Chapter 54: chapter 54

Imara looked at the colourful leaves, totally awed by the beauty of nature. It wasn’t that this was the first time she was witnessing the colourful leaves of a Gulmohar tree, but standing under it, she felt a sense of calm and peace, and most importantly, she felt like her eyes were welling up with tears. She was feeling emotionally overwhelmed.“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her delicate fingers gently caressing the rough bark of the tree.“Devyani planted it,” Virender said, his voice filled with pride, his eyes shimmering with cherished memories of his late wife.Imara nodded, her heart understanding the deep longing in his words. Wanting to console him, she softly asked, “You must miss her.”“I do,” he confirmed, his eyes conveying a depth of emotion that words could not capture.In that moment, Imara felt a surge of empathy, as if she could tangibly sense his pain, knowing that he could no longer see, talk to, or feel the presence of the one he loved.“I come here whenever I need her,” he said, his voice carrying a faint whisper of nostalgia. A while later, he found a soft patch of grass beneath the sprawling tree and settled down. Imara, following his lead, joined him, feeling the coolness of the earth seep through her clothes. As they sat, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above, creating a soothing melody.Virender’s voice was tinged with warmth as he shared, “Raj used to hide behind this very tree whenever Vandana and Devyani were furious at him. He was quite the mischievous child.”Imara nodded, her eyes taking in the surroundings. She didn’t want to delve into the intricate details of Adhiraj’s past, so she refrained from even offering a smile. Virender, perceptive as ever, sensed her hesitation and realised that it was time to reveal the truth to Imara. He could see the deep connection forming between Adhiraj and Imara, and he knew he had to do everything in his power to support his grandson’s pursuit of his wife.“Raj doesn’t trouble you, right?” Virender inquired, breaking the silence.Imara shook her head and muttered, “That man himself is a walking trouble!”Virender chuckled loudly at her remark, shaking his head as he replied, “Husbands are always trouble, Imara! Trust me, ask anyone!”“Well, maybe for others in a positive way! But not for someone like me who was pushed into this marriage!” Imara retorted, causing Virender’s expression to turn serious.“You two are perfect for each other!”“And what made you conclude that?” she questioned, staring at him with her arms defiantly crossed.“You both value families, your elders, your relationships, the ones you love and, most of all, people. Knowing Adhiraj, he needed a girl as strong and humble as you…”“You know your grandson, and you might have an idea of what suits him best. But how did you come to the conclusion that it was me? Why did you corner me like this? And was my father involved in all of this, too? Did he block me in a way that forced me to be where you wanted me to be?” Imara’s voice was filled with determination as she sought answers to the lingering questions in her mind.Virender responded with a gentle smile, affectionately patting her head before shaking his head and confirming, “It wasn’t me who concluded that about you. It was Devyani!”Imara’s brows scrunched in confusion, her head tilting to the side as she spoke with a blend of bewilderment and defiance, “Don’t mock me!”“I am not!” Virender chuckled, shaking his head. “It was Devyani who chose you for Raj.”As Imara shifted in her position, her brows remained scrunched in confusion as she confronted Virender, “You are not making any sense!”Virender released a long, contemplative sigh, his thoughts swirling in the air. “Hmmmmm,” he murmured. “You were serving snacks and tea to the workers who were tirelessly preparing the grounds for the children’s fair that you organised last year. That was the first time Devyani saw you.”Imara’s eyes flickered, her gaze dropping to the ground before rising to meet Virender’s. Her voice barely above a whisper, she questioned, “What do you mean?”Virender’s words flowed with certainty as he revealed the truth. “Devyani had intended to make a generous donation to the orphanage. However, when she approached the management, they redirected her to their alternate branch. You see, someone had already given a substantial contribution that year, leaving surplus funds,” he explained, causing Imara to blink in astonishment once again.Before she could utter a single word, Virender anticipated her curiosity and continued, “When she was told it was Imara Rathore, my wife was impressed. Devyani was aware of the Rathores and your name wasn’t unknown either. And knowing that you were also funding a children’s fair the next day, she couldn’t stop herself from going there to see you. She had decided then that she would coax me to get your hand in marriage for Raj!”Imara’s eyes widened with a mix of shock and confusion, and her throat immediately became scratchy, prompting her to clear it several times before she whispered, “What are you implying?”“I am implying that my wife was captivated not by your outer beauty, Imara, but by your inner beauty. She saw you as the eldest daughter-in-law of our family, as the wife of her eldest grandson. She couldn’t take her eyes off you when she witnessed your small acts of selflessness and generosity that day. But in the end, she was heartbroken to learn that you already had feelings for someone else. I had never seen her so dejected.”Imara glanced away, her chest tightening with pain. It was the day she had confessed her love to Dheeraj, but she couldn’t recall seeing Devyani anywhere. Sensing her confusion, Virender clarified, “The infuriating lady who kept pestering you for water, snacks, tea, cookies... that was Devyani. And your patience with her never-ending demands only fuelled her desire for you, Imara!”And then it struck her! That’s why Devyani’s face seemed so familiar.“But she was some trustee’s mother,” Imara whispered, bewildered.Virender shook with laughter while shaking his head. “No,” he said. “Not at all. She was pretending. She wanted to test you before she pounced on me and ate my head to get you into this family.”Imara shook her head, struggling to comprehend everything, and asked, “But that was in the past! When you and your wife found out that I had feelings for someone else, why trap me in this situation?”“She came to know about your and Dheeraj’s breakup,” Virender whispered, causing Imara to flinch as painful memories flooded her heart.“She was not in good health at that time. Her condition was weakening, and she convinced me to seek your hand in marriage from your father. I complied, but you had already left your home by then. I eventually gave up on you, but she never did. You remained in her thoughts constantly. It was her deepest wish to have you become a part of our family. On the day she passed away, she entrusted me with fulfilling that wish. It wasn’t difficult for me to locate Dheeraj. When I learned that he had married someone else, I tried to convince your father, but he did not agree. And then Jaidev chose Namita instead.”“But,” Imara whispered, baffled at the revelation.“I overheard Namita discussing her escape plans,” Virender continued, his voice low. He paused, clearing his throat before confessing, “I had your position revoked to ensure that you would come to where I wanted you to be.”“What?!” Imara rasped.Virender nodded, confirming, “It wasn’t your father. I did it! That was the only idea that came to my mind to make you agree to marry Raj.”Imara’s voice came out hoarse as she spoke, “You... you planned all of this?” Her eyes narrowed, her anger rising.Virender shook his head, explaining, “No, I didn’t plan everything. If Namita hadn’t made plans to run away, she would be here as Adhiraj’s wife. But her actions provided me with an opportunity to bring you into the Shekhawat family, fulfilling my late wife’s last wish.”“That doesn’t make any sense! You forced me to marry your grandson just because your wife wanted it. You didn’t even consider how I felt about him or how he felt about me. How could you do that? And here I believed Papa was behind all of this to get me married to him,” Imara burst out, feeling irritated, infuriated, angry, and a whole range of emotions.Virender let out a deep breath, fully aware that Imara wouldn’t take it lightly. However, he also understood the importance of telling her the truth in order to clear up the misunderstanding caused by his actions. On that day, when Sanjay emerged from Imara’s room, he appeared downtrodden. Virender realised then that Imara’s involvement in the wedding situation had only deepened the bitterness between father and daughter. He knew he had to reveal the complete truth to Imara, despite knowing she would be furious. He had faith that once she knew it all, the barriers she had erected around herself would crumble. She would come to accept her parents and eventually Adhiraj, too.“I don’t regret any of it,” Virender confessed, leaving Imara speechless.“Since the day you left home, I’ve been keeping tabs on you, all on Devyani’s insistence. She cared deeply for you. She wanted me to ensure you were doing well, even if you weren’t married to Raj. I knew I wasn’t taking a risk for my grandson by pushing you into this marriage because I trusted my wife’s intuition too much. But, if you had still been with someone else, even Dheeraj, I would never have done it.”Tears welled up in Imara’s eyes, blurring her vision as she felt the sting of betrayal. It was as if she had been used, her emotions disregarded, just to fulfil his deceased wife’s last wish. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the flood of tears, and whispered with accusation, “You’ve ruined my life! You’ve trapped me in this relationship, all because you couldn’t deny your wife. This is so, so wrong. I want out. I want out of this relationship, this home, everything.” Her voice quivered with anger and hurt.“Imara!”“No... you... you forced me into this unwanted relationship, and your grandson, too. Or perhaps he was also privy to it!” Imara’s jaw clenched, her frustration mounting, as she stood up from the ground.Virender stood up too and shook his head in denial. “He knew nothing, not even about Dheeraj, when he married you. He trusted my judgment that you would be the perfect life-partner for him.”Imara, not wanting to disrespect Virender, turned on her heels and made her way inside. The determination to leave this house grew stronger within her, an unyielding resolve that now burned brighter than ever before.