Page 23 of Substitute Bride

“I call him in the office, and he says that he is fine. I also recently learned that he has a fever. Starting tomorrow, I will let my man know that he won't be able to come to the office until he fully recovers."

“Stay here tonight; Papa is also unwell.”

Vikrant and Jhankar both turn around upon hearing Chitrali's voice, and although Jhankar immediately wants to hug her mother to comfort her, she is unable to express this desire. She quickly turns towards Vikrant to inform him that she wants to stay here tonight, but he swiftly responds with denial by shaking his head. Chitrali is unable to say anything more; Jhankar quickly walked over to her father, while Chitrali quietly walked away, head lowered. Vikrant watched her closely. He saw a helpless mother and wife — and he felt a strange ache inside. Emotions kept washing over him, but he was determined not to give in. He knew that allowing himself to feel too deeply would be a kind of defeat — one he could not afford. Since his arrival, he had seen how close-knit this family was — how far they would go for one another. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt to ease the discomfort, but it wasn’t just the heat — it was something within him, something emotional, that made him uneasy.

~~~~

Jhankar is talking to Sharda very happily, but Sharda can clearly see on her face that she is only pretending to be happy; she is not happy at all. As a result, she holds her hand very lovingly and tells her so.

“Jhankar, what’s wrong? I can tell you’re not okay. If something is bothering you, talk to me.”

"Aunty, I don't know whether there is a problem or not.

I only know that I have given interviews at so many places.

It has been 20 days now, but I have not received a response from anywhere.

I have not even received a single call. I have applied for even the smallest vacancy.

Either I am in a hurry, or this happens to everyone.

I was selected for campus placement, so I was very sure that I did not need to do anything.

I never imagined that I would have to conduct interviews with companies after placement.

However, there's no need to be concerned.

I am slightly concerned. Not much. Not all vacancies have been filled yet.

Even now, I have compiled a list of numerous companies, many of which are actively conducting interviews.

I am confident that I will find a suitable position somewhere.

The companies may be seeking the best candidate for their positions. That is why it is taking so long."

Sharda smiles lightly after listening to Jhankar because she is thrilled to see how strong this girl can be. Due to an important meeting, Vikrant has not yet arrived. Both of them sit and talk for a long time at night. After conversing with her for several hours, she finally says,

“You should go to sleep because I also want to rest too. Anyway, if Vikrant comes, he will definitely come to my room and disturb me. I should take some rest before that.”

Jhankar laughs lightly after listening to Sharda, and she says to her,.

"It seems you have never allowed this child to grow up."

“He grew up the day his mother left him so cruelly,” Sharda said quietly.

“He loved her dearly. And ever since she abandoned him, he’s had no respect for women.

He sees every woman as selfish, a betrayer, or a gold-digger.

But appearances can be deceiving. Vikrant is like that—scarred on the inside. In time, you’ll understand him.”

Jhankar carefully listens to Sharda, but in the next moment, she stands in front of her and speaks to her.

"He cannot punish everyone for what his mother did; maybe she has her reasons. While it's understandable that his mother may have made a mistake, it's important to note that none of the women he disrespects are at fault.

Sharda starts looking at Jhankar cautiously, and Jhankar also realizes that she should not say this thing because she is a person who loves him so much; hearing something harsh about him will lead to her condition becoming worse, due to which she is about to say something to her with a smile, but Sharda immediately tells her.

“I made a big mistake. I loved him too much and never corrected him. But now you’re here. I know you’ll teach him what respect means. Not every woman is the same — and you know how to make him see his flaws.”

Jhankar went silent, not sure how to respond. At that moment, they heard the sound of a car braking outside. She knew Vikrant had arrived, and she quickly left the room.

~~~

Jhankar tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t.

Her father had been running a high fever for several days.

He would recover for a while, then fall ill again.

His condition was worsening. He refused to go to the hospital, which only made things harder, but today Vikrant forced him to go.

The doctor finally admitted him. Vikrant insisted that Jhankar go home with her mother, and he stayed at the hospital himself.

She would rather not leave, but for her mother’s sake, she returned to the mansion.

“I want to be there.”

It hasn't even been 15 minutes since she arrived, and she can't stay here peacefully. As soon as she comes out of the mansion, the guards on duty become alert upon seeing her.

"Ma'am, it's very late at night. If you need to go somewhere, please inform us. We will make arrangements with Sir and transport you there. However, if you are leaving the mansion at this time, please inform Sir beforehand."

“I have to go to the hospital for my father.”

The guard begins observing her, aware that she has only been there for 15 minutes, but he is unable to say anything to Jhankar. Consequently, he immediately contacts Vikrant.

“Sir, Ma’am wants to return to the hospital.”

“Give her the phone,” Vikrant replied.

The guard hands the phone to Jhankar, and she immediately takes it.

“He’s undergoing a dengue test,” Vikrant interrupted gently. “The doctor suspects it might be that. Diagnosing dengue can be tricky, but don’t worry.”

“Dengue…? I have to be there…”

“Jhankar,” Vikrant said firmly.

She had started walking out while talking, but the moment he said her name, she stopped in her tracks and listened.

“I’m with Uncle. The doctors are here. There’s a whole team.

I know you’re his daughter, and you’re more worried than anyone, but I promise — nothing will happen to him while I’m here.

You can come, of course. No one can stop you.

But Aunty is also very upset. If she finds out you left her alone at this time, don’t you think that’ll make things worse for her? ”

Jhankar is listening to him very well, and she knows that he is not saying anything wrong to her. She holds the phone tightly and closes her eyes a little; tears flow from her eyes, and a sob comes out. Vikrant grips the phone tightly as soon as he hears her sob and speaks to her.

"Uncle's repeated fever is a sign of dengue, and the doctor is saying the same thing. The report will come by tomorrow morning. The doctor will not let me stay here for a while, so you don't need to worry. I am going to come home in a while, so I will talk to you in detail."

Vikrant hangs up, and Jhankar goes inside the mansion again. After giving the phone back to the guard, she comes to the guest room where Chitrali was sitting restlessly; she tells her daughter as soon as she sees her.

“Did you speak to Vikrant?” Chitrali asked quickly. “He forced me to come home. He doesn’t understand how important it is for me to be there with Raghunath ji.”

Jhankar is distressed, and in her worry, she has even forgotten that her mother will also be worried about her father like her, and Vikrant is not saying anything wrong to her. She smiles lightly and helps her mother sit on the bed again.

“I have just talked to Vikrant. The doctor has said that everything is fine. Some tests have been done, and the report will come tomorrow morning. There is no need to worry before that. Papa is absolutely fine. He says that he will come in a little while. So you should ask him yourself what the doctor said.”

Chitrali nods her head and stands near the window because she wants to talk to Vikrant as soon as possible.

She knows that when Vikrant is about to come, she should stand near the window and wait for him so that she can learn everything about Raghunath.

After about half an hour, Vikrant's car enters, then Chitrali quickly runs outside the room, and Jhankar starts following her.

As soon as Vikrant enters the mansion, he notices Chitrali approaching him in trouble and promptly informs her.

"You did not need to be so worried; Uncle is in the hospital, and the best treatment is available there. You should know that his tests have been done, the report will come in the morning, and the doctor has clearly said that he does not have any problem for which there is no cure."

Chitrali seems to take a slight sigh of relief after hearing his words. Vikrant's eyes go towards Jhankar, standing behind Chitrali, who was constantly looking at him. Vikrant speaks to Jhankar as he continues to look at Chitrali.

“Now everything is fine, so you both can go and sleep; there is no need to worry so much.”