Everyone stared at Ayaan, shocked by the cold efficiency of the scheme, while Reyansh couldn’t help but smile with a quiet, proud satisfaction.
“Mom will step into politics, She’ll join the opposition party we’ve been funding for years. It’ll work in our favor.” Ayaan finished calmly.
His words nailed the final blow, and everyone shot to their feet in shock, especially Vaishu, who had never imagined being dragged back into politics again.
“No, I can’t, I’m still not over the guilt that I’m the reason our family suffered and had to go through all this. I don’t think I’ll be able to do this. Let’s think of something else.” Vaishu said firmly shaking her head but stopped suddenly, her eyes widening.
“Wait, what did you mean when you said we’ve been funding the opposition party?” she asked, shocked.
All the men exchanged glances. Ayaan moved to sit beside his mother and gently held her hand.
“Amma, first of all, please stop feeling guilty. You are not the reason any of this happened, we now know exactly who was behind everything. And about funding the party… after we got rid of Kabir and his father, the ex–head of the opposition, Ishaan bro felt it would be safer to keep the party under our influence rather than let someone else take over. We all agreed since it seemed like the smartest way to prevent future threats. So we continued funding them. And now, it’s actually going to help us.”
Vaishu looked at each of them, one by one, disbelief tightening her features. “You should have told me. We didn’t need any political party. And why didn’t you stop the funding when I quit politics?”
“Avi, we thought you just needed a break to get over the guilt and that eventually you’d come around to the idea of joining back. And with our business expanding across the world, we needed control in every sphere. It felt like the right decision.” Reyansh said, gently holding her other hand.
“But I publicly quit three years ago, what will it look like if I suddenly return to the very world I abandoned? People won’t trust me the way they once did. Please… let’s not think about this. We can find another way.” Vaishu argued, shaking her head.
“Mom, this will actually work. Please just listen,” Ayaan said, leaning forward with conviction.
“We’ll say you lost faith in the party because they started focusing on their own gain instead of the people. We’ll say you didn’t quit, you only stepped back to observe them. And now, after seeing enough, you want to fight for the people harder than ever.”
He paused, eyes unwavering. “This time, you won’t be alone. I’ll support you from the shadows… full-time.” he said and once again, everyone looked at him in shock that Ayaan, of all people, wanting to step into politics.
“What about the business?” Pari asked, concern clear in her voice.
Ayaan glanced at Zara with a soft smile.
“My wife will take over and I’ll back her completely. She has solid knowledge in business and finance. She won’t be alone, I’ll always be behind her. And Pari has equal expertise as me, so she can return to Rey’s Arcade. I’ll officially step down and let Zara and Pari together take the lead. I don’t think Ishaan bro would have any problem with Pari returning to Rey’s Arcade.”
The room fell into an eerie silence. Zara stared at him in absolute shock and Ayaan winked at her to snap her out of it.
“No… no… this can’t happen. Stop joking, Ayaan. Rey’s Arcade isn’t just a building. It manages twenty-seven businesses across Rey’s empire worldwide. You want me to take over a legacy with a turnover of 130 billion a year and this year it’s close to 135. Please stop dragging me into this.” Zara said, grabbing the glass from the side table and gulped down water.
Ishaan looked at Pari with his usual calm, loving smile. “I won’t force you, baby. I’ll be happy with whatever you decide.”
Pari took a deep breath. “I need some time to think about it.” she said.
“Zara is just overwhelmed, but she’s capable and I trust her. With Zara and Pari on board handling Rey’s empire, I can be fully active in politics with Mom,” Ayaan said firmly. Before Zara could protest, he shook his head slightly, telling her without words that the discussion would happen later.
“Why do you want to enter politics, Ayaan? You never liked it, you hated it back then too,” Vaishu asked, confusion lacing her voice.
“It’s not just politics, Mom. It’s about power… and revenge. No one messes with the Reys and walks away easily. And your dream to serve the people, that will come true. I’ll stand beside you. You are our pride. Your dream is ours, and we won’t let you step back, especially when someone was desperate to get rid of you. We’ll show them what the Reys are capable of. Trust me, we still have more than a year until the next election. That’s more than enough.” Ayaan replied, his tone calm but edged with fire.
He kissed his mother’s cheek softly.
“Mom, you have to do this, not just for yourself… but for the people who believed in your vision.” Ishaan said, crouching in front of her and held her hands.
Reyansh looked at his sons with unmistakable pride and patted Vaishu’s back. “Do it, Avi,” he said quietly.
Vaishu smiled at him, her eyes misty. “I will, Ansh,” she whispered.
Ayaan groaned dramatically. “Always your husband first. But this time, I’m the one standing next to you,” he said with a playful scoff.
Reyansh smirked. “Do whatever you want, you’ll never take my place.”
Zara watched their banter, a small smile pulling at her lips. For a moment, she wished she had a life as warm, steady, and full of love as Vaishu and Reyansh shared.
“Alright, now that Mom is on board, let’s begin with our plans. I’ll continue business as usual and start training Zara, until we start with our plans” Ayaan said, then turned to Mithun. “Uncle, you and Kajal aunty need to fly to Delhi. Speak to Grandpa privately. We need the relevant documents before Saanvi’s birthday.”
Mithun nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, boy. Everything will happen just the way you want.”
Ishaan switched off the jammers and called the staff back, the ones who had been sent away so the family could speak in private. Soon, everyone moved to the dining area for breakfast.
“We’re leaving after breakfast,” Ayaan said between bites.
Reyansh’s eyes immediately went to Zara, but she remained quiet.
“Ayaan, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Let Zara stay with us for a while. She needs her family around,” Vaishu said gently.
But Ayaan shook his head. “Mom, I’ll take care of her. And we’ll visit frequently. We just need some time… please understand.” he said and under the table, he held Zara’s hand, silently asking for her trust.
“Are you sure, Zara? You can stay with us as long as you want… even forever.” Reyansh asked softly.
“It’s okay, Papa. I think Ayaan is right… we need some time. But I’ll visit you all often. I can’t stay away from my family,” Zara said with a small smile and Ayaan quietly exhaled in relief.
After breakfast, Vaishu and Reyansh called Ayaan to their room while Zara played with Ved and Saanvi.
“Ayaan, I’m still angry about what you did, but I want to know what’s on your mind now. You know she’s innocent, so what is your stand?” Vaishu asked him, her voice firm but calm.
Ayaan took a deep breath. “Mom, I love her. Please don’t ask me how I fell in love with her so quickly, because I don’t have an answer. It just… happened. She made me fall for her, and I pretended to hate her only to get to the truth. I know I made a mess, but I trust my love… and her love for me. We’ll fix things between us. I’ll do anything, everything to win her trust. She deserves to hear it from me that I love her. So please… support me.” he said.
Vaishu nodded slowly. “I understand, Ayaan. But I want you to be clear about one thing, no matter what you do or how you try to win her back, I will stand by Zara’s decision. It’s not too late for you, but go forward only if you can love her with your whole heart.” She paused, her gaze sharpening.
“Now tell me… have you let go of your past? I know you can’t erase it from your heart or mind completely, but you can remove it physically. Keeping pieces of your past and expecting Zara to live with them would be cruel.” Vaishu said.
Ayaan swallowed hard, the guilt rising in his throat. “I’ve taken care of it, Mom,” he said quietly.
He left the room, and soon he and Zara stood beside the car. Vaishu hugged Zara tightly and kissed her forehead.
“No matter what happens, you will always be our daughter. You belong to this family. Choose what you want not for our sake. We will support you in any decision,” Vaishu said.
Reyansh hugged her as well before Zara stepped into the car with Ayaan, carrying their hopes and her own confusion in her heart.
The drive to the villa was wrapped in heavy silence. Once they reached their bedroom, Ayaan gently pulled Zara to sit beside him on the couch.
“Zara, I know this is a lot to take in all of a sudden. But trust me, you can do this. I’ll support you, and you will never be alone in it,” Ayaan said softly.
Zara took a slow breath. “Tell me the real reason you want to enter politics.”
Ayaan blinked, confused. “What do you mean? It’s the same reason I told everyone at the manor. I want to do this for Mom… and to show that no one messes with the Rey family.”
“So you’re not doing it because it was your girlfriend’s passion or to avenge her death ? ” she asked quietly.
Ayaan froze, stunned by her question. “No. Why would you think that? I haven’t thought about her or her passion. She is my ex-girl friend and this has nothing to do with her. This is about mom, our family. I can’t let someone destroy our peace and mom’s dream. But if you believe I’m doing this for her… I’ll step back. I’ll stay in the shadows and only support Mom.”
“No, Ayaan, do it for mom and for yourself. Just don’t ever regret choosing this path.” Zara said gently.
Ayaan’s shoulders relaxed slightly, a faint smile forming. “So… does that mean you’ll take over the business?”
“I don’t know if I can do it, but I think I owe you that much for all the losses that happened, even if indirectly because of me. But I have a condition. I’ll work… but I won’t own anything permanently. I don’t want you to regret your decision later.” she said and those words hit him where it hurt most.
“I know you don’t trust me yet, but I won’t regret it, wifey. I swear.” Ayaan replied.
Zara simply nodded and stood up to walk into the closet to change only to stop mid-step.
Her eyes widened in surprise and shock. The photo of his girlfriend… the one that had always been on the wall… was gone. She turned to the bed and the frame on the nightstand was missing too.
A jolt of shock ran through her. Slowly, she turned toward Ayaan.
He was sitting on the couch, pretending to scroll through his mobile, his expression carefully blank as if he hadn’t noticed her pause, as if nothing had changed.
Zara stood there silently, waiting… hoping he would say something, offer even a single explanation.
But he remained still, staring at his screen, breathing a little too calmly.
” What happened to him now? Is he feeling guilty ?
Did he remove it because he finally believes I’m innocent?
Or is it something else? ” Zara thought.
Confused and uncertain, she turned away and walked into the closet, her thoughts tangled and restless.
The rest of the day passed quietly, Zara immersed herself in reading, while Ayaan worked on his laptop. They had lunch and dinner together, exchanging only casual, surface-level conversations.
Later that night, Zara was lying on the bed when Ayaan walked in, eyes still on his phone.
“Zara, get ready in the morning. I have something planned,” he said and she simply nodded, no questions asked.
Ayaan set his phone on the nightstand and slipped into bed, spooning her gently from behind.
“Face me, Zara,” he murmured caressing her arm .
Reluctantly, she turned toward him and Ayaan pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, a faint smile touching his lips.
“Good night, Mrs. Ayaan,” he whispered and watched as she slowly closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry… I don’t deserve you. But please, forgive me,” he thought silently and for the first time in weeks, he drifted into a peaceful sleep.
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A/N:
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