Chapter 61: chapter 61

Imara decided to leave, not for Shekhawat Mansion, but for her apartment. She couldn’t let herself appear weak and a mess of tears in front of her staff or the Shekhawat family. However, as she reached for her bag, the door swung open and Dheeraj entered. His eyes locked onto her red and swollen ones. But before he could utter a word, Isha burst in, shouting, “Get out!”Dheeraj shook his head, his eyes fixed on Imara, and pleaded, “Can we talk, please?”Imara looked down, her mind filled with memories of the time she had spent with him, the tears she had shed for him, and she shook her head, whispering, “Excuse me. I have to leave.”“Imara please,” Dheeraj begged, his hands joined. “Just listen to me once, please!”“Dheeraj, leave!” Isha snapped.But Dheeraj didn’t look away from Imara, his eyes pleading as he desperately said, “I have something I need to tell you. I really need to, Imara, please. Just the two of us. Just once.”Imara’s hands trembled as she took hold of her bag. “It feels like you’re trying to apologise for something that wasn’t even your fault,” she whispered, her voice quivering. “I don’t need your pity. I genuinely wish you the best.”Dheeraj’s frustration boiled over as he snapped, “Imara, just this once!”He cursed himself for not mustering the courage to face her sooner. He could vividly recall the day he shattered her. The weight of his actions was still heavy on his conscience. The memory of her tear-stained face haunted him, a constant reminder of his own weakness. He knew he had to break their relationship, but his cowardice prevented him from explaining the truth to Imara. If he had disclosed what his mother had done, perhaps Imara wouldn’t have left. She might have pleaded in front of his mother, subjecting herself to humiliation, and he couldn’t bear the thought of that. In his misguided attempt to protect her dignity, he had caused irreparable damage. Now, with this unexpected opportunity to make amends, he wanted to bring closure to their pain. He longed for peace within himself and wished the same for Imara. They both deserved closure, a chance to heal the wounds that had been left open for far too long.Imara blinked back her tears, feeling the sting in her eyes, and loosened the strap of her bag as she put it down on the table. Isha disapproval was clear as shook her head. But Imara replied, her voice carrying a tinge of sadness, “Isha, give us a few minutes.”“Imu,” Isha shook her head again.“I will be fine, Ish,” Imara whispered, her voice barely above a breath, as she wiped away her tears with a trembling hand. Her gaze fixed on Dheeraj, his presence seemingly magnified in the silence of the room. She knew she appeared weak, vulnerable and pitiful, but at that moment, she didn’t care. She also wanted to hear what he had to say, for breaking her, breaking them and punishing her for something her family did.Isha stormed out, the door slamming shut behind her. Imara sank back into her chair. She reached for the glass of water, feeling the cool condensation on her fingertips as she brought it to her lips and gulped it down in one swift motion.Dheeraj rubbed his face as he took a deep breath and settled into the chair opposite her. Finally, he spoke, “Imara, I…”Now that he had the chance, he struggled to find the words to admit that he could have handled the situation better; he could have given them both the closure. Choking back his guilt, he softly said, “I am really sorry to put you through this.”“Put me through what?” Imara whispered, her eyes not meeting his. “What my family did was wrong, and who else would bear the brunt?”“They wanted the best for you, Imara. It wasn’t because of them, believe me. It was…” Dheeraj’s voice trailed off as he saw the pain in Imara’s red-rimmed eyes.She felt the weight of her emotions, like a heavy burden on her chest, suffocating her. She couldn’t shake off the feeling of being pitied. It was a cruel irony that her name, so full of strength, now felt like a cruel joke. But this is where love leaves you, she guessed, in a pathetic and weak state. She should have never loved, she will never love.Without responding to Dheeraj, Imara stood up and held her bag, the cool touch of the leather strap grounding her in the moment. Wiping away her fresh tears, she started to walk towards the door. Each step felt heavy, as if the weight of her shattered heart was slowing her down.It was then, in that moment of vulnerability, that Dheeraj’s voice broke through the silence. “It was my mother.”Imara froze, her hand gripping the doorknob tightly.“It was her. She left home and disappeared for two days. I couldn’t find her unless I involved the police. I was terrified, thinking I had lost her. You know how much I love and respect her. So, I agreed to whatever she demanded to bring her back home. And her request was for me to leave you. And I did it. I pushed you out of my life, Imara,” Dheeraj’s words were choked with emotion.Imara stood by the door. The room seemed to spin, as if the revelation had shaken her to the core.Dheeraj continued, “I am aware of how orthodox my mother is. I understood the immense pressure she was putting on you to sacrifice your freedom and individuality in order to become her daughter-in-law. My home was constantly filled with arguments about this issue. I should have shared this with you back then, but I thought I could handle it on my own. I couldn’t. When your father suggested we move to your neighbourhood and that I should join the family business, I realised just how far my mother had gone to make your father take a firm stance. Your father was genuinely concerned about you, Imara. I realised it at that very moment. I also knew that I could never convince my mother to let go of her irrational beliefs. However, I didn’t want to leave you. So, when we arrived home that day, I told her I would agree to all the conditions your father had set. That night, she left, and it led me to tell you it’s over.”Dheeraj now stood behind her, his gaze fixed on her quivering figure. With his own trembling hands, he cautiously reached out and lightly brushed her shoulder, causing her to turn around.Imara’s tear-filled eyes met his, and he affirmed, “I should have told you back then. But the weight of my own suffering blinded me to the fact that you were living through even greater pain than I was. I had no other option, Imara. I gave in to the demands of my mother and entered a life she wanted for me.”Imara’s sobs filled the air as she forcefully pushed his hand away, yet Dheeraj persisted, his voice laced with remorse, “I am sorry, Imara. I am really sorry.”Dheeraj stepped away, his trembling hands reaching out to wipe away his own tears as he said, “It wasn’t your or your family’s fault. It was mine, all mine. I should have known better. I should have told you the reason then. I had been coward enough to not be able to face you. I am really sorry. I really want your forgiveness, Imara, because I know I wronged you. I promised you a happily ever after and I couldn’t make it happen.”Imara, overwhelmed with emotions, broke down, her body trembling with grief. Dheeraj, unable to bear the pain he himself was going through, knew he should leave. He understood Imara well enough to realize that she needed time to process his words and that she would let go.Before he walked out the door, he added, “You are a wonderful person. Any man would be the luckiest to have you in his life. I have moved on, and have a family. I have dared to love again to the one I am married to. You move on too. You once told me you never hold grudges against anyone. Then follow it, Imara. Don’t hold a grudge against yourself or destiny, please!”The words hung in the air, mingling with the sound of Imara’s sobs as she slid on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and cried. The weight of his confession left her shattered than before, her heart aching more than the day he had pushed her out of his life. Love, once a beautiful concept to her, now felt like a cruel joke, inflicting only pain and nothing more.Isha burst through the door, her face filled with concern. She held Imara close, feeling her tremble against her chest, and softly repeated, “Imu! I will make sure you never see him again. Just calm down!”—————Adhiraj sat in his office, his face filled with concern as he reviewed the terms of the contract that Imara had signed with the Raghuvanshis’ school chain. The contract contained a clause stating that it could not be cancelled before a year. Additionally, there was a peculiar statement indicating that any approved changes would be unalterable. Not only that, but the assigned representative could not be changed and would be obligated to manage the contract on behalf of the Saraswati Group of Schools for at least a year.Picking up the phone, Adhiraj dialled Sanchit’s extension and inquired, “Where is the name of the school’s representative and what information do we have about Imara’s colleagues?”