Chapter Forty Two.
"Miss Ira.."
Ira flinched, her breath catching in her throat as she turned to find a man standing there..a face she recognized instantly.
It was one of the Rathore guards, she had seen every day during her month at the Rathore mansion. He stood there holding a small bag.
"This is for you.." he said, his voice as neutral as his expression.
He extended the bag toward her.
Ira took it with trembling hands, her gaze darting back toward the darkness.
"Sir... I mean, Devraj... he isn't well. He's over there." She pointed to the dark corner of the terrace where Devraj's silhouette was slumped against the stone.
The guard gave a single, solemn nod. He didn't ask questions.
He stepped past her and into the gloom, lifting Devraj with ease. Ira watched, as the guard supported Devraj's weight, guiding him away through a private side exit.
I hope he's okay she thought, the caregiver in her refusing to go quiet.
Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder. Ira let out a small cry and spun around, only to find herself staring into Kunal's worried face.
"Ira!" He pulled her into a hug so tight it nearly took her breath away, burying his face in her hair. "God, I've been looking everywhere for you! Why are you out here in the dark terrace?"
Ira gulped, her mind racing to bury the chaos of the last ten minutes.
She forced a steadying breath into her lungs.
"Oh... um, I was just... I was just looking around, Kunal. It got a bit overwhelming at the other side, so i took a walk around. Let's go."
Kunal pulled back, his brow furrowing as he scanned her face.
He was clearly unconvinced, but his gaze dropped to the bag in her hand.
"What's with the bag?"
"This?" Ira managed a small, sheepish laugh. "Oh..Ahem.. it's just a pair of flats. These heels are absolutely killing me, Kunal. I don't think I can take another step in them."
"Who gave them to you?" Kunal asked, his protective streak flaring up.
Ira paused, trying to cook up a lie, "One of those women I was talking to earlier.." she said, offering her most convincing smile. "She saw me struggling and had someone bring me a spare pair."
Kunal's expression softened, the tension leaving his shoulders.
He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.
"That was kind of her, i got really scared. Come on, let's get you out of those torture heels."
As they walked back toward the music and the light, a shadow moved behind the rose trellises.
Alia stepped out. She watched the happy couple walk away, then turned her gaze toward the exit where the guard had taken a drugged, vulnerable Devraj.
A slow, victorious smirk spread across her face. She let out a chuckle.
"Too easy." she whispered.
The guard eased Devraj onto the backseat, and shot the door.
He turned to the driver, his face etched with professional concern.
"Take the Boss straight home. I'll call the family doctor and have him waiting at-"
"Wait!"
Alia's voice interfered. The guard and driver both snapped to attention as she walked toward them.
"Greetings, Miss Alia." the men said in unison, bowing their heads in respect.
Alia offered a dismissive nod, her gaze already fixed on the tinted glass of the rear window. Inwardly, she was happy.
Finally.
"What's happened?" she asked in feminine concern. "I saw you carrying Devraj. Is he hurt?"
"He doesn't look well, Miss. He's burning up with a sudden fever." the guard explained.
"Oh, my God..." Alia let out a soft gasp. She rushed to the door, pulling it open to reveal the man inside. Devraj was a wreck..his shirt was damp with sweat, his jaw was working pointlessly, and his eyes were rolled back in a daze of drug-induced agony.
She leaned in, her eyes drinking in his helplessness.
Look at you.. she thought, her smirk hidden by the shadow.
So powerful, yet so vulnerable. Before tomorrow morning, the deed will be done.
"He looks terrible." she said, turning back to the men with a look of fake concern. "But don't worry. I know exactly what he needs. I'll take it from here."
The guard's brow furrowed, a flicker of hesitation crossing his disciplined face.
"Miss Alia... with all due respect, I think it's best if we call the family physician. Sir looks truly-"
"I said.." Alia interrupted, her voice dropping into a cold, authoritative hiss as she glared at him, "that I will take care of him."
The guard flinched under her venomous stare.
"Do I really need to remind you of my place in Devraj's life?" she challenged, her chin tilting upward. "I am the only one who truly understands his needs. You will do as I say."
The guard lowered his eyes, the weight of her status crushing his protest.
"My apologies, Miss Alia."
Alia didn't acknowledge the apology. She snapped her gaze to the driver, her eyes hard and commanding.
"Take us to his private villa. Now."
The guard frowned, his hand tightening on the car door.
The villa was Devraj's sanctuary..a place where he was usually alone, he never allows anyone there! Never! Not even his parents!.
By taking him there instead of the hospital, Alia was effectively sealing the exits.
He watched as she slid into the back seat beside the semi-conscious Devraj, the door closing.
The car drove through the night, the silence of the cabin broken only by the low hum of the engine and Devraj's labored breathing.
Alia leaned back against the plush leather, watching him with the eyes of a predator who had finally cornered its prey.
"Devraj... don't worry.." she purred, her voice a low, soothing vibration.
"I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to give you exactly what you've been craving."
"Ira..."
The name left his lips as a broken, tortured whisper. He shifted restlessly, his head thrashing against the headrest.
"Ira..."
Alia's smile curdled instantly. She gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached, a flash of pure, murderous envy burning in her chest.
Even like this? she thought, her fingers digging into the car seat.
Even when your mind is a blurred mess, she is the only ghost that haunts you? What spell did that stupid bitch cast to turn you into a desperate man!
She forced herself to breathe, to push back the rage.
Let him call for her. By the time the sun rises, the memory of her will be buried under the reality of me.
The moonlight spilled through the window as they turned a corner, illuminating him like a dark masterpiece.
He was breathtakingly handsome in his vulnerability...the line of his jaw, the bob of his Adam's apple, and the glimpse of his chest where the buttons had been torn open.
Alia felt a surge of possessive heat. She bit her lip, her eyes darkening with hunger.
She leaned in lowly, and pressed her palm against his burning chest.
Devraj let out a gasp, his entire body trembling under her touch. His head fell forward, his heavy, unfocused eyes struggling to find her face in the shadows.
"Ira?" he mumbled slurry. "Is... is that you?"
He reached out blindly, his hand hovering near her face.
"I feel so weird... my skin is burning... and I can't stop thinking about you. It's so bad, Ira. I'm going crazy."
Alia flinched at the name, the rejection stinging even now, but then a slow, wicked realization dawned on her. A smirk spread across her face.
Of course.. she thought. He doesn't know. The drug has wiped the world away, leaving only his obsession. He thinks I'm her.
"Yes, Devraj," she whispered, pitching her voice lower, imitating the soft, hesitant tone Ira always used.
"It's me. I'm here now." She leaned closer, her breath fanning over his lips.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and help you forget the pain."
She smirked. She hated Ira with every fiber of her being, but for one night, she would wear the girl's name like a mask if it meant finally having Devraj Singh Rathore.
~??~
Advik wove through the departing guests, his thumb hovering over the call button as he tried Devraj's line for the tenth time.
Nothing. He looked up, catching sight of the familiar face.
"Ira!"
Ira and Kunal turned in unison. Kunal's reaction was instantaneous..he stepped in front of Ira, his shoulder blocking her from Advik's path.
Advik caught the movement and let out a smirk.
"Relax, Mehra. I'm not here to steal her.." Advik said chuckling, "She's like a sister to me.."
Aside that, Devraj will kill me... he thought
Kunal didn't relax. His jaw remained set and his eyes cold.
"It's okay, Kunal.." Ira whispered, placing a grounding hand on his arm. She stepped slightly to the side to face Advik.
"You called? Is there a problem?"
"Oh, um... have you seen Devraj? He's gone off.. i haven't seen him." Advik asked, his playful tone shifting into genuine concern.
"And why would she know that?" Kunal snapped, his voice stern and protective. "Does she look like his babysitter to you?"
Ira glanced at Kunal, surprised by the raw bitterness in his tone.
Advik, however, just raised an unbothered brow, his smirk widening.
"It's a simple yes or no question. Why so worked up, Mr. Mehra?"
"Enough, both of you.." Ira interjected, her voice firm. She turned to Advik, her heart beating against her ribs.
She had to protect the peace she'd found with Kunal, even if it meant burying the truth.
"I... I haven't seen him, Advik. I'm sorry."
The lie was smooth.
But before Advik could respond, a shadow came behind them.
"Miss Ira."
Ira turned to see the guard she had saw few minutes ago at the terrace.
Her throat went dry.
Please, don't say anything. Please, just walk away. she chanted silently, her fingers digging into the strap of the bag she held.
"RV?" Advik frowned, "What are you doing here?"
"Few minutes ago, sir called me bring a pairs of flat.. I came to give Miss-"
"How is Devraj?!" Ira suddenly yelled, her voice high, cutting RV off before the word bag or shoes could leave his lips.
Advik's frown deepened as he studied her, his gaze darting between her panicked eyes and the rigid posture of the guard. The reaction was too loud, too desperate.
"Boss is on his way home to be properly checked.." RV stated.
"Checked? What the hell happened to Devraj?" Advik was instantly alert, his casual smirk vanishing.
"I can't say for certain, Sir.." RV explained, oblivious to the bomb he was about to drop.
"When I brought those flats for Miss Ira, she pointed him out to me. She said he wasn't in a good condition..high fever and heavy breathing. I helped him back to the car on her instructions."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Ira felt the ground beneath her begin to crumble.
Stupid Guard and their transparency..she thought, her pulse thundering in her ears.
She felt Kunal's body go rigid beside her, the warmth of his protective hold turning into a chilling stillness.
"Wait a minute..." Advik turned toward Ira, a knowing smirk cutting across his face. "I thought you said you didn't see him, Ira?"
Ira couldn't meet his eyes. She looked away.
The lie wasn't just between her and Advik anymore..it was between her and Kunal now.
She slowly looked up at her fiancé and felt her heart sink. Kunal didn't look angry..he looked deeply, visibly hurt.
"Anyway.." RV continued, unaware of the domestic wreckage he'd caused, "Boss is on his way to his villa."
"His villa? Why?" Advik's voice sharpened. "If he's sick, he should be at the hospital or the main house. Why the seclusion of the villa?"
"Miss Alia is with him.." RV replied.
Advik's entire body froze. He stared at RV as if the guard had just announced a death sentence.
"What did you just say?"
"I wanted to call the family doctor.." RV explained, "but Miss Alia insisted she could help. When I tried to address the fact that Sir needed a medical professional, she told me she could handle it. They've already driven off."
"Shit!" Advik's roar startled the nearby guests.
He didn't stop to explain. He didn't look back at Ira or Kunal.
He turned and sprinted toward the parking lot, his heart racing with the realization of exactly what that desperate Alia had planned for a drugged, vulnerable Devraj in a locked villa.
The gravel crunched under RV's boots as he offered Ira a final, respectful bow.
"Have a wonderful evening, Miss Ira." he said as if he didn't just create a chaos.
He walked away.
Ira felt the air turn thin. Her heart was beating against her ribs, and the weight of the bag in her hand suddenly felt like lead.
She looked at Kunal, and the sight of him made her breath hitch.
He wasn't yelling. He wasn't exploding. He was simply looking down, his jaw tight enough to snap and his knuckles white as he clenched his fists at his sides.
"K..Kunal, listen.." she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Let me explain. It's not what it looks like."
"Why did..you lie?"
Ira hate how his voice sounded broken, this was what she was avoiding..
"I'm.. I'm so sorry, Kunal. He came to meet me and while escaping looking for you, he dragged me away. I.. I didn't tell you because-"
Kunal looked up then, Ira breath hitches, and the hurt in his eyes.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he searched her face.
"D..did he touch you?"
The memory of Devraj's hands on her waist, his palm over her mouth, and the heat of his body in the shadows flashed through her mind like a fever dream.
"I... I... yes. I mean, no! It's just... he was trying to get close, but I pushed him away. I did! I swear, Kunal."
She reached out, her fingers searching for his hand, desperate to feel the warmth and safety he usually offered.
She squeezed his hand, her eyes pleading for him to believe her.
Kunal stared down at their joined hands for a long beat, his expression unreadable. When he looked back into her eyes, the pain had been replaced by a sudden desperation.
"Let's get married, Ira.." he whispered.
Ira blinked, the world around her seemingly coming to a standstill.
"W..what?"
"Nothing.." Kunal whispered, his teeth gritted together as he abruptly pulled his hand from hers.
"Let's go."
His aura had shifted in an instant. The gentleman had retreated, replaced by a cold, rigid stranger.
He didn't wait for her response.. he simply turned and began to walk toward the parking lot.
Ira stood frozen for a second, watching his retreating figure. He was vibrating with a silent, internal rage.
"How do i fix this?" she whispered to herself, a cold shiver running down her spine.
"Did he just... act weird?"
She tried to brush the feeling off, forcing her feet to follow him.
It's just in my head..she told herself. I lied to him. I hurt him. Of course he's upset.
???