Chapter 63: chapter 63

Adhiraj had double-checked that Imara was fast asleep before he stepped into his home office. But work was the furthest thing from his mind. He paced back and forth, his hands anxiously rubbing together. The woman simply refused to open up, refused to let her defences down when it came to him.“Raj,” Virender’s voice broke the silence as he walked in. Adhiraj quickly took his grandfather’s hand and led him to the couch, then knelt down in front of him, asking, “Are you alright, Dadu?”Virender chuckled and gently pinched Adhiraj’s cheek, reassuring him, “Not all of us are sick. Don’t worry too much. Imara will be fine.”Adhiraj’s voice trembled as he whispered, “You said the same thing about Dadi.” He stood up, rubbing his chest anxiously, his brows furrowed with concern.Virender’s eyes filled with sadness as he whispered back, “I truly believed she would be fine.” The memory of his wife’s final moments weighed heavily on his heart.Realising the impact of his words, Adhiraj reached out and grasped Virender’s hands, his voice filled with remorse. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”Virender shook his head gently, a warm smile gracing his lips, “I know. But Imara is not Devyani. She will recover. It’s just a cold.”Adhiraj’s voice quivered as he replied, “It all started with a cold for Dadi too. We didn’t realize it had turned into pneumonia until it was too late, and we lost her.” He looked down, his eyes welling up with tears.“What was meant to happen, happened. No amount of medical intervention or medication could have changed that. She had to leave, and she did.” Before Virender could, Adhiraj gently wiped away Virender’s tears, as he whispered, “I am sorry...”Virender placed a comforting hand on his grandson's head as he rested his head on Virender’s lap, tears streaming down his face for not being there when she took her last breath. Perhaps that’s why he had grown so attached to Imara, knowing that she was his grandmother’s choice, a woman who had been more than a mother to him.“I told Imara everything,” Virender broke the silence and Adhiraj lifted his head, seeking clarification.“She knows about her being Devyani’s choice and how I revoked her spot,” Virender revealed. “That day when I took her to the garden, I told her everything. I felt it was necessary for her to know the truth so she doesn't blame her father anymore for how things unfolded at the wedding venue."Adhiraj looked away, a deep frown etched on his forehead. He inhaled deeply before turning to face Virender, his voice barely a whisper, “It’s alright, sooner or later, she would have found out. It’s a good thing she came to know about it before agreeing to give us a chance.”Before Virender could inquire about the recent office emergency that had consumed Adhiraj’s time, there came a knock on the door. Aware that only his family had permission to enter without invitation, Adhiraj commanded, “Come in!”The door swung open, revealing Sanchit holding a stack of files. “I have the details,” Sanchit announced, acknowledging Virender with a nod.Adhiraj reached out for the files, stating, “I will call you and make sure to send me an email about tomorrow’s schedule.”With a nod, Sanchit left.“Is there something serious going on, Raj?” Virender inquired.Adhiraj, not wanting to worry his grandfather, shook his head, saying, “It’s nothing! Just regular stuff.”“You have started hiding things,” Virender asked, his brow raised.“No!” Adhiraj shook his head. “It’s really nothing, nothing that I can’t handle.”Virender stood up, a smile spreading across his lips as he remarked, “It fills me with pride to hear those words from you. Just let me in on the juicy details when you have handled it. Poor Raghuvanshi’s don’t know what’s in store for them this time.”Adhiraj couldn’t help but grin, shaking his head in amusement. “You’re always keeping an eye on me, aren’t you?”Virender chuckled, his eyes twinkling with affection. “I’m just looking out for my grandson. Just the regular stuff, you know.” With a playful wink, he bid Adhiraj farewell and left the room.—————Imara’s eyes slowly blinked open, revealing a world still hazy from sleep. A deep yawn escaped her lips and the rumble of her empty stomach reminded her that it was time for dinner. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed, her head throbbing with pain.Simultaneously, the doorknob turned, and Adhiraj entered the room. The room was bathed in a gentle, muted light, casting his silhouette in a commanding manner, just like the way he had taken over her mind and heart since they got married. Her resolve to harden herself from any such feelings grew even stronger.“How are you feeling now?” He asked, his voice carrying a seductive undertone that echoed through the silent room.“I can take care of myself,” she snapped, making her way to the washroom.Having gone through the details Sanchit handed him over earlier, he came to know that Dheeraj was the one representing Saraswati Group of Schools . Moreover, Adhiraj was also aware that he had visited Amara’s factory today. Without a doubt she was upset because of Dheeraj; he concluded. And that's why her sharp responses. He let out a sigh, pondering how to find out what had happened between her and Dheeraj.Wanting to ensure that she had time to process the events of the day, he called to arrange the dinner in their room, just the two of them. He refused to leave her alone to deal with the turmoil of her emotions. It bothered him to see his wife affected by someone’s presence. However, he also understood the importance of patience. This was a sensitive matter for his wife, but he was sure that someday, the situation would change, and it would be just him and her.However, dinner was anything but ordinary for Adhiraj. Lately, Imara had been all warm and fuzzy, but tonight, she had morphed into a fiery goddess.“Have some soup,” he suggested.She pushed the soup aside and helped herself to a heaping portion of Veg Biryani.He offered her roti and Sabzi, but she dismissed them and piled on more rice, completely ignoring his concern, “You really shouldn’t eat so much rice, Imara. It could make your cold worse.”Imara shot him a glare and snapped, “Stop nosing around in everything I do.”“What’s got you all riled up today?” Adhiraj asked, pretending to be oblivious to the events of the day.Her hand froze in mid-air, and she quickly composed herself before saying, “It’s none of your concern. Just live your own life peacefully and let me live mine unless I move out of this place.”That really got under his skin. He silently finished his dinner and waited until Imara was done as well. Once the dishes were cleared and Imara emerged from the washroom after washing her hands, she was taken aback to find the only source of light in the room was the TV across from their bed. Adhiraj was sitting against the headboard with the remote in his hand.Imara glanced at the TV screen and immediately narrowed her eyes at Adhiraj, hissing, “What is this?”He turned his attention towards her, raised an eyebrow, and sarcastically replied, “Little Tyke, that’s what we call a Television. It’s a magical box that shows moving pictures.”“Thanks for the enlightenment,” she shot back. “What are you playing?”“A movie, I presume!” He responded, turning his attention back to the TV.“I can’t stand horror movies!” she declared.“And why should I care? Why should I change my choices for you? If you can’t handle it, just go to sleep. Now hush and let me enjoy it,” he retorted, cranking up the volume a notch.Imara was not amused. She built a fortress of pillows, donned her earmuffs, and snuggled under her blanket, hoping to drown out the dreaded sounds. Alas, they still found a way to creep into her ears, making it impossible for her to drift off to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she was convinced someone was out to get her. Suddenly, her emotional turmoil vanished. All she could think about was the sheer terror of ghosts.Adhiraj suppressed a smirk, silently expressing gratitude to his brothers for extracting this valuable piece of information from Anika and Tarushi. Imara’s fear of paranormal movies was truly amusing.And then he stepped up his game. One by one, he removed the pillows separating them, creating a clear runway for his wife’s impending leap into his arms. He cranked up the volume for a moment, just in time for the eerie silence in the movie scene, followed by the creak of a door opening.Imara clutched her earmuffs tightly, desperately trying to muffle the bone-chilling sounds from the movie. If only she could transform into a real-life Bhootni and strangle her husband on the spot!But as the eerie sounds stopped, she slowly uncovered her ears. She let out a sigh of relief, thinking the worst was behind her. However, the hair-raising sound of the door swinging open and shutting sent shivers down her spine. Alone in the room, she swallowed nervously.Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, a voice whispered, “Imara...” startling her to the core.“Raj,” she screamed as she leaped from the cosy blankets and into Adhiraj’s open arms. She trembled with fear while Adhiraj shook with laughter. She longed to gather the nerve to shove him away, deliver a swift kick to his stomach, send him tumbling to the ground, and then proceed to give him a good old-fashioned butt-kicking for making fun of her.Meanwhile, Adhiraj had Imara in a tight grip, chuckling as he said, “That was fun, Imara!”“You asshole,” she snapped, struggling to break free from his grasp.But Adhiraj held on, asking, “Do you know why you jumped into my arms?”She shot him a fierce look, her nostrils flaring as a rebellious strand of hair fell across her face. With one hand still firmly holding her close, he gently tucked the stray hair behind her ear and whispered, “It’s because you’ve come to trust me, Mrs. Shekhawat. You’ve grown to trust your husband.”Grinding her teeth, Imara pushed against him. But he didn’t budge and gripping her firmly by the nape, he declared, “I will never leave you! And I will never let you leave me. So you stop dreaming about leaving me and our home.”Imara’s body froze in place as his words hung in the air. Slowly, he leaned in, his breath warm against her cheek. Gently, his fingers cradled her hair, sending shivers down her spine. The world around them seemed to fade away as he closed his eyes, and she couldn’t resist his allure, closing her eyes too.In that intimate moment, she felt his lips brush against her ear as he whispered softly, his voice like a velvety melody. “You know what a nickname is, Little Tyke? The one we use to call our loved ones dearly. You just called me by my nickname when you were afraid.”Imara’s eyes flew open, her heart pounding. He continued, his voice filled with sincerity, “Allow me into your life, Imara, and let us have a chance at something beautiful. I promise you, I won’t let you down. You can always count on me.”Those words shot a searing pain through her heart, like a hot knife piercing her chest. She remembered Dheeraj’s words from earlier that day. It fuelled her belief that if Adhiraj’s family disapproved of her, he would also abandon her like Dheeraj did. Dheeraj, who never truly loved her enough to keep her in his life, who never cared enough to explain why he cast her aside. If fate hadn’t brought them together today, he would have never bothered to reveal the reasons behind his heartless decision. And it hurt Imara in more than one way. Her belief in the word ‘love’ shattered at that moment. Only fools think with emotions, she concluded.In this moment, even Adhiraj seemed calculating to her. Hadn’t he called her unruly and uncultured? What had changed that he now wanted her? It wasn’t genuine affection, she concluded, but merely the obligation of their marriage. He was trying to make it work for the sake of their legal relationship, not because he truly felt something for her.Dheeraj left her because his mother disapproved, and now Adhiraj was pursuing her because his grandparents approved of her. Imara had had enough of this. She was tired of being pushed away and being wanted by people who didn’t love her for who she was, but because their feelings were influenced by someone else.Her eyes welled up with angry tears as she forcefully pushed Adhiraj away, her words cutting through the air. “I don’t like you. I never will. Just keep your hands off from me.” She shook with anger as she continued, “And I don’t care what the fuck you want from me or from us. I don’t want this. Never!”Adhiraj was taken aback by her outburst. He had never seen her react this way before. He sat there, silently observing her furious state as she stormed into the washroom, desperately wiping away her tears. It didn’t take long for him to send a message to Isha. He needed to uncover the truth about what had happened when Dheeraj met Imara today.