Chapter 81: chapter 81

The Night BeforeImara sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers pressed against her temples, desperately trying to calm her racing mind, consumed by thoughts of that night, Adhiraj, Jaidev, and the blackmailer.Just then, her phone vibrated. Half afraid, half frustrated at the prospect of receiving the message from the blackmailer, she reached out for her phone. As she opened it, her heart sank; it was indeed another threat. The words chilled her: “A small hint. You will find the quotes in your husband’s home office.”Her heart raced as the implications hit her like a tidal wave. In disbelief, she sprang to her feet, her breath quickening as she wrestled with the urge to respond—how could the blackmailer possibly know?This was far more sinister than she had ever imagined. The blackmailer had clearly breached Adhiraj’s home and office. That meant he also knew that only the family members were allowed to enter into his home office in his absence, because it required a special code, which was not known to any of the servants.Panic washed over her, and she quickly wiped the sweat forming on her brow, pacing back and forth. All her chaotic thoughts were overshadowed by a single, terrifying realization: this family might be in grave danger.She hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the landline as she considered dialling Adhiraj’s room. But then a doubt crept into her mind.“What if someone else is listening in?” she whispered to herself.With a heavy sigh, she cautiously opened her door. Peering out, she scanned the hallway to ensure she was alone. Satisfied that no one was around, she slipped out, her bare feet silent against the cool floor as she hurried toward Adhiraj’s room.Her heart raced, and with a mix of hope and fear, she turned the doorknob. To her surprise, it yielded to her touch, and a rush of adrenaline surged through her. She was about to face Adhiraj! Her tumultuous thoughts collided with the reality of the moment, leaving her breathless. Just as she thought of retreating, the door swung open, and she stumbled forward.In a split second, Adhiraj caught her, his arms wrapping around her waist. A gasp caught in her throat, and an electric thrill coursed through her, igniting every nerve ending in her body.She lifted her gaze, and his surprised gaze met her red and puffy eyes. ”Imara! What’s wrong?” he asked.Before she could find her voice, a flicker of movement caught her attention. She quickly turned her head, exhaling in relief when she realised it was merely the curtain swaying. Yet, the reminder of lurking threats sent a chill down her spine, prompting her to carefully shut the door behind her.Adhiraj stood there, utterly at a loss. Imara was in his room, in the stillness of the night, looking both exhausted and worried. As she closed the door, he became acutely aware of how tightly he was still holding her, just as she murmured, “There is a spy in this home.”Her words were like a comical downturn to his thoughts. Of all the things, he never thought he would hear this, at this point when he had told her that she may leave him.“What?” was all he could say in the name of reaction.She lifted her gaze to meet his and nodded before consciously stepping back from him. And he let her because he realised her closeness was playing with his sanity.“Have you kept the files of your upcoming two tenders in your home office?” she inquired, her teeth grazing her lip. The thought of discussing anything beyond their fractured marriage felt foreign to her.His mind mirrored her thoughts, yet he furrowed his brow and asked, “How do you know? I clearly remember us never discussing anything related to my business. And no one knows where I keep which file.”She looked down, causing Adhiraj to press further, “What is it?”She clasped and unclasped her hands. It was time she should let Adhiraj know about the mess she was in and it meant revealing that the night in question didn’t turn out the way everyone was assuming.Taking a deep breath, she whispered,“Nothing happened…”Adhiraj opened his mouth, to ask her to not go around in riddles, but she quickly added, “On that night.”She raised her eyes to meet his and sensing the confusion clouding in his expressions; she retrieved her phone. With shivering hands, she opened the photos on her phone and forwarded it to him, saying again, “It is not what everyone is thinking.”Adhiraj’s expression shifted from bewilderment to fury in mere moments as he held Imara’s phone, his eyes scanning the images. His anger intensified when he recognised them as the same ones Avir had sent him.“Where did you get these from?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing at Imara.Imara’s heart sank, and she quickly dropped her gaze. Her eyes settled on her phone, still clutched in his hands, and she felt a lump form in her throat. Hadn’t she promised herself she would face this alone? But that was before she realised someone was watching her. That someone could be lurking right here, in the very home that had welcomed her so warmly. Jaidev had been right; she had never felt like an outsider. The least she could do for these kind souls was to warn them that they might be in danger because of her.“Imara…” Adhiraj’s voice sliced through her thoughts, drawing her attention back to his intense eyes. She barely managed to whisper, “Someone sent them to me.”With a quick motion, she reclaimed her phone from him and turned off her mobile data. It was a clever tactic to keep her online presence hidden. What if the blackmailer was online as well? He could easily sense her hesitation if she didn’t respond to their messages. Taking a deep breath, she opened the chat filled with the threats.“Here,” she murmured, handing the phone back to Adhiraj, who paced the room, his eyes scanning the disturbing exchange between Imara and the blackmailer.“And you’re only telling me this now?” Adhiraj’s voice was laced with anger, his frustration boiling over at the thought that she hadn’t confided in him sooner.Imara felt a storm brewing inside her, and she had no intention of handling his anger tantrums at this moment. Wasn’t he the one who had shut her down—refused to let her share what went down in the office that evening? Wasn’t he the one who had coldly suggested she leave, without considering her choice? How could she have possibly told him then?Seething with frustration, she reached out to reclaim her phone, her voice sharp as she snapped, “Stop with this nonsense. I’m here to warn you that someone is watching you, either it’s from your house or your office. And as for me, I am capable of handling such threats.”Yet, Adhiraj, narrowing his eyes at her fierce response, didn’t release his hold on the phone. Instead, he drew her in closer, just as he always did. Imara found herself pressed against him, her glare unwavering, while one of his hands clutched the phone and the other rested possessively on her waist.“Sure you are! Are you even aware who is behind these threats?” He retorted.“That is my concern, not yours,” she shot back, wriggling in his hold.Instead, Adhiraj held her tighter, whispering back, “Yash Verma!”That name instantly seized any struggle Imara was doing to move out of his arms. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her mouth fell open in shock. Yash—the very man who had been thrown out of the job due to the financial fraud he had orchestrated at the company where Imara had once worked. She had exposed him by alerting the finance department the instant she uncovered the evidence of his fraudulent activities. He had manipulated invoices for auto parts while abusing his power.“How do you know?” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, before her expression hardened. “How long have you been aware of this? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Adhiraj was grappling with emotions that felt foreign in this tense moment. Imara was so close, yet he fought against the urge to pull her into a tight hug, knowing she was leaving him. With a heavy heart, he slowly withdrew his hands, feeling a painful clench in his chest, his insides twisting.Imara dropped her gaze, looking at his retreating arms. And she felt something shifting inside her. Suddenly, she felt at a loss of warmth. The same warmth she had been longing for since Adhiraj went on that business trip. He hadn’t held her since that night. And today, she realised, she was getting used to his warmth, his presence and him. Shaking her head, she wrestled with the reality that she was told to leave.She too stepped back and looked at Adhiraj as he shared his findings with her while tucking his hands away in his pockets. Imara was rendered speechless as the reality of Yash’s manipulations sank in. He was the one who had got her drunk. He knew Dheeraj wouldn’t leave her alone in that mess. And it was his luck that she stayed in the same hotel and he got the chance to click those photos.“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” Adhiraj’s voice cut through her stunned silence.She blinked and couldn’t form words, as her mind was still buzzing with all the revelation. The questions swirled in her mind, and one slipped out before she could stop it. “If he had those photos, why didn’t he use them?”“Because shortly after you left your home. You were already broken and he was waiting to break you again,” Adhiraj whispered. “Pratap Raghuvanshi revealed this to Avir when he cornered his own uncle, to stop him from executing his plan of blackmailing you and getting the quotes. But we still can’t find Yash. He hasn’t reached out to his family since he left your office and I believe the moment he sensed I was onto his plans, he went underground to avoid being caught before executing his plan.”“Then who does he need the quotes for?” Imara questioned, biting her nails and pacing around the floor, feeling like they were solving a Sherlock Holmes mystery.“It might be some other firm who is applying for the tender. But I am sure his motive is not to get quotes from you,” Adhiraj replied, relishing this civilised conversation with Imara.“He wants to humiliate me,” Imara concluded, looking at Adhiraj. “Like he was humiliated.”Adhiraj nodded. “That seems the only viable reason.”Imara groaned in frustration, and Adhiraj was amused. It was the first time her frustration wasn’t directed at him. “Then be it,” Imara muttered. “I will break him the moment I have my hands on him.”Adhiraj raised an eyebrow and approached her, asking, “And how are you planning to get your hands on him, Little Tyke?”Imara, in a moment of spontaneity, forgot about her confused feelings for Adhiraj and blurted out, “Just tell everyone you caught me red-handed while stealing the quotes and I left out of guilt.”Adhiraj narrowed his eyes at her. “Is it? And then? What a lame plan, Imara?”Imara narrowed her eyes at him, put her hands on her waist and shot back, “Why is that a lame plan? Haven’t you already told me to leave? Then what is the harm in adding up another reason, in addition to you finding me in my office with my ex?”The room fell into a hushed silence. The only sound was Imara’s ragged breaths. She was furious, and it took a moment for Adhiraj to interpret the meaning behind her words. Was she angry because he told her she may leave or because he didn’t seek an explanation or both?Stepping closer, he whispered, “It wasn’t because I saw you with Dheeraj.”For the first time, Imara didn’t feel a dull ache in her heart when she heard that name. It was a passing moment, but what held her interest was Adhiraj’s statement. However, she couldn’t bring herself to ask why he said what he said. Sensing the need to clarify, Adhiraj added in a whisper, “It was because I sensed you might never want to be with me. I realised I was forcing you into something you didn’t want.”