Chapter 51: chapter 51

When Imara’s heavy eyelids slowly fluttered open, she was relieved to find Isha still by her side. Her gaze instinctively shifted towards the clock on the wall opposite to her bed. Sitting upright, she whispered, “It’s six!”Isha’s eyes snapped up, her attention instantly captured by Imara’s words. In a flurry of movement, she hastily closed the laptop and rushed towards Imara. Concern etched on her face, she gently placed a hand on Imara’s forehead, checking for any lingering fever. “Thank God your fever is down now,” she murmured with relief.Imara winced, feeling a throbbing pain in her temples. She rubbed them gently, trying to soothe the ache. Her voice barely above a whisper, she said, “My head is pounding, Ish!”Isha quickly handed her a glass of water, its coolness providing a refreshing sensation against Imara’s parched throat. “Vandana Aunty came to check up on you,” Isha informed her. “She left after making sure your fever had subsided. You were burning up at that time.”Imara slapped her forehead lightly. “She must have been so worried,” she murmured.“Worried sick! She seemed so helpless,” Isha confirmed. “I reassured her that this is just how you get sick and that you’ll be fine in another day or two.”As Imara gave a nod of agreement, the door swung open and in sauntered Adhiraj with the doctor hot on his heels. Isha took a step back, while Imara could only gape at the lightning speed with which Adhiraj made a beeline for her. His face was a canvas of concern as he meticulously checked her forehead, cheeks, and nose, demanding answers from the doctor, “She’s been in this room, taking her medicine, and yet her fever keeps coming back.”He nearly lost his cool, his voice booming as he confronted the doctor, “Care to explain what is happening with my wife?”Imara winced at the harshness in his voice, but an unexpected emotion stirred within her when she heard his possessive words. Her heart fluttered, perhaps!Isha looked utterly amused as Adhiraj’s hand remained firmly planted on Imara’s cheek while he continued to berate the doctor.“Mrs. Shekhawat! How are you feeling?” The doctor inquired, circling the bed, causing Adhiraj to retreat and remove his hand from Imara’s cheek.“Feeling dizzy! My head is throbbing!” Imara murmured.The doctor checked her blood pressure and reassured, “Mr. Shekhawat! Your wife is improving compared to that night. Colds take time to go away. Just continue with the precautions you’ve been following.”“So, you’re saying she’s going to catch a fever again?” Adhiraj snapped.“Raj,” Vandana exclaimed as she entered the room. “What’s wrong?”“What’s wrong? Mom! It’s been two whole days. Imara hasn’t been feeling well despite taking her medication and following the doctor’s instructions. And you’re asking me what’s wrong?” Adhiraj responded, feeling frustrated and concerned. His heart had skipped a beat when he called Vandana to check on Imara’s condition, only to find out that she had developed a fever again. He was worried about the way she would have shivered.Imara stared at Adhiraj with wide eyes, and so did Isha. While Imara was too stunned by Adhiraj’s outburst to even respond, Isha struggled to hold back her grin.Vandana gently massaged Adhiraj’s shoulder, remarking, “Didn’t the doctor mention that it would take a few days for her to recover?”“Mom,” Adhiraj retorted.Rolling her eyes, Vandana scolded him, “She will be fine, Raj. Quit scaring the doctor!” She then turned her attention to the doctor and apologised, “I’m really sorry on behalf of my son!”The doctor shook his head, waving his hand dismissively, and said, “I’m so used to the Shekhawats’ fiery temper now, Vandana ji! It’s nothing new. Your son has inherited the same traits as your father-in-law and husband when it comes to their wives!”Imara’s face turned bright red, while Adhiraj rolled his eyes and Vandana chuckled, remarking, “I couldn’t agree more! Please come with me. I am really sorry Raj dragged you again!”“As long as he wasn’t planning to strangle me!” The doctor chuckled as he followed Vandana out of the room.Isha couldn’t contain her laughter as she also left the room, saying, “Goodbye, Mr. Shekhawat. Imara, I’ll see you at the factory when you’re ready to join!”Imara was equal part angry and baffled. She longed to become one with the bed, dissolve into the mattress, and never resurface. Meanwhile, Adhiraj casually removed his suit jacket, tossed it aside, rolled up his sleeves, and grabbed a thermometer. Imara’s instincts kicked in and she swiftly discarded the duvet, sliding her legs off the bed.“Don’t you dare step off that bed,” he hissed, gesturing for her to open her mouth so he could stick the thermometer in.“Don’t you dare boss me around like this,” she shot back, giving him a defiant look and refusing to open her mouth for the thermometer. “I’m not running a fever!”“Imara, you really don’t want to push me over the edge right now,” he warned, staring her down.She glared right back, standing her ground and declaring, “You really don’t want me to complain to your mother about how you’re bullying me!”His eyes narrowed even further. “All I want to do is check your temperature!” he snapped.“And I clearly said I don’t have a temperature.” With that declaration, she swiftly grabbed the thermometer from his grasp and stashed it away in the drawer of the bedside table. Before he could even protest, she sprang up from the bed because his proximity was the last thing she wanted right now.However, the determined lady had underestimated her husband, for in a sudden turn of events, he reached out and firmly grasped her wrist, his strong grip pulling her back towards him. Imara stumbled, her body losing balance, and she fell right into his waiting arms. They both tumbled onto the bed, their weight causing the mattress to give a slight creak. Imara found herself now on top of him, feeling the warmth of his body beneath her. She could feel his hands firmly gripping her waist, causing an electric sensation to shoot down her spine.Ouch! Her head smacked right into his chin, and she couldn’t help but hiss, “Are you possessed or something?”Adhiraj emitted a low, guttural growl. With a swift, fluid motion, he effortlessly reversed their positions, his hands now firmly grasping hers on either side. Their eyes locked in a fierce gaze, igniting an electric tension that quickened her pulse. In this intimate entanglement, their faces hovered mere inches apart. Their lips, tantalizingly close, teased with a whisper’s touch.Somehow, she mustered a scathing glare, her eyes piercing him with their audacity. Yet, Adhiraj’s furious gaze transformed into something else entirely, his brown eyes taking on a deep, shadowy hue, his pupils dilating, as if consumed by the intensity of the moment.The atmosphere crackled with an electric tension, and Adhiraj, fighting the urge to lean in and claim her lips, softly murmured, “If my actions confuse you, allow me to clarify, Mrs. Shekhawat. I am dead worried about you. And nothing, not even your stubbornness, can stop me when it comes to caring for those I adore. Do you understand, Imara?”Imara swallowed hard, blinked, and took a sharp breath as the weight of his words settled in her chest whispered in response, “Just leave me be!”But Adhiraj’s eyes sparkled with a victorious glint, reflecting his understanding of Imara’s reaction to his proximity. A faint scent of his cologne mingled with the room’s faint musk, creating an intoxicating aroma; her senses reeled. Leaning in closer, he tilted his head and his breath brushed against her ear as he softly asked, “Mrs. Shekhawat, are you still hopeful about that one month challenge? Did I forget to tell you that, just as you strive to step out of my life, I will strive to move mountains to keep you by my side, with your consent, of course!”Imara shut her eyes. It was a sensation she desperately wanted to avoid, one that seemed to consume her mind, body, and soul, unlike anything she had ever experienced with Dheeraj.“Release me!” Imara whispered, her jaw clenched in defiance against her own body’s response to his nearness. This time, her voice carried a resolute tone.Adhiraj let out a booming chuckle that seemed to shake Imara to her core, leaving her feeling both irritated and oddly charmed. Slowly pulling away from her, he smugly declared, “I never lose!”Leaving Imara fuming with anger, he sauntered towards the wardrobe room, casually tossing his words over his shoulder. “I am never moving out of our room again!” he proclaimed.Imara was taken aback by his thunderbolt statement, sitting upright with wide eyes as she exclaimed, “You cheat!”Adhiraj paused, turned back, and locked eyes with her before quipping, “Everything is fair in...”With a mischievous grin, he left the statement hanging in the air and disappeared into the wardrobe room. Imara sat there, stunned and breathless.