Page 62 of Substitute Bride

THEIR HAPPINESS

Jhankar, in her sleep, moves even closer to Vikrant, and he immediately kisses her on the forehead. As soon as she feels it, she smiles softly and, with her eyes still closed, says:

“You awake…”

“I couldn’t sleep the whole night, and even if you had drifted off, I would’ve forced myself to not dare let me sleep tonight because I would rather not take my eyes off you even for a single moment.”

Hearing his words, Jhankar quickly pulls the blanket up to her face and hides it against his chest. Laughing, he wraps her in his arms and gently says,

“Are you okay…?”

Still buried under the blanket, Jhankar listens to him, unable to say anything in return. Vikrant lovingly caresses her back and says,

“Just give me a little time; I’ll be right back to you.”

Jhankar slightly nods her head in response.

Reluctantly, Vikrant moves her out of his embrace, puts on his shorts, and walks away.

Jhankar slowly lowers the blanket and looks for him across the room.

The moment she realizes he’s not there, she quickly wraps the blanket tightly around herself and sits up, looking at her clothes, which are far out of reach.

As she looks toward the closet and begins to slowly step down from the bed, Vikrant reenters the bedroom and immediately says,

“Don't you dare, sweetheart…”

Without a moment’s delay, Jhankar pulls her legs back up onto the bed and glances softly toward Vikrant.

He is standing against the wall, his eyes fixed only on her.

Jhankar gestures toward her clothes with a pout, silently pleading to him with her eyes.

Vikrant looks at her clothes, then back into her eyes, walks toward her, and says,

“You are not allowed to do anything…”

Saying this, he suddenly lifts her up into his arms. Holding the blanket tightly, her eyes wide, Jhankar says,

“Vikrant, what are you doing….”

“I’m doing exactly what a husband should do for his wife.”

Carrying her in his arms, he walks toward the washroom.

His eyes are completely focused on her face.

Feeling his gaze on her, Jhankar instantly wraps her arms around his neck and hides her face against him.

Seeing her wrapped around him, Vikrant spoke to her in mild annoyance, his voice low but firm.

"You have no right to make me suffer like this. And I won’t allow this to happen. Everything else might be yours, but not this."

Jhankar looked at him and chuckled softly, her eyes fixed on his face. As they entered the washroom, she gently sat down on the edge of the bathtub. Vikrant leaned in closer and said with a smile,

"Just give me two minutes. I’ll be right back."

Jhankar sat there, smiling quietly, her gaze following his every move.

He knelt beside the bathtub, checking the water temperature with care.

Then, without a word, he stepped out to gather everything she might need, arranging her toiletries with a precision that made her heart flutter.

From inside, she could faintly hear him talking to someone on the phone, though the words weren’t clear.

His voice was soft, almost whisper-like, and though she didn’t know what he was saying, she could tell it was nothing urgent.

As she glanced at the washroom door, she noticed it was slightly ajar.

Instinctively, she got up and tried to close it.

She didn’t want Vikrant to come in just yet.

But before she could shut it completely, Vikrant stopped her by placing his hand against the door.

Putting all her strength into it, she tried to push the door closed and said firmly,

"Vikrant, you have to go to the gym. Go shower in the other washroom."

"No need. I had a pretty intense workout last night. I think I’ve earned the day off." With a smirk, he replied,

As soon as he finished speaking, Jhankar peeked out through the slight gap in the door and caught a glimpse of his mischievous grin. The moment their eyes met, Vikrant burst into laughter. Without warning, he moved closer, pressing his lips to hers gently, and whispering,

"Better get used to this, madam. I plan on bothering you a lot more from now on."

Before she could react, he gently moved her aside, stepped into the washroom, and shut the door behind him. Jhankar shook her head in shyness and mumbled,

"Vikrant, you really should leave."

But he responded with a playful firmness in his voice.

"Not a chance. I plan to dedicate this entire day to serving my wife. So don’t even try to push me away."

With that, he swiftly pulled the blanket away from her body, making her gasp. She immediately tried to cover herself, wrapping her arms around him in instinctive shyness. Feeling the warmth of her bare skin against him, Vikrant smiled faintly. He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead and whispered,

"Life has changed so much more than I ever imagined. But this change... it’s beautiful. And I just want to lose myself in its beauty, over and over again."

Jhankar immediately turned to look at Vikrant, who was gazing back at her with an expression full of trust and warmth.

A soft smile spread across her face as she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek gently.

Without saying a word, Vikrant lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carefully settled her into the warm bathtub.

Then, slipping in behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Jhankar could clearly feel the subtle scent of bath salts in the water calming and soothing, melting the tension from her muscles.

The moment the warm water touched her skin, she felt a wave of comfort wash over her, and she instinctively rested her head against Vikrant’s chest, surrendering to a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Vikrant scooped some water in his hands and gently poured it over her shoulders and back, trying to ease away every ounce of her fatigue.

Jhankar could feel just how relaxed she was with every breath he took under her neck and every motion of his hands.

His presence exuded a calmness that transcended mere words. Smiling softly, she asked,

"Don’t you have anywhere to go today?"

"Not at all," he replied without hesitation. "Even if there was something important, I wouldn’t go. Because if anything is important to me today, it’s my wife."

"Oh, really? And what’s so special today that your wife suddenly became this important?" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

He leaned in and whispered,

"Because today, she gave me her trust. She gave me everything, and that kind of trust… it means more to me than anything else. That’s why I’m not going anywhere, not only today, not ever, when it comes to her."

Jhankar’s eyes softened as she slowly soaked in the comfort of his words. After a few moments of silence, she looked at Vikrant and spoke gently to him.

"You’ve given me your trust too, Vikrant."

"I have," he nodded. "But your trust means more. Because in my life, nothing ever felt truly important before. I was content with the way things were. I never wanted to change, nor did I wish to change for anyone. Even when our marriage was arranged, it felt like a duty, something I had to do, nothing more. I never took it seriously. But then we met, however unexpectedly and despite everything. What became clear is that you had dreams. Big ones. Beautiful ones. Especially when it came to your partner in life. I don’t know if I fit into all the categories you imagined for your companion, but I do know this: wherever in your heart and mind you had carved a place for him, you gave me that space.

And that... that means everything to me. "

Jhankar felt every single emotion beyond words, turned to him, and kissed him deeply. Then she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her heart. Vikrant softly began to kiss her neck, his lips brushing gently along her skin as he whispered with a teasing edge,

"Don’t ignite the fire, love... because today, I truly don’t want to trouble you."

"And what if I say... I’m ready to be troubled?" She murmured with a mischievous smile.

"Nope… Not today... That’s not part of the plan." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"So... you're turning me down now?" She teased, raising a brow.

Vikrant looked at her with an amused smile and simply leaned in to change the subject, distracting her with soft laughter and light-hearted talk.

They sat in the water for a while longer, letting the warmth ease their bodies and the silence bond their souls.

After they had bathed, Jhankar wrapped herself in a towel and was about to step out to get dressed when Vikrant swept her into his arms once again.

She burst into laughter, startled and delighted by the sudden move.

As they entered the room, Vikrant first glanced at the door, which was locked, just as it should be.

Inside, everything was precisely how he had planned.

Jhankar looked around with surprise as Vikrant gently placed her down on the soft mattress.

The entire room was lit with a warm, golden glow.

She noticed the candles flickering gently, their soft fragrance floating through the air.

Vikrant walked over to one corner, running his hands through his damp hair before shaking his head from side to side, playfully splashing water droplets all over her.

Startled, she squealed and bent forward to shield herself from the cool droplets, giggling uncontrollably.

She tried to escape the sprinkle, but Vikrant only grinned wider at her reaction.