A disastrous love marriage.

Anurag received a call on his mobile. He was livid after seeing the number. His wife Smita had called him for the fourth time in a day. He felt like breaking his phone but managed to control his flaring temper. He burst out at her," What the hell do you want? I am busy working on an important project." Smita replied," I want you to come home early. I think you have forgotten about our candlelight dinner." Anurag got fed up with her constant bickering. He ended the call without bothering to reply.

He regretted his decision to marry her.

She was a beautiful greedy bitch. He had met her through a matrimonial website. She had lured him into their marriage by telling him a pack of lies.

33-year-old Anurag Sharma worked as a project manager in Vian International, New Delhi. His wife, Smita, was a housewife. Anurag's elder sister, Madhurima Gupta, was a criminal lawyer and married to Adesh Gupta. Anurag's parents lived with him in Vasant Vihar.

He lived in the US for ten years before coming back to India. His parents insisted on getting him married. However, he didn't like any of the girls approved by his parents. He registered himself into a matrimonial website and uploaded his profile. He projected himself as an NRI living in the US. Smita contacted him after viewing his profile. She started chatting with him. They exchanged their photos. He fell in love with her. He sought his parents' approval after showing them her photograph. They were against this alliance. Anurag managed to convince them after blackmailing them emotionally. He got married within six months after getting engaged to her. He had made up his mind to settle in India permanently. He discussed his plan of quitting his job in the US with Smita. She was highly displeased. She said," Please reconsider your decision. I always wanted to settle abroad and lead a luxurious life. Don't disappoint me for God's sake."

" What about my parents?" asked Anurag," Who will take care of them?" Smita replied," There are so many homes for the aged in the city. I will check out one of them." He slapped her instantly and lashed out," They are my parents.

I can't even think about abandoning them when they need me. I wish I had listened to my parents before selecting you as my life partner."

Smita said nothing but vowed to avenge her humiliation. She stormed out of their bedroom with her pillow as Anurag looked on. She slept on a couch in the living room.

She woke up early in the morning. She went on to prepare coffee and served them to her parents in law. They were surprised to see her in the kitchen. She never bothered to wake up early and take up the kitchen duties. Hence, they were pleasantly surprised by the change in her attitude. They had no idea about their impending doom.

She smiled at them and touched their feet to seek their blessings. She prepared breakfast and also lunch after having a bath. Anurag was pleased with her and promised to take her out for a candlelight dinner. Unfortunately, he was busy with a new project. Smita was furious when he canceled their dinner plan.

Smita swung into action. It was tea time. Her parents in law were having their afternoon siesta. She deliberately poured boiling water on her hand. She went to a nearby police station with tears in her eyes. She approached a sub-inspector and poured out her sad story. She said," Please help me, sir. My parents in law burnt my hand by pouring boiling water. They have threatened to kill me if my parents failed to pay the dowry." The sub-inspector consoled her and immediately sent two of his constables to arrest them. Anurag's parents were shocked beyond words to find the police at their doorstep. The two constables slipped handcuffs on their wrists, leading them to the police station.

" Why have you arrested us without a warrant?" barked Anurag's father, Jagadish. " Your daughter in law has accused you of dowry harassment," replied the sub-inspector, Mehta. He lifted her left hand to reveal a burn mark.

Both Jagadish and his wife were dumbfounded. They denied the accusations leveled against them by Smita.

Anurag was about to finish his work for the day. He received a phone call again. He was surprised to find a call from an unknown number. The sub-inspector from Vasant Vihar police station called him regarding his parents' arrest.

He sought his boss's permission to leave early, citing personal reasons. After reaching the police station, he immediately went to his parents and hugged them. He glared at his wife, who was watching him with a smirk. He had a heated argument with Mehta, the sub-inspector. Smita managed to intervene in their fight to save Anurag from a possible arrest. She said, " I am ready to withdraw my complaint. They are already humiliated for their misdeeds. However, I want Anurag to leave them in a home for the aged." Anurag had no choice except to give in to her unjust demand. He whispered something into his father's ears, who nodded his head in agreement.

No one said a word after their return. Anurag ordered food from a nearby hotel. They finished their dinner silently. Smita could see tears swelling in their eyes. " I don't want you to fight with my son," pleaded her father in law," I am sure you must be happy with our departure. We have no grudge against you. Take care of Anurag. Good night."

She merely nodded in acknowledgment and retired to her bedroom. Anurag stayed awake until 2 AM and slept only for a few hours. His parents had packed their luggage in the morning. Anurag wept like a child. He dropped them off at Shanti Nagar Home for the aged.

He assured them that this was their temporary residence. He would come back to fetch them, after separating from his wife. They smiled at him reassuringly.

Smita welcomed him with her open arms. He pushed her aside and entered the house. " Hi, honey!" she chirped in a voice that irked him. He ignored her and went to freshen up.

She had prepared a special dinner for him. Fried chicken with hot and sour tomato soup and Gobi Manchurian greeted him on the dining table. Suddenly, he lost his appetite and walked away from the table.

" Hey! Where are you going?" asked Smita," I was waiting for you to join me for dinner." Anurag snorted," Go ahead and stuff yourself with the garbage you have prepared. I am in no mood to even look at them. I am sorry to have assumed that you cooked this shit. You must have ordered it from some hotel."

His words stung her like a scorpion. His sarcastic comments pissed her off. She blasted him, " Your parents have spoilt you. You are no longer a little kid who holds on to his mommy's skirt. When I can live without my parents, why can't you? I warn you to be careful with your choice of words." " And what if I don't listen to your sick advice?" he shot back at her. She replied," If you have any common sense left in that bird brain of yours, do as I say. I nearly managed to send your parents to prison. I don't want you to land up in jail for no fault of yours."

Anurag offered his apology and resumed his dinner. Smita was feeling horny after entering their bedroom. She got undressed and looked at him expectantly. Her sex life had taken a backseat after her heated argument with Anurag. He was in no mood to make love to her. Yet, he complied with her request and thrust himself into her. He finished his dreaded mission before ejaculation and infuriated her.

The next day, he woke up early in the morning and found his wife snoring. He prepared coffee and breakfast. He left for his office after finishing his morning duties.

He thought of consulting his sister and seek her advice to deal with Smita. His sister, Madhurima, had just returned from her trip to Paris. He called her during his lunch hour and updated her on the recent events. She listened to him with rapt attention. " Hello! Are you there?" he continued to speak after a brief silence. She invited him for dinner to discuss their plan of action.

He called his wife and informed her that he would be late. He bought some mangoes on the way and reached her house. Madhurima and her husband greeted him enthusiastically. They ushered him inside the house. They exchanged pleasantries until Madhurima set the dining table ready for dinner. She had prepared Puris and Chole with fried rice and carrot halwa for dessert.

After the dinner was over, they sat comfortably on a sofa. Madhurima prompted," So, my dear brother is having some problems in his married life. Go ahead and tell us everything right from the beginning." Anurag went over all the details for the past one and a half years of his marriage to Smita. Adesh shook his head in utter disbelief. Madhurima could feel her blood pressure soaring. She was livid after learning that Smita had wilfully dragged her parents to the police station.

She continued to probe Anurag regarding her family and educational background. Anurag answered," I had registered myself with Matchmaker.com. I saw her profile and immediately realized that she was my dreamgirl."

Madhurima put forth her next question," Have you tried talking to her parents?" Anurag shook his head. He replied," I am sorry. I never bothered to contact her parents. Smita is very secretive about her family. I met them only during our marriage. They did not speak to me. I think they were opposed to this marriage. It's been nearly fifteen months. They never invited us even for lunch or dinner."

Madhurima and Adesh looked at him incredulously. She asked him," Did you verify the authenticity of her claims? Do you have the contact details of her maternal home? I have a hunch that the address is wrong. Just send me those details over WhatsApp. You said that she spends most of her time doing online shopping. Go through the browsing history of your PC at home. Prepare a list of the websites that she visited. Call me immediately so that I can mull over the next course of action. Do it without her knowledge. "

Anurag felt a surge of excitement brewing inside him. The thought of playing a real-life detective thrilled him.

They had a brief discussion before Anurag took leave. He was in a happier mood.

Smita scorned at him when he entered the house at 11 PM. As he did not want to raise a storm, he handed over an expensive bar of chocolate. " I am sorry, honey," he said gently, " My meeting dragged on well beyond the scheduled time of conclusion." Her anger vanished instantly and smiled at him.

He took her out for dinner the following night. While Smita took a shower, he prepared coffee for both of them. He knew about her habit of drinking coffee before sleeping. She was a night owl who stayed awake until 2 in the morning.

He added sleeping pills in her cup and handed it over after she came out of the bathroom. She felt drowsy and immediately hit her bed. Anurag bent over her to check whether it was safe to execute his plan. He was delighted to find her snoring. He quickly exited from his bedroom and went to his study.

He switched on his PC to check the list of websites that Smita had visited. Most of them were concerned with shopping.

His face lost all its color after seeing her profile active on a matrimonial website. It was a different website from the one which brought them together as life partners. She had not even filed for a divorce, but ready to plunge into a remarriage. He was dismayed to find an entirely different address from the earlier website. He took the screenshot of the page and forwarded it to his sister. He opened the drawer of the computer table and took out his small black diary.

He had noted down her contact details from Matchmaker.com. He compared them to confirm his suspicions. He slapped his forehead as the reality sank into him. He had married a fraud, a con woman. He sent her an email mentioning all the discrepancies in her contact details uploaded on both the websites.

Madhurima raised her eyebrow after going through her brother's messages. She checked Smita's profile in Jodikamal.com and Matchmaker.com. She dialed a number mentioned in Matchmaker.com.A female voice responded to her call. " Hello," she drawled on," This is Jyoti Kapoor speaking. May I know your name?" Madhurima let out a deep sigh before responding. She replied," I am Madhurima Gupta. I got your contact number from Matchmaker.com. I wanted to talk to you about Smita. Are you her sister?" Jyoti replied," No. I am her neighbor. Her name is Roshni Jaiswal and not Smita. I was a big fool to let her use my contact details for her selfish purpose. You may be shocked to know that the website is no longer in existence. Roshni's brother Devesh designed it. Roshni's marriage brought initial success to his venture. Greed got the better of the entire family. The website offered free registration with ten profiles at no extra cost. The unsuspecting scapegoats fell into his trap. He convinced them to get better proposals on the additional payment of thousand bucks. He altered their biodata to show them in a much better position than their actual status. He supplied them with beautiful brides who did not meet their eligibility criteria. They could not complain because they had consented to manipulation of their profiles. He earned commission from both parties. The website continued to operate for four months after Roshni's marriage. Roshni's family managed to swindle nearly 5000 users. One of their clients registered a complaint against them for breach of trust. Devesh had sold her photos to a porn website without her knowledge. Complaints started pouring from all over the country against this website. The entire family managed to flee before the police could find them." Madhurima said," Are you willing to testify against them?" " With pleasure," replied Jyoti," Call me anytime on this number." Madhurima thanked her profusely before ending the call.

She called Anurag to tell him about her discovery. She advised him to play along with Smita until she finished her investigation. She called her assistant Jaidev and asked him to get information about Jodikamal.com. He returned to her desk within 15 minutes. He reported that Sandeep Srivastava, a techie from California, created the website. Unlike Matchmaker.com, it didn't offer any freebie to attract visitors. The registration charges were nominal. Madhurima thought for a while, over a hot cup of coffee. She knew that Smita had given her correct contact details this time. She thought of a plan to trap these fraudsters into her bait. She wrapped up her official work for the day before calling her husband to pick her. Adesh arrived within half an hour and quickly gave her a peck on her cheek. Madhurima and Adesh had a romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant. He always loved to surprise her with gifts and love letters. They had a night of wild passion as they ended up making love to each other. She told him about Smita and her family over breakfast in the morning.

They thought of a plan to punish Smita and her family.

Adesh created a fake profile on JodiKamal.com. He uploaded his old college photo to make him look younger. His face resembled John Abraham. He registered himself as Puneet Kumar living in Switzerland. He bragged about his wealth and also that he was in search of an Indian bride. Madhurima sat beside him, chuckling merrily at his skill in boasting. He got her approval as he started chatting with Smita. She was quick enough to respond. Their chat lasted for twenty minutes.

Madhurima talked to her brother regarding his careful approach towards Smita. She said," Your brother in law is posing as her NRI suitor. I am sure that she will accept his proposal. If the plan succeeds, then she will request you to file for divorce. Don't give your consent immediately. Try to irritate her with your undivided attention and love. Give her expensive gifts in an attempt to win her love. She will be frustrated with you. She will resort to all kinds of physical and mental torture. Don't lose your temper. Finally, her ego will make her confess to her crimes. Don't forget to record your conversation with her. She will threaten you with dire consequences. You get her signature on a blank piece of paper inserted inside the divorce papers. I will get my assistant to type her confession into the blank paper."

Anurag was ecstatic over the turn of events. He observed Smita's behavior undergoing a tremendous change. She no longer cared for his late homecoming or his attitude towards her. He pretended to be in love with her. He bought her an expensive silk saree. He took her out for movies and dinner. She loathed him for being an obstacle in her path. He tried to revive their physical intimacy. She stopped him from touching her.

She barked at him," I don't want you to touch me. I am no longer interested in sex. I just want to tell you that we are not compatible with each other. I want to seek a divorce from you. Kindly understand my situation. I am in love with someone else." He appeared to be genuinely shocked by her revelation.

He acted upon his sister's advice.

Everything happened as per her anticipation.

Smita received a message from Puneet, who gave her a deadline for the acceptance of his proposal. She had no choice except to threaten Anurag.

He had already got the divorce papers ready, as suggested by Madhurima.

The day of confrontation arrived after a week. Anurag came home early from the office. Smita was busy speaking to someone on her mobile. She didn't notice his arrival. He tiptoed silently behind her and took her by surprise. " Are you talking to your parents or your secret admirer?" he casually asked her.

Expecting a furious backlash, he took out his mobile and started checking his messages. She launched a scathing attack on his family, calling him all sorts of names. He recorded her verbal abuse, still waiting for her unsolicited confession. She continued to speak," Had I known that you were going to be a pain in the ass, I would never have married you." She explained how her family became rich overnight by creating a fake matrimonial website. They managed to trick the prospective brides and grooms by offering freebies. They also resorted to blackmailing and sharing the pictures of young women with porn sites. Anurag smiled as she finished bragging about her family's achievement. He walked out of the living room, heading towards his study. Smita was at a loss of words. Anurag returned, waving divorce papers on her face. Smita's face radiated happiness, and she smiled at him. He quickly signed along the dotted lines, urging her to do the same. She didn't bother to go through the contents of the papers, signing even the blank document. He had called his sister, requesting her to come immediately with the police. Smita quickly went to pack her luggage. It took her nearly an hour to get ready. Madhurima and Adesh arrived shortly with the police. They remained hidden to avoid facing Smita.

She bid farewell to Anurag and exited through the iron gate. She hired an auto to drop her at Connaught Place. Madhurima and the police followed her with Anurag giving them company.

After reaching her intended destination, she crossed the road to reach a luxury apartment. Madhurima parked her car at a safe distance, while Anurag was on his way to trail his wife. She stopped outside an apartment on the second floor.

She rang the doorbell and waited patiently. Her brother opened the door. Anurag turned up with the police at the same moment. The brother-sister duo had pure shock and horror registered on their faces. Their parents emerged from their bedroom. The police arrested the entire family for fraud and forgery. Anurag played Smita's confession on his mobile. Her family looked at her reproachfully.

Madhurima and Adesh joined the party. He addressed her directly," Sorry, dear, to break your heart. I am Puneet Kumar from Switzerland alias Adesh Gupta, a civil engineer in New Delhi. I am already married to Madhurima, your former sister in law. Your greed for money has landed your whole family behind bars. There is no shortcut to success or earning money. No one can become rich overnight." Smita broke down completely, while the police took them into their custody. Madhurima and Adesh accompanied Anurag to Shanti Nagar home for the aged. His parents were overjoyed to see them. Anurag helped them to pack their luggage, while Adesh arranged for a taxi to take them home.

Madhurima paid a visit to Anurag's house with Adesh. They had a grand celebration. Anurag vowed never to disobey his parents. He said, " This Anurag fell in love with Komolika instead of Prerna. Physical beauty can be misleading." Everybody had a hearty laugh.