Chapter 17: chapter 17

His wife lay curled up on the couch, her delicate frame fitting snugly in that small spot. Deep lines etched her forehead, and her dishevelled hair cascaded over her shoulder. The room was chilled, and he noticed her desperate attempt to shrink even further. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t suppress the worry that gnawed at him upon seeing her trembling figure. With a heavy sigh, he retrieved a soft blanket and gently draped it over her, who instantly snuggled herself in its comforting warmth.After changing into his nightclothes, he settled onto the bed. His body turned towards his wife while he observed her strained expressions. But soon, he noticed her tightening grip on the blanket and heard the faint sound of her muffled sobs. It pierced his soul, compelling him to leave the comfort of the bed and approach her.He knelt on the floor, leaning in to observe her still asleep, tears streaming down her face, one drop at a time. An unfamiliar emotion stirred deep within him, urging him to comfort her, to pull her close and wipe those tears. He would have preferred her responding with cutting remarks, anything but this unexpected tenderness he felt towards the girl he intensely dislikes. Suppressing his confusion, he stood up and turned away, unable to comprehend the source of these feelings. However, in that moment, he heard her whimper once again, her words almost inaudible.Touched by this side of his wife, he swiftly turned back and knelt by her side once again. In an instinctive gesture, his hand reached out to wipe away her tear-streaked face, and amidst her fragile murmurs, she softly uttered, “Papa...”Adhiraj sat motionless, his hand suspended mid-air, feeling a heavy ache in his chest. A single tear trickled down her cheek, and he gently wiped it away with the pad of his thumb, the touch of her velvety skin sending a tingling sensation down his spine.She uttered a faint, barely audible word, “Bhaiya...” before turning to the left. Her face became hidden in the backrest of the couch as she tried to curl up within it, as if trying to seek solace.“What could have happened among them?” He pondered as he retreated to the bed. Only if he had stayed near her for a few more seconds, he would have known what happened because Imara just then whispered, “Dheeraj…”—————The constant buzzing of her phone roused her from her sleep. Weary eyes, slow to open, widened as she sat upright on the couch. Startled by the unfamiliar surroundings, she muttered a curse under her breath, “What the hell!”And bit by bit, the events from the previous evening started flooding back into her memory. Her phone buzzed once again. Annoyed, she grabbed it and saw that it was Isha.“Where are you?” Isha blurted the moment the call connected.Suppressing a yawn, Imara replied, “Just woke up. What happened?”“It’s 1 o’clock!” Isha’s words jolted Imara to her feet, causing the blanket to slip onto the floor.Imara furrowed her brow and whispered, “I’ll call you back.”After ending the call, she picked up the blanket, trying to recall if last night she had grabbed it before settling on the couch. Just then, she heard the click of the bathroom door opening, revealing the man she had locked out last night.Her eyes widened in utter disbelief, not only because she found herself face-to-face with a nearly naked Adhiraj clad in nothing but a strategically placed towel around his waist. Oh no, it was certainly not just the fact that his upper body resembled the chiselled perfection of Chris Hemsworth, once Imara’s ultimate crush. And it definitely didn’t escape her attention that he proudly flaunted a stomach carved like artwork, paving the way to his eight-pack abs that were literally waving hello!Her mouth remained agape as her subconscious mind eagerly soaked in every tiny detail, simultaneously wondering how on earth he had ended up in the room. Did they share the room last night?Before she could process it all, Adhiraj strutted over to her with his arms crossed, making his muscles bulge even more. Talk about a show-off!With narrowed eyes and a defiant lift of her head, she confronted him, asking, “Aren’t you too shameless? Parading around like….this…in front of a girl.” That was the best comeback she could muster.He moved closer, and she instinctively took a step back. He inched even closer, sensing her struggle to remain composed and not give in to his charm. Smirking a little, he found the whole situation amusing. But this time, when she retreated, she hissed, “Stay away!”Raising an eyebrow, Adhiraj confirmed, “Just to answer your unspoken concern, the room connects to my brothers’ room.”His words sank in, and she followed his gaze towards the connecting door. Her eyes widened, her fists tightened, and her nostrils flared with annoyance. How could she have been so utterly clueless to not have considered this possibility when she locked him out? In a fit of frustration, she stomped her foot and made a beeline for the exit, only to be stopped in her tracks when he commanded, “Stop!”Imara came to a halt, making a swift turn to confront this shameless man before her. “Why? Don’t you want me to give a rundown of our wild night outside, Mr. Husband!”Adhiraj, sporting a smirk of his own, casually insisted, “Oh, by all means, Mrs. Shekhawat!” He strolled closer, adding, “But before you do, let’s ensure we have our story straight for the public, shall we?”Imara stood her ground, refusing to let him intimidate or overpower her this time. She knew she had some tricks up her sleeve—a swift kick and a hasty exit could easily put him in his place if he dared to lay a finger on her again. While she may have missed her target the previous night, she wasn’t about to miss again.Adhiraj stopped right in front of her, the sounds of her whimpers from the previous night replaying in his mind. The Imara he saw now was the complete opposite of that vulnerable woman. Despite witnessing her weakness, he wasn’t going to let her off the hook easily. There were certain matters that needed to be addressed, and he was determined to set them straight.As a result, his demeanour and voice shifted into a serious tone as he asserted, “I have absolutely no interest in touching you until you are behaving properly. Mom will soon arrive with clothes and jewellery for you to get dressed before we head home. It is expected that you accept it graciously with a smile. I will not tolerate any disrespect towards my family members, I repeat, NONE. It’s a give and take. You behave, I behave.”Imara clenched her jaw, retorting, “I just return the favour, Mr. Shekhawat!”“Adhiraj...” he countered, “Either address me by my name or act as though you’re shy to say it. That’s your third lesson for today.”Imara fisted her hands, her eyes ablaze with fury. She retorted, “I am under no obligation to...”“Follow what I say?” Adhiraj interrupted, “Really, Little Tyke? Let’s put it to the test. Isha and your entire team depend on you for their livelihood, their very existence tied to your toy manufacturing firm. Are you seriously considering endangering it all, wiping out not only your own identity but theirs as well?”Imara’s eyes widened, shocked, as he continued to threaten her. “The last two orders your firm has bagged are from the subsidiaries of Shekhawats.” “Is your family into the Mafia business as well?” Imara snapped. “Or perhaps your specialty lies in blackmail? Is this how you do your business? By destroying others?”Adhiraj stared down at her as he declared, “I speak the language that others understand, be it business or personal matters. I don’t want my parents to become a laughingstock because of you and your stubborn and rude behaviour. Your family may be tolerant of your unruly behaviour, but I am certainly not.”Leaving Imara speechless, he retreated and retrieved the outfit prepared for him to wear on their way back home.Right at that moment, someone knocked on the door and, bypassing Imara, Adhiraj walked ahead to open the door.“Raj…is she awake?” Vandana inquired.Upon catching sight of his mother, Adhiraj’s expressions instantly transformed, radiating a warm and genial smile. He nodded in response, stepping aside to let Vandana enter.Vandana observed Imara’s dishevelled appearance, and the fallen blanket by the couch. She chose to overlook it, considering the chaos that unfolded the previous night, still feeling grateful that Adhiraj managed to hold her back.Nevertheless, she firmly believed in the concept of a fresh start every day. With that in mind, she affectionately stroked Imara’s head and said, “We’re waiting for both of you to join us for lunch. Once we’re done, we’ll head home. And here,” she handed Imara a saree and some jewellery, “I’ll help you in wearing this while we talk. We haven’t had a chance to connect yet.”Imara fumbled, not because Adhiraj was glaring at her from behind his mother, but because Vandana’s smile reminded her of Suvika. And Imara couldn’t bear to let another motherly affection enter her life. The pain of losing that warmth is too unbearable. Besides, she wouldn’t be tethered to Adhiraj forever. She will surely find a way to escape.Just as these thoughts made her shake her head, Adhiraj interrupted, “Mom...” Imara looked at him, and he spoke with a hint of authority, as if commanding a stubborn child, “I am downstairs. I’m sure Imara would appreciate some alone time to speak with you, like Anika and Tarushi do.”With that, he left the room, leaving a fuming Imara and an amused Vandana behind.