Page 82 of Substitute Bride

TRUTH

"LOVE….."

Parag’s voice suddenly echoes through the tense atmosphere, reverberating like a thunderclap. Struggling to reach Ravindra, he grabs him by the collar and punches him squarely across the face, his voice shaking with rage and betrayal as he yells:

“I feel ashamed to even call this love. If you really believe this is love, then you knew, you knew very well that your wife respected me like an elder brother because once, during an accident, I saved her life. From that day onward, she considered me her elder brother, and I, too, had always respected that sacred bond.”

Vikrant suddenly turns and looks at him, and his gaze quickly shifts to Akhil, who subtly nods his head in confirmation.

Akhil immediately steps forward and separates Parag from Ravindra.

Parag then looks at Sonia, who is standing silently, her eyes filled with pain but her face calm.

Folding his hands in front of everyone, Parag says with trembling sincerity:

“I always performed my duties with utmost honesty. I never wanted to manipulate or misuse anything. But the day I discovered this man’s disgusting, vile plan, I just couldn’t hold myself back.

That’s the day I made a mistake. But had I stayed silent, this goddess-like woman wouldn’t be in this shattered state today…

. I should have done everything with much more caution.

I should have somehow told everything to Ravindra’s father, rather than letting Sonia find out and become afraid.

If Sonia hadn’t gotten scared after hearing everything, then perhaps she wouldn’t have acted in such haste…

and none of this would have happened…. (He starts mumbling in pain and repeating.) But in trying to avoid one storm, I unknowingly created another.

Had I gathered the courage to speak directly to Ravindra’s father, the outcome might have been entirely different…

. Sonia madam, overwhelmed and frightened, reacted impulsively, and that single moment of panic set off a chain of events I can no longer undo.

I keep thinking, what if I had just waited a little longer and chosen the right person to confide in?

Perhaps then, everything wouldn't have spiraled so far out of control.”

Vikrant is beginning to piece together parts of the truth, understanding bits of what had been buried, but he isn’t ready to reach any conclusion yet. Looking at Sonia, he turns to Parag and quietly asks,

“What exactly happened…?”

Parag just feels he came out from a nightmare. As he already starts feeling everything happening again in front of him, he takes a deep breath and begins, the pain in his voice cutting like a blade:

“This man… He was intoxicated—intoxicated with the obsession to win, to conquer, to possess everything. Whatever he desired, he believed it had to be his, no matter the cost. First, he wanted to marry your mother. Then, he wanted to make a name for himself in business. And to his credit, he worked hard and took Dhanraj Industries to new heights. He had started to lose himself in the intoxication of victory. He craved triumph in everything—nothing else mattered to him anymore. The moment he entered the world of the mafia, all he wanted was to make a name for himself everywhere. Winning became his only source of happiness, his only motivation. The thirst for dominance blinded him to reason and consequence. Whether it was a deal, a fight, or a simple conversation, he needed to emerge on top. He was no longer chasing success for growth or respect—it had become an obsession, a compulsion. The rush of victory had consumed him entirely, turning ambition into arrogance and dreams into destruction. In his eyes, even the slightest loss was a personal insult, and every win was a validation of his worth. But then, at some party, he got involved with some political influencers. That’s when another obsession took root—politics.

He wanted to build a name for himself, secure a position, and eventually reach the very top.

For that, he was ready to stoop to any level. ”

“What do you mean…”

Vikrant mutters, looking at Ravindra, who continues staring blankly at Sonia. Parag responds immediately:

“He wanted to climb every rung of the ladder as quickly as possible. In his very first attempt, he wanted to secure a top political post. But no one knew him in the political arena. He used every tactic in the book—connections, money, favors—but still couldn’t win.

And that failure shattered him. He couldn’t accept defeat.

So, he made up his mind. No matter what it took, he would win the next election.

He invests everything for his win…. That’s when he found out that Madam Sonia was pregnant.

He crafted a vile plan—to create chaos during a political rally, to stage a stampede, during which Madam Sonia would lose her unborn child.

And then, he’d use that tragedy as a sympathy card to sway public emotion. ”

Vikrant’s jaw drops slightly as he runs his hands through his hair in disbelief.

His eyes turn to his mother, and pieces of the shattered puzzle begin to align.

Things are becoming painfully clear. Parag, burning with rage, picks up his crutch and tries to attack Ravindra.

But Ravindra, fueled by survival instinct, grabs the crutch and beats Parag down with it.

He stands over him, continuing the beating.

But Vikrant rushes forward, catches Ravindra by the throat, and slams him to the ground. His voice shakes with fury as he roars:

“You weren’t ashamed? That child was your own! And still, you were ready to sacrifice an unborn, innocent baby for your ambitions?”

Ravindra looks up at Vikrant, but the obedient son he once knew is nowhere to be found. Now, he knows there is no point in hiding anything. He lets out a dark, bitter laugh.

“You are an idiot; Sonia was with me. Children can be born again, but if I didn’t win that election, the humiliation would’ve destroyed me.

I couldn’t let that happen. So I planned it all meticulously.

Everything was going perfectly. But… This man told Sonia everything, but she didn’t believe him.

She loves me deeply, far more than any of you can understand.

None of you can truly grasp the kind of love Sonia and I share.

But the mistake was mine. On the very day everything was supposed to happen, I had been carefully planning every single detail just three days earlier.

And that’s when Sonia overheard everything.

She assumed I was completely unaware of what was going on.

She believed she could escape without being seen.

At that moment, her only desire was to escape in any way possible.

She knew that Parag would help her, which is why she placed her trust in him.

Her only concern at that time was the safety of our unborn children.

She was terrified, desperate to protect her daughter…

. She already assumes that the baby is our daughter…

Why can't she understand a normal thing we can have in the future but that election is more important? She also knew very well how much I loved her; I never kept that from her. That’s why she was certain I wouldn’t harm her.

Still, she just wanted to get away from there, because fear had gripped her heart more than love could hold it together. ”

He looks at Sonia, who is silent, listening to everything, and just stares like she is recalling everything. He continued bitterly.

“What you all saw that day, that wasn’t the beginning of anything.

It was already the climax of a fight between us.

I was trying to stop her because I had found out she was planning to leave me.

The mere idea of her leaving made me feel insane.

I felt broken, not frustrated. I wanted to explain, to hold her back with reason and love.

I tried every possible way to make her understand.

But she had shut herself off completely.

She would rather not hear anything from me.

No words, no emotions, and no explanations reached her.

She always loves me, and can't she figure out what I want? Why is she just thinking about that damn baby? She wanted to protect the baby at any cost. So, she pretended to run away from home. All she wanted was to safely give birth to the child, and then she planned to take you away from me too. How could I let that happen? Sonia is my life. I tried reasoning with her. I begged her. I even offered to fake a miscarriage. I told her we could send the baby away and raise it in secret. But she refused to listen. That day, she picked a fight with me in front of the house staff. Should I have attempted to physically intervene in front of them, it would have shattered my reputation as a loving husband. So, I let her go… but I knew I’d find her.

And I did. That same night, I tracked her down.

I already knew what to do. News spread rapidly that my wife had left me.

People pitied me. They believed I was heartbroken.

Their sympathy became my power. Even the employees of my company, who already respected me, poured their hearts into my campaign.

This incident made them emotionally invested in my pain.

It was the perfect storm. I believed that I would eventually bring Sonia back.

But she was running away, planning to give birth far from here.

I couldn’t let that happen. I’m the one who caused that accident. ..”