Page 40 of Substitute Bride

After cleaning his wounds thoroughly, she takes the ointment in her hands and slowly begins applying it.

This is the first time Vikrant truly feels her touch.

Before today, even in moments of closeness, there had been no such feeling between them.

But now, Vikrant can feel his growing affection for her—intensified since the accident.

He closes his eyes slightly and starts smiling.

He had wanted to see what Jhankar would do in a situation where no one else could help him.

Her touch brings him a strange, pleasant feeling that he is thoroughly enjoying.

However, Jhankar, still trying to suppress any sound, ultimately fails.

Suddenly, the sound of her crying reaches Vikrant’s ears, and he immediately turns toward her.

"Jhankar…"

Jhankar had pressed her lips so tightly that blood had finally started to flow from them. Witnessing this, Vikrant places his thumb on her lips, carefully wipes the blood, and looks into her tear-filled eyes.

"It's okay… There is no need to worry so much; I’m used to things like this.”

Jhankar doesn’t respond to Vikrant’s words.

Instead, she gently turns him back around and resumes applying medicine to his wounds, her eyes still brimming with tears.

Vikrant clenches his jaw, controlling himself, because he hadn’t expected that this small test of his would make Jhankar cry so much. Her tears bring a deep, painful ache.

After some time, Vikrant leaves, and Jhankar, overwhelmed by emotions, tries to steady herself.

But first, she knows she must apply for leave.

It’s a new job, and she can’t afford to take risks.

Still, she knows that no matter what she does, she won’t be able to go to the office in her condition.

She immediately sends an email to her office, and within a few minutes, they reply.

A small smile appears on her face as she says to herself:

“I didn’t know working in an office could be so easy. I don’t have to do much work, and the atmosphere is so nice—and they accepted my leave request so easily.”

Suddenly, the door to her room opens, and she sees Raghunath and Chitrali. Jhankar smiles at the sight of them but also notices Vikrant standing behind them. Knowing that Vikrant doesn’t like anyone entering his room, she quickly says while trying to get up from the bed,

“Let’s go to the hall…”

“No.”

At the sound of Vikrant’s voice, everyone turns to look at him. Looking at Jhankar, he says,

“I’m sending breakfast here. Sit comfortably and talk to your parents, they’ll be with you all day.”

With that, he immediately leaves. Jhankar opens her arms, and Raghunath and Chitrali both rush to embrace her. As she hugs her mother, she immediately starts sharing her feelings.

“I’m not feeling good about anything. Why is all this happening to us…?”

Her parents know her very well; her fragile heart always gets emotional at a slightly high voice too. Raghunath quickly consoled her by saying,.

“Jhankar, it was just a small accident. Don’t be afraid. You are my brave daughter.”

“It wasn’t a small accident. If you saw Vikrant, you’d understand.

If he hadn’t saved me, you wouldn’t be seeing me like this right now.

I don't understand why he’s doing all of this, and because of all the things, I’m feeling very conflicted.

I want to hate him… only hate him … because he gave me a reason to.

But at the same time, he’s given me so many reasons to end that hatred.

I can’t even explain how disturbed I’m feeling. ”

Raghunath and Chitrali look at each other, and then Raghunath gently takes his daughter’s hand and pats it softly.

“It’s human nature to make mistakes. We get angry and end up making serious ones. Sometimes those mistakes are enormous and even unforgivable. But still, God gives us a chance to correct them. If we get that chance, we should take it. Forget the past and move forward.”

Before Jhankar can respond, Chitrali adds,

“The way Vikrant married you and threatened us, it all bothered me terribly. I used to worry about you constantly. But the way he’s taken care of us, the way he stood by Raghunath Ji in the hospital, how he’s become our support, he is trying to correct every mistake.

And today, when he saved you from even a scratch, I truly don’t want to remember his past misdeeds.

If he regrets his actions, then I can forgive him.

In fact, I already have. You should move forward too. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Jhankar remains silent, looking at her parents, still uncertain about what is right.

~~~

The sound of a leather belt striking skin echoes in the air.

No one dares speak. Vikrant has bound Michael by the legs and is mercilessly beating him with the thick leather strap.

Michael had died an hour ago, but Vikrant hasn’t stopped.

He continues, furious, delivering one blow after another—a scene so terrifying that no one can intervene.

They all know the extent of Michael’s crime and even in death, this punishment seems justified.

Amidst the sharp, echoing snaps of the belt, a loud phone ringtone suddenly pierces the air. Vikrant halts abruptly and glares at his man, whose hands tremble as he checks the phone.

“Madam…”

The man can’t say more. He’s paralyzed with fear.

Vikrant takes a deep breath, throws the belt aside, runs his fingers through his hair, and shuts his eyes for a moment.

Then, he looks at the phone again. The sight of Michael’s unrecognizable, beaten face remains before him.

The man hesitantly approaches, unsure whether to hand Vikrant the phone or stay back.

He moves forward slightly, stopping halfway.

Vikrant immediately snatches the phone and answers it.

“Yes, Jhankar…”

“It’s so late, where are you? You said you had only two hours of work. You've been gone for five hours.”

Hearing her angry voice, Vikrant smiles faintly. He glances at Michael, steps toward the corpse, grabs the dead man’s hair, and examines his face, now utterly disfigured.

“I had very important work; that’s why I lost track of time. You must have had some important reason to call me—you wouldn’t call so easily. So, tell me…”

Jhankar grows uneasy upon hearing this. She’s been anxious ever since her parents left. She kept telling herself not to worry about Vikrant, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Without realizing it, she had dialed his number.

“Of course I had a reason to call. Sharda Maa was also worried because you hadn’t returned, so she told me to check on you.”

“Well, Sharda Maa could have called me directly to ask where I was.”

Vikrant can vividly imagine Jhankar’s expression after being caught.

That’s why he’s smiling—a sight that surprises everyone around him.

Silently, they begin removing Michael’s body, knowing Vikrant will soon leave now that Madam has called.

Vikrant also starts heading out and says to Jhankar, who remains speechless from his last remark,

“Tell Sharda Maa clearly that I’ll be home in just half an hour.”

Upon hearing this, Jhankar hangs up the phone, murmuring to himself with a slight smile,

“Feeling good…”

~~~

Jhankar is wandering around her room, feeling angry with herself for not being able to respond to Vikrant. She is acutely aware of her inability to express herself in front of him, which only fuels her frustration. She starts muttering to herself:

"These days, when I don’t say anything to him, he starts making fun of me for every little thing. Let him come today. I will fight so well that everything will be fixed in his mind. I am not easily defeated; I am also Jhankar, and no one can silence me."

Jhankar has been pacing aimlessly for some time due to this issue when, all of a sudden, the door opens.

Unable to slow down, she collides with Vikrant as he enters.

Vikrant immediately wraps his arms around her waist, holding her tightly, and starts looking at her face intently.

Jhankar, surprised by his sudden arrival, says while looking at him,

"Why do you always give me the feeling of a vampire?"

"So, do you like vampires?"

Jhankar abruptly turns her gaze toward him, noticing a significant change in him.

This realization heightens her concern, as despite her best efforts to ignore him, she finds herself noticing him even more intensely.

She immediately feels his hand on her waist, so she removes it, steps away to create some distance, and says,

"Sharda Maa told me you were going to eat outside. Since you’re not used to outside food, why was it necessary to go today? Were you going on a date with your girlfriends"?

"There was a very important meeting, and I couldn’t miss it because of this minor accident. That’s why I went and also had dinner with the client—it had been scheduled for a month. And about girlfriends... let’s leave that for another time."

Jhankar watches him closely and notices how easily he answers all her questions, while she often gives him vague answers just to irritate him. She takes a deep breath before speaking again:

"Well, to date, I haven’t met my boss at all, but I believe he must be a very composed and calm person because he does everything so effortlessly.

That’s what I like most about him. I’ve noticed that in his company, everyone works so comfortably—there’s no sign of any problem.

He’s never been physically present in his company, yet everything runs so smoothly that it’s impressive.

I became his fan without even meeting him. "

Upon hearing her, Vikrant turns to look at her, begins unbuttoning his shirt, and says,

"So even something this small impresses you?"