Page 84 of Substitute Bride

PEACE AND CALMNESS

Vikrant just keeps staring at Sonia, who sits silently, gazing at Ravindra's lifeless, cold body. Parag and Akhil’s eyes are also fixed on her. After a few moments of silence, Akhil leans slightly towards Parag and softly says,

“Did you never feel like meeting your family? You must have sent them money regularly, but didn’t they ever ask who was sending it?”

“I felt like going to them every single day… But my concern for their safety always outweighed my own desires. That’s what held me back.

And the friend who delivered the money had clearly told them that he had no family of his own and that I had once saved his life.

Since then, he said, he would keep helping them in every way he could.

But now… my children have grown up; they’re earning their living.

I think now the time has come—I might finally be able to go meet them, embrace them in my arms.”

Akhil smiles faintly and subtly signals to the man standing nearby to escort Parag away.

Yet his eyes remain fixed on Vikrant, not wavering even for a moment.

Vikrant, still lost in thought, continues to look at his mother, Sonia.

He doesn’t know what to do next, paralyzed by a mix of emotions.

Understanding his silence, Akhil quietly approaches and gently says,

“Sir, we should leave now. Morning is about to break… and there’s still a lot that needs to be done before then.”

Vikrant seems to snap out of a deep daze, as though he’s been pulled from the depths of his thoughts. He finally looks at Sonia with so much love. Sharda smiles at Vikrant and gestures for him to leave. Taking her cue, he walks over to Sonia and sits beside her. In a soft, tender voice, he says,

“We should go…”

Sonia immediately turns to him and looks closely at his face, as if she is trying to recognize who he is. But it seems she doesn’t. Her eyes squint slightly in confusion as she asks in a faint voice:

“Who are you?”

“Vikrant…”

The moment she hears the name, a gentle smile spreads across her face. She adjusts herself to sit more comfortably on the dusty ground and, with a dreamy tone, replies:

“Vikrant… That’s my son’s name too. When he grows up, he’ll be just as handsome as you.”

Vikrant lets out a soft chuckle, an attempt to hide the pain deep inside.

The mother he had hated all his life sits right before him now…

and she doesn’t even recognize him. Perhaps this is the punishment for all the hatred he harbored.

At this moment, the most important thing to him is the fact that Sonia is alive and standing right in front of him.

And he knows he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help her heal.

Still, every time she fails to recognize him, it wounds him deeply.

He nods gently while looking at Sonia, concealing both his joy and his pain. He says,

“Yes, absolutely. He is your son. He should be just like you. We should go now… Your clothes are dirty, and you need rest.”

Sonia scratches her head absentmindedly and nods slowly, looking at her clothes.

She turns back, as if to search for her doll, but before she can even move, Vikrant is already on his feet, walking over to where the doll is lying.

With a deep tenderness, he picks it up and cradles it gently in his arms, just the way Sonia used to.

Sonia watches him silently, her eyes following his every move with quiet intensity.

Vikrant walks back to her and hands the doll over with the utmost care. He leans in and softly says,

“She’s sleeping… There’s too much noise here. If she wakes up, she might trouble you.”

“Don’t say that about my Manayta… She’s such a sweet girl.”

The moment Vikrant hears that name—Manayta—his face lights up with a genuine, heartfelt smile. As he gently lifts his mother in his arms, carrying her away, he speaks with affection:

“Manayta… You’ve chosen such a beautiful name for your daughter.”

“I know, my son will love it too. Manayta will only trouble her brother… no one else… Because my Vikrant loves her so much, he always wants a little sister.”

“Absolutely, she should. After all, if a brother doesn’t get troubled by his sister, who else will?”

Sharda follows them, smiling warmly, listening to their conversation from behind.

After many long years, the child hidden within Vikrant, the one who had always longed for his mother, has finally begun to surface again, giggling softly in the shadows of lost time.

The three of them get into the car—Vikrant, Sonia, and Sharda—and as they drive away into the fading night, Akhil slowly walks toward Ravindra’s body.

He surveys the people standing silently around, then announces with a cold edge in his voice:

“It’s time to take out the trash.”

~~~~

Vikrant appears to be asleep, resting his head on her chest with his eyes closed, while Jhankar's gaze appears to remain fixed on the television screen. Jhankar, full of love and tenderness, continues to caress his hair gently. The news anchor’s voice plays in the background:

"Just this morning, reports came in that a fire broke out at Ravindra Dhanraj’s farmhouse.

By the time the fire brigade arrived, the flames had already spread extensively.

The entire farmhouse was engulfed in fire, and even the surrounding area suffered severe damage.

Several bodies have been recovered from inside.

It is being speculated that Ravindra Dhanraj and Viren Chandel were in the middle of a meeting, and an argument broke out between them, which led to this entire incident.

To support this claim, we have Viren Chandel’s younger daughter with us. ”

Hearing this, Vikrant immediately opens his eyes and turns his gaze toward the television. Standing there on the screen is Riya, who slowly starts speaking to the reporter with a composed yet emotional expression.

“My sister Sonakshi was never married to Vikrant Dhanraj. He married the girl of his own choice, and Sonakshi also got married to the man she loved. After this, there were some issues between Uncle and Papa. Yesterday, Uncle called Papa and invited him to come over, and it is possible that something occurred between them at the farmhouse… they both furiously fighting over the phone…”

Vikrant lets out a faint smile as everything becomes crystal clear to him.

He now fully understands that Akhil orchestrated this entire arrangement carefully, ensuring that no part of the investigation ever points in their direction.

He looks at Jhankar, who is already smiling at him with pure affection.

She softly strokes his cheeks with her warm palms and lovingly asks,

“Maa… how is she?”

“The doctors are still conducting numerous tests. They’re doing everything they can to provide the best treatment possible.

But… she’s not able to recognize me, Jhankar.

And I’m struggling to make her understand that her ten-year-old Vikrant has now grown up.

Time has moved so far ahead… and this realization is breaking me inside. ”

Jhankar, understanding the depth of his pain with immense empathy, wraps her arms around him in a tight, comforting hug.

Vikrant simply wants to stay like that, in that peaceful embrace, but just then, his phone starts to ring.

Without opening his eyes, he picks up the call. On the other side is Akhil.

“Yes, Akhil…”

“Sir, that doctor… She has regained consciousness.”

“Akhil, I don’t want to be disturbed right now. Handle the matter yourself.”

“Sir… She’s asking to meet you. She’s the same doctor who was treating Sonia Ma’am.”

Vikrant suddenly opens his eyes wide and sits up with a jerk, quickly beginning to put on his shoes. Jhankar watches him carefully as he continues speaking to Akhil on the phone.

“This is the same girl you found on the highway, right? How did she end up there?”

“Sir, she says she was running through the forest for two days straight. She had no idea where she was going. She must have gotten lost in the woods and, while trying to find a way out, wandered far and ended up there.”

“Okay… I’m coming.”

Still on the phone, Vikrant begins to head out, but Jhankar quickly grabs his hand to stop him. He disconnects the call, holds her hands tenderly, and says with determination,

“Jhankar, we’ve found a doctor who has been treating Mom for years. I have to go meet her.”

“I’m coming with you…”

“Jhankar, please try to understand. Even the doctor has advised you to rest. You’re still recovering.”

“Please…”

Vikrant doesn’t say a word—he simply looks at her, searching her eyes. Jhankar immediately extends her arms out toward him, silently requesting to be taken along.

Meanwhile, Akhil is already at the hospital, sitting near the doctor who has just regained consciousness.

She is sitting quietly, waiting, and both of them are now anticipating Vikrant’s arrival.

Just then, Vikrant walks into the room, carrying Jhankar gently in his arms. The moment they enter, Akhil promptly rises from the sofa.

Vikrant carefully places Jhankar down on the couch with utmost care, adjusting the cushions around her to ensure she remains completely comfortable and supported.

He sits right beside her and turns his eyes toward the doctor, who now appears to be in a stable and clear state of mind. Without wasting even a second, she begins to speak the moment she sees Vikrant.

“I have wanted to meet you for a very long time. Even two years ago, I had tried to meet you, and it was because of that attempt that your father had me kidnapped...”

“Can you please explain everything to me in detail? What exactly is going on?”