Chapter 58: chapter 58

Adhiraj stood there, hands casually tucked in his pockets, sizing up the doubtful looks on the factory workers’ faces. As expected, his wife didn’t even bother to give his proper introduction to the staff.Taking matters into his own hands, he sidled up next to Imara just as she was pouring coloured polymer paste into a machine. Startled by his sudden appearance, she almost fumbled with the bucket. Without missing a beat, Adhiraj arms encircled her from behind to steady her hands and hold the bucket with her. Imara’s focus shattered as she turned to see his towering figure looming behind her, a knowing grin on his face. Leaning in, he whispered, “Careful, Little Tyke!”The room hummed with the sound of machinery. But Imara was too lost in this sudden proximity. As he kept looking into her eyes, he slowly tilted the bucket, feeling the weight of the warm, thick paste inside. The scent of chemicals filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of the machinery.Imara took a sharp breath, her chest tightening as her mind replayed all the recent incidents in a rapid succession. The most prominent one was Virender’s confession, his words echoing in her ears. And this only fuelled Imara’s anger, her frustration boiling over. She looked away and tightened her grip on the bucket, and said rather loudly, her voice cutting through the ambient noise, “Ish! Tell the Saraswati Group of Schools that we have the sample. Ask their representative to visit.”Adhiraj’s body stiffened, his jaw clenched tightly, and his grip on Imara’s hand grew even stronger. Imara turned to face him, noticing the darkness that had clouded his expression. “Leave me,” she whispered, clenching her jaw.A fierce glare shot from Adhiraj’s eyes, causing the already chilly atmosphere to drop a few more degrees as his anger intensified. Only if she knew his anger was not directed at her. In a hushed tone, he responded, “Do you honestly believe that you can force me to leave you by striking a deal with them?”Imara’s voice dripped with frustration as she emphasised, “I give a damn about your opinions. I want my factory to run smoothly and I am just doing my business.” She couldn’t understand why he was still standing so close, his hands covering hers. It was driving her sanity to the brink.Adhiraj gazed down at her, his voice barely audible as he whispered, “Little Tyke is your baby, Imara. Don’t ruin it just to win a challenge. You have no idea the mess you’re getting yourself into.”Imara winced at the affectionate tone in Adhiraj’s voice, which contrasted sharply with the anger emanating from him. She shot back, “Care to leave me, Mr. Shekhawat?”He didn’t budge; his piercing stare remained fixed on her. “Everyone,” he announced, his voice piercing through the silence. “My name is Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat. The owner of this factory, Ms. Imara Rathore, is now officially Mrs. Imara Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat.”Gasps filled the room. Imara’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Isha facepalmed herself. Without missing a beat, Adhiraj continued, his voice commanding the attention of all, “I am sure my wife here hadn’t had time to treat all of you to lunch on the occasion of our wedding. Hence, today’s lunch is on us.”As he casually slipped his hand around her waist, Imara could feel the warmth of his touch, a mix of possessiveness and determination. He gently set the bucket aside, his movements smooth and confident. “Let’s see what the next step in toy production entails, shall we?” he said, raising a brow.Adhiraj guided a bewildered Imara to the end of the machine, where the paste was being shot into mould cavities. Before she could voice her protest, her staff approached, offering their congratulations to both of them. Imara’s nod was barely perceptible amidst the flurry of well-wishes, while Adhiraj graciously accepted each one, all the while keeping Imara close. His actions were clear—he was staking his claim on her, subtly but unmistakably, showing her that he was determined to make their marriage work, to have her by his side, now and forever.Throughout the day, Adhiraj stuck to Imara like glue, witnessing her cheeks turn red not from the chilly weather, but from her boiling anger. No matter how hard she tried, the man just wouldn’t take the hint. He practically gave himself a guided tour of the factory, dragging Imara along, mingling with the staff, and even talking to them on the ground level while they were being served lunch. And like clockwork, he would constantly check her cheeks, nose, and hands to see if they were cold. And every single time, he would let out a satisfied sigh upon finding them perfectly normal.But there was one glorious moment when Imara had enough and swatted his hands away. And what did this guy do? He just grinned back like a fool, earning a comment from an elderly lady whose job was to pack the toys. She said, “Hamari madam bahut gusse wali hain sahab!”Adhiraj, shifting his attention to the elderly lady, responded with a smirk, “Jaisi bhi hai, meri hai!”Isha’s laughter filled the air, echoing the amusement that rippled through the room. But amidst the laughter, Imara’s eyes burned with a fiery glare directed at him. Without hesitation, he closed the distance between them, his lips tenderly pressing against her forehead. In that moment, Imara’s breath hitched in her throat, her body responding to his touch as his grip on her waist tightened. The applause from the onlookers faded into the background as Adhiraj’s voice, soft and intimate, whispered in her ear. “Just two more weeks, Mrs. Shekhawat,” he murmured, his words laced with a promise that sent shivers down her spine. “And I promise you will surrender to me willingly, accept me willingly, accept us as man and wife, willingly.”Imara was at a loss for words. She felt completely lost and disoriented, unable to grasp the reality of what was happening to her. She was desperately, painstakingly, trying to maintain the strong barrier she had constructed around herself after Dheeraj left, but Adhiraj’s presence was like a relentless storm, overpowering her senses. His dominance, his gestures; they consumed her senses, invading her thoughts and stirring her deepest feelings. Yet she refused to yield. Because in her heart, she had always belonged to Dheeraj, hadn’t she?—————That evening, as Imara walked out of the factory and checked her pockets, panic set in when she realised her keys were missing. Suddenly, she heard a jingling sound behind her, followed by a cheeky voice, saying, “Looking for these?”Adhiraj was twirling her car keys in his hand, just out of reach. Imara reached for them, demanding, “How did you get your hands on these? Give them back!”With a mischievous grin, Adhiraj strolled towards the driver’s seat of Babli, saying, “I’m taking the wheel!”“Don’t you dare!” Imara protested, but Adhiraj was already inside the car, revving up the engine.Imara rapped on the car window. Adhiraj rolled it down and urged, “Come on, Imara! We’re running late. Hop in.”“I will kill you in your sleep tonight,” Imara seethed, making her way to the passenger seat.As soon as she settled in, Adhiraj quipped, “You won’t hurt me, Little Tyke! I just know it.”Imara shot him a death stare and warned, “Don’t challenge me!”Adhiraj drove while retorting, “I’m not trying to challenge you, just stating the facts.”“I will really kill you!” Imara muttered. “Then I am better off in jail.”Adhiraj couldn’t help but burst into laughter as a seething Imara stewed in silence during the car ride home. Once they pulled into the parking, Imara stormed out of the car, seething, and Adhiraj followed closely behind, teasing, “I’ve got a gun in case you need.”She stopped, spun around, and was about to give him a piece of her mind when Vandana spoke from behind. “Imara, how have you been?”Vandana gently held Imara’s face, her voice laced with worry. “You didn’t catch a fever, did you?”Imara shook her head in response, her hair swaying with the movement. Vandana stated, “Raj, both of you go freshen up, and then we’ll have dinner. Okay?”Adhiraj casually placed his hand on Imara’s waist, a move he had been smoothly executing all day. With a nod at his mother, he guided a grumpy and reluctant Imara towards the stairs, teasingly whispering, “I really hold a gun!”Imara let out a groan of frustration and pushed him away before darting up the stairs. Adhiraj couldn’t contain his laughter, which in turn made Vandana chuckle and comment, “She is coming around!”With a knowing nod, Adhiraj kept his gaze fixed on the door to their room, where Imara had disappeared moments before.