Page 68 of Substitute Bride

SOMETHING CHANGED

The police officer, a lawyer team, Vikrant, and Akhil stand before a team of doctors. The concern on the doctor’s face is clearly visible as he addresses the group gravely.

“There was no rape,” he begins, “but the girl has been severely tortured. Her body bears multiple burn marks from hot metal, and there are several other injuries that are beyond verbal description. It almost seems like someone was punishing her, not for lust or personal revenge but as a form of twisted retribution.”

Vikrant listens to the doctor’s words and feels an inexplicable unease.

He turns to look at Akhil, who also appears deeply unsettled.

Both men have been involved in illegal activities for years, and they are well aware of the depravity human beings are capable of.

Still, something about this case feels different—deeper, darker.

Vikrant doesn’t want this matter to escalate any further, so he speaks directly to the doctor.

“This girl used to work at your hospital, right? Then you must have her address on file. Please contact her parents. I want to speak to them personally. My employee had no involvement in her torture, but the accident did occur because of him. We are fully prepared to take responsibility for all her medical expenses. These police officers are only trying to frame my assistant. That’s why I first want to talk to the girl’s family. ”

The police officer watches Vikrant silently, fully aware that the cost of the girl’s treatment will be enormous.

This point alone will likely convince her family not to file a complaint.

It’s a calculated risk, but he knows nothing substantial will come of it.

Vikrant, wearing a faint victorious smile, turns to the doctor.

“Shift her to the best ward in the hospital. And as soon as her condition improves, I want to meet her personally.”

The doctor hesitates before replying, “Sir, that’s the real problem. We have no idea when she’ll regain consciousness.”

“What do you mean?”

“She has been tortured to such an extent that she wasn’t even allowed to sleep. Her body and mind have shut down in response. She’s not in a coma, but it’s something similar—a deep, induced sleep. She might wake up in a few days, or it might take a week. There’s no certainty.”

Hearing this, Vikrant grows increasingly uneasy, despite being no stranger to violence and suffering.

Normally, such things don’t affect him—but something about this girl, this situation, stirs an unusual discomfort within him.

Just then, nurses wheel the girl out on a stretcher.

Vikrant’s eyes instinctively go to her face.

He doesn’t recognize her at all, yet he finds himself staring intently.

The nurses roll the stretcher away, but Vikrant's gaze remains fixed on the girl.

The police officer turns to the doctor and says.

“Given her condition, it’s clear her life is in danger.”

Vikrant immediately shifts his gaze toward the officer, sharply attentive.

“That’s why we’re assigning two officers here for her protection. Additionally, no one is allowed to visit her without prior approval from us. And when she regains consciousness, you will inform us before anyone else.”

With that, the police officer leaves. Vikrant, having listened to everything carefully, knows there’s no point in staying.

He and Akhil exit the hospital. The police have already impounded Akhil's car due to its involvement in the accident. As they get into Vikrant’s car, the driver starts the engine.

Vikrant looks tense, deep in thought. Akhil notices and speaks cautiously.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into this mess. But that cop was trying to trap me, trying to get to the bottom of everything. I had no choice but to call you. You're the only one who knows how to handle people like him.”

Vikrant, without turning his head, says coldly, “Post our men at the hospital for her security. Right now.”

Akhil falls silent, surprised by the directness of the order. He turns to look at Vikrant, who finally meets his gaze and continues, his voice firm and clear.

“Something bad has happened to that girl. That much is obvious. And if anything happens to her now, it could come back to bite us. So it’s better to do the right thing for now.

Help her and protect her until she regains consciousness and provides a full statement that clears you.

Thereafter, we don’t need to care what happens.

But until then, nothing should happen to her.

Not a scratch. Increase security. Do whatever it takes. I don’t care about the cost.”

Akhil nods silently, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"I feel the same because when that girl get into accident someone chasing her."

Vikrant and Akhil exchange a glance and understand this is something straightforward.

~~~~~

Vikrant carefully scanned the room for Jhankar, but she was nowhere in sight.

He figured she was probably sitting with Sharda, so without wasting a moment, he began removing his clothes and walked straight into the washroom.

He stepped into the shower, letting the water cascade over him.

Facing the stream, he tried to wash away the image of the girl’s face from his mind.

He could still vividly see how brutally she had been tortured.

It wasn’t that he was emotionally shaken by what had happened to her, nor did he even know her, but something about her suffering had unsettled him in an unfamiliar way.

Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around his chest from behind. A smile crept across his face immediately, knowing he, too, needed to forget everything for a while. Without turning around, he pulled Jhankar into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, gently kissing his neck, and whispered,

“So, this is where you were hiding… I searched everywhere for you.”

“I knew you’d head straight for the shower, so I figured I should take the opportunity to give you a proper bath today.”

“Seriously?”

“Very seriously… Come on, let's bathe.”

Without another word, Jhankar grabbed the bottle of body wash and poured it generously over both of them.

She rubbed her body against his, working the soap into a rich lather.

Held in her arms, Vikrant seemed to let go of everything else.

At that moment, he wasn’t thinking about anything but the warmth of her presence and the comfort of being with her.

He is busy exploring every bit of her, and she is enjoying his touch while bathing him.

After spending quite a while enjoying each other’s company in the shower, the two finally emerged from the washroom, but Jhankar continued to tease him playfully, refusing to let up. Vikrant looked at her with mock sternness and said with a mischievous glint in his eyes,

“This mischief of yours is going to cost you dearly. I'm warning you.”

“No problem… Listen, the truth is, you're always busy with work all day, and now, because of you, I’ve become incredibly busy too.

I don't want even a single task to go wrong, so I’m learning everything—every small and big thing.

So, the whole day, I'm away from you too. We barely even got to talk today. That’s why, whenever we get a moment like this, I just want to bother you, trouble you, and talk endlessly.

I want to spend time with our little family so that once we're back from work, we can relax and focus only on the good things.”

As Jhankar expressed her thoughts so openly and honestly, Vikrant pulled her into a tight embrace.

He had been feeling so restless all day, but now, all that unease seemed to melt away.

He felt an unexpected sense of peace. Still holding hands, the two walked together to where Sharda was sitting, and the three of them began talking, laughing, and sharing moments together.

Sharda watched them lovingly, a soft smile on her face.

Jhankar subtly gestured to her, and Sharda quickly understood.

“It’s been quite a while since dinner, and it’s been ages since we’ve enjoyed some ice cream. I had some made. Jhankar, why don’t you go and bring it?”

Without hesitation, Jhankar jumped up and hurried off excitedly. Vikrant chuckled softly at her enthusiasm. He turned to Sharda, who was still looking toward the door, smiling. He sat beside her, placed a arm around her shoulder, pulled her gently closer, and said softly,

“These days, I really do feel happy. About everything. Truly content.”

“I’m happy too,” Sharda replied warmly. “To be honest, ever since Jhankar came into our lives, everything has changed. Maybe you’ve noticed it, maybe not, but every time I see her, I see a reflection of Sonia in her.

Sonia used to get excited over every little thing.

She was always ready to do anything for you.

I don’t know why, but nowadays, when I look at Jhankar, I see only Sonia in her. ”

Vikrant fell silent, saying nothing. Sharda lovingly placed her hand on his head, gently stroking his hair, and continued,

“Son, it’s been so long. You’ve carried so much hatred in your heart. Even if you can’t give her your respect, at least don’t harbor such deep hatred. She’s gone now. She may not have deserved your love, but she certainly didn’t deserve this kind of resentment. That’s all I know.”

Vikrant looked toward the door. He could sense obviously that Jhankar had been standing there, listening to everything. It appeared that she had initiated this conversation. He pinched the bridge of his nose and remained lost in thought for a while before turning to Sharda and saying,

“What do you both want from me? Why do you keep bringing her up in front of me? Why do you want to change everything all of a sudden?”

“We don’t want to change anything, and we certainly don’t expect anything in return. But think about it—can a son’s hatred for his mother ever be justified?”