Page 18 of Substitute Bride

SWEETS FOR HIM

Jhankar stood in the kitchen, receiving all the ingredients from the maids that she needed at the moment.

“Ma’am, here are all the ingredients. You can begin cooking; we’re here to assist you,” one of them said politely.

“There’s no need for that,” Jhankar replied casually, tying her saree at the waist like she owned the kitchen. “I’m used to working alone. If someone hovers around, it just distracts me. Do whatever else you have to do. Just hand me some bitter gourd too—I’m used to drinking its juice every day.”

The maids exchanged glances, clearly surprised.

They had never encountered someone so enthusiastic about bitter gourd juice.

Still, their job was to serve, and they discreetly handed her the bitter gourd without question.

Jhankar beamed as soon as she laid eyes on it.

She quickly washed and juiced it, then smirked to herself.

“You’re so sweet, aren’t you?” she muttered sarcastically. “Why would someone like you need sweets? You deserve something as twisted as your personality.”

With that, she got to work. She prepared pudding in two separate pans: one traditional, sweet, and infused with saffron and cardamom; the other infused with a generous amount of bitter gourd juice.

She added yellow food coloring to the sweet pudding and stirred it carefully.

Then, unable to suppress her wicked amusement, she burst into laughter and added two heaping spoonfuls of turmeric to the bitter gourd pudding.

Once both dishes were ready, she garnished them with dried fruits and poured them into separate bowls, making sure to remember which one was meant for Vikrant.

She scrutinized the bowls with a sly smile and murmured under her breath.

“Congratulations, Viku, on the first kitchen ritual of our marriage.”

Moments later, she stepped out of the kitchen, smiling sweetly. Everyone was seated, waiting for the desserts. She began serving the pudding to everyone, her smile never fading. She had already imagined Vikrant’s expression several times and could barely hold back her laughter.

Vikrant, however, was still finishing his breakfast and hadn’t touched his bowl of pudding yet.

Jhankar kept glancing sideways, impatiently waiting for the moment he would take a bite.

Then, at last, she saw him. He picked up the bowl and brought the spoon to his mouth.

She struggled not to burst out laughing and leaned closer, speaking softly.

“What happened, Viku? The pudding’s not good?” She teased innocently.

Vikrant noticed Sharda looking at him with a smile, and he immediately swallowed the mouthful. Turning his neck stiffly toward Jhankar, he replied flatly.

“Very tasty…”

“Do you want more?” Jhankar asked sweetly, batting her lashes and trying not to laugh.

Vikrant looked at her glowing smile and replied with a matching calmness.

“Of course. Now that we’re married, we should share the pudding. One bowl won’t be enough.”

Her eyes widened at his response, and just as she was about to speak, Sharda cheerfully chimed in.

“Exactly! I was about to say the same. You both should eat from the same bowl and plate. That's the correct way to perform this ritual. I thought Vikrant might object because he doesn’t like sharing food. But if he’s saying it himself, then that’s wonderful. You should eat together.”

“No, I don’t eat anyone’s…”

Jhankar began to protest. But before she could finish, Vikrant calmly grabbed her hand, slid the bowl closer, and placed a spoon in front of her.

“Sometimes, habits must change,” he said with quiet firmness. “Even I find it hard to eat someone else’s leftovers. But marriage is about adapting and expressing affection—even through food. That’s what I believe.”

“But I don’t…” she began again, flustered.

Before the sentence could leave her mouth, Vikrant smoothly spooned the pudding into her mouth.

Sharda laughed heartily at the scene. Jhankar struggled.

The strong taste of bitter gourd mixed with turmeric hit her senses so hard that it felt impossible to swallow.

Her mouth burned with bitterness, and she instantly wanted to spit it out.

Vikrant, meanwhile, looked at her with complete composure, took another spoonful himself, and offered her another bite.

“Open your mouth, wifey,” he said softly.

Jhankar’s eyes widened in shock. Watching him eat it so effortlessly confused her even more. Her eyes welled up slightly as she coughed, unable to hold back. Vikrant leaned close, handed her a glass of water, and whispered in her ear.

“You know what ‘backfire means now.”

She glared at him while he continued eating with a subtle smirk.

Furious, she grabbed her bowl of sweet pudding and started gobbling it down to wash away the bitterness.

Vikrant, finishing his bowl, stood up gracefully.

He leaned down, took a spoonful of sweet pudding from her bowl, and then gently placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

The simple gesture froze her in place. She knew he had only done it because Sharda was watching—but that didn’t stop the tremble that ran through her.

His touch, even that subtle, rattled her more than she was willing to admit.

“I have to go to a very important meeting. I’ll be back in two to three hours.”

Vikrant said, turning to Sharda with a polite tone. Sharda nodded with a smile and then looked toward Jhankar.

“Jhankar, please drop Vikrant off outside.”

Jhankar thought bitterly, forcing a smile, "I wish there was a well in the yard like in olden times; I would push him right in."

But obediently, she got up and started walking outside with him. As Ravindra observed them leave, his jaw clenched. Once the door closed behind them, he turned to Sharda, his voice laced with disapproval.

“I respect you deeply… But this girl doesn’t belong in this house.”

Sharda looked at him quietly, her calm demeanor unwavering. His displeasure was now openly visible. He had been silent in Vikrant's presence, but now that he was alone, he didn't hold back.

“The marriage was done with full rituals,” Sharda said softly. “They are husband and wife now. There was no deceit.”

“Marriages happen every day, and so do divorces,” Ravindra replied, his tone firm. “I understand the sanctity of marriage better than most. You raised Vikrant like your own son, and I can see how this affects you. But I still say this: reconsider your stubbornness.”

Sharda remained quiet. His words stung more than she was willing to show.

Without replying, she lowered her head and walked slowly toward her room, her steps heavy with unspoken pain.

Ravindra watched her go and then looked toward the door where Vikrant and Jhankar had just exited.

In a low voice, almost to himself, he muttered,

“Vikrant can’t tolerate this girl… And I know he’ll find some way, sooner or later, to throw her out of his life…. I can't let her stubbornness ruin his life… If he loved this girl, then definitely I would have considered this marriage, but I know he does not…”

~~~~~

As Vikrant prepared to sit in the car, he suddenly turned back, glanced at Jhankar, and said with a mocking calmness.

“Now you'll have the entire day to think about how else you can trouble me with your little games. But remember this pudding incident well because I don’t just get troubled; I also know how to trouble others. Better luck next time.”

Jhankar narrowed her eyes and stared at him with rising irritation.

But before she could shoot back a reply, he widened his lips in an exaggerated grin, pretending to be amused, and slipped into the car.

With effortless flair, he waved at her with one hand and wore his black sunglasses with the other.

Watching him leave with that smug attitude, Jhankar stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.

She turned sharply on her heel and stormed back into the house, muttering to herself under her breath.

“If he thinks that all this nonsense is going to stop me, then he’s entirely wrong.

I’m not scared of him, and there’s no way I’m going to let him live peacefully under the same roof.

He’s crushed all my dreams, why should he get to live his life so easily?

Fine, sometimes you lose a round, but that doesn’t mean you stop playing the game.

I’m not one to give up so easily. I will go to any length to annoy and challenge him.

The planning can wait for now, I need to speak to Aunty.

If I want to get out of this prison, then I’ll need her on my side. ”

Without wasting another moment, she walked purposefully toward Sharda’s room. Sharda was lying on the bed, resting. As soon as she saw Jhankar enter, her face lit up with a gentle smile, and she sat up slowly to welcome her.

“Are you tired?” Jhankar asked kindly.

“Yes, I couldn’t sit out for long, so I came back in,”

Sharda replied, settling next to her. They sat quietly for a while, the silence soft and familiar, and then Jhankar finally spoke, her voice tinged with hesitation.

“Aunty, I want to talk to you about something important. I had just completed my studies and secured a campus placement. The day after my wedding, I was supposed to leave for Delhi to join a company. But obviously, that didn’t happen.

I’m not even thinking about that now… I’ve let it go.

But there’s something I still need to tell you. ”

She paused, gathering her thoughts, and continued.

“I want to work. Not because I want to escape from my responsibility but because I want to support my parents. I’ve always dreamed of helping them, and right now, that feels more important than anything else.

I know everyone here listens to you, and that’s why I wanted to bring this to you directly. ”

Sharda looked at her with gentle eyes and responded softly.

“First of all, whether or not you work should be your decision… yours alone. No one should interfere with that. But since you’ve asked me, I’ll be honest. I truly admire girls who are self-reliant, who can make their own decisions with strength and conviction.

If working is your choice, then stand by it firmly.

Since Vikrant is your husband, it is important to speak with him, understand his point of view, and also explain your own.

But ultimately, the decision must be yours. I won’t say more than that.”

'Even if he agrees, who will listen to that zombie anyway?' Jhankar thought, rolling her eyes inwardly.

“Aunty,” she added quickly, “I also wanted to inform you that if I start working, I might not be able to spend as much time with you. And maybe Vikrant expects me to be around you, especially while you're unwell.”

Sharda tilted her head thoughtfully, then asked,

“What do you want, Jhankar? Think about that first.”

Her words left Jhankar quiet. After a while, she got up, walked to her room, and sat on the edge of her bed, lost in deep thought. Her brows furrowed as she began talking to herself aloud.

“I doubt that man is going to let me step out and work so easily. I might need his permission,” she grumbled.

As soon as she said the word "permission," she froze in disbelief and smacked her forehead in frustration.

“Permission, my foot,” she said, breaking into a sarcastic laugh. “I should just join any company from tomorrow itself, no matter what it takes. Papa and Mummy need me. I can’t afford to neglect them under any circumstance. That’s final.”

With renewed determination, she immediately sat down, opened her bag, and pulled out the list of companies she had carefully written down the night before.

She had spent hours researching and had identified the ones with active vacancies.

She was already determined to visit each company individually and conduct interviews.

She knew June was the peak hiring season when many companies tried to recruit fresh graduates. This was her best chance.

She cross-checked the list on her phone, checked the addresses and interview slots, and arranged her documents neatly. Then, with a deep breath, she leaned back slightly. Her eyes fell on a framed photo near her table. It was her family. Her gaze lingered on her brother’s face.

A gentle smile curved her lips for a moment, but the smile quickly dissolved as her eyes welled up. Her voice cracked slightly as she whispered,

“I miss you…”

Her fingers brushed over the glass of the frame, as if trying to feel the presence of someone who once stood by her like a rock. But now, she had to become her own strength.