Chapter 25: chapter 25

An hour later, Imara and the twins were on their way to Rathore Mansion, with Shaurya behind the wheel and Neel sitting in the passenger seat. The brothers had chosen to drive themselves to spend some quality time with their sisters, especially Imara. It had been more than a year since she had last been home.“Drop me off at that bus stop!” Imara demanded, causing Shaurya to furrow his brow in confusion. He replied, “We’re going home, Imu!”“Indeed... I am going home. The one where I have been living for over a year now. Not yours!” she sternly retorted.“Imu…” Neel pleaded.“I didn’t want to cause a scene earlier. Just stop the car and drop me off,” she insisted.“Di...” Anika and Tarushi spoke, but a single glare from Imara silenced them instantly.“Stop...” Imara repeated, and Shaurya shook his head, asserting, “You are not only my sister, but also Adhiraj’s wife. I am taking you home under my responsibility. I’m sorry, but I won’t drop you off somewhere in the middle.”Imara narrowed her eyes and bluntly stated, “Don’t give me this shit. Just stop the damn car.”“I won’t,” Shaurya responded, shaking his head. Imara silently acknowledged his refusal and mentally made a note to hail a cab as they neared Rathore Mansion. When the car came to a halt, waiting for the gates to open, Imara wasted no time. She quickly unlocked the door, stepped out, and hopped into the waiting cab. Neel hurriedly joined her, but before he could even blink, the cab had already driven away. Imara left, leaving her brothers in a state of frustration and her sisters shaking their heads in disappointment.When Suvika and the others learned about Imara’s actions, they were heartbroken. Suvika had even tidied up Imara’s room, hoping to spend some quality time with her daughter. Sanjay had eagerly anticipated Imara’s return to their home after such a long time.“What if Adhiraj comes here?” Vibha pointed out a valid concern.“And how do we inform him that Imara chose not to come here?” Dilip questioned.“Neel...” Sanjay interrupted, “She must be at her apartment or factory. Go there and speak with her. See if you can convince her to come back here. Otherwise, I will contact Virender Uncle, and he will handle Adhiraj.”With a nod and a spark of anticipation to see Isha too, Neel promptly left.—————An hour and a half later, Imara emerged from the cab and entered the building that housed her apartment. Observing her appearance, her neighbours couldn’t help but stare as if she had just walked out of a high-end fashion magazine. To avoid drawing too much attention, she had taken off all her jewellery in the cab and stashed it in her bag. However, her exquisite Anarkali dress alone was enough to turn heads. Ignoring the curious glances, she ascended the stairs, heading straight to her apartment on the third-floor.It came as no surprise that the door was already unlocked, as she had messaged Isha to wait for her. Spotting her, Isha propelled herself off the couch, ready to hug her. However, Imara quickly raised her hand to stop Isha and proceeded to her room, asserting, “Give me a few minutes!”A short while later, Imara had shed the weight of her elaborate attire and slipped into her usual clothes: a comfortable, loose-fitting kurta paired with faded jeans. As she came out, she exhaled deeply, wrapping Isha in a warm hug and holding her close. And in an unexpected moment, she burst into sobs.—————Adhiraj sat firmly against a chair, positioned at the centre of the room. His hands rested on the side rest, head tilted to the side, as he shot a menacing glare towards Namita. Namita, with her head bowed and tears streaming down her cheeks, faced the intensity of his gaze.“Ms. Thakur! I haven’t even begun speaking yet...” Adhiraj hissed. Simultaneously, the door swung open, and the man Namita had planned to escape with was hurled inside. His face was bruised, eyes swollen, and lips bleeding.Namita gasped, rushing from the bed to reach out to Tarun. She wept bitterly as she cradled his bruised face in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Adhiraj spoke sternly, “Did you honestly believe you could get away with this?”Amidst sobs, Namita pleaded, “I….I tried to tell you, but you were never available to talk to. I told my parents, but they didn’t listen….”“We met twice…” Adhiraj interrupted. “You could have told me the day we first met before I agreed to marry you. You couldn’t, I get it. What about the second time when I took you out to dinner? You seemed too happy to let me know you were already in love with someone else.”As Namita choked back sobs, Tarun whimpered in pain. Desperately, she pleaded once more, “Please... I did tell my parents, but there was no other choice.”Adhiraj stood up from his chair, spun around, and walked towards Namita, who was huddled on the floor, cradling Tarun. He crouched down right in front of them, his voice filled with anger as he whispered, “On the day of our engagement, my mother entrusted you with our family heirlooms and countless other things. But the most precious thing was her trust. And you shattered all of it. You sold all the jewellery to live a lavish life with your boyfriend. It seems like a deliberate attempt to deceive me and my family, to manipulate us, all to ensure Rohini’s marriage to me...”“Then you should have,” Namita retorted, seething with fury and anguish at the sight of Tarun in such a condition. “Instead, you chose to marry another woman... that bitch Imara Rathore.”“NAMITA…” Adhiraj bellowed, his voice filled with thunderous anger, “No one has the right to speak about my wife like that. One more word and I promise you, I will personally rip the skin off your boyfriend’s body. And for what you did to tarnish the reputation of my family, you and your father will pay for it.”With unparalleled determination, he rose from the floor and directed Sanchit as he made his way out of the room. “Ensure her confession is recorded and file a lawsuit against both of them.”Shocked, Namita struggled to accept Adhiraj’s outburst upon hearing those words about Imara. Ever since they were classmates, she had been a constant source of irritation for Namita. Imara, the epitome of perfection—the perfect child, the perfect daughter, the perfect girl. Namita remembered how Imara effortlessly commanded attention, while she, despite coming from a well-off family like Imara, had to constantly fight to get noticed. Namita revelled in the rumours of Imara leaving her home, probably because of a scandalous love affair that would tarnish her image. But she was utterly shocked to see that someone like Adhiraj, who never spared her a second glance, had become enamoured with Imara in a mere two days.Clenching her teeth, Namita remained seated on the floor beside Tarun as Sanchit left the room, along with Adhiraj, shutting the door behind them.Meanwhile, Adhiraj continued to stride ahead, with Sanchit following closely beside him. “Where is Imara’s file?” he inquired.“We’re currently working on it!” Sanchit promptly responded.Adhiraj paused and fixed a penetrating stare on Sanchit, questioning, “What exactly do you mean by ‘working on it’?”Feeling pressured, Sanchit gulped and hastily clarified, “I’ve managed to gather information on Ma’am’s activities since she left her home last year. However, anything further requires time. Their security measures are overseen by Mr. Shaurya Rathore himself. He ensures that the family’s details are not easily accessible. You know, the media and all, just like Shekhawats.”Acknowledging Sanchit’s explanation, Adhiraj continued marching forward and commanded, “Bring me whatever information you have on her so far!”