Page 97
Story: Substitute Bride
As soon as Vikrant’s car screeches to a halt outside the house, he rushes inside with urgency. It's as if he wants to conquer the stairs in a single leap and reach the room as quickly as possible, just to take Jhankar into his arms. Jhankar, lost in her thoughts and pacing around, turns suddenly as the door bursts open. Standing there is Vikrant, smiling warmly, and in that moment, it feels as though she is entirely lost in his smile. Vikrantimmediately comes closer, lifts her into his arms, spins her around joyfully, and expresses the happiness surging through him as he says,
"You love me… You love me… You love me…"
Seeing him so overwhelmed with joy, Jhankar begins to smile. Holding his face in her hands, she leans in and says softly,
“You're saying it like you didn’t already know.”
“I did know,” he replies, “but hearing it from your lips has brought a happiness I can’t even begin to describe in words.”
Jhankar, trying to hide her growing smile, turns her face away. But Vikrant gently sets her down, takes her face in his hands, and looks into her eyes with earnest intensity.
“Please, don’t make me suffer like this. Just say it — say you love me deeply.”
Jhankar gazes into his eyes. Now there was no surprise for him, and now she could clearly see how deeply he yearned to hear her confession of love. Looking into his eyes with a smile, she softly says:
“I love you…”
Without another word, Vikrant places his lips on hers—as if, at that moment, words are no longer enough to express his love. Jhankar wraps her arms around his neck, rising onto her toes to match his height, and begins to kiss him back, sealing their love and promise to never be apart. Vikrant immediately lifts her into his arms again and spins her around, faster this time, as if trying to race time itself.
“I am so happy…”
Jhankar clings to him, hiding her face in his neck, laughing with him. Vikrant holds her tightly in his embrace, smiling as he breathes deeply, overwhelmed by the moment. Looking at his face, Jhankar says:
“I had no idea you were waiting this much.”
“To be honest,” he says, “I didn’t even realize I was waiting. I only knew one thing — that I loved you. And I also knew you loved me too. But when you'd finally confess, I would be this ecstatic, dancing like a madman that I never knew. I am dancing…”
Still holding her in his arms, he begins spinning around joyfully. Jhankar bursts into laughter, clinging to his neck, trying to steady herself from falling.
“Vikrant, I might fall!”
“Not a chance,” he smiles. “You should have that much faith in me.”
“I have a lot of faith — in us. I believe that so much good can happen between us.”
As Vikrant gazes at her with a smile, Jhankar steps forward and suddenly places her lips gently on his once again. Vikrant begins kissing her slowly and softly, and unknowingly, their steps begin to move toward the bed. Vikrant gently lays Jhankar down on the bed and positions himself over her. Tonight, he just wants to kiss her endlessly. Tonight, he would rather not hold himself back in any way. He starts gazing deeply into Jhankar’s eyes — eyes that seem to carry the same longing as his. Taking her hand gently into his, he places a tender kiss on her palm, yet not for a single moment do his eyes drift away from hers. Jhankar knows exactly what Vikrant is trying to find in her eyes. She smilessoftly, grabs his collar, pulls him closer, and whispers gently in his ear,
“I am all yours…”
For a moment, Vikrant forgets to breathe, and a faint smile begins to play on his lips. Looking at Jhankar, it's as though he seeks her silent approval through their gaze alone. She smiles back and gently closes her eyes, nodding her head softly. With her silent affirmation, Vikrant presses his lips tenderly to her forehead, and his heart begins to race. Jhankar, whose one hand is still resting on his chest, starts smiling lightly as she feels the rapid rhythm of his heartbeat. He takes a deeper breath, slowly trailing his lips across her cheek, eventually stopping just near her lips. Without hesitation, Jhankar slightly tilts her head and presses her lips to his, kissing him with gentle passion. Vikrant, while tenderly caressing her hair with his fingers, continues to kiss her. Jhankar's passion has now intensified greatly, yet she seems to not want to distance herself from him even for a second. Vikrant can keenly feel the rising and falling rhythm of her chest. Gradually, his hands slide along her slender waist, beginning to get entangled in her clothes. Jhankar's hands, which were earlier playing through his hair, slowly begin to descend, reaching his neck — creating delicate, sensuous patterns that awaken a new kind of sensation across his body.
Jhankar begins to breathe more deeply now, and as Vikrant releases her lips with a smile, he stands up in front of her, looking into her eyes while slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Jhankar, trying to steady her breathing, watches him intently. Seeing his toned body for the first time like this, she blushes slightly, something even she hadn’t anticipated. As her eyes lower shyly, a knowing smirk spreads across Vikrant’s face. Jhankar bites her lower lip gently, turning her face away in abashful gesture. But the very next moment, Vikrant places his hand on her cheek, not allowing her to turn away, purposefully guiding her face back toward him and saying softly,
“Please…”
That deep, masculine desire in his voice sends a different kind of sensation rippling through her body , one that shakes her to the core, drawing her deeper and deeper into him. With a gentle stroke of his thumb across her lips, Vikrant begins to slowly trail his fingers from her neck downward, eventually reaching her lips, touching them with the utmost tenderness. Jhankar wants to close her eyes, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, but Vikrant's gaze has locked hers in such a hypnotic pull that she simply can’t look away.
As Vikrant begins to unbuckle his belt with one hand, he uses the other to unfasten the buttons of Jhankar’s nightsuit with exquisite slowness, brushing his fingers against her skin as he does so. The rise and fall of Jhankar’s breath becomes visibly erratic, and with every fluctuation, it feels as though Vikrant’s own breathing syncs with hers, becoming one with the rhythm of her longing.
Vikrant, with a sudden motion, removes his belt and, looking into Jhankar’s eyes, quickly unbuttons his pants as well. Jhankar tightly clutches the sheet in her fists, trying her best to steady her breathing. At this moment, Vikrant stands in front of her with his shirt unbuttoned. He moves closer to her and gently kisses her neck, and Jhankar immediately grabs his shoulders with her trembling hands. Trying to smile, Vikrant very softly touches Jhankar’s face, and she can feel a distinct kind of tremor in his hands. She begins to look at Vikrant intently. In a very soft voice, he says to her.
“I will not hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid,” he murmured.
“I’m not,” she whispered back, her voice barely audible. “Not of you.”
She look into his eyes with confidence. And in that gaze, she gave him everything: her trust, her heart, her surrender.
He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers, gentle at first, exploring. But when she responded uncertain, then certain—the taste of her breath mingling with his kiss deepened. It grew hungry, yet still tender, like a flame slowly feeding on silk. He kissed her deeply, and she welcomed every single touch. He moved closer and removed every barrier between them, their naked bodies touching deeply. As layers of fabric were shed, so were the layers of hesitation.
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