Chapter 86: chapter 86

Adhiraj wasn’t in for sleep as of yet, as he needed to wrap up this mess as soon as possible. He wasn’t willing then and wasn’t willing now to leave Imara alone. Hence, after he ended the call with Imara, he went to his home office, where Atharv and Samrat were working on this issue.Upon entering inside, he saw Samrat’s contemplative expression as he stated, “We are clean. Our phones, the intercoms and our systems were never compromised. But I couldn’t check on Bhabhi’s phone.”“We are careful about that,” Adhiraj remarked. “But I have her WhatsApp logged in on my laptop.”“And the number of the blackmailer is a non traceable one?” Samrat asked.“It is. Because the number he has been using to chat is a masked one. It is in the name of a person who died two years ago and even the location can’t be tracked,” Adhiraj added, his frustration clear as he sat on his chair with a thud.Atharv added next, “I have the details of Bhabhi’s employees. There is a man named Pradeep in the packaging team. I am doubtful about him.”Expecting something along those lines, Adhiraj nodded and then asked, “What about him?”“His home had a makeover not long before. Considering the combined income of his household, it is not something they could have easily afforded,” Atharv replied; his eyes held a menacing stare. “I am on him.”With a knowing nod, and the concern brewing inside him for Imara, Adhiraj probed next, “Sunita?”Atharv looked at Samrat, who in turn gazed at Adhiraj before replying, “I have the footage. While dusting the office, she used her phone to click some pictures of the files. I didn’t know she was smart enough to know which file belonged to the tender.”Adhiraj reached out for the file and observed the figures he had put while saying, “This means he really needs quotations apart from blackmailing Imara.”“Are you sure Avir Raghuvanshi is not double crossing us?” Atharv asked.Adhiraj immediately shook his head, denying, “He isn’t.” Turning his attention back to Samrat, he asked, “Find out who else is the strong contender for the tenders?”Whipping his head in Atharv’s direction, Adhiraj added, “You have until noon tomorrow. I want more on Pradeep and Sunita.”His brothers exchanged knowing glances before retreating to their room. Adhiraj powered on his laptop, diving into the new quotations for those two tenders. Just then, the door to his home office creaked open once more, and in walked Jaidev.Adhiraj stood up, a look of bewilderment crossing his face as he approached his father. “You’re still awake?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. “Is everything alright, Dad?”Jaidev let out a heavy sigh, closing the door behind him as he stood before his son. While Adhiraj found it strange that his father sought him out at such an hour, Jaidev grappled with how to express the weight of his feelings.Setting aside his hesitations, he placed a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder and spoke with genuine warmth, “I’m so proud of you.”Adhiraj furrowed his brow, puzzled by his father’s unexpected affection. “Proud of me? For what?” he inquired.Jaidev patted his shoulder once again before pulling his son into a heartfelt hug. “For living up to the expectations of your grandparents and parents. Now, do what you feel is right and bring my daughter-in-law back. She deserves my apology.”Adhiraj returned the hug, his heart swelling with love. “She knows, Dad. She knows you were just being a protective father. I promise I’ll bring her back in two days.”With another gentle pat, Jaidev drew back and assured, “I promise I will try to be as good a father-in-law as Papa is.”Adhiraj flashed a cheeky grin, chiming in, “Dadu is the BEST!”Jaidev slapped his arm in mock annoyance and added, “Papa told me that her parents don’t know about it yet. Let me talk to Sanjay tomorrow. I will visit his office.”Adhiraj’s eyes sparkled with admiration for his father. Everything was finally coming together. “Let me inform him,” he suggested.Jaidev waved him off as he headed out, “I got this. You focus on getting your wife back.”Adhiraj’s grin was unshakeable. He pulled out his phone, his fingers gliding over Imara’s picture. He craved her touch, the warmth of her body next to his as they slept, those playful squabbles that drove him wild, the way he loved to tease her, to pull her closer, to kiss her breathless, to feel her against him, to be one with her. He wanted her—no; he needed her—over and over, in every way imaginable for the rest of their lives.—————Meanwhile, Neel was at a different chase. After the bartender had accepted that he was bribed to drug Imara, Neel unleashed his fury upon him. His heart was a storm of emotions—rage at the thought of anyone threatening his sister, hurt because Isha’s lied to him, and a deep pain knowing Imara was facing it alone. Yet, amidst the chaos, a glimmer of hope emerged as he clutched the sketch of the person who had bribed the bartender. It was then that he approached Shaurya and gave him a rundown of the situation. Shaurya’s expression hardened as he scrolled through the images Neel showed him. Without hesitation, he growled, “I will kill this bastard. And why didn’t Imu tell us?”“I wish I knew,” Neel whispered, his gaze drifting away as he rubbed his temples in frustration. “What she must be going through, handling all of it on her own. I swear I am going to ground her once all of this is over.”“Is that why she left Adhiraj?” Shaurya asked after a moment, his eyes scanning the messages.“I think that’s the only reason. But what could have possibly led Adhiraj to let her go? It baffles me. The way he had stood for her, I thought they were getting along.” Neel voiced his worries, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on his heart.Shaurya let out a deep breath, the tension evident in his voice as he remarked, “We will find out soon. For now, let me run a chase on this bastard.”Neel nodded, pulling out his phone to call Isha. She hadn’t replied to his previous message, and he felt an urgent need to update her on the recent findings. Despite the anger he felt towards her, he couldn’t shake the thought of keeping her in the loop. Most importantly, he needed to confront her about the lies she had told.Yet, once again, Isha didn’t pick up, and Neel’s heart sank as he tried again, only to be met with silence once more.“What’s going on between you and Isha?” Shaurya asked suddenly, making Neel turn sharply to face him.“What do you mean by that?” Neel replied, his brow furrowing in confusion.“Some things are better said face to face. You should go talk to her, tell her how you feel,” Shaurya suggested, catching Neel off guard with his observation.Neel looked away, shaking his head in denial. “It’s not what you think, Bhaiya. We’re only in touch because of Imu, nothing more.”“Do you really think I can’t see the way you light up when you hear her name or the way your eyes soften when she’s around?” Shaurya countered.Neel let out a self-deprecating scoff, shaking his head again. “It’s about her, too. I don’t believe she is…” His voice trailed off, the hope he once held fading. He had thought that with Imara’s return, Isha might finally understand, and perhaps he could find the courage to speak to her. But she was the same, cold towards him.Noticing the sorrow etched on his brother’s face, Shaurya gently squeezed Neel’s shoulder, offering comfort. “Alright, we’ll get back to this later. For now, let’s focus on the next plan of action.”With a determined nod from Neel, they turned their attention to tracking down the person responsible. Together, the brothers agreed to keep their father out of the loop until they had apprehended the blackmailer. They were acutely aware of the potential danger posed by the person threatening Imara, and they didn’t want to put anyone else at risk.Still, Neel couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him, especially with Isha’s lack of response to his texts. Hence, after making sure they had a full-proof plan, he went to see Isha.