Everyone was present in the hall—the same hall where the wedding mandap had been beautifully decorated. The guests were eagerly waiting for the wedding to begin.

The priest was chanting the sacred mantras at the mandap. Everything looked just like a normal wedding, except for one thing—the bride and groom were missing.

Whispers had already started spreading among the guests. Cars had arrived as the wedding procession, but there was no sign of the groom. No one knew where he was, yet the priest continued the rituals as if everything was perfectly normal.

Meanwhile, Manyata found it hard to believe that someone would spend so much money on a complete stranger without expecting anything in return. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. But it was too late to turn back now.

"It's okay, Manu. Once Dad's bone marrow transplant is done, I'll be free from this marriage," she told herself before walking toward the mandap.

As she reached the wedding altar and looked around, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Every single face present there was familiar. There wasn't a single new person in sight.

Which meant...

There was no groom.

There were no wedding guests from the groom's side.

Confused, she looked at Mohit. He simply gestured for her to sit in the mandap. After a brief hesitation, Manyata walked forward and sat down.

Seeing her seated, Shalini made one last attempt.

"Manu, dear... please think about this one more time."

But there was nothing left to think about. Manyata had already taken her place in the mandap.

The guests began gossiping openly.

"What kind of wedding is this?" one person whispered.

Another woman sneered, "Don't you know? She sold herself to save her father."

"No, that's not true," another woman argued. "They're just getting married. It's normal for a son-in-law to help his wife's family."

"But what kind of wedding doesn't even have a groom?" someone else questioned.

By now, every word had reached Manyata's ears. No matter how hard she tried to stay strong, a tear escaped her eyes.

She had agreed to this marriage out of helplessness and never expected a fairy-tale wedding. But as a girl, she had at least hoped that there would be a groom waiting for her at the altar.

Instead...

She was sitting there alone while the priest continued chanting the mantras.

"It's time for the wedding rounds," the priest announced.

With trembling legs, Manyata stood up.

And alone...

She began taking the seven sacred rounds around the fire.

Because there was no groom.

Shalini and Damini watched her with tear-filled eyes while the guests continued making cruel remarks.

Finally, Damini's patience snapped.

She rushed to the mandap, grabbed Manyata's hand, and pulled her away.

"No! We won't allow this marriage! There isn't even a groom here. What kind of wedding is this? We don't accept this marriage! We won't let this happen!"

She hugged Manyata tightly.

Shalini broke down completely. Grabbing Mohit's collar, she cried,

"Where is your boss? Is he so busy that he couldn't even attend his own wedding?"

With a crooked smile, Mohit removed her hand from his collar.

"The marriage already happened the moment she signed the contract. This ceremony was arranged only so that people wouldn't misunderstand."

"So people wouldn't misunderstand?" Shalini cried bitterly. "You're making a spectacle out of us!"

She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

"The marriage... already happened?" Damini asked in shock.

"Yes," Mohit replied calmly. "The papers she signed were actually marriage papers. In India, people usually recognize a Hindu wedding ceremony as the real marriage. That's why this setup was arranged."

He spoke as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Manyata had held herself together for as long as she could.

But everyone has a breaking point.

In a trembling voice, she finally asked,

"At least I have the right to know... who I married. Who is my husband?"

She hadn't spoken very loudly, but she hadn't whispered either.

Mohit had clearly heard her.

He simply chose to ignore the question.

Instead, he said,

"From today onward, you are officially my boss's wife. Every problem you have is now his responsibility. Taking care of your needs and fulfilling your demands is now his duty."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"According to the contract, ₹50,000 has already been transferred to your account. Mr. Kashyap's treatment will begin tomorrow. I'll be waiting in the car outside. Say goodbye to your family and be there within three minutes."

He said everything so casually, as though he didn't even have a heart.

Manyata stood there in complete shock.

For the first time, she felt she might have made the biggest mistake of her life by accepting this contract.

Her heart pounded violently.

But now...

There was no turning back.

No matter what happened, she had to honor this marriage until her father's treatment was complete.

After hugging Shalini and Damini one last time, she slowly walked toward the car where Mohit was waiting.

Before getting inside, she turned around for one final look at them.

They were both crying.

She quickly looked away and got into the car.

Their tears were making her weak.

And right now...

She couldn't afford to be weak.

The moment she sat down, Mohit handed her a file.

"What is this?" Manyata asked, looking at it.

"The rule book."

With that, Mohit started the car.

The vehicle slowly pulled away...

carrying Manyata toward a completely new life.

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