Chapter Seventy Five. #2
He looked like this the last time she saw him.. but he looked worse now.
"I missed you so much." he whispered, his eyes pleading.
Ira looked away, the confession failing to spark even a bit flutter in her chest.
"Um... I'm perfectly fine, Kunal." she lied smoothly, keeping her voice casual. "I just... I went to visit an old friend. I urgently needed to get out of the city and clear my head for a few days."
Kunal swallowed the excuse whole, nodding in instant, desperate relief.
"But what on earth has happened to you?" Ira asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she took in his exhausted state. "Your eyes look so tired, Kunal, and-"
Before she could finish, her phone vibrated in her palm. She looked down as Devraj's name flashed across the screen.
Her eyes instantly narrowed. Bypassing Kunal entirely, she cast a suspicious glance past his shoulder, scanning the quiet street.
She searched the curbs and the shadows for any sign of the blacked-out SUVs Devraj typically used to shadow her, but the road was completely empty.
"Excuse me." she murmured to Kunal, as she swiped to accept the call.
"Hel-"
"I don't want that bastard anywhere near you, Ira." Devraj's voice sliced through the line before she could even utter a word.
Ira's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you-"
"Yes, I am.." he cut her off again, his breathing heavy and dangerously controlled. "And I am currently at my breaking point. Get him away from your door right now, or so help me God, I will turn this car around and permanently get rid of him, myself."
"That is a highly inappropriate way to speak, Devraj." Ira replied, her tone firm.
At the mention of that name, Kunal's eyes dilated, his entire body stiffening.
Through the receiver, Ira heard Devraj draw in a long, ragged breath, desperately fighting to rein in the possessiveness clawing at his chest.
"Meri jaan..." he pleaded, his deep voice dropping into a rough strained whisper that sounded desperate.
"You know exactly how violently territorial I am when it comes to you. Please, for the sake of peace... send him away. I am barely holding myself back from slamming on the brakes and turning this car around. If I come back there, I promise you, it will not end well for him. Please, Ira...
make him leave."
A soft smile touched Ira's lips at his helpless submission.
"Okay. I will." she murmured softly into the receiver, and she immediately heard him let out a long exhale of relief on the other end.
"I love you." Devraj whispered.
Ira's smile widened, her heart flutter before she disconnected the call and lowered the phone.
"Y-You... you were speaking to Devraj." Kunal stammered.
Ira looked at him, her gaze entirely devoid of the affection she once carried.
"Kunal. Our chapter is completely closed. I need you to understand, with absolute clarity, that there is no lingering part of me that wants a future with you. It is over. But-"
"Please, Ira... please!" Kunal interrupted, his breathing turning shallow as panic clawed at his chest.
"He ruined us! Why can't you see that?! I was terrified! Please, Ira... I was completely trapped in a corner. I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my entire life, but I was utterly hopeless. My family's entire livelihood, our reputation, our safety..."
His voice cracked with a pathetic, desperate agony. Ira looked at him, sadness washing over her.
Deep down, she knew he hadn't committed a crime by choosing to protect his father's legacy, their family company, and their social standing.
It was a logical, human choice. But looking at him now, she realized that logic didn't matter anymore.
The spark she felt with Devraj, the man who would gladly watch the entire world burn to ash just to keep her safe, had completely rewritten her soul.
She simply felt nothing for Kunal anymore.
Hearing the distress, her mother and father walked over to the threshold, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of Kunal, whose eyes were now with tears.
"Aunty... Uncle... please." Kunal begged, looking past Ira to her parents with a broken, pleading expression. "I love Ira. I truly do. Please, help me..."
Ira let out a quiet sigh. Recognizing that any further conversation would only cruel, she turned her back on him and began to walk away, stepping into the quiet sanctuary of the house.
"No, wait! Please, Ira!" Kunal cried out, desperately trying to push past the threshold to follow her.
His hand stretched out, his fingers aiming to catch the edge of her dupatta, the fabric of her sleeve, anything to get her to him.
But his path was instantly blocked by her father. The older man looked down at him, his expression heavy with a sorrowful pity for the boy who had simply been outmatched.
"Please... Ira..." Kunal choked out, his eyes desperately tracking her retreating figure as she silently began to ascend the staircase.
Kunal felt the blood drain entirely from his face, a sudden, suffocating darkness pressing in on his chest.
His heart gave one final painful throb before his legs completely gave out beneath him, and he collapsed heavily onto the hard floor of the porch.
"Oh my God, Ira! Kunal has fainted!" her mother's voice echoed.
Ira stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she looked back down and saw Kunal's limp body sprawled across the porch.
She instinctively hurried back down the steps, but halfway down, her feet halted.
Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and speed dialed Devraj.
He picked up on the very first ring. "Yes, meri jaan..."
"Devraj, Kunal just collapsed.." she rushed out, her voice tight. "I need to get him to the-"
"RV will take care of that." Devraj interrupted.
"Ira...?" Her mother's hesitant voice drifted from the front door.
Ira quickly hung up and rushed toward the entrance.
Stepping onto the porch, she watched as RV, strode towards them, flanked by two silent men in dark suits.
they effortlessly hoisted Kunal's unconscious frame off the ground.
RV stepped forward, pausing before Ira. He bowed his head in a deeply respectful gesture.
"It is good to have you back safe, Ma'am."
A smile touched Ira's lips.
"Thank you, RV. Can I go with you guys?"
"I am deeply sorry, Ma'am, but Sir has to authorize that." RV replied politely but firmly. "Rest assured, he will receive the best medical attention. We will contact his parents and handle the intake ourselves."
With a final respectful nod, RV turned and walked away, his men putting Kunal into the back of an unmarked black SUV before driving away.
Ira's mother and father stood frozen on the porch, watching the entire sequence of events unfold in shock.
Ira looked down at her phone, which was already vibrating again. She brought it back to her ear.
"Don't leave the house, Ira." Devraj's voice came through the line, entirely possessive. "I will come see you soon.."
"Okay." she whispered softly. "I'll wait."
She disconnected the call, taking a deep, grounding breath.
Her father gaze searched her calm, unbothered face.
"Are you okay, Ira?"
Ira looked at him, her expression entirely serene, the ghost of her past officially laid to rest.
She gave a single, quiet nod.
"You guys should probably call his parents and let them know which hospital RV is taking him to.. The Rathore's." she said softly, her tone entirely detached. "Excuse me for a while."
Turning away, she walked back up the stairs, leaving her parent staring at her retreating figure..