Chapter 70: chapter 70

Each day without Adhiraj made Imara more miserable.Staying alone in her room!Sleeping on the bed with Adhiraj’s side empty!His hand not in hers as she woke up!Him not kissing her goodbye as she left!His security following her, dropping her to and fro factory like he used to!Her coming back home only to enter the kitchen to make dinner!His regular texts about food, medicines and bidding good night!All these things were messing with her head and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think about Dheeraj. It was all Adhiraj.On that particular afternoon, as she sat down for lunch, she absentmindedly twirled her spoon. However, at this time, her thoughts were not revolving around Adhiraj, but her father. It was his birthday today. Over the past year, she had blamed her father for driving Dheeraj away from her life. However, when Dheeraj revealed the true reason behind their breakup, she was forced to reconsider her father’s actions. In truth, she never gave her father the chance to explain himself. She reacted angrily, didn’t consider her father’s point of view when she discovered what had happened the day Dheeraj and his family had come for lunch without her knowledge.“Imu,” Isha called out softly.In that spontaneous moment, Imara stood up from her chair and declared, “I am going home. It’s Papa’s birthday.”Isha’s eyes widened in surprise. Her jaw dropped. Before she could even get a word out, Imara had already gathered her belongings and sprinted out of the office.Before getting inside Balbir, Imara instructed Nasir, “Rathore Mansion!”When Nasir looked puzzled, Imara questioned, “Do I need your boss’ permission to go to my own home?”Nasir shook his head, explaining, “Sir already informed me you might want to go to Rathore Mansion for your father’s birthday. He even instructed me to buy a cake and bouquet on the way.”Imara’s eyes widened in shock, jaw dropped. She immediately shut her mouth to prevent any further display of surprise. Silently, she made herself comfortable in the car, unable to shake off the image of Adhiraj’s face from her mind.An hour later, she stepped out of the car. Her heart raced as she held a cake and a bouquet tightly. Memories flooded her mind as she recalled the day she left her house. Brushing away tears, she whispered to Nasir, “I’ll stay here tonight. You can leave.”“Mam!”“Leave Nasir, I will talk to your boss.”With those words, Imara walked towards the main door, dialling Vandana’s number. As soon as she answered the call, Imara requested, “It’s Papa’s birthday. Can I stay at my home tonight?”“Of course you should, Imara. That’s your home. You don’t need to ask. And just like you did now, keep me informed so I know where you are, alright?”“Okay!” Imara replied softly.“We will call Sanjay ji to give him our wishes!”“Thank you!”“You are my daughter, so no thank you! Okay?”Imara smiled warmly. “Okay! I have one more request.”“It is?”“Can you please ask Adhiraj to tell his security to give me a breather? I am at home.”Vandana chuckled loudly at that, stating, “I will tell him. You don’t need to worry!”“Okay!” Imara replied and hung up before she rang the bell.Suvika and Vibha sat on the plush couch as they sorted through the beautifully designed reception invites for the reception to be held next month. They paused when they heard the bell ringing and a maid rushed to open the door.As the heavy duty wooden door swung open, it gave a satisfying creak, signalling the sight that Suvika and Vibha had been longing for. There, standing on their threshold, was Imara, holding a box and a vibrant bouquet. Her eyes sparkled with tears as she beheld the radiant smiles on Suvika's and Vibha’s faces.“Imu,” Suvika whispered. With wings seemingly sprouting from her feet, she raced towards her daughter, wrapping her in a warm, motherly hug.“You will squish the cake, Mummy!” Imara whispered, her cheeks wet with tears and lips curved in a smile.Vibha gently took the cake box and bouquet from Imara, passing them to the maid, before pulling her into a tight hug. Sobbing, she whispered, “You are back.”And then, Suvika and Vibha wept as they held their daughter close. Meanwhile, Imara’s eyes welled up with tears, and she could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. Int that moment, all the resentment she had been holding towards her family finally melted away.—————A serene hour later, Imara was lying on her bed, her head cradled in her mother’s lap, while Suvika lovingly caressed her daughter’s head. Imara’s eyes were closed. With no thoughts to distract her, she savored every second of this serene moment. Just then, her phone vibrated. The irritating sound was like nails on a chalkboard, making her groan in frustration. However, her mother held the phone just out of reach, a mischievous smile on her face.Imara couldn’t guess the meaning behind that smile unless she saw who the caller was. Squinting her eyes, she disconnected the call.“Imu,” Suvika whispered, confused. “Why didn’t you answer? Or you want to be alone when you talk to him?”“Mummy, please,” Imara mumbled. “We will talk about it later.”Suvika was worried that Imara might again think of leaving her home if she insisted. And so she changed the topic, saying, “Your Papa is on the way home and so are the others.”She looked up. The thought of meeting them all again, especially after how poorly she had treated them, made her suddenly hesitant and apprehensive. Suvika understood her daughter’s dilemma and assured, “Don’t worry.”Snuggling closer to Suvika, she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist and rested her head gently on her lap. Her phone vibrated again, this time with a message.“Glad that you took that step. I will be there to pick you up tomorrow.”Imara’s heart raced, and an unexpected blush warmed her cheeks. The thought of seeing Adhiraj again, hearing his voice and being near him after days, made her stomach drop with nervousness.Just as she was trying to push those thoughts away, the door swung open, and Sanjay stepped inside. In an instant, he shed the armour of a tough businessman, revealing the tender heart of a loving father. Imara sat upright. Her heart hammered. Tears shimmered in his eyes, and without uttering a single word, Sanjay enveloped his daughter in a warm embrace. She broke down. Her sobs echoed the depth of their shared pain.This was his daughter, the one he and his wife had struggled to bring into this world, the one he thought he would never be able to see breathing because none of the girl child ever survived in his family, the one he promised to take care of for life, the one he promised he would never let cry, the one he had wanted to get married to the person who would love her to the moon and back and will pamper her like he himself had been doing.The room was only filled with Imara’s heart wrenching sobs unless Sanjay slightly pulled away and cupped her cheeks. Wiping away her tears, he whispered, “Enough, Imu. No more tears. You had had enough already. I shouldn’t see you cry anymore. You get me?”Imara wrapped her arms around her father again, stammering through her sobs, “I am sorry, Papa. I am really sorry. I should have listened to what you had to say. I shouldn’t have left and hurt all of us. I am a bad girl. I made all of us cry. I am so sorry.”“I am sorry too. I shouldn’t have let you go. I should have made an effort to talk to you,” his voice wobbled.“You did.” Her sobs grew louder. “You did everything you could. I was stubborn to not listen to you. But you know what,” she looked up and wiped her father’s eyes with her sleeves, adding, “I missed you.”Sanjay pulled Imara back into his arms and rubbed her back as he said, “We missed you too, Imu. And you know what? We are proud of you. You did very well, my daughter. You did excellent. It’s not easy to start something from scratch. But you did and made us all proud, Imara.”Imara’s sobs echoed like the cries of a baby. If only she could erase the painful memories of the time she lived away from her family. Now, in her clear-headed state, she reflected on her actions and realised that her love for Dheeraj had clouded her judgment. She had been so blinded by her feelings that she believed her father didn’t love her and had betrayed her.“We are in the queue, you see?” Neel chirped, smiling through his tears.Imara let out a watery chuckle as she pulled back from her father. Dilip pushed Shaurya and Neel away to take Imara into his arms, expressing, “I finally have my poker partner back. They all cheat, you know?”“I am sorry Chachu!” she whispered and Dilip wiped away her tears, saying, “We shouldn’t see these tears anymore, got it? Forget everything. You are back, and that is all that matters.” And then, he kissed her on the head.“Imu!” Shaurya and Neel exclaimed, snatching her from Dilip and wrapping her in a crushing hug. She snuggled closer to her brothers, feeling their warmth and the sense of security that came with it. “I am sorry,” she whispered.“Enough of the sorry’s and tears now. Stop!” Shaurya spoke, ruffling his sister’s head.“Vandana ji is sending Anu and Taru as well,” Vibha exclaimed as she entered the room and came towards Imara. Patting her head gently, Vibha said, “She adores you, Imu.”Imara nodded, agreeing, “She does!”And it wasn’t long before the twins also joined them. Finally, after the longest, most painful year of their lives, the Rathore Mansion was again filled with joyful laughter.“Adhiraj called me,” Sanjay confided in Suvika as they sat on the couch, looking at Imara and the other kids as they played the cards.“What did he say?” Suvika asked.“He called me even before you did, to tell me Imu is home. He had been out of town for over three days. He will be back by tomorrow and will come here directly to take Imu back home.”Worried, Suvika replied, “Can we not request them to let Imu stay for a few more days?”Sanjay shook his head, saying, “Not now, Suvi. Let her settle in her new life first.”“She disconnected his call,” Suvika whispered back.“Let them handle it on their own. I am sure Adhiraj’s presence is affecting her in a positive way.”Suvika nodded, and the couple couldn’t help but smile as they listened to their daughter’s contagious laughter filling the walls of their home once again.—————Imara hugged Suvika tightly, finding peace in her presence, and for the first time in ages, she slept undisturbed, without any haunting dreams. Meanwhile, Suvika spent the entire night awake, her eyes fixed lovingly on her daughter, her fingers softly running through her hair, and occasionally planting kisses on her head. The next morning, as Imara opened her eyes, she was greeted by Suvika’s warm smile. Snuggling closer to her mother, she felt a comforting sense of security, like a baby in her mother’s arms. Suvika chuckled and asked, “What would you like to eat today?”“Anything, Mummy. Anything made by you,” Imara smiled, looking up.That was enough to pump a renewed energy into Suvika, and she sprinted on her feet to get on with the day. Meanwhile, Imara sent a text to Isha that she will be on an off. However, she didn’t miss the texts from Adhiraj that had come in.“Good night, Little Tyke! I am missing you.”“Good morning, Imara! I will be back by the evening to take you back home.”“If you want to go out somewhere, let me know, I will send Nasir.”Imara rolled her eyes at the text, choosing not to reply as usual. Little did she know, a small smile crept onto her face as she pictured him smiling at her ignorance.Throughout the day, Imara remained engrossed with her family, feeling her heart race with anticipation as the clock ticked closer to evening. She didn’t know when Adhiraj would arrive, but her nerves were getting the best of her, a fluttering sensation of being close to him after over three days.However, her feelings took a downturn when she received a text on her phone.“I am on my way to your factory. It’s important that we meet. I have to tell you something in person.”