Chapter 88: chapter 88

After Virender updated Jaidev and Vandana about the current situation at hand, Jaidev had been restless. He felt an overwhelming responsibility to explain to Sanjay why Imara had left. Reflecting on his previous conversation with Sanjay, he realised it was unfair to speak to him in such a manner. Now, he was determined to reach out, to apologise, and to heal the rift before Imara returned. He longed to assure Sanjay that he would treat Imara as if she were his own daughter from this moment forward. And if all went well, Imara would be back home by tonight, and he hoped to set things right before then.Sanjay’s gaze shot up, fury etched across his features the moment he spotted Jaidev stepping into his office. He had no desire to meet him, but he was left with no choice when his PA told him Jaidev had been insisting too much for a meeting.“What brings you here?” Sanjay snapped, skipping any formalities.“An apology?” Jaidev said, standing before Sanjay’s desk, his hands clasped together. “I am really sorry for behaving the way I did that day.”Sanjay’s jaw tightened at the memory of Jaidev’s harsh words directed at his daughter. Unable to contain his rage, he shot back, “Are you worried that your family’s reputation is at stake because your daughter-in-law left?” He stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at Jaidev. “Let me be clear: your apology means nothing to me. My daughter will never step foot in your house again.”Jaidev moved around the table, his face etched with regret as he stood before Sanjay. “You have every right to make decisions for your daughter, Sanjay. And still I’m here to express my sincere apologies for my hurtful words about Imara. I see that now.”He clasped his hands together once again, his voice barely above a whisper, “Please forgive me.”Sanjay turned away, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. “Just go! Your family is unworthy of my daughter. If it weren’t for Anu and Taru, I would have already taken legal action against you for the way you spoke about her.”“Imara left because she’s being blackmailed, Sanjay,” Jaidev replied, prompting Sanjay to whip his head around, his voice low and dangerous, “What do you mean?”—————“Hey,” Isha greeted, her voice steady as she picked up Vijay’s call.“Hi,” he replied. “How are you holding up? And what about your friend? Have you spoken to her?”Her jaw clenched, yet she kept her voice calm as she responded, “She didn’t come to the factory today. I believe she is too upset. And if I get my hands on the bastard who is doing this to her, I will kill him.”There was a slightly uncomfortable pause on the line before Vijay finally spoke, “I understand how worried you are, Isha. Don’t worry. I am sure she will come around soon. I hope the movie eases your worries. Will be there in half an hour.”She let out a shaky breath and ended the call, her heart racing like a wild drumbeat. Never in her craziest dreams did she think that his entrance into her life, his innocent friendship, was part of a cunning scheme. She felt a surge of anger towards herself for being so trusting with a stranger. How could she have opened up about Imara’s troubles? And why hadn’t she paid attention to her phone when he was using it?When Neel showed the messages he had sent, including that chilling sketch, she was left speechless. It was clear that Vijay had been the one to delete them from her phone. And Isha felt the heat of Neel’s anger when he learned about her meetings with Vijay, but she dismissed it, understanding that his fury stemmed from Imara’s distress, all because Isha was apparently dating the very man who was trying to harm Imara.‘Had you not lied to me then, my sister wouldn’t have been in this mess. I believed you.’These were Neel’s words when he walked out of her home last night. She could form no response. Deep down, she knew she was to blame. If only she hadn’t let her fear of Neel’s judgement cloud her thoughts, she would have told him the truth that night itself. Instead, her obsession with maintaining a perfect image had led to this painful moment. She realised that her actions had played a part in Imara’s current situation, and she couldn’t bear the thought of letting her friend down any longer. It was time to make amends.Hence, she decided to accompany Vijay, eager to uncover the truth behind the chaos. Who was truly behind this mess? Was it just Vijay, or were there others involved? She understood the risks she was taking, aware that she was risking her life. Yet, the bond she shared with Imara was invaluable. Imara was the one person, aside from her orphanage family, who had never judged her.But how could she possibly expose the culprit? At first, she considered sending her location to Imara, hoping to let her know that she was aware of the unfolding events. But the thought quickly faded; she didn’t want to add to Imara’s worries. Then, the idea of reaching out to Neel crossed her mind, but she dismissed it just as swiftly. He would never want to hear from her, not after everything that had happened. He hated her! She knew it!In that moment of desperation, the only name that surfaced was Tara. They had shared their childhood in the orphanage. But after Tara was shifted to another branch, they couldn’t keep in touch. Just a few days ago, fate had intervened when Isha met Tara at the Patent Office when she was filing the application for patenting their toy designs. It was a bittersweet reunion; Tara had become a lawyer, a testament to her strength and determination. Yet, Isha’s heart ached upon learning that Tara had lost her sight in a tragic accident a few years ago. Despite this, Tara was resilient, proving that her vision was not defined by her eyes. It was not a hindrance for her career.Isha deduced that Tara must be in touch with the police as she was a lawyer. Hence, before sitting in the car with Vijay, she drafted a voice note explaining everything and pleaded at the end of the voice note, “I don’t know if it’s feasible for me to ask for help when we have just met after years. All I know is I need your help Tara. I need to save Imara from this. You are my only hope.”Now, as she sat beside Vijay, uncertainty loomed over her like a dark cloud. She anxiously awaited a response from Tara, but the message remained unread. With every passing moment, her hope flickered, praying that her plan would work and that the blackmailer would finally be caught.“Where are you lost?” Vijay inquired, his gaze fixed on her.She felt this insane urge to slam his head against the steering wheel of his own car. But she wisely decided against it, offering him a sweet smile as she replied, “Nothing! Just the factory stuff.”“Ah! A businesswoman at heart,” Vijay laughed, and Isha felt a wave of nausea wash over her. How could she have been so foolish to fall into this trap? Was she so desperate that she couldn’t judge the person correctly?She kept her smile intact. Vijay pulled the car over, saying, “I’ll just get a water bottle!”Isha simply nodded, her heart racing as she watched him walk away. In a flurry, she unlocked her phone, her breath catching when she noticed the message ticks had turned blue. A wave of relief washed over her. Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from Imara, asking, “Where are you, Ish?”Before she could even think of a response, the car door swung open, and something struck her nose with such force that she gasped, flailing her arms in a desperate attempt to remove it. All she could see was Vijay’s face before everything faded to black.