It’s been two days since Ayaan saw the photo of the man after those long, three years. Two days he had been battling his emotions. Not wanting to trouble his family with anything related to him or his Zara, he told his mother he would stay at the villa he had built to spend time alone, drowning in thoughts of her.
He lay sprawled on his stomach on the bed, staring at the photo on the nightstand. He hadn’t slept in two days, his eyes burned with exhaustion, yet he forced himself to stay awake. He picked up the photo, kissed Zara’s cheek, and hugged it to his chest.
“Love you, baby. Why does she have your name? I hate her,” he mumbled, rolling onto his back and staring at the portrait on the wall. Zara’s smile beamed back at him, the flower wreath on her head framing her perfect face.
“Your smile is infectious, Zara. I miss you. Please come back to me,” he whispered, his body trembling as he screamed into the emptiness. The ache, both physical and mental, left him drained. Finally, he picked up the pills from the nightstand, swallowed them with water, and smiled at Zara before the medicine took hold and his eyes closed.
The dark sky outside mirrored the darkness he felt without her. He longed for the warmth of the morning sun, yet he knew Zara wouldn’t return, there would be no sunshine in his life.
At Zara’s apartment, she re-arranged her wardrobe and returned to the empty hall. She stood in the middle of the room she called home. The faint whir of the ceiling fan was the only sound surrounding her.
“I’m alone… completely alone. Why can’t I have a family I can call my own? Why is my fate cursed? I love Ayaan, but he would never love me because I’m not his Zara. If only I were his Zara, he would have loved me with his whole life. Why is our fate so cruel? Why was I even named Zara? Even if there’s a one percent chance he could fall for me, my name will ruin it. He would never love me…… this Zara who is in love with him. I’d do anything to make him fall for me, but I know it will never happen. Even if he doesn’t know I exist, I will love him for the rest of my life. Even if this loneliness kills me, I will bear it. I will live alone, watching him from afar and loving him with all my heart,” Zara whispered, spreading her arms and closing her eyes.
“I love you, Ayaan. I may not be your Zara, but my love for you is no less than anything in this world. I wish the universe gives me a chance to show you how much I love you. I would destroy this world and ruin myself just to let you know what you mean to me. Maybe in our next life, we’ll meet as different people and fall in love but I want you to fall for me, not just the name. You deserve to be loved, Ayaan. You deserve true love. You don’t deserve any of the pain you’ve endured,” she whispered, opening her eyes.
As if the universe had heard her prayers, a shooting star streaked across the sky from her balcony. She closed her eyes and prayed silently for her love.
“Give us a chance to find love together. He might be hard, but I won’t give up on us,” she murmured.
A lone tear escaped her eye as she returned to her room. She lay on the bed, but sleep was as elusive as always. She clasped Ayaan’s chain around her neck, held the pendant in her hand, and closed her eyes.
“I love you, Ayaan. I hope one day we will be together,” she whispered before drifting into a restless sleep.
The next day, Ayaan arrived at the office, impatient for updates from his CSO. More than 48 hours had passed, and he had yet to receive the full history of the woman who had crossed his path and ruined his sanity with the name same as his first love. His frustration was evident. His phone pinged with a notification from the guard assigned to watch her.
Nothing new. The same details he had been receiving for the past two days- she left her apartment, drove to the office, spoke only to her friend Shalini and the Finance lead, and returned home in the evening, shutting the door until the next morning. Like a programmed machine, her routine never changed, she never raised her head to acknowledge anyone.
He turned on the live CCTV feed and watched her start her work.
“So suspicious,” he muttered.
Just then, his PA entered with his coffee.
“Sir, it’s been two days since you canceled all your meetings. There are a few files that need your attention and some appointment requests that need to be replied to,” his PA said.
Ayaan gritted his teeth. “Remind me by noon. Now leave me alone,” he ordered, and his PA stepped out.
Ayaan picked up his mobile to call his CSO, only to see an incoming call from him already.
“Sir, I have all the details about the woman. Her name is Zara. She was left at an orphanage when she was five years old. There are no records about the person who left her, except a paper stating her father’s name as Ramkumar. She got employed at a small firm and two years later she quit her job without any reason and didn’t work anywhere for two months. Later, she returned to the same firm, claiming she hadn’t been well, and since she was efficient, she was reinstated. She continued to work for a year before She joined Rey’s Arcade. There have been no incoming or outgoing calls except from three people in the office. She hasn’t even visited the orphanage in the past three years. It’s as if she’s been living like an alien, completely alone. Her bank statements, credit cards, and debit cards show no anomalies,” the CSO reported.
Ayaan slammed his fist on the table in frustration. “What month did she quit the job? And what about the fucking DNA report?” Ayaan demanded, his heart thudding as he awaited the answer.
“Sir, she quit the job exactly the next day of the bomb blast that killed Madam Zara. And the DNA report… the report….. both DNA samples match perfectly they are father and daughter. I’m forwarding the complete details to you,” the CSO replied and Ayaan cut the call immediately.
“You fucking bitch, you’re the daughter of the man who killed my Zara, and I’ve been a fool, unaware of your existence in my own office” Ayaan screamed, slamming his fist on the table in fury.
“You quit your job the very next day my Zara was killed. I’m damn sure you had a hand in that blast. If you think you’re clever hiding inside my empire, you’re wrong. You don’t know me. I will tear down your façade and make you pay to expose the secret you’re hiding. I will go to any extent to avenge Zara,” he muttered, pacing and plotting his next move.
He let out a cold smirk, watching her from across the floor, leaning back in his chair for a moment. “Relax all you want… you’re only safe in your bubble. I will come for you in the most unexpected way… a way you would never imagine,” he whispered under his breath.
Then he called his PA and ordered his attention back to work.
Later in the evening, he instructed his PA. “We’re behind on quarterly numbers for the construction business. I want the reports cross-checked before the finance team leaves tonight.”
Following his orders, the PA sent an email to the finance team. Ayaan discreetly glanced at Zara’s cubicle. She checked the time on her watch and immediately focused on her work, her fingers typing rapidly as the cursor moved across files. One by one, the team finished their tasks and left the office, leaving only Zara and the Finance Head on the floor. Exactly how he wanted it.
Once the email was received, Ayaan informed the Finance Head to allow one assistant to stay back for any clarifications. Now, Zara was alone on the floor. Ayaan watched as she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, checking the time repeatedly, and refreshing her mailbox, unaware of the gaze tracking her every move.
Ayaan sent a message through his PA that she could leave and watched from his cabin CCTV feed, the corner of his lips curling upward as he watched her pack her bag.
“Good,” he murmured, picking up his phone.
He called his PA. “Stop the employee elevator for two minutes. Don’t let anyone else use it. I want her alone.”
Then he casually walked into his private elevator, pressing the button to halt at her floor. Once he got the confirmation that Zara had entered the elevator alone, he gave the next order.
“Now start them both. Make sure they hit the ground floor together.”
The game was set. Ayaan adjusted his cufflinks, smirking at the thought of the inevitable.
The two elevators slid open at the exact same moment with a soft chime. Zara, clutching her bag, stepped out quickly, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she hurried toward the parking lot. At the same time, Ayaan emerged from his private elevator.
In her rush, Zara didn’t notice him until she collided hard into his chest. The sudden impact made her lose balance, and she almost stumbled back. But before she could fall, Ayaan’s strong arm snaked around her waist, steadying her effortlessly.
Their eyes met for a fleeting second, hers wide with shock, his calm and unreadable, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. His grip on her waist lingered just a moment too long, and Zara’s breath hitched as she tried to compose herself.
“Careful,” Ayaan said in a low voice, his gaze not wavering.
Zara quickly stepped back, straightening her bag strap, trying to ignore the strange warmth that still lingered where his hand had been.
“I’m so sorry, sir… I—I was in a hurry and didn’t see you walk out of the elevator. Please forgive my clumsiness,” Zara almost stuttered. Ayaan cleared his throat.
“Mistakes happen, but be careful next time. Not everyone would hold you to save you from a fall,” he said.
Zara hummed and gripped the strap of her handbag tightly, trying to hide the way her hands were shaking.
Ayaan nodded and stepped back, letting her go first. He moved to the side where his cars were usually parked and, instead of his Rolls Royce, got into the SUV. Wearing a mask, he tossed his blazer onto the back seat and started following Zara at a safe distance.
Zara’s heart thudded in her chest. Ayaan’s touch still lingered in her mind, leaving her unable to feel either happy or scared.
She wasn’t sure if their meeting was coincidental, exactly three days after her presentation when she had accidentally revealed the photo.
” I hope this was accidental. He probably doesn’t remember me from that night. But what if he recognized me and this meeting was planned? Argh… he didn’t react like he knew me, so maybe I’m just being paranoid. Calm down, Zara, he didn’t recognize you. Just calm down” , she muttered to herself, failing to notice the SUV trailing her. It stopped only after she drove past the gate of her apartment.
Ayaan waited outside her apartment for a while, observing the surroundings, before finally driving back to his villa.
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A/N:
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