Chapter 20: chapter 20

As the car arrived at a luxurious bungalow, Imara was suddenly startled from her daze. She hadn’t realised how swiftly two hours had passed, bringing her to a place that didn’t even exist in her world until just twenty-four hours ago.“We have arrived!” Adhiraj’s words served as a cue for her to step out of the car.With no other choice, she reluctantly got out and followed alongside Adhiraj and the others. Vandana swiftly rushed inside, and it didn’t take long before she was standing at the gate of the house, holding an Arti Thali. It was evident that the arrangements had been carefully taken care of, and everything was prepared to give a warm welcome to the new brides.“Raj, Imara,” she softly called out, prompting the first couple to step forward. Despite the strained relationship Imara had with her family, the values instilled in her by her parents, the respect for their culture, remained deeply rooted within her. Thus, it came naturally to her. As soon as she laid eyes on the Aarti Thali with a lit lamp, she immediately reached for her saree and respectfully covered her head.Vandana wore a gentle smile, while Adhiraj found himself unable to believe what he was witnessing. The unexpected display of reverence touched him deeply. Nevertheless, he made a conscious decision not to let his surprise show, and responded with a gracious smile as Vandana marked his forehead with a tilak. Continuing the ritual for Imara, Vandana motioned towards the Kalash. Understanding without further explanation, Imara used her toe to lower it.“Imara, step into this,” Vandana beckoned, directing Imara’s attention to the huge thaal filled with the red liquid. Imara obliged and dipped her right foot into the liquid, followed by her left. Just like the age-old tradition in her family, she stepped out, leading with her right foot, and crossed the threshold into her new home alongside her husband, leaving behind her imprinted footprints.Little did Imara know, she had a vigilant observer in Adhiraj. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that his wife was flawlessly executing these traditional customs without a single iota of drama. To him, it felt like he was on the brink of a cultural tsunami.Stepping into the house, Virender greeted him with a teasing grin, causing Adhiraj to roll his eyes. Unbeknownst to Adhiraj, Virender’s gaze wandered towards a picture adorning their palatial living room. With an affectionate glint in his eyes, Virender silently whispered to his late wife, “Just as you wished. Imara is Adhiraj’s wife!”The spell was broken when Adhiraj and Imara gracefully bent down to receive his blessings. He placed his hands on both of them, saying, “I wish you both all the best for the bumpy roads ahead.”Adhiraj wrapped his arms around his grandfather, closing his eyes to savour the moment. Knowing how much his grandmother longed for this moment, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness that she wasn't there to witness him enter their home with his wife."Welcome, Imara," Virender said, his voice filled with love, as he gently laid a hand on her head.Imara nodded politely and gradually withdrew. Adhiraj frowned, prompting Virender to comfortingly pat his shoulder, silently mouthing the words, “Patience, my boy!”But Adhiraj didn’t respond. Taking a step back, he observed his brothers going through the same ritual of welcome. Unexpectedly, he almost jumped out of his skin when Anika and Tarushi suddenly bent down to touch his feet. “What are you doing?” he shrieked, startling everyone within a mile's radius.His outburst startled Imara too, causing her to jump in response. Her chest heaving, she glanced at her husband, who wore a bewildered expression on his face, seemingly clueless about the whole feet-touching ritual.“Don’t do this, please!” he pleaded.As Imara observed him embrace her sisters with the words, “Feel free to kick their asses if they bother you!” the sheer delight on everyone’s faces was contagious.Deep down, Imara longed to ask if she, too, could partake in the kicking festivities. But before she could voice her curiosity, Virender came to her side and declared, “That goes for you too, Imara. If he troubles you, give him a good kick!”Imara’s mind immediately conjured up a delightful image of catching Adhiraj off guard and giving his butt a solid boot. She couldn’t help herself but deliver a snappy comeback, blurting out, “I happen to be quite skilled in that department!”Adhiraj arched an eyebrow at her audacious remark, but Imara didn’t even spare him a glance. The room burst into grins, except for Jaidev, who happened to share his son’s skeptical thoughts. The girl was a trouble.In the meantime, Imara found herself standing in the living room, her eyes slowly roaming around, absorbing every intricate detail. Her brow furrowed as she tried to grasp the enormity of this place. Despite having lived in a spacious place herself since she was born, the contrast was staggering.As she patiently waited for the next set of instructions, her gaze shifted towards the photographs adorning the wall. Among them, one picture caught her attention, and she froze as her eyes locked onto Devyani’s photo.Before she could even wonder about the familiarity of the lady in the picture, Vandana directed the newlyweds towards it and shared, “She is my mother-in-law, a truly beautiful soul. She passed away last year.” Her voice tinged with sadness.With a frown etching her features, Imara respectfully joined her hands and observed Devyani’s photo attentively. However, no memories surfaced in her mind. With a sigh, she decided to let it be and followed Vandana as she led them through the remaining rituals.Adhiraj was completely captivated by Imara’s intense focus on his grandmother’s photo. It intrigued him to see the way she was studying it so closely. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. Perhaps this would open the door for a civil conversation between them.Just as Vandana was about to carry on with the next ceremony, Adhiraj’s phone rang. He knew it was Sanchit, who was diligently working on locating Namita. Hastily, he answered the call, taking his designated spot as Vandana directed him to sit. “Hold her up until tomorrow,” he replied as he listened to Sanchit’s update. “I’ll be there.”“Hold who?” Jaidev asked, while Vandana placed a large brass basin between Imara and Adhiraj.“Namita,” Adhiraj responded without hesitation, causing the living room to fall into an apprehensive silence. Imara glanced at him, clearly taken aback.Virender, seeking clarity, queried, “Raj... where did you find her?”“Airport…” Adhiraj replied.“Let’s not..” Jaidev continued and Adhiraj shook his head, determined. “She can’t just get away with this. And neither can her father, who, I suspect, knew about her plans to run away. Thinking it would leave us no choice, he was trying for Rohini to marry me.”Imara gazed down with furrowed brows, thinking, 'This man is clearly obsessed with the word reputation.'While everyone else fretted over what Adhiraj might do to Namita and her father, Imara remained unfazed. She strived to maintain her composure, believing that a clear mind would enable her to find a way out of this troubling situation.Vandana lightened up the environment, saying, “Raj, Imara, there is a ring in this basin.” She pointed at the basin, which was filled with milk. “On my count, you have to put your right hand in this and fetch the ring. The lucky finder gets eternal dominance in this marriage!”With a mischievous grin, Jaidev chimed in, “Like I have!” He playfully joined in the merriment with his wife. Vandana couldn’t help but roll her eyes and replied, “Oh, please! I allowed you to win. Imagine you losing on day one of our wedding.”Jaidev scoffed, and Virender chuckled, chiming in, “I always knew…”Amused by the banter, Vandana shook her head and exclaimed, “On the count of three, two, one...”Adhiraj plunged his hand into the basin, like a skilled magician about to conjure a great trick. His fingers danced around, desperately searching for that ring. He couldn’t wait to flaunt his victory to Imara—the smug satisfaction practically radiated from his pores. Plus, he was curious to see how she would play her part in this little game.Imara, on the other hand, observed Adhiraj’s hand movements with a keen eye. She nibbled on her lip with giddy anticipation, relishing the impending defeat of her overly confident husband.With a swift move, Imara strategically placed her hand where Adhiraj hadn’t, and in an instant, their hands collided. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling a completely new sensation in his touch. It was nothing like the night before, when he had practically held her hostage.She looked up and locked eyes with Adhiraj, who had a smug glimmer in his eye. The funny thing was, they were both clutching onto the ring, locked in a fierce battle for possession. They both wanted to win. Little did they know, amidst the amusing spectating gazes, they were silently conversing through their eyes.Adhiraj’s eyes sparkled with a sense of power over her, but Imara was not one to back down. She was determined not to surrender. So, with a final burst of determination, she grabbed his index finger and disrupted his focus, ultimately revealing the ring. But hold on a second... as she glanced at it, Adhiraj was still clutching it. They were both holding the ring, triumphantly bringing it into view. Vandana applauded, “Brilliant! Looks like we’re in for some power-packed banter for the rest of our lives.”Imara narrowed her eyes at Adhiraj, and he withdrew his hand, casually shaking his head as if to say, ‘It’s just a game. I’ve already claimed my dominance, and that’s why you’re here...’