Life? Oh, it has a wicked sense of humor.

One moment, you think you're just another guest at a wedding — mentally ranking the best jalebi stall and dodging curious aunties asking when you're getting married — and the next moment, you're sitting at the altar... as the bride.

Yes, the bride.

To Abhi.

If someone had told me just 18 hours ago that I'd be marrying Abhishek Rathore, the man I've been secretly crushing on since I learned what the word "crush" even meant, I would've burst out laughing and asked them to check their blood sugar levels.

But here I am now — seated beside him, all decked up as his newly wedded wife, while guests come up one after another with warm smiles and congratulatory blessings. And he, calm and composed as always, is nodding, thanking them, radiating his usual effortless charm.

Meanwhile, I'm still internally screaming.

The mangal sutra he tied around my neck just moments ago now rests gently between the valley of my chest — like a crown for my heart that's still racing from everything that's happened. The bright red sindoor on my forehead? It's not just a mark. It's a loud, blazing announcement to the universe: Meera Khanna is now officially Mrs. Abhishek Rathore.

Wife.

Of him.

Still shocked? Yeah, me too.
Still confused how the heck this happened?
Same boat, bestie. Let me take you back to where the world flipped upside down...

*

*

*

Well... surprise, surprise.

My life has officially turned into one of those Wattpad novels I used to binge late at night — the kind where the bride runs away just hours before the wedding, leaving behind a devastated groom, a stunned family, and a whole lot of chaos.

Guess who stepped in like the ultimate hero of moral values?

My dad.

In true "best friend forever" fashion, he offered his only daughter —me — as a replacement bride to uphold the Rathore family's dignity, prevent the impending scandal, and basically save the wedding from turning into prime-time TV drama.

And guess what I did?

Being the ever-obedient daughter (sigh), I said yes. No hesitation. No drama. Just a big, slightly terrified nod. Because deep down... maybe, just maybe, a part of me wasn't entirely devastated by this turn of events.

The next 18 hours? An absolute whirlwind.

I was whisked away into bridal mode at lightning speed — choosing lehengas, matching jewelry, and sitting through painfully long henna sessions where my arms were basically held hostage. And let me tell you — the mehendi turned out super dark. Which, of course, became instant gossip material because of the age-old belief: the darker the henna, the deeper the husband's love.

Cue blushing. And teasing. And more blushing.

Hidden in the intricate patterns was Abhi's name, waiting to be found — part of a post-wedding ritual where the groom searches for his name among the swirls. Romantic, right? Unless you're trying not to faint from lack of sleep and emotional overload.

Despite the time crunch, my family went above and beyond to make everything feel magical. I still don't understand how they managed to gather most of our relatives, organize rituals, and make it all look like it had been planned for months — not hours.

In the middle of all this chaos, Abhi and I didn't exchange a single proper word. Not one. He, being the calm glacier of stoicism that he is, just quietly went along with whatever decision his family made. No protests. No questions.

And so... here we are.

Married.

To each other.

Surrounded by a cheering, hyper-ecstatic crowd who doesn't even seem to remember that just yesterday, the bride's name was Tanya. Not a single person has dared to mention her — as if she vanished into thin air and the universe simply rewrote the ending of this story overnight.

And me? I'm sitting beside Abhi, a dazzling husband I never dared to dream I'd actually have, wearing the bridal jewelry that was meant for someone else — but now somehow feels like mine.

Still feel like pinching myself? Yep.
Still wondering how this story is real? Double yep.

But if life really has turned into a Wattpad plot, then I guess this is just the beginning of :

Chapter One: Unexpectedly His.