Chapter 85: chapter 85

That night, after making sure Imara had her dinner, Adhiraj made his way downstairs to join his family for dinner. The air was thick with unspoken words, a deliberate silence settled since Imara’s absence. Moments later, Adhiraj caught Virender’s knowing nod, a silent acknowledgment that his parents were fully aware of the exact situation. Moreover, Atharv and Samrat were working on the issue at hand, too.That’s what Adhiraj loved about his family—he never had to face anything alone and he was dying to see Imara as an active member of this family too—as soon as possible.Clearing her throat, Vandana broke the silence and summoned the head maid, commanding, “Get Raj’s room cleaned and move out Imara’s things. I don’t want to see a single thing that belongs to her.”Anika and Tarushi exchanged concerned glances upon hearing Vandana’s sharp tone. They had always seen Vandana as a soft-spoken person.“Mom,” Adhiraj intervened, genuinely confused by the scene unfolding.Vandana shot him a glare, asserting, “Despite everything, I always supported her. Despite knowing you adore her, she left you, left this home in the middle of the night. She doesn’t deserve to be back here. I don’t want to hear her name again.”With a discreet, cheeky wink at Adhiraj, she turned back to the maid, leaving him stifling a laugh as he excused himself from the dining table and retreated to his home office.Around half an hour later, he called Vandana through the intercom, requesting, “Can you send someone to clean my office? It’s too dusty.”Vandana sent Sunita, the same maid who had been on cleaning duty since Adhiraj got married to Imara. Sunita wasn’t a stranger to their household, but she was the only one Vandana could suspect. After the wedding, Sunita had taken a week off as her parents wanted to fix her wedding. Since her return, whispers among the other maids hinted that her fiancé was rolling in riches and showering her with gifts. Vandana was completely baffled as to why Sunita would still want to continue working as a maid when her to-be-husband seemed well-off. And so, with Virender’s earlier comments still echoing in her mind, her suspicions had landed on Sunita.—————That night, Imara sank into the comfort of her bed before her new phone buzzed, indicating a call from Adhiraj. With a blush creeping up her cheeks, she answered, and his words came out in a hushed whisper, “I feel like we’re in the courtship period after our engagement.”With a hearty chuckle, she responded to the statement, “But you had your courtship time with Namita, didn’t you?”Adhiraj audibly clucked his tongue in disapproval and firmly refused, saying, “No, I didn’t! I just took her out for dinner once. We didn’t even talk over the phone.”“Why?”“Perhaps because I believed that I would see the real her only when we were married. Then what was the point?”“I am sure she might have never abandoned her own wedding had you taken a step ahead.”“I am glad she did abandon the wedding, though. But why do you think she wouldn’t have?”“Because you are an honest, humble, and caring person. You are basically everything a girl would want in her better-half.”The man cleared his throat, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he eagerly confirmed, “You won’t praise my dashing looks and my prestigious status as the heir of the Shekhawat Empire?”“Naa…that doesn’t tempt me much.”Adhiraj remembered Virender’s words from the next day of his and Imara’s wedding. Imara liked him for who he was, not how he looked or what he held in his bank accounts.“Then what tempts you?” he asked, his voice husky.“Your cuteness!” Imara giggled.“Boys are not cute! Girls are cute!” He retorted.“But you are cute when you sleep, smile, talk, and eat. And you look cute when Mom scolds you like a child,” she giggled again.“I am not cute, Imara. The word ‘cute’ doesn’t go with my image. Don’t use that word for me in front of anyone else.”“You are cute, Mr. Adhiraj Singh Shekhawat. Just you wait and I will announce it to the entire world,” she chuckled causing Adhiraj to squint his eyes in annoyance and retort, “Go ahead and I will show you how devilishly cute I can be.”Before Imara could form a reply, her phone buzzed with an incoming message from the blackmailer prompting Adhiraj to say, “He just messaged. Don’t type anything. Let me handle this bastard now.”With that, Adhiraj hung up, leaving Imara puzzled as she opened the chat and saw the flurry of messages between Adhiraj and who was likely Yash.“I am giving you until tomorrow to get me the quotations. If not, at midnight, the entire media would be abuzz with your intimate photos.”“I already told you I don’t have access to those files as I have left Shekhawat Mansion.”“I already know that, Mrs. Shekhawat. But your husband is too enamoured by you. So, you always have the chance to go back and get me those quotes.”“I will give you double of what you are getting for passing on the quotes.”“The photos I have are too precious to be bought for any amount of money you can offer.”“Triple!”“No!”“Four times!”“No!”“Ten crores! I am sure it would surpass any of your expectations.”“I want your toy factory.”Adhiraj’s jaw clenched as he replied, “Ten crores or nothing. The choice is yours.”The conversation stopped, and just then, Imara’s other phone rang again. She answered immediately, and Adhiraj’s voice came through, steady and reassuring. “We’ll find him within forty-eight hours, I promise. Everyone is on it.”“I believe in you,” she murmured, the sincerity of her words echoing in both her and his heart.“I believe in you too, Imara. You are the strongest woman I have ever known after Dadi and Maa. Exactly the way I wanted my wife to be. Thank you for giving us a chance.”Imara’s cheeks turned a rosy shade as she remained silent, while Adhiraj couldn’t resist adding, “I have countless ways to show how much I adore you, Little Tyke.”“I am sure you do,” she whispered back, a fond chuckle escaping her lips as she recalled his bossy nature during her menstruation.“Like?” He asked, curious.“Your way of showing your affection is you bossing me around for every little thing.”“That’s because you are my Little Tyke!” he beamed, and Imara scrunched her nose, letting out a playful snort.Adhiraj’s laughter bubbled over, drawing Imara into a fit of giggles that filled the air with warmth.But as her laughter faded, her expression turned sombre. “Everyone at home is worried. They keep calling to check on me, and Isha seems angry too.”“I’ll do something to ease your parents’ worries. Did you notice anything unusual at your factory?”“Not really. I even looked for any signs of trouble or odd behavior from my staff, but everything seemed normal.”“Hmmm…” Adhiraj sighed deeply. “I’m running a check on all of them.”“I trust them, Raj.”“I know you do. But we can’t take any chances. I’m sure Yash doesn’t intend to harm you physically. But a mental breakdown, Imara, can be far more devastating than any physical blow.”“I understand that all too well,” she whispered, recalling the days she had spent crying when Dheeraj suddenly withdrew from their relationship and she left her home to stay alone.“Don’t worry about it anymore. And now, sleep well. I am sure we will have something tomorrow.”“Okay,” she whispered, ending the call and settling into bed. She turned to her right, reaching out with her left hand, imagining Adhiraj beside her, holding her hand as they slept. But did she want him to just hold her hand? No! She was dying for him to hold her close, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, touch her until she lost her mind, and do things she craved from him.How much she was awed at herself for believing in the man she hated to her core when they got married! Day by day, he was sneaked deeper into her heart, like the slow, steady beat of a drum in the distance. He awakened feelings within her, kindled urges and desires she had never experienced before, not even with Dheeraj. What was it about him, she wondered, but the answer eluded her. Perhaps it was the knot they were tied into, not forced, but fated, she concluded.