Chapter 31: chapter 31

“What did he do?” Isha asked, her eyes wide with astonishment and a mischievous grin threatening to break free.“Why do you look like you’re about to crack up at me, Ish?” Imara snapped, narrowing her eyes at Isha, who struggled to stifle her laughter.“What happened then?” Isha interjected, eager to hear every juicy tidbit without giving away how entertained she was by the whole affair.Imara opened her laptop and revealed the details of the month-long challenge she and Adhiraj had agreed upon.Isha’s jaw dropped, and she nearly fell off her chair in disbelief as she whispered, “What?!”Imara raised an eyebrow and quipped, “Why do you look surprised? You didn’t think I was going to stay wedded to him throughout my life, did you? His grandfather blackmailed me. And I am not letting this chance pass to give a dent on their so-called reputation, which would have gone for a toss if his eldest grandson wasn’t married off before the younger ones.”Isha immediately shook her head, “No way did I think that,” not expecting this turn of events from her friend who had been constantly consumed by thoughts of Dheeraj, Rathores, and Little Tyke until Adhiraj happened.Curious, Isha prodded, “So what’s the plan now?”Imara flashed a mischievous smile and gestured to her laptop. “Time to expand our clientele.”Confused, Isha narrowed her eyes as Imara turned the screen towards her, revealing a list of names. Imara explained, “Raghuvanshis! They’re the Shekhawats’ biggest rivals. They’ve got a few schools under their belt. Our new clientele.”“Hold up…” Isha spoke as she unlocked her phone to check her emails. “Could it be Saraswati International School?”“Yes,” Imara nodded. “Is there something I should know?”Isha nodded as she pulled up the email and showed it to Imara. “I sent them our catalog a month back, and they just got back to us yesterday. They’re interested in meeting to discuss their needs for custom toys.”Imara’s eyes lit up mischievously as she suggested, “Let’s meet them tomorrow!”Isha hesitated, voicing her concerns about the timing. “Are you sure about this, Imara? It seems a bit sketchy that they’re only now getting back to us after all the buzz about your wedding to Adhiraj...”“It’s good then!" Imara quipped, "I team up with their competitors, and they kick me out, easy peasy,” diving into preparation for the upcoming meeting, dead set on sealing the deal.With a resigned sigh, Isha left her office. She made her way to the basement where the sounds of machinery filled the air, signalling the production of a new batch of customised toys.—————“We have a new security unit for Ma'am. They’re stationed as well,” Sanchit informed as soon as Adhiraj entered his office.Acknowledging with a brief nod, he directed, “Get me the contracts for her deals with our subsidiaries! Who removed Little Tyke from the exhibition in Chennai? And give me the rest of the investigation details, besides what you provided yesterday.”“Get me an appointment with her father and brothers and keep me informed about her whereabouts too,” Adhiraj added, shortly after.“On it!” Sanchit replied with a hint of unease and quickly stepped out, wary of Adhiraj’s volatile temper. It boiled down to two reasons. Firstly, Sanjay and his sons were in for an earful. Secondly, he was still unable to gather all the necessary information about Imara, courtesy the way Shaurya had been overseeing everything with regards to the security of his family.A couple of hours later, Adhiraj finally entered Sanjay’s office. Inside, Sanjay and his sons exchanged curious glances, unsure of what to expect from this sudden meeting.“Hello Uncle!” Adhiraj greeted, then turned to Shaurya and got straight to the point, asking, “What happened yesterday?”With worried expressions, Shaurya and Neel shared a glance before explaining how Imara had left in a cab.“Adhiraj...please have a seat,” Sanjay offered, picking up on Adhiraj’s clenched jaw as Shaurya’s words sank in. However, Adhiraj turned down the offer with a shake of his head, redirecting his focus back to Shaurya and asking, “I see! Why was I not informed about this?”“I informed Virender Uncle,” Sanjay responded.“With all due respect, Uncle,” he began, “Imara is my wife. And I believe I deserved to know if she chose not to go at your place and instead hailed a cab to her apartment, a place we all know is far from secure.”His statement hung in the air, his gaze fixated on their stunned expressions.“Tell me,” he demanded, “who would I have held accountable if anything had happened to my wife?”In an attempt to calm Adhiraj, Shaurya swiftly responded, "She is my sister too, Adhiraj. I had the security follow her.""And she is my wife. She left my home with you, Shaurya," Adhiraj shot back, his tone filled with anger as he pointed a finger towards him. “She was your responsibility. If she had made it clear that she didn’t want to go with you, you could have dropped her back. If that was a bother, all you had to do was let me know, and I would have taken her back.”"Adhiraj..." Sanjay interjected, sensing the tension building up in his son-in-law.“You do understand the implications, right?” Adhiraj retorted, “It is no secret that she is married to me. And there are many out there who might target her. She was alone in her apartment when I got there to get her back.”Inside him, a furious storm raged, and he fought to regain control. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake off the nagging ‘what ifs’ that consumed his mind.“Adhiraj, we will…” Sanjay spoke up.“There is no will here, Uncle. Not until she is willing to step into Rathore Mansion.” With that, Adhiraj stormed out of Sanjay’s office, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving them bewildered in the sudden silence. They were all unable to gauge their own emotional state. Unsure of how to feel, they grappled with a mix of anger over the accusations and surprise at Adhiraj’s sudden change of heart, going from calling Imara rude, uncultured, and disrespectful to openly worrying about her well-being.While Adhiraj was entering the car, his phone rang. Sanchit’s voice came through as soon as he picked up, announcing, “We’ve bought the apartment, and I’ve got the master keys too!”“Good! Proceed to transfer it under Imara's name. And ensure that the upgrades are focused solely on enhancing security measures. The interior should remain unchanged, including all the furnishings and things inside,” Adhiraj directed.“Understood!” Sanchit confirmed before ending the call.