Ishaan and Ishika were on a call with Reyansh when Varun arrived at the living room. He sat opposite them, and within a few minutes Ayaan, Adhvika, and Zara joined as well—except for Pari and Meghna.
“Pari hasn’t woken up yet? I’ll go check on her.”
Varun rose to his feet, but before he could move, Pari walked in gracefully, dressed in a summer gown. She looked radiant, her face glowing with bright smiles.
“Pari, you look different today—beautiful. Gorgeous. I was worried you weren’t well, but you look absolutely stunning,” Varun said, settling next to her with his arm draped casually on the headrest behind her. Pari felt the strong urge to punch his nose, but instead, she forced a polite smile.
“Actually, I should thank you for this trip. It helped me clear my mind, and I feel so refreshed. Even though I only managed to climb half the mountain, it still made a difference. So thank you, Varun. Now I’m starving enough to eat a whale!”
Everyone chuckled at her words, and Ishaan didn’t miss the way her eyes briefly drifted toward him as she passed.
Ayaan pulled her to sit beside him, and Pari couldn’t help but notice how tenderly he cared for Zara, who sat on his other side. The two fed each other playfully, while Ishika teased them for being so lovey-dovey.
After breakfast, Pari was about to enter her room when Varun caught her hand and drew her out to the sit-out.
“Pari, are you okay? You could have called me—I would’ve driven you back. Did Ishaan trouble you? I’m sorry, I should’ve stayed when you wanted to rest. I thought you’d come back with us. I was really worried when Ayaan told me Ishaan drove you. You’ve always hated his temper.”
Pari’s blood simmered at his words, but she masked her irritation and chuckled lightly at his rant.
“Relax, Varun. He never said a word, and I was on the verge of losing consciousness, so I shut myself in the room as soon as we returned. People change, Varun. I see he has changed too. So let’s not talk about him—tell me, how was your day after I left?” Pari asked casually.
Varun hesitated for a moment, then smiled and relaxed his posture.
“To be honest, I was so worried I couldn’t enjoy the trip anymore. I was just waiting to get back and check on you. I counted every step—literally.”
Varun sighed as if reliving those moments, while Pari bit back a laugh, remembering how “worried” he had been, hiding behind the tree with Meghna.
“I can understand, Varun and I know you should feel exhausted after a long day and night. You should rest to carry on from you had left. Let me rest too, for a while before we leave. I’ll see you later.”
Varun was about to stop her, but Pari excused herself with a smile and shut the door behind her. The facade dropped instantly—she clenched her fists and plopped onto the bed.
“You have to be strong, Pari. You need to find his motive behind all this.”
By afternoon, they had lunch and headed to the airport. On the jet, Varun expected Pari to sit next to him, but Ayaan pulled her beside him.
“Pari, there’s something I need to discuss with you. We need to be prepared for tomorrow’s meeting.”
He opened his laptop and started explaining business details while Meghna took the seat next to Varun. Pari smirked—just as she had expected. Ishaan sat cross from her, watching quietly. He noticed the way she smiled while chatting with Ayaan, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, and the comfortable ease with which she slipped off her heels and folded her legs up—a habit he knew well, the exact opposite of the image she maintained in public. A small smile tugged at his lips. He caught the way her eyes flickered to him every now and then.
They landed in Chennai, and Varun quickly held Pari’s hand.
“Pari, let’s have coffee. I’ll drop you home afterward. Tomorrow is Monday—you’ll be busy with your business and meetings, and I’ll be caught up with the new project with Ishaan. I need to talk to you before I meet him officially for the project.”
Pari heard Ishika calling her and noticed everyone waiting. She turned to Varun.
“Varun, your business with Ishaan has nothing to do with me. I never even met him until the day of the engagement, so his business is far away from anything I should be concerned about. It’s better I stay out of both your dealings. And if Meghna wants to work for Ishaan, let her know she’ll have to approach him on her own. I’ll be staying at Rey uncle’s home tonight, so I’ll join Ishi and the girls. “
Pari was about to leave when Varun caught her wrist, his face puzzled.
“Pari, did I do something to upset you? You seem… different, like a puzzle I can’t figure out. I’m sorry if I hurt you in any way. I love you, Pari. I want us to work. If there’s anything I can do, tell me, and I’ll do it—happily.”
Pari studied him for a moment before offering a small smile.
“I understand you, Varun. In fact, I’ve been thinking the same. I’ll let you know very soon. Maybe we can meet over dinner to discuss this. I’m sure we’ll work. Take care—and don’t worry, everything’s fine.”
She walked away, determined to tear down his facade, and noticed Ishika and Adhvika had already taken the back seat. Ayaan and Zara had left in his car, so she slipped into the passenger seat of the remaining one—where Ishaan was at the wheel.
Ishaan glanced at her and gave a gentle nod. That was enough. It assured her that everything would be fine—that she would be fine. Deep down, Ishaan felt it too. They were going to be okay.
At Rey’s manor, Pari sat in her room working on her laptop, replaying Varun’s words in her mind. She had to find a way to make him drop his guard. It wasn’t rocket science to understand why he wanted to be with her. She was Mithun’s only daughter, the only granddaughter of the ruling party’s prominent minister in the cabinet, the heir, and a partner in Rey’s vast group of businesses. She was the key into the boardrooms of World’s top billionaires.
What unsettled her most was the thought of how long she had been fooled—years, perhaps.
“Was he planning this from the very beginning? Or did he turn greedy overnight?”
Her eyes drifted to the dark sky. She had always loved the garden at Rey’s manor. Closing her laptop, she stepped into the living room, asked one of the maids to bring her hot chocolate, and wandered out to the garden. Settling into the couch in the gazebo, she gazed up at the starry night. Dressed in shorts and a shirt, her hair tied in a high bun, she folded her legs and sighed.
“Life was so simple when we were kids. We could have stayed children forever,” she huffed softly.
“We would’ve been running around this very garden—playing, bickering, sharing hot chocolates, honey cakes, and kulfi.”
Startled, Pari turned to see Ishaan sitting next to her, a little distance away. He placed a tray between them, handed her a mug, and picked one up for himself.
“Couldn’t sleep. I went to the kitchen to make myself a hot chocolate when I heard you’d asked for one. So I thought… maybe we could have it together. It’s been so many years, I don’t even remember the last time I shared a late-night hot chocolate with you. Only if you want, of course—otherwise, I’ll leave. I don’t want to disturb your peaceful night.”
Ishaan was about to turn away, but he froze when he heard a single word escape her lips.
“Stay.”
He smiled faintly and sat beside her, their mingling fragrances carried by the gentle breeze. Neither spoke until they had finished their mugs. Ishaan’s gaze lingered on her, his eyes refusing to let go. She looked divine, serene, untouchable.
“Pari…” His chest tightened with a deep ache, craving to pull her into his arms, to hold her against his heart, to press soft kisses on her crown and forehead. He swallowed hard when she wet her lips. Her simple shorts and shirt only deepened his torment, digging a silent grave for his desires. She stretched out her milky white legs and slipped into her bunny flip-flops.
Pari folded her arms and wandered into the garden. As though it were written in his very bones, Ishaan’s feet followed—first a step behind, then beside her.
“You’ve changed a lot,” she said softly.
Ishaan let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head.
” I haven’t changed Pari, I just shed some of the traits that tore us apart. I m a better man today and you are the reason behind it. “
Pari halted and turned toward him, her eyes searching his. He stood facing her, his expression unflinching.
“I didn’t know what I was doing… until the day I lost you and Mom. A man doesn’t need anything worse than losing the two most important women in his life to realize what he has been doing. “
Pari’s heart clenched. She could feel the weight of the years he had carried—the pain of living apart from his mother, the woman he had adored with his whole being, who had loved him unconditionally.
“Aren’t you angry with me? None of this would’ve happened if not for me. I thought… I thought you would hate me.” Pari mumbled gulping down the tears of pain she had caused him.
Ishaan fell silent, his eyes clouding as if he were reliving the nightmare of those years—being forced away from his mother, away from her. For a fleeting moment, she caught the storm of emotions flickering in his gaze, before he quickly masked it with a smile.
“I would never hate you, Pari. I would never blame you or Mom, because you both were right in your choices. I’m just grateful you’re still standing here, talking to me—even after everything I did to you. Drunk or not, no man has the right to force himself on a woman. But I did that to you… and it cost me my life. I know your hate was only towards my attitude and I know what I truly meant to you. I should have been patient and worked our relationship but I ruined our bond. You are absolutely not at fault. I will repent for that sin for the rest of my days,” Ishaan said, his voice heavy with shame as the memory clawed at him.
Pari looked away and began walking, while Ishaan stood rooted in place. For once, he didn’t want to chase after her. He wanted her to forgive him, to choose him, to invite him to walk beside her—not because he forced it, but because she wanted it.
After a few steps, Pari noticed he wasn’t behind her. She stopped, turned back, and called softly, ” Don’t want to catch up with me anymore ? “
Ishaan smiled faintly at her words. “Do you want me to?”
A simple question—yet it carried a thousand unspoken emotions. Pari knew that if she said ‘yes,’ it would change both their lives. They had both made mistakes, and while he had paid a heavy price, he still wasn’t willing to give up on her.
The man before her was no longer reckless. He was a man who had suffered, regretted, redeemed himself, and returned. She didn’t know if he still loved her, but she knew she was ready to open the door, to let him show her, the reality, the truth of their life.
“Yes.”
It was the first wall to crumble around her heart—the walls she had built over years to keep him away. Ishaan knew then that he had found the hidden door to her soul, the one she had locked away beneath hate and pain. With a smile, he walked forward, this time beside her—closer than before.
“What have you planned now? Do you want to talk about it?” Ishaan asked gently. Pari nodded.
“He wanted to know if something was bothering me. I’ve decided on something, but… I’m not sure it will work,” Pari admitted, the frown on her forehead deepening.
Ishaan waited patiently for her to continue, and when she revealed her plan, he met her gaze with unwavering assurance.
“I trust you, Pari. Go ahead—you’ll always have me behind you.”
“But what if I fail? What if I make a mess of everything?” Pari shot back, her eyes locked on his.
“You don’t have to worry. Be assured—I’ll be there to clean up the mess. Forever,” Ishaan said with quiet conviction. Then, with a teasing glint in his eyes, he added, “But right now, I know for sure I’ve got quite a show to watch.”
Pari couldn’t help but smile—a genuine smile, unguarded. Ishaan’s heart swelled. For years he had dreamed of this moment—seeing her smile from so close, without walls, without hiding, without sneaking.
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A/N:
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