Ayaan realized it was already late in the afternoon when a soft knock came at his door, probably a maid to inform the lunch was ready. The thought suddenly struck him that Zara would be hungry. His chest tightened with unease and without another thought, he rushed upstairs, skipping steps in haste.
The moment he opened their bedroom door, his heart clenched painfully. Zara lay curled on the carpeted floor, her fragile body folded in on itself like an abandoned child lost in grief.
He crouched beside her and gently brushed away the loose strands of hair from her tear-streaked face. Feeling his touch, Zara’s eyes fluttered open and she immediately recoiled, wrapping her arms around her knees protectively.
Ayaan hated himself seeing her reaction. ” Hate me all you want but right now I should do something and let you have food. I can’t see you starve ” he thought.
Ayaan sighed and sat casually beside her, leaning against the wall before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She stiffened, trembling under his hold.
“Did I disturb your beauty sleep, Mrs. Ayaan? You’re a bad wife, you know that? Didn’t even care if your husband would be hungry. But don’t worry, I’m already here. Let’s go have lunch.” he murmured and rose to his feet and tugged her hand gently.
“I don’t understand you, Ayaan. If you wanted revenge, why not just stay away from me? Or is this your twisted way of punishing me, making me live under your roof, surrounded by the memories of your first love? Why do you touch me if you believe I killed her?” Zara said in a broken voice, refusing to move.
Ayaan’s jaw tensed and he turned his gaze toward her, his tone low but sharp.
“You didn’t deny it either, wifey. You were the same girl I saved that night, weren’t you? And you are related to the man who carried the bomb at the airport. If you were truly innocent, why hide it? You had all the time in the world before our marriage, even after it, yet you chose silence. You kept playing the innocent woman while secretly plotting against me. Isn’t that true?”
Zara looked at him with trembling lips, her voice barely a whisper. “Why do you expect me to defend myself when you’ve already decided I’m guilty? That I killed your first love? Do you think my words would make any difference to you?”
Her tone cracked, and she choked back a sob before continuing, “If revenge was what you wanted, you could’ve kidnapped me… tortured me… forced the truth out of me. But why choose to break my heart? Why marry me at all if you were so sure I was your enemy? What made you choose to play with my love, Ayaan?” she screamed at him.
Ayaan’s expression softened for a fleeting moment. He reached out and brushed away her tears with his thumb before pulling her close, his heart heavy, his mind still at war with his own emotions.
“Mrs. Ayaan, neither did I stop you from confessing the truth nor did you defend yourself so don’t blame me now. All you need to do is reveal the complete truth. It’s as simple as that. I’ll decide what happens next. Tell me, Mrs. Ayaan… are you ready to confess? ” Ayaan asked, his voice steady, unsettling.
Zara yanked her hand from his hold and rose to her feet, frustration and fear swirling in her chest.
“Would you believe me if I say I don’t work for anyone and I have no motive against you or your family?” she screamed at him.
Ayaan moved beside her, twirling a strand of her hair. Zara waited, breath hitching, but he merely clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“No. I won’t believe anything you say unless it’s the truth. Now come, let’s have lunch. Or be my lunch. Your choice, babe.” His lips curved with a smirk.
Zara huffed in helpless irritation and walked out. Ayaan caught her hand, interlaced their fingers as they reached the dining room. He dismissed the staff and Zara quietly served only him and poured herself a glass of water.
“Aren’t you eating, Mrs. Ayaan?” he asked, turning fully toward her.
“I’m not hungry. And even if I were, it feels wrong to eat the food you offer me, not when you think I’m the reason behind your loss and pain. Enjoy your meal, Mr. Ayaan.” she said and tried to walk away, but Ayaan grabbed her wrist and pulled her straight onto his lap.
“What are you doing, Ayaan? Let me go. You don’t have to pretend, your actions make it clear you hate me. And don’t bring up the love card. Yes, I love you and I’m not ashamed of it. Its you who should be ashamed for playing my feelings and my love. Now let me go.”, she said gritting her teeth and her voice cracked, threaded with hurt and anger. Ayaan raised a spoonful of rice to her lips, waiting patiently but Zara turned her face away.
“Why do you think I’m pretending ? You are my wife and I’m taking care of you. Now eat. After lunch, we’ll continue this conversation in our room… on our bed. Maybe with a little cuddling.” he said with a smile and tried to feed her again and when she refused, he simply dropped the spoon, lifted her into his arms, and strode toward their room.
“Ayaan, what are you doing? Put me down and eat your lunch. Why can’t you see you’re hurting me? Oh, I’m such a fool. Isn’t this your plan? To hurt me, to take revenge for your dead love? If this is your revenge, then… then I’ll endure it. Give me as much as you can ” she cried.
Her tears streamed unchecked as they entered the room. Ayaan laid her on the bed gently, then stretched across her, resting his head on her abdomen as if she were his refuge… even though his accusations were her torment.
Zara tried to push him away, but one sharp glare from Ayaan froze her in place. She swallowed her sobs, tears running silently down her temples.
“Now let’s talk,” Ayaan murmured, settling more comfortably against her stomach. “But before that, I have two important updates for you. Since you now know everything was part of my plan, you should’ve guessed that Rohan’s sudden break was also my doing. He’s back and he’ll take over your job. You will no longer work as my PA.”
Zara’s breath hitched. She pushed at his shoulder in panic.
Ayaan simply sat up and combed his hair back with his fingers. “Stop ruining my hair, Mrs. Ayaan. Haven’t you ruined my life enough already? “
“The second update, is that you’ll resign your job at Rey’s Arcade and stay home. You’ll be monitored twenty-four seven until I get to the bottom of every truth ” he said and Zara stared at him, wide-eyed, her pulse roaring in her ears.
“Why do you want me to resign? Fine, watch me all you want if that makes you feel safe. But don’t blame me when you find nothing. And no, I’m not resigning my job.” she whispered and hugged her knees to her chest, her voice thick with betrayal.
Ayaan chuckled softly, though his eyes carried a warmth he refused to show. He reached for her feet and tugged at her toes one by one, traced the toe ring and the fresh mehendi design pretending to be unbothered while his heart and mind twisted with every word he threw at her, words meant to hurt her, words he didn’t entirely mean.
Ayaan leaned closer and pressed a kiss to the toe that carried the ring he had made her wear during their wedding ritual. Zara instantly curled her toes and tried to pull her foot back, but Ayaan gently caught her ankle and drew it forward again, his fingers trailing along the intricate mehendi as he continued tracing the patterns with tender, deliberate strokes.
“You are the wife of billionaire Ayaan Rey. I don’t want people gossiping that my wife is my PA. You will resign, and we’ll play the loving newlyweds who want to enjoy life before taking up responsibilities. I’ll work from home and we’ll have all the time in the world together. My family won’t suspect a thing… and I’ll have every second to break down your façade.” Ayaan said, his voice calm but cold.
He opened the nightstand and pulled out a folder, placing it firmly on her knees.
With trembling hands, Zara opened it and her breath hitched when she saw her resignation letter already typed out. Before she could speak, Ayaan pressed a pen into her palm.
“Come on, wifey. Do it. We don’t have all day. Once you’re done, we can move on to something productive.” he said with a wink.
Zara swallowed her pain, signed the papers and set the folder aside. Then she rushed to the washroom and shut the door behind her. The moment it clicked shut, she broke, her fingers fisting in her hair as a scream tore out of her.
“Why didn’t you just kill me instead of leaving me at the orphanage? You let me live… but I’m dying every single day because of the consequences of being born to you.” she whispered through her sobs.
She slid down to the floor, her voice cracking with every word.
“When I finally thought my life could become better… fate showed me it could only get worse. I love him and I truly believed he love me too. But all of this… everything he’s doing… is just revenge.”
Tears streamed down her face and her body trembled.
“How do I prove I’m innocent? My only crime is being born your daughter. He won’t believe a word unless I have evidence… and I have nothing…” she whispered in a broken voice.
She moved to the counter, splashed cold water on her face and wiped her tears with the towel. Her reflection looked hollow, tired, defeated but she forced herself to breathe and walked out of the washroom.
Ayaan was handing the signed folder to a man in formal attire. Zara didn’t bother to ask why. She had surrendered to whatever fate or Ayaan, had chosen for her.
“Good, you’re back, I thought you’d hide in there forever… though you couldn’t. I have the only key. Now get ready. We’re going out.” Ayaan said, turning toward her.
Zara simply nodded and walked past him, but Ayaan caught her elbow.
“Aren’t you curious where we’re going? What if I take you to some dungeon and lock you away forever?”
Zara removed his hand and folded her arms across her chest, her gaze steady and fierce.
“Do I have a choice in anything? You’ve already decided to ruin me. Go ahead. Do whatever you’ve planned. But I doubt you’ll throw me in a dungeon, Ayaan. You seem to forget that your family has accepted me. Your parents call me their daughter. I’m sure you’ll have to answer if their daughter suddenly goes missing.” she mocked him.
Ayaan chuckled. “Smart girl. Now get ready. We leave in ten minutes. You look gorgeous in this saree, no need to change.”
Zara touched up her makeup, maintaining the illusion of a glowing new bride. Ayaan had changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He interlaced their fingers as they walked out and she forced a smile as the staff watched them. He opened the car door for her before sliding in beside her.
Thirty minutes later, the car entered the gates of a sprawling bungalow behind an elite security checkpoint. Zara’s breath caught at the sight of the lush garden blooming in every possible color.
“This is our beach house, I thought it would be romantic to be by the sea.” Ayaan said casually and led her through the backyard. The cool evening breeze kissed her cheeks, carrying the scent of salt and calm, something she hadn’t felt in days. Ayaan released her hand and Zara walked ahead to the shore. She sat down, folding her arms over her knees, eyes lost in the waves.
Ayaan stood beside her for a few minutes, watching her……just watching her, like she was the only thing that existed.
” I hope you will feel a little better being at your favorite place ” he thought and finally walked away, giving her space to relax.
When he returned, she hadn’t moved an inch.
He drew a long breath, walked around and sat behind her. Gently he wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her back against his chest. Zara tried to move away, but he gently placed his palm on her shoulder, a silent signal for her to stay.
His lips brushed her temple in a soft, lingering kiss.
Not a single word was spoken.
Zara’s eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
“Why do you hold me like I’m your world… and hurt me like I’m your enemy?
Why does your touch feel like love while your words feel like poison?
What are you, Ayaan? What do you really want from me? ” She wanted to ask. She wanted to scream it, push him, run away.
Instead, she stayed silent, watching the sky turn darker, letting the waves drown the noise inside her heart.
” You want to ruin me ? I will let you.. I promised to love you unconditionally and give my everything for you. Now, for the sake of my love, I will give you my peace and I will endure everything until the day truth unfolds ” she thought.
Ayaan glanced at the time and rose to his feet. Without a word, he extended his hand toward her. For a second, Zara considered refusing, but she placed her palm in his. His grip was firm, warm, and unreadable as he led her back into the house, straight to the dining room.
Before she could object, he served food onto both their plates and sat down. He didn’t touch his spoon and simply watched her, waiting.
Zara hesitated. He had been starving the whole day because of her and she needed energy to put up with him so with a quiet exhale, she picked up her spoon. Only then did Ayaan begin to eat as well in silent, composed, hiding everything behind an unreadable mask.
After dinner, they drove back to the villa. Both changed into their night clothes. Zara slipped into loose track pants and an oversized T-shirt and chose the couch without a second thought.
Ayaan reached out to stop her but Zara stepped back, folding her hands in front of her as if in surrender. Her voice cracked as she pleaded,
“Please… just give me a break. You can start all over again in the morning. I beg you, Ayaan.” she said, her words weren’t sharp, they were tired, defeated, trembling with heartbreak.
Ayaan froze hearing her words.
Zara didn’t wait for his response. She turned away, walked to the couch and pulled a sheet over herself. Her back faced him, like she was hiding from him.
Ayaan lay on the bed, staring at her silhouette in the dim light. Something inside him twisted painfully. He didn’t even realize he was crying until a warm tear slid down the corner of his eye.
Why am I crying?
Isn’t this what I wanted?
To break her… to ruin her… to make her feel what I felt?
He shut his eyes tightly as if that would silence the war inside him but he stayed awake just like his sleepless nights. Hours passed and then, a piercing scream shattered the night.
Ayaan shot up instantly, breath catching in his throat.
***********************
A/N:
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