The next update Chapter 53 will be published between 12.00 to 12.15 p.m. today.
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The security guard opened the car door and Ayaan stepped out first before helping Zara to get down carefully. Behind them, Reyansh, Vaishu and Ishaan exited their own car. Inside the home, Ayaan held Zara’s hand and guided her to the couch and helped her sit down slowly before he instructed the maid to bring juice for everyone immediately.
“Sir, the nurse arrived this morning. I’ve allotted the guest room on the ground floor for her. Everything has been arranged as you instructed,” the home manager informed and Ayaan nodded in acknowledgment.
When the maid returned with the tray of juice, Ayaan immediately picked up a glass for Zara. He held it for her and gently helped her drink, making sure she didn’t strain herself.
” You should rest now,” Ayaan said to Zara and she immediately looked at Reyansh, Vaishu and Ishaan. Ayaan understood her thoughts and smiled at her.
“They’ll be here when you wake up, so don’t worry,” Ayaan assured her. She nodded and rose from the couch, but before she could even take a step, Ayaan scooped her into his arms, refusing to let her climb the stairs.
Once again, he hissed softly and pain flashed across his face when Zara’s palm rested against his chest on reflex but he masked it with a quick smile before she could question him. He ascended the stairs, nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and gently laid her on the bed. He pulled the duvet over her and smiled softly.
“I’ll stay until you fall asleep,” he murmured and settled beside her.
Zara remained silent and closed her eyes. Ayaan’s fingers twitched and he wanted to hold her, stroke her hair, do anything to comfort her but he didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. Instead, he quietly played a piece of calming music through the speaker.
“I read that music like this helps relax the mind during pregnancy, but tell me if you don’t like it. I’ll turn it off.” he whispered and Zara shook her head faintly, letting the soft melody wash over her. Within minutes, her breathing steadied into sleep.
Only after making sure she was completely asleep did Ayaan step out. When he returned to the living room, a nurse in her early forties stood waiting nervously.
“I hope you clearly understand your role here. You’ll be provided with everything you need. You will check on my wife regularly, monitor her carefully and report to me directly. Is that clear?” Ayaan asked in a firm voice.
“Yes, sir,” she answered quickly and Ayaan dismissed her.
He called his family to his study and Sameer followed them carrying a thick file. Once the door was locked, Ayaan revealed everything Advik had told him.
“Dad, try to recall who could be powerful enough to come after us even after three decades. We need a complete list of your enemies from the time you expanded the business. We’re not taking chances anymore. No matter how small or unlikely the suspicion is, we’re including everyone in the list.” Ayaan said and Reyansh groaned and his jaw clenched as he forced his mind back through years of alliances, betrayals and hidden rivalries.
“Sir, I have the report on the man Advik was supposed to meet in Brazil. He was a distant relative of Prathap, the late party head of our party. Unfortunately, the man was found dead in his home the very next day after we kidnapped Advik. He lived alone and there are no records of any immediate family. The police have labelled it a natural death and no one has come forward to claim the body. The embassy informed his extended family in India but they denied having any connection with him.” Sameer said, passing the file across the table.
Shock rippled through the room hearing his words.
“So this means Suryadev was involved with that bastard Prathap and Kabir even back then,” Ayaan muttered and his jaw clenched as he turned to his father.
“Dad, talk to Mithun uncle. We need the complete details of your enemies as soon as possible.” he said and Reyansh nodded, a heavy guilt settling in his chest that his children were now bearing the weight of his past.
Within the next two hours, Mithun and Kajal arrived at the villa and found the family gathered in the living room. Ayaan dismissed all the staff before explaining everything to Mithun, who listened intently and then turned to Reyansh, his expression tight as if old memories were resurfacing.
“We left none… except for that old woman. And she’s no longer alive. So who could possibly be behind all this?” Mithun asked and Reyansh only shrugged.
“Let’s prepare a complete list of our rivalries in business and enemies from politics,” Reyansh suggested but Ayaan quickly interrupted him.
“No, Dad. Not just that. Prepare a list of the top men and women you were associated with in business, politics, everything. And please don’t take this the wrong way but we all know you both were the most eligible bachelors back then, before marriage. So think carefully, was there any obsessive or unstable woman from your past? We need every detail.” Ayaan said.
Kajal and Vaishu immediately shot Ayaan a glare and he raised his hands in surrender.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t keep waiting for enemies to show up whenever they feel like it. We need to end this.” Ayaan said and everyone nodded, agreeing with him.
“First of all, there are no exes. There was one unstable woman and everyone connected to her is gone. Not alive anymore. So we can skip the ex part.” Reyansh said firmly and Ayaan nodded.
Ayaan informed Reyansh and Mithun to take some time to gather all the required information. Then he glanced at his watch and at his family.
“I’ll go check on Zara. She must have her lunch.” He said and headed toward their bedroom. The moment he entered, he saw Zara standing with one hand braced against the closet door, trying to steady herself.
“Zara, what happened?” Ayaan rushed to her immediately.
“No, I’m fine. I just tried walking too quickly after getting out of bed and felt a little dizzy,” she admitted, attempting to stabilize herself. Ayaan gently held her by the shoulders to support her and opened the door fully. He carried her into the washroom and helped her stand, watching carefully to make sure she could keep her balance.
“Please don’t walk alone until you’re completely healed. And you don’t have to think of me as your husband right now, just consider me a caretaker,” Ayaan said softly but Zara rolled her eyes.
“Women don’t let strange men handle us, even as caretakers. We have female nurses and caretakers for that.” she said looking at the door for him to leave.
“Okay then, let me take care of you as your husband only.” Ayaan said with a playful smirk and winked at her before stepping out of the room. He waited outside the bathroom leaning on the wall and the moment Zara stepped out, he moved to lift her again but she stopped him.
“You can’t carry me all the time. Let me walk and regain my balance,” she said, taking a careful step forward. Ayaan walked beside her, gently holding her hand for support as they made their way to the dining area. Zara smiled at the family and Mithun and Kajal greeted her warmly before Ayaan pulled out the chair beside him for her to sit.
Zara took a bite of her food and immediately frowned at the taste. Noticing it, Ayaan quietly moved her plate away and served her a different dish, gesturing for her to try again. But she still ate only a little.
Keeping a close watch, Ayaan brought over an assortment of desserts and poured a glass of fresh juice and placed everything in front of her.
“You need to eat for yourself and the baby. See if any of these satisfy your cravings or tell me what you want and I’ll have the chef prepare it immediately,” he said gently. Zara tasted the desserts and visibly brightened when she tried the fruit custard. Ayaan let out a relieved breath, mentally noting to ask the chef to add more nuts and fruits to it next time.
“Zara, take care, okay? Call us anytime. And don’t worry we’ll be meeting frequently. Morning sickness is common, but you’re too weak right now, so it’s hitting you harder. You’ll be fine soon. And please, don’t go anywhere alone.” Vaishu said and hugged her tightly.
Reyansh also reminded her to be careful before the family finally took their leave. Zara watched the cars drive out of the premises while Ayaan gently guided her back to the home theatre to watch a movie. She picked the film and the two of them watched quietly side by side.
In the evening, he took her out to the garden and sat on the swing next to her.
“You’re not in a condition to handle business right now. So I’ve come up with an idea. We’ll form a bench of top executives to manage all the work. They’ll come to you only if a major issue or crisis arises and that too only through Rohan. You should rest and focus on your health. If you don’t like the idea, tell me. This is only my suggestion and you’re the CEO, you have every right to decide.” Ayaan said to her.
Zara thought about his words. She had to take care of her baby, her first blood relation and she knew she needed to protect her health for that. So she agreed to his plan. When they returned to the room, Zara took a folder from her wardrobe and placed it in front of Ayaan, who was seated on the couch.
“Why did you give me this? I don’t need your money. I lived my whole life without it until I started earning on my own. Money is something I’ve never yearned for.” she said glaring at him.
Ayaan immediately reached for her hand and gently guided her to sit beside him but Zara settled a little distance away with her gaze fixed on her fingers.
“I know you never wanted money. I’ve never seen you that way, not even before we were married. I gave you everything I own for two reasons. With everything happening around us, anything could happen to me… and I wanted to make sure you had complete security. And second reason is, I wanted you to know that you own everything I have, including me. That’s why I transferred it all to your name. If I even once thought you were greedy, I would have never given you this. So please… don’t misunderstand my actions as intentions to hurt you. I love you and care for you with my life and my heart ” Ayaan said quietly and placed the file back in her hands gently.
At night, after dinner and a quiet walk on the terrace, they returned to their room. Zara lay down on the bed and Ayaan immediately covered her with the duvet before grabbing a pillow and blanket. He walked toward the couch and Zara watched him with an amused expression. Ayaan chuckled softly at her look.
“I’m not sure if you’d prefer me sleeping beside you, I won’t do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable, so I’ll take the couch. Good night, wifey,” he murmured as he settled onto the couch with his eyes still on her.
Both of them lay awake, twisting and turning. Sleep refused to come just as it always did when they weren’t close. Despite everything that stood between them, they had grown used to finding comfort only in each other’s presence.
Two hours later, Zara sat up against the headboard and Ayaan immediately shot upright as concern flood his face.
“What happened? Are you okay? Should I call the nurse? Are you hungry?” he asked in a rush. Zara simply looked toward the water bottle on the nightstand. Ayaan threw off his blanket and hurried to her side. He poured water into the glass and handed it to her.
Zara took a few slow sips and returned the glass.
“What happened?” Ayaan repeated softly.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” Zara asked instead.
“You know the answer. I suffered from insomnia for years. I only started sleeping peacefully after you came into my life and I got used to that. But don’t worry, I’ll take the pills ” he said with a faint smile. ” Now tell me… why aren’t you asleep?” he asked her.
Zara shrugged lightly, her eyes fixed on him. “How did you sleep when you were in Delhi?” she asked him quietly.
Ayaan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t want to disturb your peace of mind… but I also don’t want to hide anything from you. From now on, I want transparency between us, straight talks whenever possible so I will be honest. I barely slept or ate in Delhi. I just… couldn’t exist without you. One night my body gave up completely and that’s when Mom, Dad and Ishaan bro flew in to see me. They took care of me and I was practically forced to survive on pills, but even that gave me only the bare minimum of sleep.” Ayaan explained and Zara’s eyes widened in shock.
“Why wasn’t I informed?” she demanded in a loud voice.
“Calm down,” Ayaan urged softly first. “There were a lot of reasons. We didn’t want you worry even more when you were already struggling.” he said and Zara turned away, wiping the tear that threatened to fall.
” Come sleep on the bed ” Zara said and laid down but Ayaan still stood looking at her.
“I understand that you may not want to share the bed with me after everything how I made you feel, but you can’t deny that you’re the reason I asked those questions.” Zara said gritting her teeth.
Ayaan immediately moved to her side. “I know that I m responsible for what happened and I carry more of that weight. I would never hesitate to share a bed with you. I want you in my arms more than I need food, more than anything that keeps me alive. But before I get into bed with you, there’s something I need you to know.” Ayaan said softly and his was gaze steady on her.
Zara looked at him, confused and anxious.
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A/N:
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