Aarna's POV continues

"Aaj se aap dono pati patni hue," the panditji’s voice rang out, and those words, meant to signify a new beginning, felt more like a distant echo than a celebration. I barely registered the ritual chants around me, my thoughts consumed by the surrealness of the situation. I had barely processed the fact that I was now married when, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me up from my spot with surprising force.