Chapter 15: chapter 15

An hour later, after warmly welcoming all the guests and capturing countless photographs, the newly married couples were finally guided inside for a well-deserved rest. As some rituals were yet to be carried out at their home, it was decided that the newlyweds would stay in separate rooms on their first night.However, Imara’s mind was occupied with different thoughts. In order to ensure her sisters’ happiness, she had agreed to marry Adhiraj. But there was no condition stating that she had to stay with him as his wife.Therefore, as soon as they entered inside, and the brides were being led to their respective rooms, Imara approached her mother. “I would like to stay in your room,” she requested.Suvika couldn’t contain her joy when she heard this from her daughter. Her face lit up with delight. While Vibha settled the twins into their room, Suvika guided Imara towards her own room. As soon as Imara stepped inside, she immediately grabbed the clothes she had been wearing earlier and hurried into the washroom.------------It was on the day Imara came into this world that Vandana first heard her name. She couldn’t help but be amazed at how Adhiraj was completely smitten by this little girl, constantly talking about her for months until he eventually forgot. Had their families not been merely business associates, the children might have known each other already. Little did Vandana know that years later, the same girl would unknowingly captivate Devyani, leaving her unable to stop praising how perfect Imara was for Adhiraj and how Imara already liked someone else.By the time Virender learned that that boy had married someone else, Devyani had already passed away. Nevertheless, he decided to present the proposal of marriage in order to fulfil his late wife’s desire. However, fate had its own plans. Against all odds, Adhiraj and Imara ended up getting married in the most unusual circumstances, something Vandana could have never imagined.And now, Vandana, after settling her sons in their room, headed towards the room where Imara would be staying for the night. Unlike Anika and Tarushi, Vandana hadn’t had the opportunity to have a conversation with Imara yet. Whatever the situation was, she was now like her own daughter.As she entered the room, a slight frown appeared on her face upon not finding Imara there. Suvika quickly clarified, “She’s inside the washroom.”Vandana nodded understandingly and asked, “If I am not mistaken, she’s the first one in generations?”Suvika nodded in agreement. Memories of the day Imara was born swept through her mind. With a smile, she added, “Yes, she is, and that’s why we have showered her with so much love and attention. But Vandana, she isn’t perfect.”Suvika hesitated for a moment and then gently placed her hand on Vandana’s, continuing, “She is very sensitive and impulsive, but she loves all of us. She is…just hurt..”Vandana was about to assure Suvika that she would take care of Imara as if she were her own daughter. But before she could get a word out, the washroom door swung open, and Imara stepped out, leaving both her mother and mother-in-law in a state of disbelief.Imara was dressed in her ordinary attire, having changed out of her bridal outfit from earlier. She held her bridal dress, neatly folded, along with the diamond jewellery she had worn during the rituals. Her soft curls were damp and flowing freely, indicating that she had recently taken a shower. Her face displayed no trace of makeup, and even her hair part had been wiped clean. She resembled the Imara who had arrived earlier in the evening, before everything turned chaotic. No one would have guessed that she was the breathtaking bride who had captured everyone’s attention just a while ago.“Imu…” Suvika whispered, still in a state of shock. “What is this?”Instead of responding to her mother, Imara silently approached Vandana and handed her the bridal dress, saying, “Here... to the best of my knowledge, I am returning everything that was given to me.”Imara’s face didn’t reveal even a hint of discomfort or remorse as she handed over her married ornaments to her mother-in-law shortly after the wedding. Vandana, on the other hand, was taken aback beyond words. She had anticipated a few challenges given the circumstances of the wedding, but this left her completely bewildered.“Are you out of your mind?” Suvika yelled. While Imara, remaining calm and composed, simply turned around, put on her shoes, grabbed her phone and car keys, and left the room with an air of regality.Meanwhile, Suvika hurried to find Sanjay, desperately trying to prevent her daughter from ruining her second chance at happiness. Vandana, on the other hand, sought out Virender, as she believed he was the only one capable of handling her daughter-in-law. She was determined to keep Adhiraj oblivious to the situation, wishing to avoid any confrontation between the newlyweds on their wedding night.Surprisingly, their husbands were in Virender’s room. Their worried expressions deepened as they listened to Suvika and Vandana.Meanwhile, Adhiraj paced back and forth in his room, consumed by his thoughts. He struggled to come to terms with the fact that he would soon be bringing Imara into his home as his wife. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t deny the impact of seeing her dressed as his bride had on him. He felt a strong urge to protect and possess her, and this bothered him. He never expected that the girl he had met just hours ago would have such a profound effect on him.Shaking off these thoughts, he stepped out of his room, determined to seek answers from Virender. He needed to know the truth behind his conversations with Sanjay near the altar and the reason Imara had distanced herself from her family.As soon as he stepped out of his room, he narrowed his eyes to confirm what he was seeing. And to his utter disbelief, there stood his wife, who appeared nothing like his wife. Anger surged through him like a wildfire, intensifying when he witnessed Imara locking gazes with his grandfather, completely disregarding his heartfelt plea. “Imara! Please go back to your room, and we can discuss this once you have settled into your new home.”Unyielding, Imara crossed her arms, locking eyes with the head of the Shekhawat family. She firmly believed that the odds were now in her favour, and she would be damned if she didn’t return the favour.The woman mustered the coolest face possible, paying no mind to her parents’ angry glares or her in-laws’ concerned expressions. With calmness in her voice, she responded to Virender’s concern, “You expected me to marry your grandson to let my sisters marry your other grandsons. Quite the deal, Mr. Shekhawat. But I would like to bring to your notice that you never put forth the condition that I have to stay back as your granddaughter-in-law, as his wife,” she concluded, pointing at Adhiraj.“Sweet dreams!” With those words, she turned on her heels and glided down the stairs, making a beeline for the reception, the open space, and ultimately her car.Not only did Virender find himself dumbfounded by her audacious declaration, but she left nearly everyone else speechless, save for Adhiraj. His anger had surpassed all limits now. Any ounce of affection he had felt moments ago for this girl, who clearly possessed zero regard for anyone, vanished into thin air. Poof!“Screw it!” he grumbled, yanking out his phone to call the gate security with a booming command. “Do not open the gate for anyone.”With that, he abruptly ended the call and raced downstairs, determined to catch up with his newly wed wife. Ignoring the bewildered gazes from the elders, he descended like an unstoppable force.It wasn’t long when he reached outside and noticed a car, scratch that, an old car which might break down any moment.“Look at that! She walked out with an ego that screamed she owned a fucking Porsche.” he muttered angrily before stomping over to her wheels.With a heavy thud, he gave the car window a solid knock, forcing her to lower it and shoot him a disapproving glare.“I need you to come out, get back in there, and apologise to my grandfather!” He snarled, his face looming close as his hands forcefully pressed against the roof of her car.Imara casually shrugged off his threat and focused ahead, relentlessly honking away. Adhiraj, fueled by anger, forcefully slammed his hand on the car’s roof, causing Imara to jolt in fear. In the blink of an eye, he slipped his hand through the window, unlocked her door, swiftly unbuckled her seatbelt, and lifted her delicate frame by the waist, pulling her out. It all happened so fast, Imara couldn’t even process what had just happened.“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let go of me, you asshole!” She shrieked into the silent night, only fueling Adhiraj’s rage even further.She desperately squirmed in his iron grip, but his unyielding strength held her firmly in place. With a firm hand around her waist, he extracted the key, secured the car, and tucked away the keys in his pocket.“How dare you?” Imara persisted in a crescendo, her voice exuding fury. “Marrying me doesn’t grant you the authority to control or lay a finger on me. LEAVE. ME. NOW!”Adhiraj tightened his grip on her waist with one hand, asserting his control. With other hand, he firmly grasped her delicate nape and brought his face dangerously close to hers, testing the limits of his own sanity. In a harsh whisper, he emphasised, “As your husband, I have many rights over you. Consider yourself fortunate that I am merely asking you to show respect towards my family. Had it not been for Dadu, I would have never married someone as self-centred as you, who fails to appreciate and honour her own parents. They are the ones who brought you into this world, invested in your education, and shaped you into who you are today.” He continued in a stern tone, “So get this in your thick head. I don’t take shit from anyone, and I guarantee you wouldn’t want to know what happens when I am pushed to the edge. Get in back now and behave like a newlywed bride should.”Imara flinched and fiercely struck his chest, desperate to escape his dominant grip. However, her efforts proved futile, as Adhiraj’s grip only tightened with her each desperate struggle. Fuming with rage, she spat out, “Newlywed bride my foot. Shove this marriage up your ass, Mr. Shekhawat. Your grandfather cornered me, blackmailed me to marry you. And I don’t take such shit from anyone. So if you want your manipulative patriarch to be respected, go ahead and find yourself a robotic bride who will obediently dance to your tunes, because I won’t, never.”Defiantly, she raised her knee, aiming to deliver a vicious blow to Adhiraj’s balls. However, he effortlessly avoided her attack. And this time, with a serenity that mirrored a calm lake, he softly whispered, “You have finally pushed me over the edge.”In an instant, his hand darted down to her thigh while the other firmly grasped her hand, effortlessly hoisting his wife over his shoulder without paying heed to her protests. Her yells fell on deaf ears as he confidently declared, “I know how to tame wild animals. You are in right hands, Mrs. Imara Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat.”Despite Imara’s squirming and incessantly pounding on his back, his resolve remained unshakable, further fuelling her anger. On entering the elevator, she warned him with a bellow, her MMA skills primed and ready, “I don’t want your hands anywhere on me. Put. Me. Down!” Disregarding her words, Adhiraj proceeded, undeterred. But as he was about to exit the elevator, a sudden kick to his stomach caught him off guard, eliciting a yelp of surprise. Another well-aimed elbow strike to his back followed, causing him to yelp once again. However, despite her valiant efforts, his grip on her showed no signs of faltering.With Imara still striking him, Adhiraj kept marching forward, carrying her on his shoulder, directly in front of the watching elders, precisely where he had left them a while ago. It was at this moment that he also noticed Imara’s brothers, witnessing the scene unfold as their sister openly cursed Adhiraj and attempted to break free from his hold. Brewing with sheer fury, Adhiraj vowed that this audacious girl would undeniably face consequences for causing a ruckus on the first night of their wedding.As the bewildered crowd looked on, Adhiraj strode with Imara still on his shoulder, leading them directly into their room. With a loud thump, he slammed the door shut, shutting out the outside world.Amidst the chaos, Virender, the only one who seemed amused, shook his head and casually retreated to his room, nonchalantly instructing, “Everyone go back to sleep. Miya Biwi mei ye sab chalta rehta hai…”Meanwhile, Sanjay and Suvika exchanged worried glances. Shaurya remained awestruck by the spectacle. Neel, being familiar with Imara’s antics, found the whole situation rather comical, his laughter barely containable. Dilip swiftly led Vibha back to their room. Jaidev and Vandana appeared more than just concerned. Jaidev’s anxiety stemmed from his son’s future, while Vandana feared the wrath that Adhiraj would unleash upon Imara.