Chapter 3: Betrayal and the Burden of Blame

Kabir’s voice was harsh, his face grim. "I only ask you one thing—will you marry her or not?"

I snapped back to the present, sweat cooling on my back as I lowered my eyes in silence.

In my last life, I would have stepped forward to take the blame, to smooth things over, to beg my brother’s forgiveness. After all, there were men and strangers present—this should have been handled privately. Later, the elders would decide to give Arjun to Priya, and I would quietly swallow my pain, thinking it was fate.

But now I saw the truth: Arjun wasn’t helpless. He chose Priya.

Ha. The joke was on me.

Arjun pressed his lips together, a look of conflict twisting his face. Kabir raised his fist, ready to strike—

"No, don’t blame him, bhaiya," Priya broke in, her voice small and bitter. She avoided everyone’s eyes, fingers still twisting the bedsheet. "I was also drunk and took the wrong path. That’s how I ended up in Arjun’s room. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me too."

Kabir ground his teeth. "You’re still defending him? Why must you degrade yourself like this, Priya?"

Priya forced a smile, raising her chin with false bravado. "At worst, I’ll become a sanyasin, spend my life with the temple lamp. What else is left for me now?"

Arjun turned to her, his voice faltering on Priya’s name. He glanced at the family elders, as if seeking forgiveness or bracing himself for their judgment. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief—a gesture so Indian, so familiar, it almost broke my heart. "It is I who wronged Priya. I, Arjun, will marry Priya as my wife."

I watched them, numb. The moment I learned the truth, I’d already given up on Arjun.

But I did nothing—and still became everyone’s scapegoat.

Kabir let go of Arjun’s collar with a heavy hand and turned to comfort Priya, his tone softening. "Priya, you shouldn’t blame yourself. The real wrongdoer is someone else."

Then his glare turned on me. "Ritu, as the elder sister, is this how you look after your younger sister? You let her drink so much and wander alone into a man’s room? What were you thinking?"

Priya shrank further, her eyes darting away. I wanted to shout that I was innocent, but years of swallowing my words kept my lips pressed tight. In this family, my truth never mattered.

[Arrey, bhaiya finally found the real culprit!]

[Supporting girl tried to ruin the heroine but got caught herself—so typical.]

Lakshmi, my loyal maid, tried to defend me: "Bhaiya, how can you blame my madam? It was Priya who insisted on drinking—my madam tried to stop her."

"Bas karo! No place for a maid here," Kabir snapped.

I shielded Lakshmi, my face calm but my heart burning. If they wouldn’t protect my dignity, why should I protect Priya’s?

I clutched my dupatta, voice trembling with hurt: "It was Priya who insisted on drinking. I tried to stop her, but she pushed me down. My sleeve got stained, so I went to change. When I came back, I heard something had happened. Most people were there—someone must have seen. Priya, am I lying?"

Priya stammered, unable to answer. Her silence was all the answer anyone needed.

[To be fair, this time the supporting girl really didn’t do it on purpose. But she definitely had bad intentions—just didn’t get her chance.]

The whispers stung. Kabir’s face darkened further, his anger barely contained. In his mind, I should have bowed my head in shame. But I’d done that my whole life, and where had it gotten me?

I forced a confused look. "So Priya doesn’t blame me? Then why didn’t you say so before? Bhaiya would have believed you."

Priya’s lips trembled, but no words came. Arjun’s frown deepened. "Enough, Ritu. I know you’re angry—if you want to shout, come at me. Don’t take it out on Priya."

Who was taking it out on whom?

I stepped back, pretending to be hurt. "Young lord Arjun misunderstands. I was only anxious to clear things up. I truly want Priya to be well. In my worry, I lost my composure."

Arjun flinched at my cold formality. I lowered my head, voice thick with tears: "I’m not feeling well. I’ll take my leave."

Before anyone could stop me, I hurried out with Lakshmi. This time, I wouldn’t be the one to clean up their mess.