Ishaan woke up to find Pari curled into his bare chest, their legs entangled. His shirt hung loosely on her, revealing her collarbone and a teasing glimpse of cleavage. Ishaan cleared his throat, adjusted the shirt gently over her, and pressed his lips to her forehead. He noticed the slight curve of her lips and realized she was awake, just pretending to sleep to tease him.
Smirking, Ishaan nuzzled into her neck and began peppering kisses.
“Bad girl, starting your game already?” he whispered.
Pari gasped when he pressed his bulge against her. Flustered, she pushed him away and dashed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Ishaan knocked playfully, but she refused to open.
He paced around the room with a smile until, a few minutes later, Pari walked out with her face freshly washed and her hair tied in a high bun. Ishaan immediately pulled her by the waist and leaned in for a kiss, but Pari placed her palm between their lips.
“Dirty Ishu, brush your teeth first. Let’s go out, I want to see the garden,” she said with a mischievous grin.
Groaning, Ishaan headed into the washroom. Later, hand in hand, they stepped outside. Pari’s eyes widened at the sight of the flowers and lush greenery surrounding the cottage. Ishaan clicked pictures of her, winking playfully.
“You look damn sexy in my shirt, babe. God, I don’t think I can wait any longer. Shall we just get married today, right now?” Ishaan asked and Pari stood frozen at his words before playfully slapping his chest.
“Ishaan, we need our family,” she scolded gently.
He nodded, pulling her close and crashing his lips onto hers. After enjoying the garden and a little more romance, they decided to head back to the bungalow. Changing out of the outfits from the previous night, they got dressed in fresh clothes and Ishaan drove them back to the bungalow.
Pari wore a breezy summer gown and waited for Ishaan, who walked out in shorts and a T-shirt. She caught his hand, slipping a small jewel box into his palm. Ishaan recognized it immediately—it was the same one he had gifted her on their engagement day.
Pari showed her hand, and Ishaan picked the bracelet from the box. He clasped it around her wrist and kissed her knuckles.
“This is so beautiful, Ishaan. Thank you so much,” Pari said, hugging him tightly.
“I bought this back from London. The moment I saw it, it reminded me of you and it looks perfect on you,” Ishaan mumbled, stroking her back. They spent some time watching a movie, had lunch together, and by evening, they decided to return home.
When they arrived at Rey’s manor, both their families had gathered for the Sunday dinner. On seeing Pari and Ishaan, everyone gushed over their chemistry. They joined the table, shared dinner, and later moved to the garden for their usual coffee night.
Rey and Vaishu, as always, sipped their hot chocolate—a habit they had never given up even after years. Everyone else had their own favorite drink, chatting about life, teasing one another, and filling the air with laughter. Rey, Mithun, Vaishu, and Kajal felt their family had finally found peace.
Pari then cleared her throat, drawing all eyes to her. Slowly, she raised her hand, showing the sparkling ring, before glancing at Ishaan beside her. Everyone squealed in delight, and Ishika, Adhvika, Ayaan, and Zara rushed forward, pushing Pari and Ishaan down onto the grass in a shower of hugs. After what felt like hours of joy, they finally dispersed to their rooms. Later that night, Ishaan sneaked into Pari’s room, unable to resist being close to her.
Two days later, Varun kept trying to reach Pari, but her mobile went unanswered. Frustrated, he tried Mithun, and after nearly a hundred calls, Mithun finally picked up.
“Uncle, I’ve been trying to reach Pari and you for the past two days. You stopped me from meeting her because of public attention, but at least let me talk to her. How is she? I’m worried about her,” Varun went on and on until Mithun stopped him.
“Varun, I think Pari must have put her phone on silent mode. I couldn’t answer earlier because I was busy. She’s doing fine, don’t worry. Right now, we’re in Delhi for her treatment. We’ll return this weekend, and you can call her then, before you plan to meet her,” Mithun said calmly.
Varun hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice.
“Uncle… Ishaan has withdrawn the collaboration. My business started falling apart right after that. Can you please talk to him? I need this business… to take care of Pari.”
Mithun smirked and glanced at Reyansh, who cared little about Varun.
“I’ll try, Varun, but no promises. I need to get back to Pari. I’ll talk to you later,” Mithun said before cutting the call. He turned to Reyansh, Ishaan, and Ayaan.
“Bloody greedy bastard. He wants our billions and thinks we’re dumb enough to believe every act he puts on,” Mithun muttered, sipping the wine from his flute.
Ishaan stood before the board where dozens of pictures and scribbled notes had been pinned. His jaw tightened.
“But still… he’s the smart one here. It’s been years, and we still haven’t found the one behind that old woman who started all this. Whoever he is, he’s extremely clever. He knows everything about us—how we work, how we track. All our efforts—our trackers, hackers, PIs, the bugs we planted in Varun’s and that old woman’s houses—brought us nothing,” Ishaan said, frustrated, before punching the board.
Reyansh’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer.
“He’s the only enemy who’s been playing smart. Did you notice something? He hasn’t harmed us all these years. It’s like he’s waiting—waiting to strike something big. And his target is definitely not Pari. That’s why he’s been watching from behind, staying calm.” Reyansh drew a big question mark in the middle of the board.
“Let him play. We’ll wait until he’s ready to strike,” Ishaan said. Reyansh and Mithun both nodded in agreement.
That weekend, Varun finally called Pari, informing her that he wanted to meet. Pari messaged Ishaan, who immediately told her to meet him only at home. Pari followed his instructions.
The next day, Varun arrived at Mithun’s bungalow. Mithun asked one of the maids to inform Pari of Varun’s arrival. A few minutes later, Pari stepped into the living room and smiled politely at Varun.
“You look good, Pari. How are you doing? How’s your pain now?” Varun asked, expecting Pari to sit next to him, but instead she sat beside Mithun and placed her mobile on the tea table in front of her.
“I’m doing good, Varun. Having the best time at home. It feels nice to rest, and my family has been taking such good care of me,” Pari said, and Mithun ruffled her hair affectionately.
Just then, Mithun received a call and stepped out, leaving them alone. Pari excused herself to get some water, and at that very moment, her mobile began pinging with continuous notifications.
“Pari, your phone keeps pinging with notifications,” Varun said, eyeing it curiously.
Pari smirked, playing along with Ishaan’s plan.
“Oh, can you check what it is? I’ll be back in a minute,” she replied and slipped behind the kitchen wall, listening carefully.
Varun was stunned to find her phone unlocked, without any password. He brushed off the thought and opened the notification—only to freeze in shock. There were pictures of him and Meghna, sent from a private number. His face went pale, his hands trembled as he quickly deleted the photos.
Pari gritted her teeth, then casually returned to the living room.
“Who was it?” she asked.
Varun hesitated, thinking fast. “Nothing important, just spam. I deleted it,” he said.
Pari widened her eyes in surprise.
“Are you sure? I never get spam on my phone. Let me check—” she reached for her mobile, but Varun quickly stopped her.
“I deleted it, Pari. Leave it. Now, let’s talk for a while. We’ve met after such a long time,” Varun insisted, and Pari, already sensing where this conversation would head, nodded lightly.
They were served fresh juice, and Varun finally leaned forward.
“Ishaan said you’ve decided to quit business?”
“I already have. I handed over everything to Ayaan. He’ll be running it from now on,” Pari said firmly.
Varun’s smile faltered for a brief moment, though he quickly masked his disappointment and frustration.
“Yeah… you’re right. You need to rest well,” he said smoothly before lowering his voice. “But are you aware Ishaan withdrew the collaboration? I’ve been trying to reach him, but even his PA doesn’t answer my calls. My business is falling apart, Pari. And now you’ve given up your business too… with mine collapsing, our future isn’t safe. You should have talked to me before deciding this. I would’ve helped you. We could’ve even appointed Meghna to support you, instead of handing everything over. Now, I don’t know what to do. I feel stuck… like there’s no way out.”
“Varun, all these years we never spoke about business—neither mine nor yours. We were just best friends. But suddenly, it seems like you’re more interested in my business than in me.”
Varun looked shocked at the sudden change in her tone and tried to interrupt, but Pari raised her hand, stopping him.
“I’m not done yet. What if I didn’t belong to a billionaire family? Would you still have proposed to me? What would you have done if I had no powerful background? I’ve made it very clear—I have nothing to do with Ishaan’s business. You brought this upon yourself, Varun. Rey’s business belongs to Ayaan. If there’s any way I could help you through him, let me know, and I’ll think about it.”
Varun felt the shift in her tone, her attitude, her body language—everything about her was different from how she usually behaved with him.
“What is it I’m missing? Did she find out something?” Varun thought, though he never dropped his facade.
“Are you upset with something? You seem… changed,” Varun said carefully.
Pari folded her arms, her eyes sharp. “You never told me you had a grandmother, and yet she was at the hospital, demanding business in return for our wedding. I don’t think this will work, Varun. I need time to think.”
Varun froze in shock, then quickly rushed to her and held her hand.
“Pari, I’m sorry if my grandma’s words hurt you, but please don’t do this. I love you, Pari. I’ll do anything for you. I don’t need business or collaboration. We’ll get married—I’m ready to leave everything behind for you. If you think my family wants your money, I’ll leave them and come to you forever. I’ll start a business from scratch for our future.”
“Okay. Do that,” Pari said instantly.
Varun’s throat tightened, his words stuck. Pari smirked, knowing she had outplayed him this time, and walked out, leaving him alone in the living room.
She entered her room and immediately called Ishaan. He picked up on the very first ring.
“Hi, love. Did everything go well?” Ishaan asked, and Pari hummed in response.
“He’s ready to leave his family and stay with me forever. Lied through his teeth about starting a business from scratch. He thinks I’m a fool. I know very well now—he just wants to get married, play husband, and live off me. What a greedy bastard… and how foolish I was to fall for his tricks. I hate myself for it, and I hate him even more.” Pari’s voice was sharp with frustration.
“Calm down, Pari. He’s not worth your time or even your anger. Get dressed and go out with Ishika, Adhvika, and Zara. Meet me at my penthouse tonight. I want sweet kisses and happy cuddles, it’s been three days,” Ishaan said softly, making her blush.
She ended the call and stepped into her closet. Pulling open the wardrobe, her eyes immediately fell on the red dress, the one from her dream. Without a second thought, she slipped it on.
“Let’s see if I can recreate my dream. Time to tease my man a little,” Pari whispered with a wink at her reflection before walking out to call Ishika.
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