Zara forced her legs to move, each step feeling heavier than the last. Leela was still speaking, unaware of the storm raging inside Zara, but the moment they reached the hall Zara’s heartbeat was thundering in her ears.
Ayaan looked up the second she approached the table and his smile faded instantly.
Her face was pale, her hands were trembling and her eyes were unfocused. Ayaan shot to his feet immediately on seeing her state.
“Zara?” he called softly trying not to capture the attention of anyone.
She lowered her gaze, trying to steady her breath, but Ayaan cupped her elbow firmly and guided her into her seat. His fingers stayed on her arm, tightening when he felt how cold she was.
“What happened?” he asked under his breath, eyes locked on her face.
Zara swallowed hard, “I… I’m fine,” she lied, her voice barely a whisper.
Ayaan’s jaw flexed. He leaned closer, his lips almost brushing her ear, “Don’t lie to me, does your leg hurt ? Lets leave, we don’t have to stay any longer ” he said and her breath hitched. Her fingers dug into her saree, trying to compose herself.
“Grandpa, Granny… I think we’ll take your leave now. I hope you don’t mind,” he said looking at Hari and Leela, who were engrossed in a conversation.
Hari Narayan and Leelavati rose immediately, hugging the couple with warmth before letting them go.
Ayaan wrapped an arm around Zara, holding her close as they walked out. Their fingers intertwined until they reached the car. The moment the doors shut, Ayaan raised the partition and unable to hold back anymore he pulled Zara onto his lap.
“What happened, Mrs. Ayaan?” he asked, his hand gently touching her leg.
But Zara instantly moved away, slipping out of his arms and leaned against the window, her face turned away from him. The rejection stabbed him sharply, his jaw flexed, irritation simmering just beneath his skin but more than his heart ached. He pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration and concern warring inside him.
“Why can’t I just mind my own damn business?” he muttered under his breath, giving her the space she so clearly needed.
The drive was painfully silent.
When they reached the bungalow, Ayaan didn’t wait another second. He marched into their room, shut the door hard and spun Zara around to face him. His fingers gripped her chin, his eyes blazing.
“What is your problem? Why don’t you open your damn mouth? Or is this another one of your plans to manipulate me?” he yelled to trigger her.
That was the last straw and Zara shoved him hard, her patience finally snapping.
“You are my fucking problem. Tell me, are you insane? You wanted my truth… my intentions… and when I lay them bare, raw and bleeding, you don’t believe a word.” Zara screamed, her voice breaking under the weight of everything she had held inside.
Her chest rose and fell, her breath trembling.
“You wanted revenge on the person who killed your girlfriend. Fine. But when I tell you everything I know, you refuse to believe it. Your obsession with punishing me blinds you, Ayaan. You only want to hurt me. That’s your ultimate goal.”
Tears streamed down her face as anger turned into devastation.
“So tell me, why should I tell you what bothers me? Why should I share anything? Whatever I say, you won’t believe me anyway. So stay the hell away from me, Mr. Ayaan Rey Badrinath.”, she screamed, her voice cracked on his name as she collapsed onto the edge of the bed, her entire body trembling from the outburst and the fear she had been swallowing for days.
Ayaan froze, he shrugged off his blazer and tossed it onto the bed, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on her shaking form. Slowly, almost cautiously he stepped closer. He crouched in front of her, gently lifted her chin until her eyes met his.
Before Ayaan could utter a word, Zara broke down completely. Her sobs tore through the room as she whispered, “I saw him today…”
Her hands trembled violently as she dug into her clutch and pulled out her mobile. She opened the gallery and held the phone out to him with shaking fingers.
Ayaan leaned closer, his brows drawing together when he saw the image, a man dressed like a waiter.
“I’ve seen him before…I have seen him talk to one of the men who kidnapped me. He didn’t know I saw him. They were talking outside the room and the door was slightly open… I was able to him through the gap.” Zara muttered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Ayaan’s senses sharpened instantly. He took the mobile from her and transferred the picture to his mobile within seconds, and immediately dialed his CSO.
“I’ve sent you a photo, he was seen earlier at the Internal Affairs Minister’s daughter’s reception. I want every CCTV footage from the venue. Trace him. Quietly. This is highly confidential, do you understand? I don’t want assumptions, I don’t want theories. I want him. If he was present at that party… there is more going on than any of us realize. Find him.” Ayaan said the moment the call connected, his voice clipped and dangerous.
He cut the call without waiting for a reply and his focus shifted entirely to Zara, who was still shaking, still struggling to breathe evenly.
He pulled her up gently, wiped her tears with his thumbs, and guided her toward the closet. “Get changed. We’ll sleep. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. My men will find him, even if he runs to the edge of the earth.”
He turned to leave, giving her space… but her voice stopped him cold.
“Does this mean… you believe me?” she asked.
Ayaan froze mid-step, then leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. His eyes softened, but his pain was still etched deep.
” I wouldn’t say I believe you, nor would I say I don’t, but can you really blame me? If you were in my place, would you trust so easily? Do you think my pain is something I can forget overnight?” he asked quietly.
His voice faltered just slightly for the first time. “I lost the woman I dreamed of spending my future with. We had plans, we were one step away from beginning a new chapter when she was ripped away from me… brutally. My mother… she was the strongest political leader this country has seen. She was supposed to be Prime Minister. She has poured twenty years of her life in serving in the people of the nation, she dreamt of giving them a better life. But she couldn’t move forward, not after believing her career cost her son his future. You’ve given me a lead today, thank you for that. Get changed Mrs. Ayaan, we need rest. If this lead takes us closer to the truth we would need strength for what’s coming.” He said and walked out closing the door behind him softly.
Zara sank onto the couch, tears slid down her cheeks, this time not from fear, but from the weight of her pain and her hope.
“Why did you come back for me after all those years? You wouldn’t have been forced into this mess if you weren’t blackmailed… because of me. I don’t know if you’re alive, Papa… but today, for the first time, I feel like God showed me some mercy. I hope this man leads us to the truth for Ayaan’s sake. I don’t deserve this pain nor does Ayaan. I hope you are alive papa ” she whispered to the empty room.
She wiped her face, steadied her breath and walked into the washroom to freshen up.
Ayaan woke up in the morning to find Zara still asleep in his arms. For a long, quiet moment, he simply watched her. A soft strand of hair had fallen across her face which he gently brushed it aside, his fingers lingering longer than necessary.
“I didn’t expect things to end up this way between us… and I really wish everything you told me would be true and that you were truly innocent. I shouldn’t be affected by you… by your pain, your tears but your pain and tears affect me. You shouldn’t be my peace but you are. I should stay away from you but I can’t. Things weren’t supposed to go this deep… but they have. And for the first time, I don’t see a way out of this. Maybe I don’t want a way out ” He exhaled heavily and kissed her forehead before he slipped out of bed.
He got ready quickly and returned to the room, giving her a gentle shake. ” Zara, get up and get ready,” he said softly.
Zara got ready and stepped out of the room since Ayaan was engrossed in his laptop. Thirty minutes later, as he paced the room waiting for the CSO’s call, Zara re-entered, carrying a tray.
Ayaan blinked. “You cooked?” he asked, surprised.
Zara simply nodded and placed the plates before him. She served him poha and poured juice into the glass without meeting his eyes. Ayaan ate silently until his phone blared. His posture stiffened immediately and he immediately picked the mobile and answered it.
“Did you get him?” he asked in urgency and his tone sharp.
“Yes, sir. We got him, but we need to move fast before someone notices he’s missing.” the CSO replied.
“Bring him here immediately,” Ayaan ordered without hesitation. He ended the call and looked up to find Zara already watching him with fear, hope and dread all mingling in her eyes. He gave a squeeze to her hand and Zara closed her eyes nodding her head.
Two hours later, Ayaan’s phone buzzed again.
“Sir, we’ve arrived. We’re waiting in the garage,” the CSO informed and Ayaan shot to his feet, ready to storm out, when Zara grabbed his wrist.
“Please… let me come with you. I deserve to know the truth too.” she said and Ayaan hesitated but then he gave a short nod. They walked together to the garage with their fingers interlaced.
The moment the door opened, Zara froze on seeing the man tied to a metal chair, wrists bound, face already bruised from resistance. The CSO stood beside him, expression flat, waiting for orders.
Ayaan didn’t waste a second. He strode forward and slammed his fist into the man’s jaw. The man screamed, spitting blood, but Ayaan grabbed his collar and yanked his head up.
He pulled Zara closer, placing her right beside him so the man had no choice but to see her.
“You remember her? Almost six years ago she was kidnapped by a group of men and you were seen with them. ” Ayaan snarled and delivered another brutal punch, snapping the man’s head to the side.
“Who are you? Why did you kidnap her? Whom do you work for?” he roared and Zara stood trembled beside him, her breath turned shallow.
“Sir… I don’t remember seeing her, but I can tell you what I know.” the man stammered.
Ayaan folded his arms gritting his teeth while Zara stood stiff beside him.
The man swallowed hard and continued, “It was my brother… he was the one doing illegal work for politicians. He used his influence and got me a job with a catering company that serves only ministers and celebrities. I kept telling him to stop all his shady work, but he never listened.”
“Six years ago, my wife told me he had kidnapped a girl… that she was kept in a place near my house. I went there to confront him, to stop him from doing something stupid. But I never saw any girl. He refused to listen as always so I left. I didn’t want to stay anywhere near his crimes. I moved to Delhi soon after. The caterer I worked for got me a job here. Three years later, I got news that he died in a road accident. I returned to Chennai for the last rites.”
Ayaan’s anger simmered under the surface. Zara couldn’t breathe.
“I swear, sir… I know nothing else. But he has some of his belongings in his house in Chennai, the same place where the girl was kept. Maybe… maybe you’ll find something useful there. I can take you there ” the man said pleading in pain with tears.
Then Ayaan turned to his CSO, “Send a message from his phone to his manager, tell them he’s taking leave for a personal emergency. Make everything look normal. This man and his family will return to Chennai on the next available train. No mistakes. Get the address. We’re visiting that place tomorrow.” Ayaan ordered sharply.
” Yes Sir ” the CSO replied and Ayaan grabbed Zara’s hand and walked out of the garage, his grip firm, protective yet his mind was a storm.
“Do you remember the place where you were held hostage? How did you escape?” Ayaan asked the moment they returned to the room, his voice was low but urgent.
Zara sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling slightly. “I don’t know where it was… they took me to a place where my father was being held hostage. When those men tried to harass me, I smashed a bottle over one of their heads. He started bleeding and their attention shifted to him. I moved toward my father to free him, but he shook his head, urging me to escape so I ran. ” she said and her breath hitched as she continued.
” I ran for my life, but one of them spotted me and started chasing me. I had no idea where I was, I just kept running, blindly, terrified. And then… I got hit by your car.”
” Is that the reason you moved into the apartment ? ” Ayaan asked and Zara nodded her head.
” I didn’t want to leave and wait for my father to somehow escape them and come for me but it wasn’t just about me and my father. I lived in a orphanage and my presence could have costed the life of all those children. So I shifted to the apartment immediately. My father knew my mobile number so I waited every single day hoping he would call me, hoping he would ‘d tell me everything was fine ” Zara whispered.
Ayaan exhaled slowly, processing every word. Then he nodded once. ” Relax now and get some rest. We’re leaving early in the morning.” he said and took a long breathe.
Zara simply hummed in response, her eyes drifting to the floor, fear, hope and exhaustion swirling within her.
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A/N:
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