Swara, holding Priyanka’s hand, sits down in the mandap, and after glancing at Priyanka once, she quietly takes her seat. Today her heart is crying deeply because she knows that somewhere, some of her dreams are breaking apart as well. Moreover, the agony of being away from her family is nearly overwhelming her. Seeing her withered face, Priyanka immediately sits close to her and softly whispers into her ear.

“You know what? You’re looking like such a sexy bomb right now. I can completely imagine what state my brother-in-law must be in. Just let the wedding get over, go home, and tomorrow morning you’ll find your bedroom bed broken.”

The moment Priyanka says this, Swara lightly slaps her, after which Priyanka runs away laughing. She sits directly in front of Swara and starts smiling continuously. Sometimes she wiggles her eyebrows at her, and sometimes she makes weird faces by squinting her eyes. Swara keeps looking at her, growing more and more irritated, because while she herself is already troubled, this friend of hers is only making her more frustrated.

“Place your right hand in the groom’s hand…”

Swara looks toward the priest and then toward her parents. Immediately after, she looks at the hand stretched out in front of her, it is Sharad’s. From the corner of her eyes, she looks at him, he is smiling broadly. She is just about to place her hand in his when suddenly, a loud voice interrupts her.

“Don’t even try…”

A loud voice echoes in the air, and instantly, silence spreads all around. Everyone turns their gaze forward and sees Ranvijay Randhawa standing at the door with red eyes. His eyes are fixed on them, sitting together on the wedding altar. Suddenly, many men rush in behind him, spreading all around with guns in their hands. Seeing this, fear quickly grips the place. Swara, seeing Ranvijay like this in front of her, completely forgets to place her hand in Sharad’s. She just keeps staring at him. She can see very clearly that Ranvijay is just looking at her, and his gaze is filling her with fear.

No matter how good a friend Priyanka is to her, she still knew that no one from the Randhawa family would come to her place except Priyanka, and Ranvijay is standing here like this. Suddenly Ranvijay shows up at her wedding, but what troubles her more is why he has come here with his men in this manner. Upon witnessing this, she not only finds herself surprised but also deeply shocked, as the sight of gunmen strewn all around her evokes a sense of fear.

Ranvijay, taking long strides, immediately reaches the mandap and stands right in front of Swara, staring at her intently. She cannot understand the intensity of his gaze and quickly lowers her eyes. But suddenly, he jumps into the mandap, swiftly pulls out his gun, presses it against Sharad’s temple, and says.

“If you value your life, then get up and leave this very instant.”

Hearing this, Swara looks at Ranvijay in utter shock and then immediately turns her attention to Sharad sitting beside her. The gun is pressed against his temple, and he is drenched in sweat. Shocked, she first looks at the weapon, then glances again at Ranvijay, who is holding it with his arm. The bloodthirsty rage in his eyes is enough to terrify anyone. Before Swara’s father can step forward, fold his hands, and say something, Ranvijay roars at Sharad.

“Don’t you understand in one warning? I don’t want even a drop of blood shed here, because this is my wedding mandap.”

At those words, a deadly silence falls over the place, as if death itself is standing there. Sharad, trembling uncontrollably, instantly jumps up, leaps down from the mandap, and bolts straight outside.

Swara and her family stand frozen, staring in shock at Ranvijay after his words. The only sound in the entire hall is the frantic noise of Sharad’s footsteps fading into the distance. Swara, watching Sharad and his family flee in such a manner, grows even more bewildered. For the past month, he had been talking to her on the phone, making endless promises, saying he could even give his life for her. But the way he is running today makes it look like he never even knew her. Swara, stunned, slowly turns her gaze toward Ranvijay, who is now looking at her and only her. Holding the gun in his hand, he signals one of his men, who immediately comes and stands in front of the mandap. Ranvijay then throws the gun away, sits down right beside Swara, and after glancing around, calls out sharply to Priyanka, who is standing frozen in disbelief at everything unfolding.

“Priyanka, give me your dupatta and come here to tie the knot.”

Hearing her brother’s commanding voice, Priyanka quickly stands up. She first looks at her brother, then at Swara, and finally back at Ranvijay before she speaks.

“Bhai, what are you doing? Today was Swara’s wedding, and you’ve ruined everything.”

“It wasn’t Swara’s wedding… It is Swara’s wedding…. It’s just a small change, Swara is marrying your brother. Now come fast and tie our knot. In this hurry, I didn’t bring anything, so fulfill your duty as my sister and get over here.”

Priyanka can only stare at Swara, who is still looking at Ranvijay in disbelief. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. She cannot understand at all what has just happened. All around her is silence, except for Ranvijay’s voice. She cannot even make sense of what he is saying. Why is he doing this? When did he ever give her any hope that she meant something to him? When did she ever give any signal that she liked him? Then how come suddenly he has barged into her wedding and is forcing marriage upon her like this?

“Priyankaaaa…”

When Ranvijay’s loud voice echoes again, both Priyanka and Swara flinch. Against her will, Priyanka takes off her dupatta, walks into the mandap, and drapes it over her brother’s shoulders. Looking at Swara, she takes one end of her dupatta to tie the sacred knot. Swara suddenly comes back to her senses and is about to stand up, but Ranvijay grabs her wrist tightly and forces her to sit back down.

"Kahan ja rahi hai? Yah hamari shaadi hai. Ek bar shaadi ho jaane de, tujhe apne sath lekar jaunga. Usse pahle tu kahin nahin ja rahi hai. Samajh me aai baat?

Where are you going? This is our wedding. Once the wedding is over, I’ll take you with me. Other than that, you are not going anywhere… Do you understand that?)

As soon as he forces her to sit back beside him, she immediately tries to pull her hand free and speaks to him in a trembling voice.

“I don’t want to marry you.”

Upon hearing those words, Ranvijay fixes his piercing gaze on her and speaks in a very low, spine-chilling tone.

“What did you just say…?”

That terrifying voice makes Swara tremble even harder. She immediately turns her eyes toward her father, silently pleading for help, but her eyes widen in shock. Five or six armed men are standing right beside her parents, pointing guns at them. Her trembling gaze returns to Ranvijay, and he says to her with an unsettling calmness.

"Ab agar Tera mood ban Gaya Hai shaadi karne ka, to kar lete hain. Time nikala ja raha hai, mujhe shaadi karni hai ab jald se jald."

(Now if you are in the mood to get married, then do it, time is running out. I have to get married as soon as possible.)

Swara cannot utter another word, but Priyanka, panicking, runs down from the mandap. She hurriedly opens her purse, frantically searching for her phone. She knows that if there is anyone who can stop this marriage, it is Balwinder. With trembling hands and tears streaming down her face, she calls her father and cries desperately into the phone.

“Papa… I don’t know what has happened to Bhaiya. He has barged into Swara’s wedding and is forcefully marrying her. Please, come quickly.”

“What…”

Ranvijay, overhearing his sister’s words, entirely ignores her and instead turns toward the priest with a sharp voice.

“Do I really need to tell you what needs to be done next?”

Startled by his thunderous tone, the priest immediately resumes chanting the rituals. Swara, helpless, keeps glancing around, sometimes at her hand gripped tightly in Ranvijay’s iron hold, sometimes at her parents standing frozen under the watch of armed men, and sometimes at his face, her mind unable to comprehend what exactly is happening around her. After reciting a few mantras, the priest nervously announces the next step.

“Now the couple must rise and take the holy rounds around the sacred fire.”

Ranvijay immediately stands and, without hesitation, pulls Swara up forcefully by her hand. With the priest reciting mantras, he begins taking the sacred rounds around the fire, dragging her along. No one in the hall has the courage to stop him. Priyanka, still standing frozen at the edge of the mandap, keeps staring at her brother dragging her best friend into this forced marriage, she is crying continuously. Her teary eyes repeatedly glance at the entrance door, her only hope being that Balwinder will arrive soon enough to stop everything. But nothing changes, the rituals continue. After three rounds, the priest, still trembling, speaks again.

“For the remaining rounds, the bride should lead in front…”

Ranvijay glances at Swara and pushes her gently ahead, stepping behind her as per the ritual. But as he moves closer from behind, Swara’s heartbeat races uncontrollably. A suffocating darkness clouds her vision, and before she can stop it, her eyes close and her body collapses.

Ranvijay instantly catches her before she hits the ground. Holding her face in his hands, he looks at her unconscious form for a moment, then scoops her into his arms without wasting a second. Looking directly at the priest, he declares.

“She fainted out of over-excitement. But the wedding must not stop…. Keep chanting… she will be my wife anyhow.”

Still carrying her in his arms, Ranvijay completes the remaining rounds around the fire, his grip on her steady and possessive. Once the rounds are done, he carefully seats himself back in the mandap, still cradling her in his lap. Just then, Balwinder rushes into the hall, breathless. The priest, now trembling even more than before, speaks in a low, shaken voice.

“Now… fill the bride’s parting with sindoor and tie the mangalsutra around her neck.”

With trembling hands, the priest presents a small tray holding the sacred dark red vermilion. Ranvijay quickly takes a pinch of vermilion and applies it to the parting in Swara’s hair.

“What are you doing…”

Balwinder’s enraged shout shakes the atmosphere, but Ranvijay doesn’t even flinch. Without acknowledging him, he calmly pulls out the mangalsutra from his pocket and, in front of everyone, ties it firmly around Swara’s neck. Then he looks straight at his father and says only one word.

“Shaadi…” (Marriage.)

Balwinder freezes, staring at Ranvijay in disbelief. What he has just witnessed is enough to tell him that the marriage has already been solemnized. Stopping it now would be meaningless. His eyes burn with fury as he looks around, then fixes his glare on Priyanka, who is crying uncontrollably, staring helplessly at her unconscious best friend. Without saying a word, Balwinder grabs Priyanka’s hand and drags her away from the mandap.

Ranvijay glances once at his father, a faint victorious smile tugging his lips, before turning his attention back to Swara. His expression softens as he gazes at her face, tears still stain her face. He wipes it, and then he focuses entirely on the remaining wedding rituals. Soon, the priest’s trembling voice announces—

“The marriage is complete…”

Hearing those words, Ranvijay smiles in satisfaction. Pulling a thick bundle of cash from his pocket, he hands it over to the priest and commands.

“Now tell the elders to quickly bless their daughter and son-in-law, because I have to take my bride with me from here.”

The priest nods, his head lowered, and glances toward Swara’s parents. With guns pressed against their backs, they are forced to step forward. Ranvijay grabs Swara’s limp hand, places it along with his own on her parents’ feet, and after receiving their reluctant blessings, he whispers to his unconscious bride.

“It’s good that you fainted. I would not have been able to bear seeing your tears during your farewell."

Without waiting another moment, he lifts her once again into his arms and descends from the mandap, his men following closely behind. As they move toward the entrance, the hall erupts with hushed gossip.

“Who knows how long these two have been in love?”

“We always knew this girl was frequently visiting the Randhawa mansion.”

“Look at the kind of girl she is, trapping one man in love while planning to marry another!”

Ranvijay’s steps halt sharply at the entrance. He turns his head slightly and gives a cold glance at one of his men. At that signal, the man raises his gun high, and instantly, two or three gunshots echo across the hall. Screams vanish. Silence falls once more. Everyone shivers in terror, unable to utter another word.

Ranvijay turns back to face them all. His men step aside, clearing the view so that every single person can see his eyes. He scans the terrified crowd, his voice slicing through the silence like a blade.

“Not once has Swara ever even lifted her eyes to look at me… Yet, I have loved her for years, and she never knew. I wanted to send my father with a marriage proposal to her home. But that did not happen. Anyway, I had no intention of explaining the circumstances to any of you. However, I decided to share a few thoughts. Only one warning remains; if ever again I hear a single word against my Swara from anyone’s mouth… Remember this… that person will not live long enough to eat another morsel of food…. Listen to one thing carefully from today, Swara is not just Swara. Consider the consequences for anyone who dares to look at Swara Ranvijay Randhawa.

With that deadly proclamation, Ranvijay turns away, striding out of the hall with Swara still in his arms. His men follow in formation behind him.

And what remains behind… is nothing but silence. He had already stepped out of the hall with long, determined strides, yet his eyes were still fixed on her in his arms, who lay unconscious, completely unaware of what was happening around her. As soon as he tried to shift his gaze forward, all that appeared before him was the sight of Swara sitting in the wedding mandap with Sharad, performing the sacred rituals together. That very image ignited a storm of rage inside him, making his breath turn heavy and his fists curl tight with uncontrollable fury.

His anger grew restless as he attempted to calm down, akin to fueling a fire rather than extinguishing it. To control the violent heat rushing through his veins, he deliberately forced his eyes back onto Swara’s delicate face, as if her presence could either soothe his torment or remind him of the betrayal cutting through his heart. His gaze lingered on her features, and the emotions swelling inside him refused to quiet down.

With a voice low but trembling with suppressed wrath, he finally whispered under his breath, each word carrying both pain and threat.

“You have done very wrong… very wrong with me.”