Chapter 8: chapter 8

“Imu...“ Suvika sprinted towards her daughter the instant Imara entered. The force of the embrace caught Imara off guard, nearly sending her reeling. Yet, a surge of emotions engulfed her. But instead of succumbing to her natural urge to reciprocate her mother’s warmth, she drew back. Her expression remained stoic as she asserted, “Imara, not Imu!““Imara...“ Sanjay roared, displeased with her attitude, clearly disapproving of how she had been treating Suvika since that incident, despite knowing her mother was innocent.“That’s right. Imara!” She responded with a nonchalant wave of her hand, stepping away from her mother’s reach.As she glared at Sanjay and prepared to voice her accusation, the door swung open and Dilip, Shaurya, and Neel stepped in. Moments ago, they had spotted Imara entering and quickly trailed after her, leading them to Sanjay’s room.However, Imara paid no attention to the trio and redirected her focus back to her father, admonishing, “There were other ways by which you could have forced me to be here. Why this?”“Why what?” Sanjay asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.Dilip, overwhelmed with love for his niece, disregarded the bitterness in her voice and softly murmured, “Imu...!”He took a step forward, eager to wrap Imara in a warm embrace. However, she stepped back, holding his gaze firmly. “Don’t play this card on me. It won’t work anymore. I am Imara.”Before anyone could respond, a knock at the door grabbed everyone’s attention.Dilip deduced, “Must be Vibha. She might have seen Imu…”Driven by anticipation, Suvika swiftly opened the door. But she was surprised when she saw the person standing outside. Instinctively, she turned towards her husband.Taking the cue, Sanjay took a step forward and spotted Virender on the other side. Not wanting to offend the elder, Sanjay calmly addressed him as “Uncle...” hoping the man would understand their need for privacy.“Sanjay, let me in,” Virender insisted, his words carrying an undeniable air of authority. However, Sanjay couldn’t shake off the scepticism that crept over him upon Virender’s sudden appearance in his room, especially considering Imara’s presence. Somehow, the current situation felt like a dejavu to Sanjay as the day Imara was born flashed through his eyes.Despite his doubts, Sanjay opened the door wide, allowing Virender to enter. Before stepping inside, Virender took a quick scan of the room, his eyes finally landing on a young girl, her eyes lacking their usual spark, but she was defiantly holding her ground. Despite the absence of her usual vibrancy, she still exuded a strong sense of determination that had made Virender and his late wife Devyani sure she was the perfect match for their eldest grandson.Not just the others, but Imara herself furrowed her brows in confusion. She had expected to give her father a piece of her mind, compelling him to change his mind about excluding her from the exhibition, and then rushing back to the airport for her next flight to Chennai. Now, she had an intruder, Mr. Virender Singh Shekhawat.It was impossible to find someone from a business family who hadn’t heard of him. Known as the business guru for his expertise in managing the powerful Shekhawat Empire, he had a celebrity-like status. Imara was well aware that her sisters were going to marry into his family, but she had never crossed paths with him or with any of his family members before, nor did she possess any interest in doing so.Regardless of the curious and puzzled gazes around him, Virender made a beeline for Imara, causing her thoughts to race. However, she stood her ground as he came closer, observing her with an amused expression. Finally, he broke the silence, throwing a question her way, “Do you know what your name means, Imara?”She blinked and glanced around. It seemed that everyone else was just as bewildered as she was by Virender’s unexpected interest in talking to her.However, without responding, she took a step back from Virender. She didn’t want to let his approach distract her from the topic at hand, so she refocused her attention on her father and demanded, “I am still waiting for your answer.”Shaurya, with an accusing glare, pointed out to her, “You just disrespected him.”She clenched her teeth, shifted her focus on her brother, and was about to respond when another knock echoed through the door. She let out a frustrated groan, annoyed at the interruption once again.Without much consideration, Sanjay opened the door. He was perplexed, once more, but nonetheless welcomed Jaidev and Adhiraj inside. It was clear to him that the Shekhawats had a purpose in mind at that very moment.Imara’s head snapped towards the new entrants, only to whip away just as quickly. Pleasantries were definitely not on her mind at the moment. Granted, she had no clue who these people were, but she could easily deduce that they bore a striking resemblance to Virender.However, the entire scene seemed straight out of a Priyadarshan movie to her, where everyone gathers at one spot right before the unexpected twist. Only, instead of white-coloured outfits, they all seemed to be dressed for a Rajshri Production flick.Adhiraj gazed at his grandfather, who, in turn, had his eyes fixed on a petite young girl, standing a whole foot shorter than Adhiraj himself. Unintentionally, his eyes wandered over her, capturing her breathtaking beauty, hidden beneath the loose-fitted kurta she wore and the soft curls cascading down her shoulders. There was an undeniable innocence and purity oozing from her, emitting an aura that held him captive, making it hard for him to divert his gaze. He felt a strange sense of familiarity with her as he observed her forehead, eyes, nose, and lips.But just as he found himself lost in her enchantment, she spoke, directing her words towards Shaurya, “I have no intention of showing respect to unfamiliar faces.” These words snapped Adhiraj out of his daze, and he narrowed his eyes on her.Imara then swiftly turned her head towards her father, and as she approached him, she met his gaze head on. Unblinking, unflinching, unfazed by the glances around, she whispered loud enough to be heard, “It was my mistake to have expected a fair game from you…”“IMARA…” Neel thundered at her sister, who had the complete attention of Shekhawats now. However, only Virender seemed unaffected by her defiant attitude.In a swift motion, Imara redirected her focus towards her brother and spat, “I hate someone talking to me in that manner. Get this in your arrogant head.”She redirected her focus towards her father. “Stop interfering in my life. Fifteen minutes is all you get to undo the damage you caused. I wouldn’t think twice before confirming the gossip going around in your upper circle,” she yelled, clearly frustrated by the entire ordeal Isha and her team were facing. And she hoped the message was passed in the most effective manner possible.With those cutting words, Imara began walking towards the door where Adhiraj stood in the door frame, blocking her way.In that particular moment, Adhiraj practically owned the doorway, hands deeply nestled in his pockets. His chestnut orbs were fixed solely on her, shooting daggers at her. But his intimidating aura failed to make her budge an inch or even bat a single eyelash. She returned his gaze, unwavering and furious.Scowling, she hissed, “Care to move, Mr. Whosoever?”“I didn’t hear please, Ms. Whosoever!” He thundered, having taken enough of shit from this girl, Imara, who, he witnessed with his own eyes, really had no respect for even her own family.“Hold your tone right there Mr., MOVE!” She roared right back.Virender, despite being in such a high-tension atmosphere, couldn’t help but chuckle at the unexpected banter. Imara, oblivious to the profound impact she had already made on Virender, glanced at him briefly before diverting her attention and attempting to pass Adhiraj. But Adhiraj stood firm, refusing to budge even an inch, and remarked, “I talk in the same manner with people who have no regard for elders around them.”Without missing a beat, Imara shot back, “Then shove up that regard on your ass…” Her fury now reaching new heights.“What language is that, Imara?” Dilip’s stern voice rang from behind her.Imara clenched her jaw, turned to face Dilip, and spoke with an oddly sweet tone, “You don’t get to teach me any of that…albeit you need to learn yourself.”“I want Imara to be Adhiraj’s bride…” Virender announced, sending the room into an eerie silence, prompting shocked expressions from Rathores but Imara.