Scandalous

🍁One • Replaced Bride🍁

Devika was dressed in a yellow saree, her long hair dancing along the wind and a smile full of happiness on her face. It was her best friend Mandira's wedding. And Devika was running around the Haveli and helping with the last minute preparations.

Her father worked as the personal bodyguard of Mandira's father, who was a powerful landlord in the countryside. So since childhood Devika and Mandira were together.

Devika was about to enter the kitchen when her stepmother held her arm roughly and took her upstairs. Her stepmother did not behave well with her, so Devika was not at all surprised with this rudeness. Devika thought of her stepmother as a neurotic. Her father had married her to get an heir, but she gave him two more daughters. The tragedy of their married life. And Devika was the scapegoat.

But at that moment, when Sindura took her to Mandira's bedroom, something definitely seemed off. Mandira's parents were present there too. They looked distressed and angry.

“Thakur Sahab, don't worry. Suraj Baba will definitely find Mandira Baby. For the time being, Devika will dress as the bride. Both of them look almost the same. No one will be able to find out if it's Mandira under the veil or Devika.”

Devika was scandalized by her stepmother's words.

“Where is Mandira?” Devika asked in a meek voice.

“She ran away,” Mandira's father replied in low angry voice.

Mandira's mother came forward and held Devika's arms as she began pleading to her in a crying voice, “Devika, Mandira betrayed our trust. She ran away. Suraj has gone to catch her. But Baraat will be here anytime soon. Please replace Mandira for the time being. No one will know about this, except us. And if anyone tried to malign your name,” She looked at Sindura, “I'll bury them alive.”

Sindura downcast her gaze in fear.

Devika was staring at Gayatri Thakur's face. She was trapped in a moral dilemma. But at last, she nodded. She had to agree. Saying no was never an option to her.

✿ ✿ ✿

Devika wore the bridal lehenga meant for Mandira. Her yellow nail lacquer was replaced with a deep red shade. The heavy jewelry was put on her, though the jewelry felt like heavy metal chains pulling her down into the deep ocean and suffocating her to death.

Mandira's mother was eagerly waiting for Suraj to bring back Mandira. But no news came about them. In this helpless situation, she took Devika to the Mandap.

“Auntie, I can't sit on the Mandap. What if I really got married to him?” Devika protested from under the red veil.

“Right now, to the world, you are Mandira. It is Mandira getting married to Vidyut Mathur. Please do it.”

Those words suffocated Devika even more. She felt so weak that it seemed she could fall on the ground lifeless any moment. But they won't even let that happen to her.

In that moment, Devika realized that honor was above morality for the people around her. And she had only option, which was to compromise with her own moral values.

She sat down beside the groom, in front of the holy fire. And the rituals began.

✿ ✿ ✿

Mandira was sitting in a hotel room about twenty kilometres away from her home. She was eloping with her lover, Rajveer. Within an hour or so they'll travel to Delhi and from there, they'll fly to Thailand.

While lying on the mattress, she was wondering what might be happening at her house. They would have figured out by then that she has eloped. She could care less about her parents and elder brother. But she was already missing Devika.