Chapter 42: chapter 42

Upon receiving Adhiraj’s call, Vandana sprinted towards Imara's room, with Jaidev closely following behind. Adhiraj had already called the doctor to come and assess the sudden spike in Imara’s temperature.She was shivering. While her forehead was hot, her nose, hands, and face felt as cold as ice. Adhiraj tirelessly rubbed her hands, desperately attempting to provide solace, yet his efforts proved futile. With each passing moment, his anxiety intensified, fearing the worst."Raj..." Vandana exclaimed as she entered Imara's room, her voice filled with concern.He rose from the bed, his voice filled with desperation, "Mom... I've already called the doctor. She's..." The helplessness in his tone mirrored the fear he felt seeing his wife in such a state.Vandana anxiously assessed Imara's condition, her worry growing with each passing moment. Never before had she witnessed someone with icy skin while their head burned with a fever."Call Suvika..." Vandana instructed, and Adhiraj swiftly dialled Imara's mother.Once the call connected, Adhiraj passed the phone to Vandana without delay. She skipped any formalities and immediately inquired, "Suvika, Imara has a fever. Her body feels cold, but her head is burning…”Adhiraj couldn't hear Suvika's response, but in an instant, Vandana ended the call and turned towards Adhiraj, demanding, "Where is the doctor?”Just as Vandana said those words, the doctor entered the room, with a maid trailing behind. Vandana stepped aside to make room for him. Feeling his wife's anxiety, Jaidev enveloped her in a comforting embrace, reassuring her, “Don’t worry! She will be fine!”Adhiraj, in this situation, was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness. Unable to contain his worry, he questioned, "Mom, what did her mother say?”"She mentioned that this is how she gets a fever..." Vandana responded, and at that very moment, the doctor interjected, "It's 103. Here are the medicines she needs to take. Make sure she stays indoors and consumes freshly prepared, light, and warm food.”"She's shivering..." Adhiraj interrupted, prompting the doctor to swiftly rise from the bed and declare, "In that case, she needs her husband!”Adhiraj was stunned into silence, and the same stillness enveloped Vandana and Jaidev. The doctor, perplexed by the sudden hush that permeated the room, eventually spoke up, "She has fallen ill due to prolonged exposure to the cold. There's a risk of pneumonia if her body doesn't warm up soon. The medication will need some time to take effect.”Comprehending the gravity of the doctor's words, Adhiraj nodded with a gulp. Vandana gathered the prescribed medicines, while Jaidev escorted the doctor out of the room.“Suvika used to hold her close during her temperature rise as she slept. It helps," Vandana said, eying her son.Adhiraj instinctively grabbed the medicines and softly said, "I will look after her, Mom. You should rest."Vandana nodded, convinced that this was a fated moment to show Imara how much Adhiraj truly cared for her. She hoped that this gesture would encourage Imara to open her heart to Adhiraj. With a hopeful smile, she quietly left the room, trusting that their bond would only grow stronger."Imara," Adhiraj whispered in a gentle voice, holding her face delicately in his hands, urging her to open her eyes as he offered her the medicine. However, her teeth continued to chatter, her state of unconsciousness evident as she failed to respond to his touch or voice.Taking a moment to steady himself, Adhiraj tried once more, but his efforts were in vain. Her body trembled uncontrollably, the chill in her skin refusing to subside even under the weight of three thick blankets. The doctor's grim prognosis echoed in his mind, mingling with Suvika's words to Vandana. Dread consumed him. He turned away from the bed and climbed onto it from the opposite side, desperate to be closer to his wife.He slid beneath the soft, velvety covers. Tenderly repositioning her, he drew her nearer until her head nestled against his chest, her body fitting perfectly against his. He felt a unique sensation at their closeness. It certainly didn’t tap into his primal instincts, that’s for sure. There was something profound, deeper than his longing to rightfully claim her as his wife.Holding her close, he felt a stirring in his chest, his eyes welling up and his grip on Imara growing tighter. He wished, in that very moment, to take away every pain and every discomfort from her life and fill her life with boundless happiness.He tenderly caressed her back, nuzzled his face against her neck, and in the process, his warm cheek pressed against her cold one as he softly murmured, "I'm here for you, Little Tyke! You can count on me to always be there for you, through thick and thin. Imara, do you understand me? No matter how hard you try to push me away, I won't let you go. I promise to ensure our happiness and that we are always together. I promise to help you heal from your past. I promise that you will give our relationship a chance. I want to be completely yours, Imara, in every way possible. I will do everything I can to make you feel the same way.”With every word he spoke, his grasp around her only grew firmer, as if he feared losing her. Gradually, her shivers lessened, and he could sense her cheeks, nose, neck, hands, and feet growing increasingly warm. Relief flooded through him, making him squeeze her tightly and whisper, “You scared me, Little Tyke! You truly did!”No sooner had it happened, Imara’s body was consumed by a scorching fever prompting Adhiraj to gently pat her cheeks, desperately attempting to rouse her. "Imara..." he called out, but she didn’t wake up, burying herself deeper into his chest. Normally, this would have brought a smile to Adhiraj's face, but now, worry consumed him as he fretted over her fever. Hence, he kept trying, but she remained unresponsive, silent."Little Tyke! I've axed those two contracts," he declared, giving her cheeks a gentle tap and crossing his fingers that her company's name would do the trick.“My toys…” Imara murmured like a lost child, prompting Adhiraj to stifle a laugh before he continued, “Indeed! Consider them gone. Your toy empire is on the line if you don't wake up.”“You are such an asshole,” she grumbled once more, leading Adhiraj to suspect she was still in dreamland.Adhiraj playfully tapped her cheek and reiterated, “Little Tyke, wake up if you want to save your toy kingdom.”With her eyes starting to flutter open, she grumbled, "You're so bad…”Just in that moment, Adhiraj carefully slipped out of the bed, instantly feeling the void in his arms. Walking towards the other side, he fetched the medicines and called out again, this time rather sternly to wake her up, “Imara….”“You are bad…” She mumbled again, and he shook his head, saying, “Okay! I am bad! Now wake up!”“You are an asshole!” She mumbled again, and Adhiraj bit back his laugh, agreeing, “Okay! I am! Now wake up!”“You are nice in dreams. You agree with everything I say!” She mumbled again, fluttering her eyes open as Adhiraj patted her cheeks, saying, “Enough Little Tyke! Have medicine, wake up!”Imara found herself in a hazy state, struggling to comprehend her surroundings. It was as if she had stepped into a dream. Suddenly, a caring Adhiraj appeared, assisting her to sit and urging her to open her mouth. Obliging, she followed his instructions, only to have him slip a pill onto her tongue and hand her a glass of water. The taste of the medicine was so bitter that she couldn't help but grimace and inquire, "What are you feeding me?”“Medicines,” Adhiraj remarked as he tossed another pill into her mouth, which she swallowed obediently with a gulp of water before questioning, "Why?”With a caring smile, Adhiraj replied, "Because you have a fever, genius." He helped her lie back down and tucked her in with a cozy blanket.In her half-asleep state, Imara murmured, "I don't want you. I want my Mummy," before turning away and drifting off to sleep.Adhiraj leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, whispering softly, "You'll see her tomorrow. I promise.”Adiraj grabbed an extra blanket and settled on the opposite side of the bed, making sure to keep an eye on his wife. Before drifting off to sleep, he quickly sent a message to Sanjay, "Can you please arrange for Aunty to come over tomorrow morning? Imara really needs her!"Confident that his request would be met, Adiraj closed his eyes and allowed sleep to consume him, although he continued to wake up periodically to check on Imara during the night.