Then a voice called to her ears, "Varun and the bride, please stand up for the pheras." Her heart trembled. Vikrant instantly got up and gazed at Eeshani, who remained lost in her world. He wanted to rise to anger at her inaction on seeing her seated. Whispers and mumbles of the guests began anew. Sitting at the entrance, Kishori ji was on a sofa. She turned towards Shashikala ji and remarked, Go check, why is Ratika not standing for the pheras? Shashikala ji suddenly turned to the mandap, and her footsteps became motionless. Vikrant had picked up Eeshani in his hands and was proceeding with her to the pheras. Still in shock, Eeshani put her hand on Vikrant's chest in an attempt to make sense of it. The veil would cover the biggest part of his face; thus, she could not see him clearly. In a few minutes the pheras had been finished. Vikrant seated her gently. The priest took up a thali with mangalsutra and sindoor and gave them to Vikrant and said, "Put the mangalsutra on the bride." Eeshani looked at the mangalsutra, which was upon the thali, with tears in her eyes. She would have given anything to hurry away out of the marriage, but she could not. She closed her eyes in pain. Something was touching her neck at the time. Her cheeks were flowing with tears. When she opened her eyes, she found the mangalsutra around her neck. The priest asked Vikrant to use sindoor on the forehead of the bride in order to finish the marriage. Vikrant took a handful of sindoor without a moment. Her eyes grew larger, and Eeshani watched it come to her, and her heart sank up so fast. She attempted to get up, and Shashikala ji laid a hand on her shoulder. Eeshani shivered. Shashikala ji replied, "You will have to remove your veil and be given the sindoor. She slightly unveiled the veil of Eeshani. It was during this same time that Vikrant smeared the sindoor under the veil, as though the whole ceremony was a formality in which he was not interested. As soon as the sindoor was put on, Eeshani was under the impression that her soul had flown out of her body—she fainted for a moment. The sindoor stained on her face and nose. In a jolt of surprise a scream was heard in the hall: "Stop! All stood in place and stared at the stairs. There was a girl standing, with a white band about her neck, which probably suffocates her mouth, and marks on her hands, which indicate ropes. All were flabbergasted—and there was Ratika, bride to the marriage of Vikrant. Vishwajeet Thakur, father of Ratika, her brother Vinay, and uncle Shashank Thakur were all dazed and looked on her. His eyes became hard, and Vikrant stared at Ratika. Eeshani was terrified at hearing the voice of Ratika. She recalled what the man had said—the man who had taught her previously. The whole hall was in shock, as they could not understand what was occurring. Then, suddenly, all lighting was switched off, and the hall was in darkness.