Chapter 64: chapter 64

Imara found herself relieved when she stepped out of the washroom and didn’t spot Adhiraj lurking around. She quickly fluffed the pillows back into place on the bed and slipped under the covers on her side. Tonight, she would be on high alert; if Adhiraj even thought about laying a finger on her, he was in for a swift kick. With that resolve, she cocooned herself in the blankets and closed her eyes.But, of course, sleep was playing hard to get. She kept glancing at her phone, watching the hours crawl by like they were in slow motion. By the fourth check, it was midnight, and still no sign of Adhiraj. A flicker of worry crept in, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she wasn’t supposed to care. So, she squeezed her eyes shut again, hoping for some sleep.Around one, sleep was still a no-show. Frustrated, she hopped out of bed and grabbed her laptop. But even work couldn’t interest her. Designs and reports? Yeah, right! She checked the time again—two o’clock. Her gaze accidentally drifted to his side of the bed, and she whipped her head away like it was on fire.Annoyed with herself for being so bothered by his absence, she slammed her laptop shut and snuggled back under the blankets. Determined to distract herself, she started counting in her head until her eyelids finally grew heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.—————Upon receiving Isha’s response that nothing significant had happened in the office, Adhiraj felt the need to inform her that he was aware of Dheeraj’s visit. Only then did Isha provide him with a detailed account of the situation. However, she was unaware of the conversation that took place between Dheeraj and Imara.And now, as Adhiraj fetched his car keys and moved out of their room, he made a call to Sanchit, barking orders, “Arrange for Dheeraj to meet me in the office immediately!”Hanging up, he swiftly got behind the wheel and raced towards his workplace. The deserted roads at this late hour aided him in reaching the office as soon as he could. He never wished to confront Dheeraj, for he understood from Sanjay’s words that Dheeraj was a spineless man to not be able to stand for the one he claimed he loved. But now, after looking at what his meeting with Imara did to her, Adhiraj had to talk to him.“Did he create any issues?” Adhiraj inquired as soon as he stepped out of his car and saw Sanchit.“He was surprised but agreed to come, nonetheless.” Sanchit replied.“You threatened him?” Adhiraj confirmed.“Surprisingly, I didn’t have to. It seemed he saw it coming.” Sanchit replied.With a knowing nod, Adhiraj entered his office and gestured for Sanchit to wait outside. Sanchit happily complied. Dheeraj appeared to be a decent man and he wouldn’t want to witness him getting into trouble with his boss, in case his boss lost his cool.Dheeraj heard the sound of the door and turned around. Adhiraj entered the room, fixing his furious stare on Dheeraj as he rolled up his sleeves.However, Dheeraj stood his ground. When he had made up his mind to speak to Imara, he knew he was not only talking to her but also Adhiraj’s wife. Little did he expect meeting the formidable Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat on this very night, a man who rarely had time for ordinary people like him. Yet, there he stood, inside his office in the dead of the night, implying the depth of his feelings for Imara. It became evident that Adhiraj was not only aware of his relationship with Imara, but potentially knew every detail.“Mr. Pandit! I don’t have time for pleasantries. Let’s come straight to the point, shall we?” Adhiraj said, striding purposefully towards his chair and sinking into it with an air of authority.Dheeraj met his gaze with a serene smile, a stark contrast to the intensity emanating from Adhiraj’s eyes. “Sure!” he replied“So what conversation did you have with my wife?” Adhiraj asked, his eyes boring into Dheeraj’s.“Apology!”“For?”“For what happened back then! For leaving her like I did!”“And why now, if I may ask?” Adhiraj asked, his voice dangerously low, jaw clenched.Dheeraj took a deep breath, clasped his hands, and began recounting everything to Adhiraj. He explained why he chose to approach Imara when he met her today, after a year of not seeing her.With a curt nod, Adhiraj rose from his chair and rounded his table to stand in front of Dheeraj. Every pore of his body seemed to seethe with fury as he forcefully buried his hands inside his pockets and spat, “Do you know what you did to her? You made it clear you didn’t love her enough to even spare her even an explanation of why you threw her out of her life then.”Dheeraj exhaled and prepared to respond, but before he could utter a word, Adhiraj exploded, cutting off any chance for Dheeraj to speak. “All this time,” he yelled. “She believed it was her father’s actions that forced you to leave her. Turns out it was your mother. And you didn’t even have the decency to tell her the truth. Did you even think about the impact your supposed explanation and apology would have on her, especially after an entire year?”“I didn’t think,” Dheeraj replied, shaking his head calmly. He tilted his neck to meet Adhiraj’s gaze, who stood a few inches taller than him. “I didn’t. The way she looked, dejected and hurt upon seeing me, compelled me to be honest with her. I couldn’t fight for us, and I wanted her to understand that it was my mistake, not hers. I could feel she was still stuck in the past. I believed that giving her closure by telling her the truth was the only thing I could have helped her. If I had seen even a hint of the Imara I once knew, I would have never brought it up.”“And you only made it worse,” Adhiraj snapped. “You broke her all over again.”The room fell into an eerie silence as Adhiraj’s words hung in the air. While he glared furiously at Dheeraj, Dheeraj stared back at him, feeling a mix of guilt and appreciation.Adhiraj was controlling his urge to punch this man right in the face for hurting the woman he loved. On the other hand, Dheeraj felt a sense of relief wash over him. Knowing that the girl he once loved had someone who cared for her deeply brought a bittersweet comfort to his soul. If the person standing before him could read Imara’s emotions upon meeting the one she loved, it was clear that Adhiraj loved her more deeply than Dheeraj ever had.“Mr. Shekhawat, I have no reason why I didn’t reach out to her for over a year. I never kept myself updated about her, what she was doing and what not. That would have been a betrayal to the girl I married. And maybe somewhere I thought that as time passed, Imara would find closure for herself like I did, but today, I concluded she didn’t.”“Don’t give me this shit, Mr. Pandit.” Adhiraj shot back. “I swear I will make you disappear if I see you around Imara again. Not because she loved you, but because your presence would hurt her.”The room fell silent. Adhiraj’s love for Imara burned brightly, overpowering any doubts or hesitation.Dheeraj took a deep breath, feeling a shudder run through his body. He instinctively rubbed the back of his neck and whispered, “I completely understand your point, Mr. Shekhawat, and I assure you, I never wanted to see her the way I did today. But I walked into her factory in my official capacity. Had I known she was the owner of that factory, I might have never agreed to take up this project.”“Well, in that case, care to explain how come you joined the Saraswati Group of Schools?” Adhiraj hissed.Dheeraj’s brows furrowed as he asked, “Why do you ask that?”Adhiraj clenched his jaw and grabbed Dheeraj’s file with the copy of his joining letter. He belted out, “You joined the Saraswati Group of Schools exactly the day after I married Imara. She received an email from them about the contract of new toys not long after. And you happen to be the representative. So much of a coincidence?”Dheeraj took hold of his file, shocked as to how and why Adhiraj got hold of all this information. Then he whispered, “There was a client complaint in my previous job and I was asked to leave. My wife was nearing her due date and when the call letter from this firm came, I accepted.”Adhiraj snatched the file from him and tossed it on the table, demanding, “Who gave you the job?”Dheeraj shrugged, “My resume was there in job portals and they revealed they contacted me from there.”“Did you find anyone there who might have known you and Imara from before?” Adhiraj asked.Dheeraj shook his head thoughtfully, “No! None. I haven’t met anyone whom I knew from before. But why are you asking this?”“None of your concern. Just make sure you are not coming in front of my wife again,” Adhiraj declared as he started to walk out. His sole purpose was to find out what went down between the two, and now he concluded that his earlier perception about Dheeraj was indeed correct. He was a spineless bastard to have hurt a girl like Imara. However, Dheeraj’s next words stopped him in his tracks.“I can’t back away from this project. I have signed a contract which says I am not entitled to choose from the ongoing projects unless I am on probation and that would last for a year. I can’t back out from Little Tyke. But I will make sure to contact Isha and not Imara.”Ignoring his words, Adhiraj briskly exited his office, leaving Sanchit with a clear instruction, “Make sure he is out of the Saraswati Group of Schools. I am giving you a week. Do anything you deem necessary, but make sure he gets another job. He has a family.”