Chapter Seventy Four. #2
"In the interest of keeping them from completely losing their minds with worry... I may have engaged in a small amount of necessary deception."
Ira's eyes instantly widened, her hand dropping from his cheek.
"You lied to them? Devraj, what on earth did you say?"
"I told them that you had eloped with another man." he stated with a perfectly straight face.
"And I explained that I am currently on a mission to track down this mystery suitor, eliminate him, and bring you back here so you can properly elope with me instead."
A breathless laugh escaped Ira's lips.
"I am serious, Devraj."
"Alright, fine." he conceded with a small smile.
"In reality, I assured them that you were safe and sound with me. Every single time they called over the last three days, I manufactured a plausible excuse. Your mother was relatively easy to soothe, but your father is a different story. The man is officially beginning to doubt my narrative."
He chuckled. "Honestly, convincing your dad is a nightmare.."
Ira smiled affectionately..
"That's my dad for you.. I need to call them as soon as possible... but thank you, Devraj.." She paused, her gaze softening as she looked at his protective frame.
"Come closer."
Without a single hesitation, Devraj moved seamlessly closing the final inch of distance between them.
Ira giggled at his immediate, eager compliance and wrapped her arms securely around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace.
The moment her chest pressed against his, Devraj's heart kicked, racing at a pace.
The relief of holding her whole, alive, and safe in his sanctuary completely overwhelmed him.
His massive arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her slightly against him as he buried his face in her hair, pulling her into a tight, crushing hold.
They stayed like that for a beat until the intensity became too much.
"Okay, you can let go now." Ira whispered into his shoulder, a playful smile in her voice.
Instead of loosening his grip, Devraj's arms turned into steel bands, tightening around her even further as he refused to break the contact.
"Devraj, let me go, you silly man!" she laughed out loud, her small fists playfully beating against his broad, muscular back as she tried to wriggle free.
"I missed you so much." he whispered, as he resisted her playful attempts to pull away.
Ira's movements stilled, her laughter softening into a tender smile as she gave up the fight, her fingers gently threading through the dark, thick strands of his hair to soothe him.
"Two agonizing days without smelling your scent or hearing your voice... it nearly drove me insane." he murmured.
Slowly, he pulled back just an inch, his hands sliding down to rest securely on her waist.
He looked down at her.
"I love you so much, Ira. More than my own life."
Ira looked up into his gaze, a smile on her lips.
"I like you, Devraj."
It wasn't a full confession of love just yet, but to a man who had almost lost her forever, it felt like a total victory.
Devraj's face was brightened up with a smile on his face. He was so happy.
Deep down, Ira's heart was already whispering the echo of his words..
I love you too, Devraj.
But before she allowed those words to cross her lips, she wanted to be certain her feelings were completely genuine and born from her true heart-not just an emotional reaction to him sweeping in to save her life from a monster.
She wanted to give him a love that was stable, not just born of trauma.
"Okay." Devraj murmured, his smile widening as he gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Like is good. Like is an incredible place for us to start."
Suddenly, a memory flashed behind Ira's eyes, her expression shifting into instant panic.
"Oh my god, Devraj, what about Advik?! Is he alright? He... he tried so hard to step in and help me before Samar's men-"
"Relax, meri jaan." Devraj cut off her rising panic, gently pressing his thumb against her lips.
"He is perfectly fine. He suffered a broken arm during the ambush, but he's already up on his feet as we speak. He is recovering well."
Ira let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly dropping.
If there was one thing her conscience absolutely could not carry, it was the guilt of someone else getting brutally hurt simply because they crossed paths with her.
"By the way.." Ira murmured, her expression turning slightly pensive as she looked up at him. "I really think I need to tell my parents the truth about what actually happened."
Devraj let out a dry, mock-terrified chuckle, his eyebrows arching.
"Are you sure about that, meri jaan? Do you honestly believe your father won't have me executed the moment he hears the truth?"
Ira laughed.
"Don't be silly. If we explain everything to them honestly, they won't be that angry. At the very least, they'll be overwhelmed with relief that I'm safe and that is thanks to you."
"I still firmly believe your father is going to demand my head on a silver platter." Devraj insisted, his lips twitching into a smirk. He loved seeing her smile like this.
"A powerful billionaire tycoon means absolutely nothing to an overprotective patriarch, Ira. Trust me on this."
"Nah, I highly doubt it.." Ira replied with an easy, nonchalant shrug, leaning her head comfortably against his shoulder. "I mean, really... just how angry could they possibly get?"
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