Chapter 67: chapter 67

That evening, Imara and Isha had just set their empty tea cups aside when Adhiraj strolled into the office like he owned the place. Imara shot him a narrowed glance, while he just shook his head and shrugged, making his way over to her. In a flash, he was leaning in, checking her forehead, cheeks, and face, then moving on to her hands. Imara could only gawk as he leaned in even closer and planted a kiss on her head, asking, “How was your day?”Isha nearly burst out laughing and made a hasty exit, barely managing to murmur, “Excuse me!”Imara swatted Adhiraj’s hands away, irritation bubbling up inside her. “You really don’t get it, do you?” she snapped.Adhiraj raised an eyebrow, playing the innocent card, and whispered, “What are you talking about?”Imara shot up from her chair, causing Adhiraj to instinctively back off, narrowly avoiding a collision with her head. She hissed, “Stay away from me.”“I have stayed away from you since morning, haven’t I?”“Adhiraj,” Imara shrieked in frustration.“Yes Imara!” He bit back a smile. Even Adhiraj would do. He would get her to say Raj later.“Just get the hell out of here,” and then she herself stormed out of her office with her bag.The man chuckled and strolled after his wife, sitting in her car uninvited. How Imara wished her car had springs in the passenger seat. She might have launched him to a different planet, the one that was on the verge of extinction, preferably.They didn’t talk after that, no words exchanged. She wordlessly stepped inside the house while Adhiraj kept observing her until she sprinted up the stairs to reach their room. Adhiraj then made a beeline towards Virender’s room. He needed advice from him.—————That night, and the ones that followed, the routine continued. Imara would wake up with her hand tightly grasped in Adhiraj’s. He who would plant a kiss on her forehead before she left for work. He would follow her until she reached her factory, only to reappear in the evening to take her home. Imara tried every trick in the book—yelling, threats, even a few well-aimed kicks—but Adhiraj was as stubborn as a mule.So, naturally, Isha and the employees at Imara’s factory became the unfortunate targets of her pent-up rage. But Isha? Oh, she was living her best life, revelling in the fact that Adhiraj was the star of all Imara’s rants. It was like Dheeraj had vanished from the conversation entirely, and Imara hadn’t even noticed.But fate had other ideas for Imara that day. As she powered up her laptop and logged in to check her emails, one particular message from the Saraswati Group of Schools caught her eye—a meeting reminder with Dheeraj.Imara couldn’t help but rub her temples, recalling the day she last met Dheeraj.“I will take the lead,” Isha said, as she too looked at the email.Imara shook her head and took a deep breath, saying, “I’m not a runner, Ish. I will face it.”And Isha couldn’t say anything anymore.The meeting began at eleven and Imara greeted him, with utmost professionalism dripping from her words, “Good morning, Mr. Pandit! How are you?”Isha bit her lip, but Dheeraj maintained the decorum of the position he held and replied in his ever warm smile, “Good morning, Mrs. Shekhawat. I am doing well and I hope you do the same.”With a nod, Imara began showing the designs of the toys through the presentation she had made. Meanwhile, Isha noticed Imara’s tough stand, her curt replies and how Dheeraj took all of them with grace.So, Isha interrupted and suggested, “Mr. Pandit, it might be helpful for you to take a look at the brochures we sent you via email. That way, you can get a better understanding of the toy designs. Let me take you through the cost budget of production.”With a swift motion, Isha assumed control of the presentation, effectively moving Imara out of sight. Right as Imara stepped out of her office, she received a message on her phone.“Had lunch?”Dheeraj’s thoughts fluttered away from her mind like butterflies. Because now she was simmering with annoyance at Adhiraj’s relentless and cheesy pursuits. With a groan that could rival a deflating balloon, she opted to not reply to his text. Yet, the mere mention of lunch sent her stomach into a growling protest.Just then, as if summoned by a magician’s wand, Adhiraj strolled through the main gate. Sanchit trailed behind him, clutching what appeared to be a packed lunch.Adhiraj shot her a grin that was equal parts charming and infuriating, causing Imara to squint at him. Meanwhile, Sanchit’s eyes nearly popped out of his head; it had been ages since he had seen Adhiraj wear such a smile, especially when the situation at hand was too tense.Without giving Adhiraj the satisfaction of another glance, Imara spun on her heels and stormed back into her office. The moment she turned away, Adhiraj’s smile faded. He turned to Sanchit, taking the lunch from his hands, and instructed, “Take another look around and make sure every corner of this place is secured.”Sanchit gave a slight nod, and Adhiraj strolled into Imara’s office. He caught Isha closing a laptop and Imara opening another lunch box.Unfazed, Adhiraj sat across from Imara, surprising Isha, who greeted, “Hello Mr. Shekhawat!”Adhiraj gave a curt nod in response before insisting, “I need sometime alone with my wife, Isha. Would you mind?”Even though Isha felt a bit mortified, she knew why Adhiraj had suddenly been so cold to her. And she wasn’t surprised. The man seemed to have an ocean of patience only for those whom he valued and loved. And Imara was reluctant to accept that.“You can’t talk to my friend like that,” Imara hissed. “Just leave and let us eat in silence.”“Imu,” Isha whispered while Adhiraj, undeterred, opened the lunch and the smell of Kathal Biryani spread throughout the office.Imara’s head snapped towards the box while Isha quietly slipped away, happy for her friend.Adhiraj passed her the box and spoon, saying, “Here you go!”Imara’s stomach growled loudly and the fragrance of her favourite dish only worsened her embarrassment.“Come on, have it!” Adhiraj slid the box further. “I have something important to talk about.”Imara’s eyes snapped at him, her intuition telling her that whatever he wanted to say was concerning. Hence, she grabbed the spoon, savouring the heavenly taste as she shoved a spoonful into her mouth, stifling any delightful moans of pleasure.“What is it?” she asked and Adhiraj looked at her, his face devoid of any usual amusement.