Aanya slowly spoke, her voice trembling.
"Mr. Aryan…"
Aryan quickly locked the door. He walked toward her, grabbed her upper arm tightly, and pulled her closer.
"Have you lost your mind?" he shouted.
"Tell me, Aanya. Where is Prerna? Why are you wearing this dress? Tell me—where did Prerna go?"
Aanya looked at him in fear.
"Mr. Aryan, actually I—"
"Tell me!" Aryan interrupted angrily. "Why are you wearing this?"
"Mr. Aryan, you're hurting me. Please remove your hand."
"First answer me," Aryan said coldly.
Aanya forcefully pushed his hand away.
"Stop it, Mr. Aryan. You're hurting me."
Aryan looked at her, and Aanya looked back at him.
"Am I hurting you, Aanya," he asked in a breaking voice, "or are you hurting me?"
Aanya stayed silent.
"Do you think this is some kind of joke?" Aryan snapped.
"Why the hell are you wearing the bride's dress?"
"You know it's Prerna's marriage today," Aryan continued, his voice shaking.
"She is not here. Instead of her, you are wearing the bridal dress. If I hadn't recognized you now… would you have married in her place?"
"No, Mr. Aryan, I—" Aanya said quickly.
"Then what?" Aryan shouted.
Aanya flinched.
"Then what are you doing here instead of Prerna?" he demanded.
"Where did she go?"
Aanya lowered her head, feeling guilty.
"Answer me, Aanya."
"Mr. Aryan, Prerna will come back anytime now," she said softly.
"I'm asking you where Prerna went!" Aryan shouted.
"Please don't shout, Mr. Aryan," Aanya pleaded. "Someone might hear."
"Oh really?"
"Now you're worried about that? Tell me—where is Prerna?"
Aanya remembered Prerna making her promise not to tell anyone.
"I don't know, Mr. Aryan," she said quietly.
Aryan laughed again, this time without humor.
"Do you think I'm a fool?"
Aanya didn't know what to say.
"Aanya," Aryan said firmly, "I know you know everything. Tell me—where is she?"
"I already said, Mr. Aryan," Aanya replied helplessly,
"I don't know."
Aryan looked at her sharply.
"Miss Aanya Agarwal, I know you are too young and immature to understand this, but right now it's important for you to tell me where Prerna is."
Aanya's eyes widened.
"Mr. Aryan, why are you saying that?"
"Then what should I say?" Aryan snapped angrily.
"Tell me, girl—what should I say about you? You know Prerna is not here. If you were mature enough, you would have told me everything earlier."
Aanya listened as Aryan continued, his voice filled with anger.
"But what did you do instead?" he said bitterly.
"You wore the bridal dress like a stupid girl, hiding in her place."
At the mandap, the pandit announced,
"Bring the bride."
"Okay, Pandit ji," Devika said.
Turning to Nandini, she added, "Sister-in-law, let's bring Prerna."
Inside the room, Aanya finally spoke, her voice shaking but firm.
"Mr. Aryan, you are wrong, okay? I'm not stupid, and I'm not immature. I didn't have any other choice—that's why I had to do this."
Aryan suddenly pulled Aanya toward him.
"Then tell me," he demanded, "why didn't you have any other choice?"
Aanya looked away.
"Look at me, Aanya," Aryan said sharply.
Slowly, she looked at him.
"Tell me."
Just then, they heard knocking on the door and voices outside.
Aanya's heart started racing.
Oh no… it looks like the auspicious time has come. If everyone finds out Prerna isn't here, the marriage will definitely be stopped.
"Stop thinking and tell me," Aryan said impatiently.
"There will be no marriage today," he declared coldly.
Aanya's eyes widened in shock.
Aryan moved toward the door to open it, but suddenly Aanya grabbed his arm.
"Mr. Aryan, please don't do this," she whispered desperately.
"The marriage cannot be cancelled."
"Don't tell me what to do," Aryan said harshly.
"Please, Mr. Aryan, talk slowly," Aanya pleaded.
Outside, Devika's voice echoed.
"Prerna, open the door."
Nandini added, "Aryan is inside. He said he needed to talk to her about something urgent."
"What is so urgent to talk about now?" Devika asked, confused.
Then she called again, "Aryan, Prerna, what are you both doing? You can talk after the marriage. Open the door."
Inside, Aryan moved again to open it.
Suddenly, Aanya spoke, her voice barely audible—
"Mr. Aryan… Prerna went to the hospital."
Aryan suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked at her sharply.
"What?" he asked. "Hospital?"
"Yes," Aanya replied softly.
Aryan walked toward her.
"Why did she go there?"
Aanya hesitated.
"To meet someone."
Aryan's eyes darkened.
"Who?"
"I… I don't know, Mr. Aryan," Aanya replied, lowering her gaze.
Just then, Devika shouted from outside,
"Aryan! Open the door. Pandit ji is calling Prerna."
Aryan turned back to Aanya.
"I know you know who that person is," he said firmly.
"Tell me."
Aanya remained silent.
Aryan let out a bitter laugh.
"Now I understand everything," he said coldly.
"Anyway, this marriage cannot happen."
Aanya panicked.
"But, Mr. Aryan—"
Aryan didn't listen. He walked away and finally opened the door.
Devika and Nandini stood outside.
"What are you both doing inside ?" Devika asked.
"Move, we have to take Prerna."
As Devika and Nandini stepped inside, they froze in shock.
Aanya was standing there—in the bridal dress.
"Aanya?" Devika gasped.
"What are you doing here? Where is Prerna?"
Aryan spoke before Aanya could say anything.
"Mom, Prerna went somewhere."
Devika turned to him sharply.
"What do you mean she went somewhere?"
"She went to the hospital to meet someone," Aryan said firmly,
"leaving her marriage behind."
Nandini was stunned.
"What? How could she leave? And why this girl Aanya wearing the bridal dress?"
"Aunt, there are many things we don't know yet," Aryan replied.
"But this marriage cannot happen."
Devika's face paled.
"What are you saying, Aryan?"
"How can this marriage not happen? All the guests are downstairs. The wedding rituals will begin in just a few minutes."
"And what about the Raichand family? What will we tell them? What will we tell Dev?"
"Have you even thought about the consequences?"
"How can we just call off the wedding like this?"
At the mandap, everyone was waiting anxiously.
Shreya whispered,
"What happened? Why haven't they brought Prerna yet?"
Ankitha frowned.
"Mom, I'll go and check."
She hurried upstairs and reached Prerna's room. From outside, she froze in shock.
Aanya was standing inside—in the bridal dress.
"What… what is happening here?" Ankitha asked in disbelief.
Everyone turned toward her.
"Aunty… Aryan…" Ankitha said slowly, stunned.
"Where is Prerna? And you Aanya—what are you doing here?"
Aryan took a deep breath.
"Ankitha… Prerna is not here," he said seriously.
"And upto now, Aanya is here as the bride instead of prerna.
Ankitha froze.
"What?" she exclaimed.
"What are you saying? Where did Prerna go?"
"We have no idea," Aryan replied.
Ankitha turned sharply toward Devika.
"Devika aunty, what is all this? What do you all mean you don't know?"
Before anyone could answer, Aanya stepped forward.
"Ankitha, please relax. Prerna will come soon."
Ankitha snapped.
"What do you mean she'll come soon, Aanya?"
"And why the hell are you wearing the bridal dress? Don't you have any common sense?"
"Ankitha, please—" Aryan started.
"I know you're angry, but—"
"But what?" Ankitha cut him off angrily.
Aanya, you do know where Prerna is, don't you?
That's why you're wearing the bridal dress—to help her, right?"
"Ankitha, please try to understand," Aanya said helplessly.
"I can't tell—"
"What do you mean you can't tell?" Ankitha shouted.
"You're acting like a child! This is her wedding, and she's not even here. Did she run away?"
"No! It's not like that," Aanya replied quickly.
"Then what is it?" Ankitha yelled.
"Enough, Ankitha!" Aryan said firmly.
"Control your anger."
"How can I control myself, Aryan?" Ankitha cried.
"Did any of you think about my family? About my brother?"
Devika stepped forward, placing a hand on Ankitha's shoulder.
"Calm down, Ankitha. We all understand how you're feeling," she said softly.
"But truly… we don't know why Prerna did this.
Ankitha turned sharply toward Aanya.
"But Aanya knows, right?" she accused.
"Then why isn't she telling anyone?"
Aryan stepped in, his voice firm.
"Because Prerna asked her not to tell anyone."
Aanya looked at Aryan in shock.
"I don't care about that, Aryan," Ankitha snapped.
"This is Prerna's wedding. She should be here—but she isn't."
"Then let's call off this marriage," Aryan said suddenly.
Everyone froze and stared at him.
"Aryan—" Devika began.
"Yes, let's call off the wedding," Ankitha cut in immediately and turned away.
"Ankitha, wait—" Devika called, following her.
At the mandap, Ankitha walked straight to the front and announced loudly,
"This marriage is called off."
A gasp spread through the crowd.
"What? The marriage is called off? Why? What happened?" voices whispered all around.
Dev stood up suddenly, shock written all over his face.
Shreya rushed forward.
"Ankitha, what are you saying?" she asked anxiously.
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Mom," Ankitha replied firmly.
"Ankitha, please—just once—" Devika pleaded.
"Aunty," Ankitha said coldly, turning back,
"your son was the first one to say we should call off the wedding. So please."
To be continued....
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End Of Chapter 56.