Page 66 of Substitute Bride

Vikrant’s voice came out as a deep, angry growl — the warning tone that had made others fall silent. But Jhankar didn’t flinch. She didn’t back down. Instead, she looked directly into his stormy eyes and spoke calmly.

“There’s always a reason between a husband and wife when things fall apart. It never just happens. Instead of silencing me, try to think about it… deeply.”

Vikrant felt her courage, the honesty in her gaze, and the tear trembling in the corner of her eye hit him like a punch to the gut.

Without another word, Jhankar turned and walked away, wiping her eyes as she faced the opposite direction.

Vikrant stood frozen. He knew she hated this part of him — the cold, bitter part that refused to let go of the past. She had tried to tell him so many times, but he had always dismissed her, shut her down.

And today, he had yelled at her… again. But this time, something about her reaction pierced straight through his walls.

He looked at her, her back turned, her hands wiping her cheeks quietly.

Without hesitation, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her as if to shield her from every bit of pain.

“Jhankar,” he whispered, “I don’t want to talk about anyone else. I don’t want her or anything in our lives that disturbs us. You and I… we are happy together. That’s all I want. Please, understand me. Let the past stay in the past.”

Jhankar immediately turned to face him, cupping his face in her hands. Her eyes were still wet, her voice shaky but determined.

“And I’m saying the same thing… let the past rest. Don’t poison the present with hate.

Don’t torture her soul, wherever she may be.

I’ve seen what even a small argument does to my parents the tears in my mother’s eyes, the guilt in my father’s heart.

I don’t want you to cause that pain… not to anyone.

Enough, Vikrant. Enough of this hatred. Please… just stop.”

Vikrant looked into her tear-filled eyes, and all he could do was nod slowly, silently.

Then he pulled her close into his arms again, holding her tightly, as if trying to absorb her strength into himself.

And in that quiet, tight embrace, something inside him began to shift.

A long-sealed door, a wound he never tended to, cracked open not fully, not yet, but just enough for a little healing light to seep through.

Jhankar knew very well that none of this was going to be easy, but she also understood how necessary it was.

She was fully aware that her words had dampened Vikrant’s mood, but she could also sense something deeper: he was genuinely thinking about what she had said.

There was a shift within him, subtle but real.

Wanting to ease the weight in the air, Jhankar gently took his hand and began walking forward, offering a warm smile as she started admiring all the arrangements he had made.

Every little detail—the lights, the decor, and the calm ambiance—she praised sincerely, hoping to lift his spirits.

Vikrant responded with a faint smile, but he wasn’t fully present in the moment.

His mind was still swirling with thoughts, some of which he hadn’t dared to face in years.

He tried to enjoy the evening, but deep inside, a storm of memories stirred quietly.

The evening passed like that — under dim lights, soft words, and unspoken thoughts.

There were a handful of delightful moments; welcome the fresh recollections.

Later, as the night grew deeper, they headed to the tent Vikrant had set up for them.

It was a cozy little space where they could lie close, away from the noise of the world.

The moment they lay down, Jhankar snuggled into Vikrant's arms and quickly drifted into sleep. She knew Vikrant wouldn’t fall asleep so easily — not tonight, not with everything stirred up inside him.

But she also hoped he would reflect on her words, let them sink into the corners of his heart that needed healing.

Vikrant lay there, holding her gently, his fingers moving through her hair in slow circles. And then, without warning, his mind drifted —to a distant corner of his memory… a memory of her.

PAST EVENT

A young Vikrant was running around the living room, laughing, while his mother, Sonia, stood in the middle with a blindfold over her eyes, arms stretched out, trying to catch him.

Although she was blindfolded, her movements seemed almost magical — as if she could sense exactly where Vikrant was.

No matter how he twisted or turned, she always managed to move in his direction.

Eventually, Vikrant gave up trying to escape and ran straight into her arms, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sonia laughed and pulled off the blindfold, looking down at him.

“This time, you came to me on your own.”

He giggled and replied, “There’s no point running from you, Mom. I don’t know how, but you always find me.”

She smiled warmly and said, “Of course I do. It’s easy to find you, you carry a scent that pulls me straight to you. A part of me always knows where you are.”

Vikrant burst into laughter at her poetic response, and she twirled him around as they laughed together. Their laughter filled the room, echoing through the walls like music.

PAST EVENT ENDS

Vikrant’s eyes suddenly opened. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light of the tent. The memory still lingered in his chest, warm and painful. He rubbed his temple with two fingers and whispered to himself:

“Why did you change, Mom? Why did you suddenly become someone else?”

The soft sound of his voice stirred Jhankar slightly while he held her in his arms. She shifted just a little, as if her soul had heard his pain, even in sleep. Vikrant quickly pulled her closer and shut his eyes again, as though he were trying to lock away the emotion he had just expressed.

Jhankar, despite being half-asleep, realized that he was awake. She felt the tension in his body — the weight of his thoughts — and instinctively placed his head gently on her chest. Her fingers ran slowly through his hair as she whispered in a voice laced with love:

“Good night, love… I love you.”

Vikrant smiled faintly, letting her warmth soothe him.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her chest and, with his ear resting against her heartbeat, finally let go.

The rhythm of her heart became his lullaby.

Wrapped in her arms, surrounded by her love, he surrendered to sleep not because his mind was silent, but because, for the first time in a long time, his heart had started to listen.

~~~~

She kept running continuously, with increasing urgency, and she didn’t want to stop even for a single minute.

She was so terrified that she didn’t even dare to look back.

She knew very well that if she looked behind her, any remaining courage she had would completely vanish.

That fear gripped her so tightly that the only thing she could focus on was running forward, eyes fixed ahead, determined not to stop.

She was aware of just one thing — if she somehow managed to escape this place under the cover of night, there was a chance she could survive whatever it was that haunted her.

But if she failed to get out in time, she would fall into such darkness that no one would be able to rescue her.

Not then. Never. And then, just like that, she stumbled onto the road.

Suddenly, a speeding car rushed forward, striking her with a violent thud.

The impact was immediate and brutal. The driver, shocked and panicked, slammed his foot hard on the brake pedal, trying desperately to bring the car to a halt.

But it was already too late. The damage had already occurred.

The collision was forceful. It was highly likely that she had sustained serious injuries.

His heart pounded as the car screeched to a stop several meters ahead.

Without wasting a second, he flung open the door and sprinted back toward the lifeless figure lying on the road.

She was in terrible shape, severely injured, her breaths shallow and labored.

He knelt beside her, observing her face closely, worry etched deep into his eyes. Guilt and confusion flooded his heart.

“I’m sorry… You suddenly came out from the bushes. I didn’t even see you coming,”

He whispered, his voice trembling. Without waiting for a response, he gently but urgently lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the car.

He knew he had to get her to a hospital as quickly as possible — every second counted.

Just as he opened the car door and carefully laid her in the back seat, he heard something, the sharp sound of fast footsteps coming from near the bushes.

His instincts kicked in. He paused, eyes narrowing, and turned toward the source of the sound, alert and wary.

His gaze shifted back to the woman, who was lying unconscious in his car.

He studied her again and murmured softly to himself.

“Was someone chasing her? Did she leap out of those bushes to escape something… or someone? Is that why she ran directly into the path of my car?”

His mind wanted to wander into the questions, but he didn’t allow it.

There wasn’t time to think. He jumped behind the wheel and started the engine, speeding away into the darkness with the injured woman in the backseat.

Currently, nothing mattered more than saving her life.

All other thoughts could wait. Her survival was the only thing that mattered now.

As the headlights pierced through the black emptiness of the road ahead, his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

He didn’t know who she was, where she had come from, or what she was running from.

However, he was certain that she was in danger.

~~~~