Chapter 91: chapter 91

“Why are we headed to Rathore Mansion?” Imara inquired, watching Adhiraj steer Balbir towards her house.He nonchalantly replied, “No idea. Mom wanted us there. The whole family is waiting—Mom, Dad, Dadu, Atharv, Anika, Samrat and Tarushi.”“Isha?” she probed. “Did Bhaiya call you? How is she?”“She is fine,” he assured. “Neel said she will be up soon.”“Can we not just go to the hospital to see her?” she whispered, looking at him with hopeful eyes.He shook his head, explaining, “He told me he’ll bring Isha to Rathore Mansion once she’s awake. I think he wants some alone time with her.”She sighed, “I once asked her about Bhaiya, and she said there was nothing between them. I’m the worst friend and the blind sister ever. How did I not see this coming?”“Don’t blame yourself,” he comforted her. “You had your reasons to be occupied with yourself.”She glanced at him, and he added, “She’ll be home soon. No need to stress,” as he affectionately tousled her hair.Her eyes lit up as a thought struck her. “That day you mentioned you had something to share? Something you forgot, and I might have never known about?”He burst into laughter, his mind drifting back to the story his grandfather told about the first time he laid eyes on Imara as a baby.“On one condition,” he said, playfully biting his cheek.“What?” she asked, puzzled by his amusement.“Just let me poke that adorable dimple on your left cheek,” he replied, sporting a cheeky grin.“Yeah, right! In your wildest dreams,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.“In your wildest dreams, then, Little Tyke,” he laughed, and she playfully swatted his arm.Right then, he pulled up at her house and wasted no time in getting out of the car, with Imara following suit. She had missed everyone terribly. Adhiraj took her hand, and together they walked through the doors of the Rathore Mansion.A collective sigh of relief, accompanied by vibrant smiles on the faces of their family members, greeted them. Adhiraj loosened his hold on Imara’s hand, and she rushed towards her father, wrapping her arms around him with a contended sigh.Sanjay returned her hug, a protective force of a father’s. “You have grown up so much? Hmmm?” he gently chided, as he held his daughter close, his voice filled with warmth. “You should have told us, Imu?”“I already caused so much pain to all of you,” she clarified, her voice tinged with guilt, as she looked up from his embrace. “I didn’t want to put any of you in danger, for I didn’t know who I was dealing with.”“Imu,” Suvika whispered as she drew her daughter in a hug. “Never ever hide anything from us, okay?”“I am sorry,” Imara whispered before drawing back and turning her attention to Dilip and Vibha, who were ready with open arms. She cocooned herself in her Chachu’s arms, feeling the strength and love radiating from him, as he whispered, “I hope you didn’t scare your husband with the way you beat up Yash.”Imara let out a delightful giggle. Meanwhile, Adhiraj approached Rathore Family, paying his respects by touching their feet before making a beeline for his grandfather, wrapping him in a hug.Virender beamed with pride, giving Adhiraj a hearty pat on the back. “You handled it well. I am proud of everything you did.”As Imara basked in Vibha’s affectionate kisses on her forehead, Adhiraj turned to his father and declared, “That lawyer, Tara? She absolutely deserves a VIP invite to the reception. I’ll personally invite her.”In a burst of enthusiasm, Imara dashed over to Vandana, catching her off guard with a bone-crushing hug. Vandana chuckled, returning the embrace, saying, “Life would be so dull without this kind of drama, wouldn’t it?”Imara pulled back, her heart full, and whispered, “I missed you,” her eyes glistening with emotion.Vandana tenderly stroked her cheek and replied, her voice thick, “We missed you too, Imara.”“Imara,” Jaidev called softly, drawing her gaze toward him. For a moment, she felt a bit mortified as memories of that fateful night flooded back. But then, with a gentle warmth, Jaidev stepped closer, tenderly ruffling her hair as he murmured, “I am so sorry.”Imara instinctively shook her head, but Jaidev pressed on, “I should have talked to you. I have learned my lesson, Imara.”If their relationship had been stronger before the misunderstandings, she might have hugged him like she would her father. But uncertainty lingered between them, a reminder that they needed to work on the relationship they shared. Hence, she offered a gentle smile and replied, “There’s no need for sorry. I understand your concern for Raj.”Jaidev’s face lit up with a genuine smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, saying, “I will make amends for everything once you come back home after the reception.”“What do you mean by after the reception?” Adhiraj interjected, skepticism dripping from his voice as he stared at his father.Virender strolled over to Imara, giving her a high-five before turning to Adhiraj with a grin. “She is staying here until the reception next week.”“What?!” Adhiraj exclaimed, wide-eyed, squinting them the next moment as he looked at a giggling Imara. She knew it already.As everyone burst into laughter at Adhiraj’s bewilderment, Virender dropped another bombshell, “Anika and Tarushi are staying here too.”That announcement turned Atharv and Samrat’s smiles into frozen statues, and they chorused in disbelief, “What?!”“No way,” Adhiraj said, marching over to his grandfather with a face that screamed, ‘Don’t do this to me! A whole week without her? Again?’“Who asked for your opinion?” Jaidev quipped, raising an eyebrow.Imara couldn’t help but laugh. Sanjay wrapped her in a hug and shot a teasing remark at Adhiraj. “Don’t be a crybaby. It doesn’t suit you.”Imara burst into laughter at her father’s jab. Adhiraj narrowed his eyes as he turned to his grandfather, who gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and winked. “Once all this is over, I’ve got a surprise for you.”Adhiraj scoffed dramatically. “Surprise? Next, you’ll send her to Mars just to tease me!”And with three glum faces belonging to Adhiraj, Atharv, and Samrat, contrasted by the triumphant grins of Virender, Jaidev, and Vandana, the Shekhawat family made their exit from Rathore Mansion.—————An hour later, Imara and her family were sitting in the living room, with Imara lounging on the floor like a content cat, her head resting on her father’s lap. She tuned in as Shaurya launched into a recap of the latest soap opera—aka Neel’s tangled love life with Isha—while Sanjay and the others pretended to care. Imara was all ears, plotting to interrogate Isha, and maybe even throw in a threat if Isha dared to say it was nothing.When Shaurya finally concluded, her mind wandered to the cheeky text from Virender she had received that morning on her other phone. He had suggested she stay in Rathore Mansion until the reception, complete with a winking emoji that screamed mischief. She knew he was gearing up to poke fun at Adhiraj, and she was totally on board. But it had only been two hours since Adhiraj had left, and she was already missing him, more than she could handle.Just then, the doorbell echoed through the house, and Imara sprang to her feet. The maid opened the door, revealing Neel standing there, his arm gently wrapped around Isha’s shoulder as he guided her inside. Isha’s gaze was fixed on the floor. She was unable to meet anyone’s eyes, especially after her stupidity of jumping into that mess, especially after a worried as hell Neel greeted her when she woke up in a hospital. He had wrapped her in a hug so fierce, that it had taken her a moment to register that she wasn’t hallucinating.“Are you fucking mad to jump into danger like that?” he hissed, the quiver in his voice revealing the storm of emotions within him.“Neel,” she murmured, taken aback, struggling to keep her feelings in check as he held her tightly, as if fearing she might disappear.“Shut up, Isha,” he replied, pulling her even closer. “You foolish girl. You nearly made me believe I had lost you forever.”And that was the breaking point for Isha. He never responded to her when he found out what she felt for him and now suddenly he was acting all lovey-dovey.“Just leave me,” she snapped. “It’s none of your business what is happening to me and what not.”Neel gritted his teeth and pulled back slightly. He gripped Isha’s head firmly and glared at her, whispering, “None of my business?”“Yes,” she shot back without a moment’s pause, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge. His imposing presence was overpowering her, and his closeness was stirring her senses. All she wanted was to lean in, wrap her arms around him, and weep. And she despised herself for that desire.Neel flinched, but wiped a drop of tear on her cheek, whispering, “You are my damn business,” as he gently cradled her face and kissed her eyelids one by one.“I have had enough. I can’t take it anymore,” he declared, pulling her closer to his chest. He embraced her in his strong arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck, murmuring, “So many things happened, Isha. Along with Imu, I lost you too. And it hurt, real bad.”Isha choked on her tears as his hold on her grew tighter. She couldn’t resist any longer and collapsed into his arms, burying her face in his chest as wept uncontrollably.“I never got a chance to tell you what I feel for you,” he said, drawing back as he held her face in his hands. “I had planned to tell you how much you mean to me. I had planned to tell you how happy I was to know you love me. I had planned to tell you how much I love you, Isha. I lost you before I could do any of it.”Isha’s eyes fluttered, and fresh tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. She lowered her gaze, her forehead brushing against his chin as she clutched the collar of his shirt, sobbing through her hiccups. “I am an orphan. I do not match your standards. Someday you will realise it and leave me. So leave me now.”His brows knitted together as he gently lifted her chin, compelling her to meet his gaze. “Have you lost it?”“Neel, please…” she cried bitterly. “Don’t give me a hope of what can never be. I am tired.”He winced at her words, and before he could think, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a fervent kiss, pouring out all the emotions he felt for this girl who stole his breath away every time he saw her.Isha whimpered softly, and Neel gave a punishing nip at her lip. She gasped, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. A primal groan escaped him as he became lost in the moment, oblivious to their surroundings in the hospital room. Isha was consumed by the sensation, clinging to Neel as if her life depended on it. Her legs felt weak, trembling under the heat of his touch as his hands roamed her body. In an instant, Neel was above her, holding her wrists above her head, trailing kisses from her lips down to her neck.“You’re the only one who drives me wild, Ish. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. I’ve always controlled my desires, but with you, I lose it,” he murmured, biting her neck softly.“Neel,” Isha moaned, her voice a mix of longing and need.He stopped, his breath coming out in gasps. Shutting his eyes, he cursed himself for giving in to his impulses. He looked up and touched his forehead with hers as he held her close, saying, “I just can’t bear to live without you, Isha. I simply can’t.”With those words, he tightened his embrace, and Isha melted into his arms, sobbing freely, releasing all her pent-up emotions.Moments later, Neel sat up, still holding Isha close, while she buried herself in his chest, gripping his shirt tightly as her sobs continued.“I am taking you home,” he said, drawing back from her as he rubbed a gentle thumb over her damp eyes.“I…” Isha stammered, shaking her head.“I am not asking. I am telling you. You are coming home with me,” he declared before gently tracing his finger along her long neck and capturing her lips in another toe-curling kiss.“Ish,” Imara squealed as she dashed over to envelop her friend in a bear hug. Isha snapped back to reality and returned Imara’s hug with her own wave of emotion.Imara ushered her inside while Suvika playfully nudged Neel aside, declaring, “Step away.”Neel chuckled, shaking his head, and Shaurya gave his shoulder a friendly pat, asking, “All sorted?”Neel nodded, his gaze following Isha as Imara led her to her room, surrounded by their mother, Vibha Maa, Anika, and Tarushi.“Well, I am waiting for the details,” Shaurya muttered.Neel shot him a look, responding, “Only if you tell me what’s with you and Vidhi?”Shaurya, caught off-guard, cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a delightful shade of red as he stammered, “What are you even saying?”“She had the same look on her face when I mentioned you the day I met her at the hotel,” Neel whispered sceptically. “Out with it, Bhaiya!”“Neel,” Sanjay called out, giving Shaurya a chance to breathe easy. He approached Neel with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed. “Details, son!”Neel facepalmed and turned away, mortified. The last thing he wanted was for his family to find out about his love interest like this. Dilip and Shaurya snickered, while Sanjay added, “Shaurya, we’re on the hunt for a girl for you to marry, so Neel can tie the knot, too. If you’ve got someone in mind, tell us before we pick one for you.”With that, he gestured for Neel to follow him to the study.