Chapter 84: chapter 84

Neel paced back and forth in his office, his face filled with irritation and annoyance. He couldn’t understand why Imara hadn’t reached out to him or Shaurya. He was sure that she hadn’t contacted Adhiraj either, as he would have surely supported her. And the most troubling question was: who had taken those photos, and when?The thought of what could have happened if Isha hadn’t managed to get hold of Imara’s phone sent shivers down his spine. However, he felt helpless as Isha had informed him that Imara was receiving threats from a private number. Should he involve his father and brother and seek police help? But the situation was delicate. What if the blackmailer sensed their intervention and released the photos? Perhaps that’s why Imara hadn’t told anyone. She must have been afraid that seeking help would alert the blackmailer.“What should I do?” Neel muttered. “Everyone at home is so worried.”As he closed his eyes and thought about the photos, he still couldn’t figure out where they might have been taken. Hoping for an answer, he messaged Isha once again, asking, “By any chance, do you know where these photos were taken?”Meanwhile, Isha was making an indent about the raw material when her phone chimed with the message from Neel. She slapped her head in frustration as she read it. Revealing the truth about the day those photos were captured meant confessing that she had lied to him about Imara staying at her place. But why did Neel’s reaction matter so much? It shouldn’t. Gathering her courage, she called him and laid everything bare.For a moment, silence hung between them, and then Neel’s voice broke through, filled with disbelief, “You lied to me.”Isha felt a pang in her chest as she closed her eyes, whispering, “I did!”The weight of her confession hung heavy in the air. She abruptly ended the call, wiped away the tears, and dialled Vijay’s number. Just last week, she had visited her orphanage and encountered Vijay, who had come to donate old toys and clothes on behalf of his employer. Since the manager on duty had urgent matters to attend to, Isha had been the one to greet him at the manager’s desk.She was impressed with Vijay’s kindness towards the children, and before she knew it, they were deep in conversation. It felt like a chance encounter until he surprised her by calling that very night to ask her out. For a moment, Neel’s image flashed in her mind, but she quickly pushed it aside. Determined to let go of her one-sided feelings for Neel, she found herself saying yes to meeting Vijay. And now they had become good friends, for her at least.To distract herself from thoughts of Neel, she dialled Vijay’s number. As soon as he picked up the phone, she asked, “Hey, can we meet?”She was feeling pathetic for using Vijay as a rebound, but she wanted to hold on to a hope that she could move on from her obsession over Neel.“Sure! I will pick you up at eight,” Vijay replied, his voice warm and inviting.Muttering a bye, she ended the call and turned to find Imara standing at her office door, an inquisitive look on her face. “Who are you meeting with?” she inquired, her brow arched in curiosity.Isha looked down at her laptop, her mind racing before she finally replied, “It’s someone I met at the orphanage last week. His name is Vijay.”Imara’s expression shifted to surprise as she quickly moved closer, pulling a chair beside Isha to sit down. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”Isha raised an eyebrow, countering, “If I share everything, will you tell me why you suddenly left Adhiraj’s home?” Imara’s gaze dropped at that moment, avoiding Isha’s eyes.“You know it was never going to work. He said I could go, so I did. That’s all there is to it!” Imara replied, absentmindedly tracing her finger over her phone’s screen.Isha felt the urge to dig deeper but restrained herself, aware that Imara would be livid if she found out Isha had snooped through her phone. Still, concern for her friend lingered, prompting her to softly ask, “Is that really it? There’s nothing more?”Imara quickly shook her head, insisting, “No! There’s nothing else.”Their conversation came to a halt as a few workers from the packaging floor approached, asking Isha to review the packed consignment.—————Meanwhile, Neel found himself at the hotel where the party had taken place. Despite it being over a year since the incident, he remained hopeful of finding any clue. Before confronting Imara about why she didn’t confide in her brother, Neel was determined to get to the bottom of the situation.Luckily, the hotel was owned by Vidhi Walia, their former neighbour. Although her family had moved to a different neighbourhood, Neel was confident that she would help him. As he entered the reception area, he wasted no time and directly inquired, “My name is Neel Singh Rathore. I’m here to meet Ms. Vidhi Walia.”The receptionist shook her head, stating, “I haven’t been informed about your arrival, sir. Mam doesn’t meet anyone without a prior appointment.”Neel let out a frustrated sigh and pleaded, “It is very urgent. Please! Ask her just once that Neel is here. I am sure she wouldn’t mind meeting me. We are family friends.”The receptionist bit her lip, weighing the potential reaction from Vidhi. Neel persisted, “Please! It’s really urgent. I need to see her.”Finally, the receptionist nodded and dialled Vidhi’s extension. She then relayed the message to Vidhi over the phone, “Ma’am, I have Mr. Neel Singh Rathore here. He claims to be a family friend and urgently wants to meet you.”The receptionist nodded in response to Vidhi’s instructions and signalled Neel to take the elevator down to level B2.Neel did just that, his face seemingly relaxed. He had crossed level one.—————While Isha was enjoying Vijay’s amusing anecdotes in the cafe that evening, she felt a gentle buzz from her phone. It was a text from Neel, stating, “I visited the hotel and saw what happened that night. I also have the waiter with me who was bribed to make Imu drunk. Can you please take another look at Imu’s phone and let me know if any further conversation took place?”In an instant, Isha’s expression shifted, a shadow crossing her features. Vijay, attuned to her unease, leaned in gently and asked, “You seem worried. What happened?”Isha met his gaze, forcing a light smile as she shook her head slightly, replying, “Nothing! Just the usual updates from the factory.”She locked her phone, choosing silence over Neel’s message, and turned her attention back to the conversation with Vijay. Yet her heart refused to settle. The present moment slipped through her fingers like sand as anxious thoughts kept flooding her mind. She was worried about Imara, while her own feelings for Neel clung to her like a shadow. Guilt gnawed at her for using Vijay as a rebound, and she felt utterly helpless in figuring out how to help Imara out of this situation.Vijay reached for her hand, his touch warm and reassuring. Instinctively, Isha pulled away, and he quickly withdrew, his voice soft with concern. “I’m sorry! I can see you’re worried. I just wanted to help. You can talk to me. Maybe together we can find a solution for your worries.”His words struck a chord deep within Isha. The weight of her burdens felt overwhelming, and she realised, with a pang of loneliness, that she had no one whom she could talk to. No family, no parents, no siblings—just Imara, who was already dealing with her own struggles. And hence, in a moment of spontaneity, she found herself telling Vijay everything.“So, your friend really left her home because of a threat?” Vijay asked, his brow furrowing in concern.“I honestly don’t know,” Isha replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “What she told me was that her relationship with Adhiraj was never meant to last. But there was a time when it seemed like they were finding their rhythm together. She was settling into a routine with him, and knowing her, I think she might have feared that this family would suffer the fallout from things that never even happened. I just can’t understand why someone would threaten her like that.”Vijay nodded thoughtfully, suggesting, “Sometimes, the simplest solution is to just ask directly. It might be the only way to get to the bottom of this.”With a heavy sigh, Isha agreed, “You’re probably right. Maybe I’m overthinking everything.”Vijay then inquired, “Could I borrow your phone for a moment? I need to call home, and mine is completely dead.”“Of course,” Isha said, handing over her phone. “Go ahead!”Just then, her phone chimed with a message from Neel. A message that was swiftly deleted before Isha could even take a look at it.