Chapter 78: chapter 78

“RAJ…” Virender belted out. His voice rang through the mansion, loud enough to summon everyone out of their rooms and onto the ground floor where he stood, his anger evident.Jaidev and Vandana rushed towards Virender in an instant and Jaidev’s concerned voice broke through the tension, “Papa, what’s wrong?”Virender remained silent, his gaze fixed on Adhiraj, who rushed down the stairs towards him, urgently calling out, “Dadu! What happened?”Atharv and Samrat with their wives had also come downstairs after Adhiraj.“Where is Imara?” Virender asked his grandson, his jaw clenched.Adhiraj just opened his mouth to probably say that she must be in her room, but Virender beat him to it, yelling, “She left.”There was a bone-chilling hush in the entire mansion, for no one had seen Virender this much angry ever since Devyani passed away. That was the day he had lost his cool, snapping at everyone for everything. Only Adhiraj had been able to bring his sanity back and then Virender had cried like a baby hugging his grandson.“She…” Adhiraj choked on his words.“Has left…” Virender gritted through his teeth. “Sundar told me.”Adhiraj looked over at Sundar, the one who guards the main gate at night. He responded to Adhiraj’s unspoken question, “She left in her car.”Everyone’s faces twisted in shock as Virender hissed at Adhiraj, “We raised you better.”Adhiraj flinched, blinked as he retreated toward their room—or perhaps it was just his room now; he couldn’t quite tell. What he did know was that he could feel the void left by Imara’s absence. Upon entering the room, her scent wrapped around him like a bittersweet memory, drawing him into the wardrobe room. He opened her wardrobe and found that she had taken her belongings, only her belongings, while she had kept back all the ornaments she had been wearing. Frustration bubbled within him, and he let out a low groan, his heart racing wildly. He took hold of the nuptial chain that Imara used to wear and gently rubbed his fingers over it!—————Imara, still groggy from sleep, sat on the edge of her bed in her apartment. With her knees pulled up to her chest, she clutched her phone tightly as she replied to the threatening text.“I can’t help you with it. I am no longer related to Shekhawats!”Last night, she didn’t seem to have another option but to move away from Adhiraj. It was for the best, for both of them, for all of them. Hence, she left, without so much of a noise, glad that Babli chose to drive silently and not alert anyone. Though she was sure the guard would have informed if anyone asked, that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shekhawats left her home in the dead of the night.Putting the phone away, she took in her bed, her room, this place that had been her home for so long. Taking a deep, quivering breath, she rose from the bed and made her way to the living room. There, she was met with the sight of the upgraded security measures. The cameras discreetly positioned, a state-of-the-art security alarm, and a newly installed fire alarm adorned the walls. She was sure it was Adhiraj. He held that power, to get her apartment upgraded to a place where she was safe, if she decided to ever come back here. He was looking out for her, he always had been and she didn’t realise it. She was too occupied in her past, too much.Her phone vibrated again. It was a call from Isha.“Ish…”“Where are you Imu?” Isha asked and Imara plopped on the chair, replying, “My apartment.”“What happened?”“I just need some alone time, Ish. I will call you later,” she whispered before ending the call.It wasn’t long when she received another call, this time from her father. However, before she could even utter something, he spoke up the moment she answered the call. “Imu, Virender Uncle called. Where are you?”She bit her lip before shutting her eyes and revealing, “My apartment!”“And why didn’t you come back home?”Imara, controlling her emotions to not bother her father with her worries, said calmly, “I just wanted some time alone!”“He asked you to leave?” Sanjay asked, and Imara sensed the brewing anger from his words.“It’s not him,” she quickly clarified. “It’s me. I can’t do it.”“Imu… I am coming to take you back home. And you are going to tell me everything. Is that clear?” Sanjay said resolutely.“Papa, no! Not now! I will come back, I promise. I just need some time. Trust me, please!” She whispered, still unsure how she would let her father know what ruckus was going on in her life.“Imu…”“Papa..you trust me right. Then believe me, it’s not because of him, it’s because of me.” She concluded and disconnected the call.Soon after, she received the reply from the blackmailer.“It’s more fun then! But that doesn’t mean the photos can’t be leaked. You have until four more days. Give me the quotation and take every copy of your photos with your ex, else all those photos will go live for everyone to witness a characterless Imara Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat.”Gritting through her teeth, Imara shrieked in frustration and typed back, “Who the hell are you?”“Your nemesis, the righteous Imara! Your downfall has begun,” came the reply.She chose not to reply. Her fingers trembling as she locked her phone and set it down. Slumping onto the couch, she buried her face in her hands, the weight of everything crashing down on her. Memories flooded her thoughts. Adhiraj’s image lingered in her mind, intertwined with the truth of that night.That Night!Imara and Isha were approaching the bar—on a mission for some juice. Neel had been as stubborn as a mule about letting Imara attend a party alone, but he finally caved when she promised that Dheeraj and Isha would be there too. Still, he laid down the law with a serious warning: no accepting food or drinks from strangers, as if she were a toddler who needed a lesson in party etiquette. With a dutiful nod, she agreed, and only then did Neel consult the family elders to grant her permission. And now, here she was, placing an order for a refreshing glass of mixed juice.“Tell your man to not keep ogling you. It’s about time the entire team would know that you two are together,” Isha yelled in Imara’s ear, courtesy the loud music.Imara grinned while sipping on her juice and grabbing some hot potato fries from a waiter. Isha tried to stop her, but Imara snatched it back, shouting, “Come on, Ish! Please! It’s fresh from the kitchen.”Isha shook her head and Imara stuffed her mouth with a few fries, asking, “Has my brother given you some secret instructions? You are acting like him!”Had the interior of the disc not been shrouded in darkness, Imara would have caught Isha blushing at the mere mention of Neel’s name. It turned out she was tasked with keeping an eye on Imara, and receiving a message from Neel had her positively glowing with joy, as it meant he trusted her.And Isha shook her head, yelling back, “You should be careful.”With a playful roll of her eyes, Imara grabbed Isha by her arm and whisked her onto the dance floor, throwing cheeky glances at Dheeraj, who was practically drooling over Imara. She looked beautiful.Imara felt a delightful blush creep up as his gaze wandered, but she relished the attention—her lover’s attention. It had only been a few weeks since she proposed and Dheeraj had bared his heart too. She was on cloud nine, determined to soak up every second with him. That’s why she found herself at this party; otherwise, Imara was more of a couch potato than a party animal.Moments later, as Imara swayed to the rhythm with Isha, her head began to spin. Before she could decipher the sensation, Isha yanked her aside. Noticing Imara’s discomfort, Dheeraj dashed over, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He glanced at Isha and inquired, “What’s the matter?”“I don’t know,” Isha replied, shaking her head. “She was dancing and suddenly she started feeling dizzy.”At that moment, Imara leaned against Dheeraj, looking like she might just topple over. Dheeraj swiftly wrapped his arm around her waist, while Isha, in a state of mild panic, tried to find a place for Imara to sit.But Dheeraj shook his head, asking, “What did she have?”“A glass of juice and a few fries…” Isha replied, tugging at Imara to move her away from Dheeraj. Yet, Imara shuffled closer to him, whispering something only he could hear.Leaning in, Dheeraj caught her words: “It’s too loud. I want out.”“Let’s step outside,” he suggested, leading Imara away with Isha trailing behind like a concerned shadow.Once they were out of the disc and found some peace, Dheeraj said, “I should take her home.”Just as he turned to leave, Isha seized his hand, stopping him in his tracks. He raised an eyebrow at her panicked expression, and she stammered, “Neel told me to look after her. He said no food or drink unless we see it made right in front of us. He’ll be livid. Her family will be too!”“You are worried about Neel?” Dheeraj asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.Isha bit her lip, shaking her head as she felt the weight of the moment. “We can’t take her home like this. Everyone will panic, thinking she’s been drugged.”The gravity of her words sent a jolt through Dheeraj, his instincts kicking in. He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on Imara as he replied, “Book a room in your name, and I’ll bring Imu there.”Isha quickly nodded and hurried to the reception. Thankfully, a room was promptly assigned, and she sent a quick message to Dheeraj. He wasted no time in leading Imara to the fourth floor. Aware of the fragility of the moment, Dheeraj hid Imara’s face in his arms as he walked down the hallway as he sensed someone walking past them. However, just as they were about to enter the room, Imara started giggling, trying to step back. And he whispered, “Imara, let me hold you,” wrapping his arm around her waist firmly.And she replied, this time in a slurred voice, “Kiss me, Dheeraj!”Dheeraj looked at her, and she stared back at him with her childlike innocence. Instead of feeling sensual, he felt amused and chuckled, “You are drunk. Let’s get in the room.”She stopped, wrapping her arm around his neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as she reeled him in. Clearing his throat like a gentleman, he twisted the knob and practically dragged her inside.Isha’s eyes went wide too, catching the scene of Imara tugging Dheeraj closer while giggling and whining, “You never kiss me.”Isha couldn’t help but laugh, while Dheeraj was ready to sink into the floor. Still, he managed a smile at Imara’s adorable little plea, treating her like a toddler. “You’re not exactly thinking straight.”Before Imara could throw a fit, Isha swooped in and gently pulled her away from Dheeraj, saying, “Imu, come on. You are feeling dizzy, right? Let’s get you settled on the bed.”Imara shook her head, clinging to Dheeraj’s arm like a lifeline, whining, “I want him!”“Imu,” Dheeraj murmured, cupping her face with a tender touch, “I’ll be back soon, alright? Just need to wrap up this party. Be a good girl and sleep with Isha.”With that, Isha pulled a not-so-happy Imara away from Dheeraj, who added, “Let Neel know Imara’s sleeping at your place. I’ll take care of this mess.”Isha gave a quick, thankful nod, and Dheeraj left, leaving Imara in Isha’s care for the night. He was smart enough to lock the door behind him, not wanting to risk Imara’s safety.He tried valiantly, cornered the manager, checked upon the footage, did everything he could to find if someone had really drugged Imara, but he found nothing. Moreover, when he asked Isha, she told him that Imara had vomited everything and was now sleeping peacefully. This led him to check the footage again. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the drink Imara had consumed was actually a cocktail. Imara had mistakenly pointed to a mixed juice drink, leading the bartender to prepare a cocktail instead. It was a simple misunderstanding, and the bartender profusely apologised.Dheeraj decided to spend the night in his car until check-out time. When he finally entered the room, he found out that Imara was in the washroom. He then instructed Isha, “Could you please take care of the check-out process? The room is under your name. Here is my card.”Isha gave a slight nod, taking his card before making her way to the reception. Just then, Imara came out of the washroom, and Dheeraj greeted her with a warm smile, asking, “How are you feeling?”Her cheeks were flushed, and she dropped her gaze, murmuring, “Ish told me what I did last night.”Dheeraj stepped closer, playfully teasing, “Honestly, I would have been in tears if Isha hadn’t been around to save my ‘Izzat’.”She buried her face in her hands, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably. He gently led her out of the room, noticing her fatigue and the throbbing in her head as she leaned against his arm. “For everyone else, you stayed at Isha’s place, alright?”She nodded, fully aware of how worried her family would be if they learned the truth. As they entered the elevator, Dheeraj added, “I caught the footage. The bartender mixed up your drink with a cocktail instead of just juice.”“There’s really nothing to stress about,” he reassured when she looked at him with a questioning gaze. “But if you ever feel like it, you could tell everyone you were at a hotel with Isha.”Imara shook her head firmly, “Let’s just leave it as it is. What’s done is done. If I explain how I ended up drinking, they’ll probably get that bartender fired, and worse, I won’t be allowed to go out, even with you.”