Chapter 59: chapter 59

Imara had just fetched her clothes to change when the wardrobe room door swung open and Adhiraj strutted in, making a direct line toward his wardrobe. As she walked past him, he slyly whispered, “Can you handle a gun, or should I give you a crash course?”She let out an exasperated scream before storming out and slamming the door shut. Adhiraj couldn’t help but chuckle at the comical turn of events in their relationship lately. However, his amusement quickly shifted to seriousness as he pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Sanchit.“Prioritise tightening security at her factory and dig deeper into the contract she signed with the Saraswati Group of Schools,” he directed.—————As night fell and Imara prepared to sleep, her gaze fell upon Adhiraj, who was immersed in his laptop on his side of the bed. “Keep your hands to yourself,” she warned in a stern tone.Adhiraj looked at her, only to be met with Imara pointing at the pillow fortress between them. “I should not see you holding my hand anymore,” she stated.Releasing a sigh, Adhiraj closed his laptop and settled into bed for the night before responding, “Imara, I can’t quite figure out if it’s your hand that magically finds its way into mine or if it’s mine that seeks out yours. All I know is that they fit together perfectly. Good night, Mrs. Shekhawat!”With those words, he blew a cheeky kiss to his wife and motioned for her to get some rest as well. Imara huffed and turned to the other side, cocooning herself in the blanket to ensure Adhiraj wouldn’t have a chance to hold her hand.Adhiraj couldn’t help but stifle a laugh and patiently waited for Imara’s breathing to steady. Just like every night, he rose from the bed and circled around to admire his wife’s peaceful slumber. Leaning in, he gently caressed her cheeks with his own, playfully rubbing their noses together to ensure she was warm enough. Satisfied that she was perfectly fine, he lovingly brushed his thumb across her cheek before leaning in even closer to plant a tender kiss on her forehead, whispering, “I’ll always have your back, Little Tyke! Sweet dreams!”And then, cunningly, very cunningly, he strategically kicked away the pillow fortress, making sure they all landed near his side. Climbing back on the bed, he positioned himself in the middle of the bed, hoping to pass off as fluffy as a pillow to his wife. Come morning, not just her hand, but the whole Imara would find herself wrapped in his arms, right where she belonged. The sneaky tricks of a loving husband!—————The next morning, Imara had a bit of a problem with her turning skills. She tried to shift her body to a better sleep position, but it was a no-go. There seemed to be a mysterious weight on her waist, and her back was stuck to something that felt simultaneously hard and cosy. Could it be two ‘things’, or was it just one ‘someone’? With a sudden realisation, she opened her eyes and peered downward, only to find herself snug in a blanket. Gulping, she reached down to her waist, where she found another hand. It dawned on her that the warmth she felt wasn’t just from the blanket, but from another person.And then, when she glanced to her left, she spotted a hand peeking out from beneath her head. Without a doubt, it belonged to her husband, who seemed to be breathing down her neck. In a state of utter shock, she tried to squirm out of his grasp. But his grip only grew tighter, pulling her closer. To make matters worse, he nuzzled his head deeper into her neck, his warm breath teasing her skin. And who knows, maybe his lips were caressing her neck, causing goosebumps to pop up all over her body.How did she end up in this awkward position and where the heck were the pillows? She made a face. Clearly, assuming he would keep his distance was a terrible idea. Grumbling, she forcefully pushed his hand off her waist, ignoring the way her body reacted to his closeness. He rolled over, and she quickly bolted out of bed. Only on touching the ground did she realise he was sleeping on his side. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the pillows scattered on his side of the bed, indicating she must have kicked them in her sleep.Why couldn’t she be a light sleeper and actually be aware of her surroundings when she was asleep? She struggled not to scream in frustration as she hurried into the washroom, probably to yank out some hair in exasperation.Lying on the bed, Adhiraj sported a silly grin. What a night it had been! Indeed, hugging your wife while you both are asleep hits differently. But let’s get real here! It was a struggle for this man to rein in his desires. She was just too soft for his rugged self, and all he wanted to do was pamper her, cherish her, and make love to her. How he longed for that to be the reality of their life!From then on, whenever Imara locked eyes with Adhiraj, she’d quickly look away in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. She was a deep sleeper, and she knew he wasn’t. He could have stopped himself, but nope, he just had to hold her while they slept.“Shameless!”“Despicable!”“Opportunist!”Imara muttered these words every time she caught Adhiraj’s eyes, and you can bet he heard every single one. He was thoroughly enjoying this playful stage of their relationship, realising that falling in love after marriage was a whole lot of fun. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for his brothers, who probably didn’t have the luxury of this slow-burn romance with their wives.However, on that day, after dropping Imara at the factory, Adhiraj made it a point to instruct every single one of her employee to make sure she was not exposed to the cold. With that done, he left for his office, fully aware that his wife was a potential ticking time bomb. The best course of action to prevent any explosive outbursts was to keep his distance for a while. Moreover, he secretly hoped that his absence would make her miss him, just as he was missing her.“Good morning, sir!” Sanchit greeted as Adhiraj emerged from the elevator. Returning the greeting with a nod, Adhiraj entered the office, with Sanchit trailing behind.“We have a copy of the contract that Ma’am signed with them,” Sanchit said, sliding the file towards Adhiraj.Taking hold of the file, Adhiraj acknowledged with a curt nod and inquired, “How are we progressing with our other investigation?”“We have released him and have been keeping a close watch,” Sanchit replied.Adhiraj pondered for a moment, stroking his chin, lost in his thoughts. Finally, he spoke, “Fetch me the details of Imara’s former colleagues. I want every single piece of information about the people she used to work with. No one should be overlooked. Understood?”Sanchit blinked, sensing the underlying anger in Adhiraj’s voice. Knowing the source all too well, he deemed it wise to leave the office immediately. As soon as he left, Adhiraj sent a text to Imara, affectionately stating, “Take good care of yourself, Little Tyke. You’re too precious.”A chuckle escaped him when the ticks turned blue and no reply came forth.Meanwhile, Imara squinted her eyes as she read the message. She had been so happy when he finally left after dropping her off. She thought she could finally work in peace without having to witness his cheesy behavior. But there he was, invading her inbox with his cheesy messages. Now, every time her phone made a sound, she couldn’t help but think of him. And it didn’t help that every time she looked at the empty chair across from her, she could almost see him sitting there. To top it all off, her coworkers couldn’t stop gushing about him, especially after his possessive display the day before. And to add insult to injury, she woke up this morning in a totally embarrassing situation. Ugh!“Imara…why are you so flushed?” Isha asked as she entered her office. Imara shot her friend a look and retorted, “I’m not!”“You are! Your cheeks have an adorable blush of pink! Wait, are you cold?” Isha hurriedly walked towards her and checked her forehead and cheeks.Clearly annoyed, Imara swatted her hand away and snapped, “Stop touching me!”Isha grinned, teasing, “Why are you so touchy about the touch? Got any juicy details to spill about special touches?”Imara thumped her table and glared at her friend, hissing out, “There are no juicy details here, Ish. I am fed up!”“Fed up with what?”“Of him! The man who claims to be my husband!”“He is your husband.”“A forced one.”“Doesn’t matter. You married him and he is following all the vows he took at the altar, Imara.”“Ish…”“Imara!” Isha snapped, “Just accept the reality for once, for god’s sake.”“Ish! Don’t! Not again!” Imara shot back.“What do you mean, not again? Don’t tell me you didn’t notice how worried Adhiraj was during your illness. He was constantly on edge, taking care of every little thing. Now, you’re going to say I don’t know shit about love, but I damn well know what it looks like,” Isha yelled. She was pissed at her friend for screwing up her life, not moving on from the past, and accepting the present and future.Imara blinked, taken aback by Isha’s furious outburst. It was the first time she had ever shouted at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, Isha interrupted again, “The school representative will be here soon.”With those words, Isha walked out of her office, leaving a frustrated Imara in her wake.About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Imara looked up from her laptop and said, “Come in!”Mahesh entered the room and Imara glanced back down, asking, “What is it?”“There is someone here asking for you. He is from a school,” Mahesh replied.“Send him in. And what is his name?” Imara inquired, suddenly realising that she hadn’t been given the name of the school representative. How odd?“He said his name was Dheeraj!”Imara’s hands froze mid-air, her eyes widened in shock, and she shivered. With trembling hands, she dared to raise her gaze and saw him standing behind Mahesh.