She didn't do it willingly. Even she was forced to do it.

If I hadn't listened to her confession accidently, would I ever get to know about her schemes?

Yes, I could have thought of this. How could a person who refused to let me marry shwetha, would force me to marry someone against my conscience?

She would never do that, not at least without consulting and taking the opinion of my dad.

So now I understood, it was all the plan of this cunning lady all along? My mom was innocent. Everyone was innocent here except for her.

"God, Yuktha! I was never got played in the hands of someone till now. Since you are so daring, I will let you know the taste of your own medicine!"

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