A week after the engagement, Mithun informed Pari that the family would be going on a picnic. He also mentioned that Varun and his family had been invited so they could celebrate the engagement as a warm family reunion.
That morning, Pari dressed in a soft pastel jumpsuit and stood before the long mirror, her fingers brushing over the fabric as she checked her reflection. She had heard from Ishika that Ishaan had returned to the Rey Manor and she was almost certain he would be present at the picnic. Her father’s words from the previous evening echoed in her mind—”There’s no longer a reason for Ishaan to keep himself hidden.”
She had been waiting to learn what had transpired between Ishaan and his mother, so she decided to bring it up with Ishika during the picnic. The thought had been bugging her mind since the night of the engagement.
The car rolled through the tall wrought-iron gates of the sprawling Reyansh estate. The farmhouse stood proudly in the distance, surrounded by lush gardens, a mini golf course, and acres of landscaped greenery.
As she stepped out, Pari noticed several luxury cars already parked in a neat row.
“Pari!” Ishika’s cheerful voice rang out as she ran up and hugged her tightly, dragging her towards the garden. Varun was already there with his family and beside him stood a girl Pari had never seen before.
Varun greeted her with a gentle side hug. “Pari, this is Meghna, my only cousin. I thought you two could get along well as family.”
Pari offered a polite hug to Meghna, though her eyes were already scanning the crowd, searching for him.
“Why am I looking for him ? ” she thought and shook her head to clear her mind.
Varun laced his fingers with hers and led her toward where Reyansh and Varun’s parents were seated, engaged in easy conversation. The moment Reyansh saw her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. She clung to him for a few moments longer than necessary, comforted by his familiar presence.
Reyansh, who knew her battles , stroked her hair gently. “Cheer up, darling. We’re here to celebrate and enjoy. You have nothing to worry about when you have us. Your dad and I will take care of everything. Just follow your heart, princess. Alright?”
Pari smiled faintly at his words before joining Ishika, Varun, Meghna, Advika, and Ayaan near the picnic blanket laid out on the lawn. She opened the icebox, retrieved a can of juice, and sat down beside Varun.
“Pari, what kind of wedding do you have in mind? We could start planning,” Meghna suddenly asked, making everyone pause in surprise at her forwardness.
Ishika chuckled softly. “Meghna, it’s only been a week since they got engaged. Don’t you think it’s too early to discuss the wedding? Let them get to know each other. Besides, our parents have already decided the wedding won’t happen for at least six months. They want Pari and Varun to be completely sure before making such a big commitment.”
The conversation shifted when Ayaan lazily rested his head on Pari’s lap and stretched his legs across Ishika’s. Pari playfully pinched his arm, making him yelp and glare at her. Before he could retaliate, she darted away with a laugh, only to collide with something solid.
The familiar, intoxicating scent of cologne hit her instantly. Her breath caught. She didn’t have to look to know who it was. But she did—and there he stood.
Ishaan.
He was dressed in a crisp lavender shirt paired with tailored black trousers, looking effortlessly sharp. Pari mumbled a quick excuse and walked away, heading toward Varun, who was chatting with Meghna. On spotting her, Meghna politely excused herself, leaving Pari and Varun alone.
“I didn’t realize you and Ayaan were so close,” Varun said lightly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining—just observing. It’s nice to see friends so much like family.”
Pari smiled softly.
“Of course. We are one family. We’ve all grown up together. Rey Uncle and Vaishu Aunty love me as their own. Ayaan’s always been the youngest, we’ve all spoiled him rotten. He is our sweet brother. “
Her eyes drifted toward Advika and Ayaan, who were now squabbling over an ice cream. She couldn’t help but smile until her gaze landed on Ishaan. He was seated next to Mithun, the two of them deep in conversation. Her stomach tightened, and she quickly looked away, focusing instead on Varun.
“I’m working on a new hotel project, I hope it turns out the way I’m envisioning.” Varun said and looked at her expectantly.
Pari nodded politely.
“All the best, Varun. But… let’s not talk about business right now. Rey Uncle has a rule, no business talk during family time.” Her tone was gentle, careful not to offend.
Varun smiled, understanding immediately. “Fair enough,” he said, dropping the subject.
Pari should have been happy. She should have been smiling, standing beside the man she had chosen. Varun was calm and caring, and they had gotten engaged just last week. Today the families had gathered to celebrate their engagement.
But all she could feel was his gaze. Burning. Piercing. Possessive.
Ishaan
The boy who had once made her heart race was no longer just a boy. He was a man now—a man who looked at her like she was his prey, and he was ready to hunt.
She tried to focus on Varun as he smiled warmly at her and pressed a light kiss to her lips. Pari flinched. Varun didn’t notice, but she did. She had been clear—no intimacy before marriage. That kiss felt like a line crossed.
“Varun, please don’t. I think we were clear of all these. I need some water. I’ll be back,” she muttered, stepping away. She walked under the shade of a tree, seeking air, seeking space. But she wasn’t alone.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She didn’t have to turn. She knew it was him.
Ishaan.
His voice, deep and deliberate, broke the silence. “Congratulations on your engagement, Pari.”
There was no warmth in his words. She stayed silent and refused to look at him, but his voice still had the power to make her heart race.
“Upset, are we? Is the engagement bothering you?” he asked, stepping closer. He was trying to provoke her, but she wasn’t ready to give him the satisfaction.
“I’m perfectly happy, Ishaan. Varun is a gentleman. And if you were watching, you might’ve noticed him kissing me just now,” she retorted.
He chuckled. A slow, dark laugh. “That? You call that a kiss?” His eyes glinted. “Sweetheart, that’s how a boy kisses.”
Pari clenched her fists. “And I suppose you think you’re an expert? Maybe you’ve kissed a woman—or too many women—in your life.”
His eyes burned with a heat she couldn’t quite read when she said those words.
“I’ve never kissed anyone, Pari. But when I do, it’ll be my woman. And I’ll kiss her like a man. I’ll hold her by the waist, pull her close until our bodies forget the space between. I’ll ravage her mouth until she forgets the world. Her hands in my hair, my fingers grazing her skin. A kiss so fierce, she’ll feel it in her soul. That is how I will claim my woman and that will only be the beginning of what I would do to her. She will be my queen, the one who holds the reins to rule me and my world.”
Her breath caught. She hadn’t even realized how close they’d gotten—his chest grazing hers, his heat sinking into her bones. His eyes devoured every inch of her. She knew she should have walked away, but her feet refused to move, as if he had cast a spell on her.
And then, just like that, he stepped back, as if he hadn’t just shattered her world. She knew there was a smirk on his lips.
” What did he mean? Is he really back… to claim me? “
Leaning against the tree, Pari shut her eyes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to erase his words from her mind.
Ishaan tilted his head, his gaze lingering on her. His lips curved into a smirk and then into a slow smile.
Ishaan loved her with an obsession that frightened her. His love was so intense that it had once driven him to walk away from her, from his family, from everything. But he had never truly left. He had watched from the shadows, calculating, waiting.
They had called him back for her engagement. But he hadn’t come to bless it.
He had come to end it. He had come to reclaim what was his.
“I will win your heart. Your soul. And your body, Pari. This is my promise. And Ishaan Rey never backs down from a promise “, he vowed, his voice low and certain.
She had once been his weakness. Now, she was his only salvation.
Ishaan rushed to his room in the bungalow and shut the door raking his fingers through his hair. He shut his eyes, still lost in the feel of her body pressed against him.
” You don’t even know what you do to me. I wanted to hold you in my arms and kiss those damn baby lips. Its a sin that I haven’t ruined and tasted them yet. That fucker will pay for what he did today and he will regret ever coming in your life and playing with us. I m going insane without you “
Ishaan grit his teeth for the helplessness and gulped a bottle of water and stood in the balcony watching over the garden. He could see Pari still in the place he left her.
” I will do what I have to do now “
Pari looked at Ishika and gestured for her to join. They sat under a tree, gazing at the greenery spread before them.
“Ishi, I’ve been waiting to talk to you. On the night of the engagement, why did Vaishu aunty react as though she was seeing Ishaan after so many years? It felt like an emotional reunion. What is it that I don’t know?”
Ishika turned her face away, torn between hesitation and honesty. After a pause, she decided that Pari deserved to know everything Ishaan had endured. With a heavy heart, she revealed how Ishaan had been sent away and how Vaishu had never spoken to him all these years.
Pari was stunned. Her heart shattered with every word. Ishaan, who was adored by everyone in the family, had borne such a cruel punishment from his own mother. The thought pierced her heart, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Ishaan made a mistake, but he regrets it. He lost so much because of that one day. He isn’t bad, Pari. Maybe if you hadn’t misunderstood his love and care, he would have stayed with us. Let bygones be bygones. Don’t treat him like a stranger—he doesn’t deserve that,” Ishika pleaded softly.
As she spotted Ayaan and Adhvika running around, Ishika excused herself and joined them, leaving Pari lost in her thoughts.
Pari’s lips trembled. The weight of guilt crushed her chest—she felt as though she had been the reason behind her Rey uncle’s family breaking apart. Her body shook as Ishika’s words echoed relentlessly in her mind:
“He isn’t bad, Pari. Maybe if you hadn’t misunderstood his love and care, he would have stayed with us. Let bygones be bygones. Don’t treat him like a stranger. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Ishaan walked into the living room and saw that Reyansh and Varun’s parents had returned from the garden. He took a seat beside Reyansh, who introduced him to Varun’s parents.
“Of course, we know Mr. Ishaan. Who doesn’t?” Varun’s father said warmly. “In fact, Varun is also working on a hotel project and has been looking for land. But unfortunately, it’s the same land Mr. Ishaan is interested in. I’ll speak to Varun and ask him to step back. You are our family now, and we can’t compete with family. Whether it’s Ishaan or Varun who builds the hotel on that land, it’s all the same—we are family.” He stressed each word, while Reyansh exchanged a knowing look with Ishaan, well aware of his intentions.
“We don’t usually bring up business during family day. But since you have started the discussion, why don’t we consider a partnership? Not entirely, but only for this particular hotel, after all, he is family now.” Ishaan suggested smoothly.
He had thrown the bait, and Varun’s father caught it instantly. A wide grin spread across his face at Ishaan’s words, and he immediately called Varun over to discuss it.
Varun sat beside his father, confused by his sudden excitement. When his father explained Ishaan’s offer, Varun shook his head.
“I don’t think this would be a good idea. I’m not sure Pari would like this partnership between us. I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable with anything I do that might affect our relationship,” Varun said firmly.
His father shot him a barely concealed glare, trying to hide his irritation. Reyansh and Ishaan struggled to hold back their laughter as they watched the scene play out before them.
” Varun, rejecting their offer is a bad idea. They are our family and they are doing this out of love for you. Its you who will be doing business. Pari will not interfere in it, she has her own business so you should consider this offer. Partnership with Rey group of hotels will be turning point in your business ” Varun’s father went on and on.
” Its just suggestion. Take your time, talk to Pari. I think she has a say in what you do in your life now. She has all the rights to decide for your future. I can hold the project for a while ” Ishaan said but Varun’s father interrupted him.
” Pari will understand and Varun will convince her. They are friends and there wouldn’t be any problem. ” Varun’s father was stubborn in convincing everyone. Finally Varun agreed to the offer but Ishaan wasn’t giving into it.
” Don’t get me wrong Varun. This is not about convincing. Its about respect to the life partner. She might agree to your decision but its about how you value her in your life. Still I won’t force you in your decisions or your values. If you are sure you could convince her then I have no problem ” Ishaan said and Varun cleared his throat.
” I will convince her ” Varun said and saw his father was so happy for his decision.
” Good. Next week we have the five year anniversary of Rey groups of hotels. I will inform my PA to send a personal invite. We shall sign the contract ” Ishaan said and extended his hand which Varun accepted.
Ishaan smirked and rose to his feet to leave and saw Pari who stood shocked.
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A/N:
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