Page 88 of Substitute Bride

NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

Jhankar is looking at Vikrant with a lovely, radiant grin as she proudly sits on her brother's shoulders during the garland ceremony.

Vikrant is across from her, looking at her with a smile on his face.

He immediately senses her unwavering determination and happiness.

Vikrant knows her spirit very well, so he just stands there in silence, admiring her.

Vyom, who has been watching things from the side, now understands better than ever how strong and unbreakable the tie is between Jhankar and Vikrant.

That is precisely why he never tried to get in the way again.

As soon as Sonakshi had a baby boy, Vyom put all of his focus into getting ready for his sister's wedding.

He took full responsibility and was deeply involved in every single aspect.

And today, on the day of her wedding, he is doing all of his tasks with the greatest care and attention.

Vikrant does something unexpected: he throws his jaimala (wedding garland) high into the air, and it lands neatly around Jhankar's neck.

Jhankar starts to chuckle, and everyone in the hall starts to clap.

Vikrant then carefully lowers her down from Vyom's shoulders by putting his hands around her waist and making sure she doesn't lose her balance.

Everyone laughs loudly when Vikrant immediately hands her the garland as soon as she is safely on the ground.

Jhankar, who is now blushing, glances away a little, pretending not to see him.

But Vikrant doesn't let her go. Instead, he gently turns her face back toward his and whispers with a taunting gleam in his eye.

“You can make fun of me all you want today, but I won't be able to handle it. My heart is already losing control. I worry that your silly jokes could kill me.”

Jhankar glances into his eyes with a playful look of love and places the garland around his neck without saying anything else. She pulls him closer using the garland and speaks in a fake serious voice.

"Only I can take your life, and trust me, I don't plan to do that anytime soon."

Vikrant chuckles hard at her clever answer and then pulls her into a warm embrace right away.

People are applauding and cheering in the air as they celebrate their love.

The couple soon sits down at the canopy for the main wedding ceremonies.

Vikrant can't stop looking at Jhankar, which makes her laugh over and over again.

He is really excited in a way that is difficult to describe.

His happiness is so overwhelming that he struggles to control his emotions.

He wants to live and enjoy every moment of this happiness and share it with everyone he knows.

Vikrant holds Jhankar's hand securely as they get up to take the sacred round (seven vows around the holy fire).

Jhankar feels how tight his grip is and softly intertwines her other hand with his, making the moment even warmer.

Vikrant turns for a moment, looks into her eyes, and grins.

His smile shows both his peace and his passion.

They sit in front of the priest again once the holy rounds are over.

As the priest chants and recites the sacred vows, Vikrant and Jhankar repeat them, looking into each other's eyes with sincerity and love that can't be shaken.

Vikrant's smile hasn't gone away for even a second; he's too happy.

When it's time for the nuptial chain ceremony, Vikrant gently binds the holy thread around Jhankar's neck.

His hands shake a little from emotion. Jhankar looks into his eyes with a loving grin as he fills the parting of her hair with vermilion.

Vikrant wraps his arms around her again without thinking twice and holds her tightly in front of everyone.

Raghunath and Chitrali stand close by and smile warmly at the newlyweds. They have seen Vikrant and Jhankar's love grow through all the ups and downs, the distance, and the understanding. Today, they are fully accepting and valuing that love, silently giving their blessings via their smiles.

When they get home after the farewell, Sharda lovingly takes Sonia's hand and guides her to the door.

When Sonia sees them, her face lights up with a big smile.

She promptly rushes over to them and gives each of them a big hug.

She playfully teases them in a loving way as she looks at how nicely they are dressed and how happy they are.

"Where have you two been for so long?"

Vikrant knows a lot about his mother's condition by now.

Her changing mental state doesn't hurt him anymore.

Instead, it makes them feel strangely connected to each other, and the link seems to get stronger with time.

When he was a kid, his mom taught him everything.

Now, he tells her everything and shares his life with her like an open book.

He puts his arms around Sonia and softly murmurs in her ear.

"I married Jhankar again today."

Sonia's eyes get wide with happiness, and she answers with excitement.

"Really? That's great! That means you two will never be apart again. You will always be with me, right"?

Vikrant smiles sweetly and nods in accord. Jhankar lovingly touches Sonia's hand and says with real love,.

"Definitely... With your blessings and Sharda Maa's love, we'll never be apart again."

Sonia is so happy to see them together that she immediately pulls them both into a tight hug.

Vikrant also feels very emotional as he hugs his mother.

Seeing her beaming today makes his own happiness feel complete, as if her joy adds a sacred glow to his.

Sharda quietly walks over and brings the worship plate so Sonia can do the welcoming ritual and bring the couple into the house.

Sharda is too busy admiring them, especially her son, whose eyes hold a joy she hasn't seen in a long time.

Vikrant stands silently, taking in the sight of both his mothers in front of him—two women who shaped his life in very different but deeply meaningful ways.

Sharda and Sonia do the traditional welcome together, paying close attention to each step.

Sharda gently guides Sonia through the steps, making sure that every tradition is followed correctly.

In that moment, it's not just a ritual; it's a shared blessing, a quiet prayer for the happiness and togetherness of a family that has been through a lot and finally found peace.

After all the wedding rituals are over, Vikrant and Jhankar go into their room together.

Jhankar starts to smile softly because she knows Vikrant very well.

He thinks flowers are a mess-maker, so she is sure he wouldn't have put any real flowers in the room.

She doesn't expect any kind of decoration in the room.

But when she opens the door, she is surprised.

Her eyes widen in surprise as she steps inside and turns around to look at Vikrant, who is standing right behind her with a soft smile, quietly closing the door behind them.

Jhankar's eyes start to fill with tears.

Vikrant hasn't used real flowers, but he has done something even more thoughtful: he has decorated the room with flowers made of fabric.

The whole room looks magical. The design is gentle and elegant.

Ribbons hang from the ceiling like delicate threads of memory, and each ribbon has a picture attached to it, each one holding a precious moment from their shared moments.

It's as if the room itself is telling the story of their love.

Jhankar walks slowly around the room, her eyes taking in every frame, and her fingers gently brushing over the photos as she tries hard not to cry.

Each picture brings back a wave of emotion, reminding her of how far they've come. Just then, Vikrant wraps his arms around her from behind, pulls her gently into his embrace, and kisses her forehead.

"How do you like it?"

He asks softly, with a kind voice. Jhankar turns slightly toward him, and her voice trembles with emotion.

"You always find a way to surprise me. How do you take such good care of all these memories? I wasn't even aware you had taken that many images…”

Vikrant smiles and says in a soft, sincere voice.

"Whenever I can, I try to keep these memories alive because they are now my most valuable possessions."

Vikrant doesn't say anything else; instead, he gently lifts her in his arms and carries her slowly toward the bed, looking deep into her eyes.

Jhankar smiles softly and starts to unbutton his shirt, his fingers trembling slightly with affection.

He gently sits her down on the edge of the bed and kneels at her feet.

With the utmost care, he takes off the anklet from her foot and kisses it.

Looking up into her eyes, he says with unwavering love.

"I love you more than words can say with every breath I take. It's almost too much for me to be away from you, even for a second."

Jhankar looks into his eyes and feels how deeply he cares about her.

She slowly leans forward and brings her lips close to his face.

She kisses him on the forehead and then softly brushes her lips over his eyes.

Her lips slowly move down to his, and her breath is warm against his skin as she kisses him softly.

She whispers something that sounds more like a vow.

"Then don't ever leave me... not even for a second."