Once all the rituals were done — the laughter, the teasing, the rose petals and milk-drenched victories — I was escorted to Abhi's room.

Our room.

And just like that, the weight of reality decided to drop on me like a fully loaded bridal lehenga.

All this time, I'd been floating — surrounded by excitement, endless attention, doting family members, and more selfies than I could count. It was easy to get swept up in the glitter of the moment. For a while, I had almost forgotten how this whole wedding even happened.

I was never supposed to be the bride.

Tanya was.

I was just... a replacement. The understudy who suddenly found herself center stage without any rehearsal.

And now, here I am — sitting on the edge of a bed that smells like sandalwood and rosewater, in a room that technically belongs to both of us, but feels like I've stepped into someone else's life.

I glance at the mirror. The sindoor, the mangalsutra... they all look so real. So permanent.

But is it real for him?

Abhi has been calm, composed, and... perfectly groom-like throughout the entire wedding. Smiling when needed, performing the rituals with grace — everything by the book. But now, there's no audience. No camera flashes. No aunties circling us with thalis.

Now it's just him. And me.

And the terrifying silence of the unknown.

What if he's not in the same space as me emotionally?
What if he's still in love with Tanya?

Yes, their marriage was arranged, but love has a funny way of creeping in — slow, quiet, and uninvited. What if, between all the meetings and preparations, he did fall for her? And now, he's stuck here with... me?

Worse — what if he still sees me like Roohi? Like a sister?
Oh God.

My fingers start to feel cold. My toes, numb. My heart? Racing like it's being chased by a hundred what-ifs.

For the first time in my life, my mind — usually so full of sunshine and sarcasm — is clouded by doubt.
By fear.
By this aching question that won't let go:

What if I've just married the man of my dreams... and he doesn't want me at all?

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What Happens Next ? Read the remaining chapter to figure it out. I will just compile all the story into a single paying chapter.