One Lie


The wedding hall was decorated with lights, flowers, and grandeur. The sound of traditional Indian wedding music filled the air. Everyone was busy with last-minute preparations, rushing to ensure everything was perfect for the big day. Amulya, the bride, was adored by all—her charm and warmth made her the center of attention wherever she went. The groom, Hitesh, a software engineer from Bengaluru, was chosen by Amulya’s family after a thorough search.
As the muhurat (auspicious time) approached, whispers turned into murmurs and then into a deafening silence—Amulya was missing. Chaos erupted in the wedding hall. Her father, Mr. Mahesh Desai, was furious. He shouted at the top of his voice, “How could this happen? Where is she?” Relatives began speculating, and someone mentioned, “She must have eloped with Vipul.”
Vipul was the boy Amulya had loved during her college days. Everyone in the family knew about their relationship, but Mahesh, a man of traditional values, had outright refused their match, citing differences in status and background. “I won’t let this marriage happen,” he had declared firmly. After weeks of arguments, Amulya had reluctantly told her family that she had broken up with Vipul. A few months later, she agreed to marry Hitesh.
However, on this fateful day, Mahesh felt betrayed. “She is dead to me!” he screamed at his wife, blaming her for supporting their daughter. “I will never talk to her again,” he declared, storming out of the hall, leaving everyone in shock and despair.
A Year Later...
The Desai family was still grappling with the humiliation and pain of that day. Mahesh, now a shadow of his former self, often found himself lost in thoughts of Amulya. One day, while walking through the local market, he spotted Vipul at a tea stall. Anger flared in his chest, but it was quickly replaced by longing and confusion. Despite his hesitation, Mahesh approached him.
“Vipul,” he began, his voice trembling, “How is she? Is she happy now after betraying us and running away with you?”
Vipul looked at him, stunned. “Uncle, I haven’t seen or spoken to Amulya since our breakup. She made it clear that she wanted to respect your decision, and I respected hers. I heard about her wedding, and I stayed away. I have no idea where she is.”
Mahesh was taken aback. Vipul’s expression seemed genuine, but doubt lingered. Could Vipul be lying? Determined to uncover the truth, Rajesh filed a police complaint, urging them to investigate his daughter’s disappearance. A deep sense of unease crept over him. What if Amulya hadn’t eloped with Vipul? What if something else had happened?
Inspector Rajesh, a sharp and methodical officer, took charge of the case. The police began by revisiting the events of the wedding day. They questioned family members, friends, and neighbors, but no solid leads emerged. Vipul was brought in for questioning. He reiterated that he hadn’t been in touch with Amulya and even provided proof of his whereabouts on the wedding day. The makeup artist mentioned that Amulya had seemed anxious that morning. “She kept looking at her phone,” she recalled. However, her phone was missing, which raised suspicion. The CCTV footage from the wedding hall showed Amulya stepping out of the hall around noon, but the camera outside had no footage of her after that. This hinted that someone might have intentionally disabled the camera. The police obtained Amulya’s phone records. The last call she received was from a number registered to Santosh, a former classmate. When questioned, Santosh claimed it was a casual call to congratulate her on her wedding, but his nervous demeanor didn’t go unnoticed. A florist near the wedding hall mentioned seeing a man forcing a woman into a car on the day of the wedding. When shown Santosh’s photo, the florist hesitated but eventually identified him.
Santosh was brought in for further questioning. Initially, he denied any involvement, but cracks began to appear in his story. Santosh disposed her body and tried to erase any evidence. However, a breakthrough came when the police discovered a hidden basement in Santosh’s farmhouse, and there, they found remnants of a torn bridal dupatta and traces of blood. Under intense interrogation, Santosh broke down and confessed.
Santosh had been obsessed with Amulya since their college days. He had proposed to her when she was in love with Vipul, but she had politely declined, saying she couldn’t imagine life without Vipul. Santosh was furious but convinced himself that he would win her over someday. After Amulya’s breakup with Vipul, he thought he had a chance. On the day before the wedding, Santosh had approached Amulya, begging her to reconsider and marry him instead. She firmly refused, making it clear she had moved on and agreed to marry Hitesh, his obsession turned into rage.
On the day of the wedding, Santosh called Amulya, pretending to want closure. He slowly spread the rumour that she was in love with Vipul and might elope before wedding. When she stepped out of the hall to talk, he forced her into his car. Amulya resisted and screamed for help, but the loud wedding music drowned her cries. At his farmhouse, when she continued rejecting him, Santosh, in a fit of rage and fear of being caught, killed her. He then buried her body in the backyard.
The police pieced together the timeline and gathered enough evidence to convict Santosh. He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. The truth brought closure to Amulya’s grieving parents, but the pain of her loss remained. Mahesh regretted the harsh words he had spoken about her and the assumptions he had made. “If only I had trusted her... If only I had listened,” he lamented, tears streaming down his face.
The Desai family held a small ceremony to honor Amulya’s memory, and her story became a tragic reminder of how unchecked obsession and assumptions can lead to devastating consequences.