Page 65 of Substitute Bride

AN ACCIDENT

A blindfold covered Jhankar's eyes, and she gripped Vikrant's hand tightly as they walked forward. Suddenly, Vikrant came to a halt, which made Jhankar instinctively stop as well. He stepped behind her, leaned closer to her ear, and whispered gently,

“I am going. Only after I leave, take off the blindfold…”

Jhankar held his hand even more tightly, unwilling to let go, but Vikrant placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

That single touch calmed her, and she slowly loosened her grip, allowing him to leave.

He walked away with a smile. Despite the blindfold covering her eyes, Jhankar had felt no fear, not even for a moment, because she had been holding Vikrant’s hand.

The moment he left, she quickly untied the blindfold.

The scene before her bathed her in a soft, milky-white light, and as the brightness enveloped her, a beautiful smile lit up her face.

She began looking around, instinctively searching for Vikrant, but the space was empty.

As she stepped forward, each stride brought with it an unexpected warmth and surprise.

All around her, on every wall, were numerous photographs of her and Vikrant together, each capturing moments of laughter, stolen glances, and silent stories.

Her smile widened with every passing picture.

But amidst all these overwhelming sights, her eyes still searched tirelessly for Vikrant.

Even though he was nowhere in sight, she could feel his presence in every corner.

She knew him well. He had made sure that not a single shadow or dark corner remained in the room because he knew she was afraid of the dark.

This was his way of comforting her, even in his absence.

Jhankar approached a large picture frame, still covered, with a soft smile.

She stood before it, her hands slowly pulling the cloth away, revealing the image underneath.

What she saw stunned her. It was a photo of her dressed as a bride, but her expression in the picture was heartbreakingly sad.

The pain in her eyes was clearly visible.

She took a few steps back in surprise and instinctively turned around, as if to look for Vikrant.

But he was already there, standing right behind her.

Without a word, he dropped to his knees in front of her.

Taking out a nuptial chain from his pocket, he held it up between them, his eyes locked with hers as he spoke from the depths of his heart:

“I cannot change what happened… and honestly, I don’t want to.

Because everything—every single moment, every mistake—led me to you.

I don’t know if it was wrong… but for me, it felt absolutely right.

Because of it, I have learned how to truly live.

Sharda Maa always used to say that God plans everything for us. I never believed her… but now, I do.”

Jhankar listened quietly, tears brimming in her eyes, but a smile gently formed on her lips. She reached out and held his hand. Vikrant stood up slowly, wrapping his fingers firmly around her hands. He kissed them, looked deep into her eyes, and continued:

“Yes… our marriage was forced. And yes… I brought you into my life as a substitute. But slowly… you became my everything. You filled every void. I want to marry you again—this time, in front of everyone. I want the whole world to see that you are my wife and that you have every right to be. There are so many things I want to do openly—without shame, without fear. For the first time, I believe in God’s plan.

And yes… I want to honor the gods you and Sharda Maa believe in.

Because it’s thanks to them that I found you.

Even after losing everything, I still had Sharda Maa with me… And now, I have you.”

Before he could finish, Jhankar threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, holding her close as if trying to feel every heartbeat she held for him.

Cradling his face in her hands, she kissed him again and again, her voice trembling with love as she said,

“I’m ready to marry you again. Because I love you—deeply, madly—and I want to spend the rest of my life annoying only you.”

Vikrant chuckled softly at her words, but before he could say anything, she hugged him again. He held her close, gently stroking her hair as he whispered with care:

“Sonakshi is seven months pregnant. Her delivery is due soon. After that, I’ll bring both her and the baby here, safe and sound.

But right now, we still don’t know where Virendra Chandel is.

That’s what worries me the most. I’m afraid he might try to harm them when no one is expecting it.

Currently, Sonakshi’s safe delivery is our top priority.

We are responsible for protecting that little life, too.

Once the baby is born, we’ll be able to secure them both in better ways.

But if anything were to happen to Sonakshi now… we could lose both.”

Jhankar quickly nodded, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She wiped them away and looked up at him firmly as she said,

“I won’t marry you until my brother arrives. Because only he will steal your shoes during the wedding!”

Hearing that, Vikrant slowly put her down and looked at her with curiosity. Jhankar burst out laughing and added,

“He isn’t just a brother—he's like my sister and best friend too. He never missed a chance to tease me like a typical sister would. So when I marry, it’s only fair that he steal my husband’s shoes!”

Vikrant couldn’t help but laugh heartily at that, and Jhankar turned toward the nearest photo.

As they stood there, the two of them looked at their smiling reflections in the glass of the picture—together, radiant, and in love.

She wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled him closer, her voice playfully excited:

“Now tell me, what else have you planned? I want to see everything!”

Vikrant instantly reached out his hand, and Jhankar slowly began walking beside him.

She could clearly see that Vikrant was in a rare, genuinely positive mood today.

It was one of those rare moments where he might even listen to things he normally didn’t like to hear.

Sensing this rare chance, Jhankar spoke softly.

“One thing is for sure… we’re this happy today only because your mother must be showering her blessings upon you. That’s why everything feels so beautiful.”

Vikrant’s steps came to a sudden halt. Jhankar instantly realized she had touched a nerve.

She knew this was one topic Vikrant never liked to talk about — his mother.

But Jhankar didn’t want to hold back any longer.

She had been trying for a long time, slowly, carefully, to plant the seed of reconciliation in Vikrant’s heart, but she always stopped herself at the last moment.

Not today. Today, she had made her decision.

Vikrant turned toward her sharply and said in a firm voice,

“Jhankar, please… I don’t want to talk about that woman.”

“That woman?” Jhankar repeated, visibly hurt.

“Vikrant, please… You’re being unfair. That woman was your mother.

I know she may have made a mistake — maybe a huge one — one that caused you immense pain, but even then, she’s not here anymore.

The least you can do is speak about her with a little dignity. ”

Vikrant looked straight into her eyes. Where there had been joy just moments ago, Jhankar now saw that happiness vanish like a mist. She took a gentle step closer and continued.

“Look, maybe I’m wrong. I’m not trying to defend her actions.

But the hatred you’ve been carrying in your heart — the deep resentment — it has caused so many problems…

not just for you but for others too. You don’t have to look far, Vikrant.

Think about how you treated me when we first met.

So much of that pain stemmed from this one unresolved part of your heart.

All I’m saying is… if you could just stop hating her, maybe you’d start to feel the beauty in your life even more.

Vikrant, I don’t want to carry hate in my heart — not even yours.

We don’t know how long we have in this life, so why spend it dwelling on bitterness?

Maybe you can’t love her; fine. But don’t remember her with so much anger.

Wherever she is, your hatred must be hurting her soul. ”

“I want her to feel the pain of my hatred,” Vikrant snapped. “Because what she did… is unforgivable.”

“What did she do?” Jhankar asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Did she not love you? Did she hit you? Did she ever speak to you with the kind of hatred you use when you speak about her?”

Vikrant clenched his jaw. “I begged her not to leave me and Papa. I pleaded with her. But she didn’t care. She left anyway. She didn’t even care how much Papa loved her. She had… she had fallen in love with someone else.”

“Pardon me…?”

Jhankar nearly screamed. Her sudden outburst shocked Vikrant into silence. She stepped in front of him, locking eyes with him, her voice softer but heavy with emotion.

“I love you, Vikrant. I love you so much that I feel it every moment of every day. And still, even with everything we’ve been through, I never imagined I could love someone like this.

If someone were to try to take your place in my life today, it would be impossible.

So don’t tell me she just ‘fell’ for someone else one day.

That doesn’t happen. Not in a real marriage.

Maybe… just maybe… Your father, who loved her deeply, might have done something that shattered her trust. Something so painful that she gave up on him… on you.”

“Jhankar…”