Chapter 62: chapter 62

That evening, Adhiraj left the office early in order to surprise Imara. He was dying to see her after a long day apart and just couldn’t wait until she got home. Plus, he couldn’t resist the urge to see her reaction when he showed up at her factory with a cheeky grin.But to his dismay, Imara was nowhere to be found when he arrived. Confused, he asked Mahesh, and he directed Adhiraj to the production floor, but she wasn’t there either. On a hunch, he made his way to the top floor, where the toys were being packed. And there she was, crouched on the floor, diligently helping her staff with the packing. Relief washed over him as he watched his wife lost in her work, completely focused on putting the finishing touches on the toy boxes. He couldn’t help but smile as he leaned against the doorway, admiring her dedication.But as he noticed, there was a deep sadness etched on her face. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red, and she was sniffing. His brows furrowed. In an instant, he approached her and crouched down on the cold, hard floor on his knees.Upon sensing his presence, Imara’s hand suspended in midair, and she looked at him, her gaze filled with surprise and confusion. He took no time in gently touching her face with the back of his hand, feeling the chill of her cold nose, her icy cheeks, and her frigid forehead. And then he noticed she was sitting on the freezing floor with no mat to shield her from the cold. There were no gloves in her hands, let alone ear muffs to protect her from the biting breeze.His gaze darkened, concern flickering in his eyes. He took the box away from her, rose to his feet, and before she could react, he bent down and lifted her into his arms. The entire room fell silent, their eyes wide with awe. Imara’s eyes widened at once and squinted in the next moment as she belted out, “What the hell are you doing? Put me down right now!”“One more word Imara and I will lock you inside our room for the entire winter season.” Adhiraj’s words cut through the air like a sharp icicle, his voice barely above a menacing whisper, sending shivers down her spine.Ignoring the curious onlookers, he firmly carried her down the stairs. The bitter winter wind whipped against their faces. Urgently, he called out to Isha on his way, his voice filled with anger as he instructed her, “Get her things out, she is leaving.”Frustration burned within him, directed at both his wife and her unreliable friend. He had foolishly trusted Isha to take care of his wife.Imara, seething with anger at his commanding nature, hissed defiantly, “I can walk on my own,” desperately attempting to free herself from his grasp.Adhiraj’s hold tightened around her, his grip firm and unyielding. Imara’s eyes met his piercing gaze, causing her to instinctively suppress the words that were on the tip of her tongue and stop her futile struggle. He signalled to the driver, who swiftly unlocked the car door, and Adhiraj settled Imara inside. With a commanding tone, he ordered, “Turn on the blower.”Imara shuddered at his harsh voice. Just then, Isha emerged, carrying Imara’s belongings, only to be met with Adhiraj’s disapproval. “I expected better from you,” he scolded, leaving Isha in a state of shock.He turned away, swiftly stowing Imara’s belongings inside the car before he settled beside Imara. In an instant, the car roared to life and sped off, leaving Isha standing there speechless.Imara’s frustration reached its peak with the way she was taken out from her own factory. The embarrassment she felt at the thought of facing her staff the next day was overwhelming. With anger burning in her eyes, she glared at him, ready to unleash her frustration. But to her surprise, he turned towards her, drawing her closer and gently holding her hands in his. As he rubbed her hands, their eyes locked—her gaze filled with fury, and his filled with concern. The warmth of the car enveloped her, contrasting with the cold floor she had been sitting on earlier. Immersing herself at work had been her coping mechanism after Dheeraj left. But it was in this moment that she felt an unexpected sense of calm. With him?Suddenly, a loud sneeze erupted from Imara, followed by a series of uncontrollable sneezes. Adhiraj’s jaw tightened, but he quickly handed her his handkerchief and reached for his phone. Dialling his mother’s number, he urgently requested, “Mom! Can you please prepare some soup for Imara? We’ll be there in half an hour.”Imara looked at him, puzzled. They had just left, and the home was an hour away. What was he planning? Was he going to fly the car? However, as if the driver understood his unspoken command and sped up almost instantly. Meanwhile, Imara continued to sneeze uncontrollably.In the blink of an eye, he drew her closer and placed her gently on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he nestled her head against his chest. Imara trembled at the sudden intimacy, as Adhiraj murmured, “How careless of you, Little Tyke! You just recovered.”But Imara couldn’t focus on anything else. The only thing she could think about was how close they were to each other. Fighting against her own emotions, she finally looked up and locked eyes with him. In response, he gently brushed his fingers against her nose and cheeks, causing a tingling sensation to travel through her body, and asked, “Are you feeling any better? Feeling warm?”Imara looked down, her eyes tracing the intricate pattern of his shirt. She could feel the warmth of his body as she sat on his lap, securely held against his chest. The familiar scent of his cologne enveloped her, a fragrance that had become a comforting presence. It was a completely new sensation to her, one that she couldn’t quite put into words. She had never been so physically close to a man before, not even Dheeraj. Their interactions had always been filled with tender words and a few hugs, never progressing beyond that. They had never even shared a kiss, as the perfect moment never arrived.But now, in this moment, she found herself continuously in such close proximity to Adhiraj, her legally wedded husband, someone she had been forced into a marriage with. Conflicting emotions stirred within her chest, feelings she was not yet ready to confront. She instinctively tried to retreat, but he gently yet firmly held onto her, his hand grazing her neck.A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he felt her skin warm. He allowed her to draw back, settling back into the seat. However, he refused to let go of her hands, noticing their coldness. Bringing her hands closer to his mouth, he exhaled warm breaths over them, trying to keep her fingers from turning numb. He was determined to prevent her from shivering and falling ill again.As they neared their home, he quickly retrieved her ear muffs and placed them over her ears, followed by gloves. It happened in the blink of an eye, a small gesture that went unnoticed by Imara in her own thoughts. The car came to a stop, and Adhiraj hurriedly exited, guiding her out and rushing her inside, his protective instincts taking over.As soon as she stepped inside, Imara’s eyes were immediately drawn to the worried expression on Vandana’s face, who asked, “What happened?”“She is cold, Mom. I am taking her to the room. Can you please send the soup?” Adhiraj requested.“Five minutes,” Vandana replied, and Adhiraj, his arm wrapped around Imara’s waist, guided her up the stairs. The moment they stepped inside the room, he rushed her to the bed, swiftly arranging the blankets and ensuring she was snugly covered. He set the temperature of the room, feeling the gradual rise in warmth as the heating system kicked in.In the meantime, Vandana arrived in the room holding a tray with the soup. Imara was left speechless, completely bewildered. She felt her emotions welling up inside her as Adhiraj sat in front of her, offering her the bowl and spoon, his eyes silently urging her to eat. Vandana left silently, her heart swelling with pride as she watched her son confidently assume his responsibilities.However, Imara took hold of the bowl and then the spoon. And Adhiraj didn’t object. He just wanted her to have the soup.And then Imara’s eyes welled up with tears. Despite Isha’s insistence, she had skipped lunch. As a result, she had also skipped her medicines. Trying to hold back her emotions, she kept her eyes lowered while sipping on the soup and finishing it hastily. A loud burp escaped her, prompting Adhiraj to take the bowl away and ask, “You didn’t have lunch, did you?”Imara remained silent. She was overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions she had been experiencing since morning. It felt as if her heart was being tugged in different directions. Virender’s attempts to manipulate her, the pressure to marry Adhiraj, Adhiraj’s constant presence and care, Dheeraj’s sudden appearance with an explanation and apology, her parents—all of it was causing chaos in her mind.“Imara,” Adhiraj whispered, gently cradling her soft face in his hands, causing her to raise her tear-filled eyes.Ever since he noticed her sitting on the floor, he had been keenly observing her, aware that something was weighing on her mind. With her face still cradled in his hands, he gently asked, “What’s the matter?”Imara’s gaze dropped, her cheeks dampened by the droplets that fell. She felt overwhelmed by her own vulnerability, frustrated that she couldn’t seem to control her emotions. In that moment, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself. After taking a deep, trembling breath, she made a firm decision. She convinced herself that she should guard her heart against anyone, whether it be Dheeraj, her parents, or even Adhiraj. She had already endured enough pain, and opening herself up to trust and love would only bring more suffering.With a heavy heart, she removed Adhiraj’s hands from her face, turned away, and whispered, “I’m tired.”