Hi everyone,
I just wanted to clear up the confusion, though I’ve made this clear in the past chapters. The Zara from the past is dead, and the Zara in this story is an entirely different woman. I will be subtly dropping hints about her truth throughout. To make things clearer, I’ll refer to the Zara from the past as his girlfriend, while the name Zara will only refer to the woman who is alive and present in the story, the one Ayaan intends to seek revenge on.
Thank You
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Ayaan woke up feeling slightly better. He had hardly slept ever since he saw the photo of the man with Zara in the meeting, and for the first time, he managed to get some rest, which made him feel better. He refreshed quickly and, first thing, opened his laptop, expecting an email from the Finance Lead. As anticipated, three profiles had been sent and Zara’s was among them.
He ignored the other profiles and opened Zara’s. She had impressive knowledge, and the Finance Lead had strongly recommended her. Ayaan smirked and satisfied, his plan to draw her into his trap was unfolding perfectly. He opened her photo attached to the profile, and she looked completely professional, with no trace of a smile.
“Too much practice spying on me, huh? Surely you must be thrilled at being my PA for the next three months. Let me keep you under a little stress before I reveal that you’re my choice,” he murmured with a devilish smirk.
Meanwhile, Zara, who had stayed awake all night, felt a mixture of curiosity and dread. She prayed that Ayaan wouldn’t choose her. She barely touched her toast before deciding to head to the office since she couldn’t miss even a glimpse of him, no matter what. The tension on her face was unmistakable.
She rushed to her car, tossed her handbag onto the passenger seat, and slid into the driver’s seat. After a deep breath and unbuckling her seatbelt, she closed her eyes for a moment, holding the steering wheel.
“You’re fine, Zara. He won’t choose you. He won’t pick someone with the same name as his dead girl friend. He’d hate calling that name for someone else. Relax… everything will be fine,” she whispered to herself, repeating the words like a mantra.
She drove to office and taking a long, exaggerated breath, she stepped out of the car and made her way to the spot where Ayaan’s car usually parked. Her face relaxed when she saw he hadn’t arrived yet. She waited by the side of the building for a while before heading into the lobby and settling onto the couch with her laptop open, though her eyes kept drifting toward the entrance. The receptionist, used to seeing her by now, passed a small smile and continued with her work.
Zara looked at the time on her watch and tapped her heels restlessly against the floor, but that caught the attention of a few employees passing by. She quickly stopped and pressed her forehead, cursing herself.
“Relax, Zara. He might be stuck in traffic, he’ll arrive any moment,” she murmured, waiting another thirty minutes. Her face began to show visible stress. Just then, her mobile rang, it was her head calling. She quickly answered and confirmed she had arrived. She packed her laptop into her bag and walked toward the elevator, stealing one last glance at the entrance.
Inside the elevator, she leaned against the mirror and closed her eyes. A lone tear escaped, and she quickly wiped it away before it could reach her cheek.
Ayaan, who had been watching her since she parked her car, smirked, stretching his arms over the headrest of the couch.
“Why was she crying? Maybe I don’t have to work so hard then,” he murmured. He closed his laptop and walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Sitting on the stool, he took a bite of toast and sipped some orange juice.
“Ayaan, you should drink orange juice,”
“Zara, please let me have an apple or anything else. I don’t want that tangy taste in the morning. All fruits are healthy, so why only orange?”
“Because oranges contain more vitamins than your apple. They keep you healthy.”
“I hate orange juice, but I’ll have this only for you. Argh! God, please banish all the oranges from the planet,” he muttered.
Ayaan smiled, eyeing the remaining juice in the glass as he reminisced his past moment with his first love. He took another bite of toast to counter the tangy taste. Later, he called his PA to check if the gifts had been delivered to the manor and smiled, imagining the look on Ved’s face when he would see them. He stood on the balcony for a while, overlooking the garden, before returning to his study to continue his work.
At the office, Zara reached her cubicle, placed her bag down, and hurried to the finance head’s cabin. She crossed her fingers behind her back and stepped inside.
“Sir, is there any news from the boss? I mean, whom has he chosen to work for him?” she asked, trying to sound casual, and waited for his response. He shook his head.
“No, Zara. He hasn’t confirmed yet. I heard from his PA that he’ll be working from home for two days, so we’ll have to wait for his decision. I’ll let you know. He certainly needs time to choose the right person who’ll work for him. After all, he’s the great CEO of Rey’s Empire and would be careful in his selection.”
Zara nodded and returned to her cubicle.
The next evening, the ballroom of Ishaan’s hotel was beautifully decorated with a floral theme. Flowers of every color transformed the room into a fairytale garden. A chocolate fountain and a kids’ play area including Cinderella, Elsa, Snow White, and Marvel characters amazed every child who arrived with their parents. Special welcome gifts and treats were distributed, while the family struggled to contain their laughter at Ved’s excitement, his gaze constantly drifting to the entrance as he talked to his friends about the party. Meanwhile, the family’s eyes also drifted toward the entrance, eagerly awaiting Ayaan’s arrival.
“Are we waiting for the arrival of our future daughter-in-law?” Ishaan muttered and Pari gasped, clutching her chest, but Ishaan just shrugged and pointed toward Ved, who was bouncing with impatience.
“Like father, like son,” Pari said, and Ishaan winked at her.
Just then, the door opened, and Ayaan entered, wearing a hoodie and jeans. Vaishu and Reyansh rushed to him, embracing him in a hug. Ayaan smiled warmly at their affection and kissed his mother on the cheek.
Ved, on his toes with excitement, ran toward Ayaan, who picked him up and twirled him in the air.
“Happy birthday, buddy. My munchkin has grown up into a big boy now,” Ayaan said, hugging him tightly.
“Ayaan uncle, where are my gifts?” Ved asked, pouting. Ayaan almost pretended to forget, but before Ved could cry, he called Rohan. He walked in, followed by a few men carrying heaps of gifts. Ved squealed in delight and planted kisses on Ayaan’s cheeks.
Ayaan gently set him down, and Ved ran toward the mini jeep that awaited him. Ayaan followed, helping him get inside. Ved squealed with excitement as he started driving it.
“Ayaan uncle, this model is so cool. I love it” Ved exclaimed, driving toward Ishaan and Pari, who were smiling not just at their son, but at Ayaan as well, who now looked like the old, cheerful Ayaan from the past.
Ved stopped the jeep in front of Ishaan, and Ishaan quickly clicked a photo with Ayaan beside him, both smiling for the camera. Ved hopped down and noticed his friend had arrived. He quickly got back into the jeep and drove to the entrance of the ballroom. Holding the little girl’s hand, he helped her sit next to him, which made everyone gasp.
Ayaan rolled his eyes and glanced at Ishaan and his family, who were still in shock at the sight of Ved driving his new little friend into the room.
“His cheeks are literally red, look at him, the complete mini Ishaan and Reyansh rolled into one,” Mithun mumbled, watching his grandson.
Ved stopped the jeep and jumped down first, rushing to the girl’s side to help her. She jumped and smiled cutely at the family, who were looking at her adoringly. Ved was still holding her hand, and his friends had gathered around them.
“Daddy, this is my friend Ruhi,” Ved said with a shy smile he couldn’t hide. Ishaan and Pari crouched down in front of the little wonders and hugged them. Ishaan pinched Ruhi’s cheek affectionately, and Pari kissed her on the cheek.
“Hello Ruhi, you look so beautiful,” Pari said. Ved didn’t hesitate to reply, “Yes, mamma, she’s very beautiful…..just like you.”
Everyone burst out laughing. Ishaan and Pari then greeted Ruhi’s parents, welcoming them to the party.
Everyone moved toward the table where the cake was placed. Ishaan and Pari stood on either side of Ved. Ishaan carried his little angel Saanvi, who was curious, her eyes drifting toward the dolls scattered around the room. Ved cut the cake, and Ishaan and Pari fed him first. Ved then fed everyone, smiling at Ruhi as he did so.
Ayaan coughed, glancing at Ishaan, and soon they all gasped as Ved fed Saanvi a piece of cake. She smiled, clutching a gift she had received.
Ayaan took Saanvi from Ishaan, kissed her cheeks, and moved to a table, settling her on his lap. The whole family averted their gaze toward Ayaan, who was smiling as he played with Saanvi.
Ayaan looked at Rohan who handed him a huge doll. Saanvi squealed with delight and hugged it tightly, and Ayaan continued playing with her. Reyansh and Vaishu couldn’t help but linger on Ayaan, capturing his smile that they knew would vanish the moment he left the ballroom.
Vaishu, holding a plate of dinner, sat beside Ayaan while Reyansh sat on the other side. Ayaan smiled at them, already anticipating that his mother would feed him.
“It’s good to see you smile, Ayaan. I wish this smile stays forever,” Vaishu murmured, continuing to feed him.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t drown myself anymore. You’ll only see me smile from now on. Happy?” Ayaan replied with a cheerful grin. Reyansh immediately hugged him, ruffling his hair. Ayaan groaned and straightened his hair, looking at Vaishu, who was waiting to feed him next.
Ishaan, Adhvika, Ishika, and Pari watched them, and soon everyone joined the table. Vaishu brought more plates and started feeding the family until Saanvi cried for attention. Ishaan immediately picked her up, kissing her cheeks.
“My princess is jealous,” he said, trying to coax her.
Later Ishaan let Reyansh hold Saanvi and moved to attend to the guests. They handed out lots of gifts to Ved’s friends, giving special ones to Ruhi before Ved reluctantly let her leave the party.
One by one, the guests departed, leaving only the family behind.
“Will you return home, Ayaan?” Vaishu asked, her eyes hopeful. Ayaan nodded, pulling her into a warm embrace. Vaishu patted his back gently, her gaze shifting to Reyansh, who was already looking at her with quiet affection.
With their guards and escorts in place, the family departed in their cars. Ishaan and Pari chose to stay in their suite at the hotel, enjoying a brief respite from the festivities.
Ayaan, along with Reyansh and Vaishu, reached the manor first. Once inside, he retired to his room, where Rohan had already delivered his laptop and personal belongings since he had planned this return meticulously.
Switching on his laptop, Ayaan opened the surveillance footage sent by his security team. A slow smile curved his lips as he watched Zara leaving office, her expression almost as if she had been defeated in a silent war. In the parking lot footage, she glanced repeatedly toward the direction of Ayaan’s car, unaware of the observer in the shadows.
Another clip revealed the corridor of her apartment. Zara opened the door to receive a grocery delivery, looking effortlessly stunning in a loose T-shirt, her hair tied in a high bun. Ayaan’s eyes lingered on her every movement, and he found himself entranced, captivated by her unaware elegance.
The screen froze on that moment, but Ayaan didn’t turn away. He continued watching, lost in thought, until exhaustion claimed him. Leaning back against the headboard of his bed, he finally drifted into sleep, the image of Zara lingering in his mind like a haunting promise.
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A/N
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