Ayaan and Zara’s personal life remained unchanged, except for one thing. Ayaan had become visibly affectionate, enough for Zara to slowly sense the depth of his feelings without him ever saying a word. He cared for her in every small way, being attentive and gentle, letting his actions speak where his words didn’t. Nothing intimate happened between them, the closest they came were the soft kisses Ayaan placed on her forehead and the way they instinctively curled into each other while sleeping.
A week passed and both Ayaan and Zara had officially started working at Rey’s Arcade. The senior managers and executive heads greeted the couple warmly on the firs appearance at office after their wedding. During the morning briefing, Ayaan announced that Zara would be working as a partner and would soon officially take over as CEO. He instructed everyone to support and respect her just as they did him.
He involved her in every discussion, every decision, guiding her without overshadowing her. Zara was learning fast and Ayaan made sure she handled tasks independently while he assisted only where needed.
Rohan was appointed as Zara’s PA, as he had extensive knowledge of the business and would be a strong support system for her.
Later that week, Ayaan and Zara were in a meeting reviewing the overseas business reports when his phone buzzed with call from the CSO.
Ayaan stepped aside and answered the call. The CSO informed him that Shanthi had been moved to a safe location and was provided with everything she had been promised. He also assured Ayaan that she would be under constant protection.
Ayaan ended the call and turned to find Zara watching him curiously.
He walked back to her and explained calmly, “It was the CSO. Shanthi has been settled safely, and they’ll be keeping an eye on her at all times.”
Later that day Ayaan and Zara were in a meeting with the executive heads when he realized it had stretched well past lunch. Zara, however, remained fully focused on the discussion. Suddenly, Ayaan rose from his seat, interrupting the COO mid-presentation.
“Gentlemen, it’s a personal emergency. We’ll resume an hour later,” he announced, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument. He gestured for Zara and Rohan to follow him.
Zara immediately grew anxious. The moment they stepped into the private room, she caught his hand. “Ayaan, what happened? Tell me, please. I’m losing my mind,” she said, worry etched across her face.
“Chill, wifey. Everything’s fine, but you were about to miss lunch.” he said casually.
He turned to Rohan. “Rohan, from now on, no meetings during lunch hours. No matter what comes up, Zara eats on time, I will need an update from you ” he said and Rohan nodded obediently and exited, leaving them alone.
Zara gritted her teeth and sat on the couch, glaring at Ayaan. “You shouldn’t have done that.” she snapped at him.
Ayaan shrugged out of his blazer and sat beside her, opening the lunch boxes. “I’m sorry, but you’re not skipping meals. Everything else can wait. We have people to manage things, your health comes first. Now please have lunch, Mrs. Ayaan.”
Zara rolled her eyes, but her thoughts slipped to the past, the days she used to set plates and serve him food. And now here he was, calmly serving her with so much care, even attempting to feed her himself. She quickly took the plate from his hand and ate on her own, trying not to show how deeply it affected her.
After lunch Zara and Rohan were deep in discussion while Ayaan sat on the couch, reviewing a report his father had sent. It contained a list of experienced political candidates, people with the expertise needed to serve as his PA. Ayaan had taken the responsibility of selecting the right person very seriously. After carefully filtering the list, he shortlisted three… then forwarded only the female candidate to Zara, purely to tease her.
Clearing his throat deliberately, he signaled for Rohan to step out. Rohan left immediately.
“This is the third time you’re interrupting, Ayaan. Do you really want me to handle business seriously? Because that won’t happen with you interrupting every five minutes.” Zara snapped, placing her pen on the table with a sharp click, purely annoyed.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Ayaan. Forgive me. But I need your help. I sent you the profile of someone who could be my PA and I want your opinion. Please help me, wifey.” he said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest.
He leaned back on the couch, arms stretched across the headrest, looking at her with a playful glint in his eyes.
Zara opened the file and Ayaan immediately noticed the way her brows knitted together, no doubt she had noticed the photo placed right at the top of the profile.
Zara read through the details silently, her eyes meeting his for the briefest second before dropping back to the screen.
“She seems to fit the role, a perfectly beautiful girl to be the PA of a billionaire-turned-politician. I’m sure all eyes will be on the two of you. You could parade her around proudly, she has the qualifications, the experience and enough confidence to hold her own in a room full of men. Congrats.” Zara said, her tone carefully even.
She shut the laptop a little too calmly, stood up and walked toward the relaxation room. But the heaviness in her chest wouldn’t ease. She hated that he could still shake her like this. Ayaan would never cheat on her, she knew that much. But trusting another woman around him was a different story, especially after learning the truth about his late girlfriend, who had played him for years just to climb her way to power. That was harder.
She moved toward the washroom when suddenly she was pulled back, her spine meeting the wall with a soft gasp. Ayaan had trapped her between his arms, palms braced on either side of her head, a smirk curving his lips as he looked down at her.
With a smile, he traced her cheek with his knuckle, his thumb grazing her lower lip.
“Are you jealous, Mrs. Ayaan? You know I only have eyes for my wife. You’ve wrapped me completely,” he murmured, brushing a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth.
Before he could claim her lips, Zara pushed him away. “You should get back to your political business. Maybe invite her your perfect PA and you two can start working together, get to know each other better. A good boss-PA relationship is essential, right? She’ll keep you on track,” Zara snapped and hurried into the bathroom.
Ayaan smiled like a maniac and ruffled his hair. “God, my wife is jealous and possessive… and she looks hot,” he muttered, glancing at his reflection. With his hair messy, he looked sharp, intense, exactly how she liked him.
He returned to the room and sent a message to his father, confirming the PA he had actually chosen. Zara walked back toward him, ready to resume work, but paused when she spotted his hair.
“Already daydreaming about your PA, Ayaan? Your hair looks like a storm hit it,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Ayaan laughed loudly. “I saw it wifey and I left it just like this because my wife loves me this way.”
Zara froze mid-typing, her heart skipping before she glanced away.
” What does he mean? Since when did he stop dressing for his girlfriend? ” She swallowed and refocused on her laptop.
“I’ve sent the message to recruit my new PA and to probably take charge within a week. And you’re right, I need to get to know my PA for us to work well together.” he said casually and Zara’s jaw clenched but she kept her eyes on her screen.
“Zara….” he called her in a low and husky voice. That voice made her heartbeat stutter and she looked up at him.
“She isn’t the one I chose. It’s a man. I just wanted to tease you. And I love that you’re jealous and possessive of me.” he said with a teasing smirk.
“I am not jealous. Stop being delusional, Whom you work with is none of my business ” she snapped.
Ayaan shrugged, “Anything that helps you sleep at night. Though technically it’s me who puts you to sleep.” he said with a wink.
“Ayaan, will you please shut up? I’m trying to work. You’re supposed to be teaching and guiding me, but I don’t see that happening. I might just call Ishu bro and he’ll happily kick you out, if that is what you want or I might shift to his office and start working from over there and I really mean it. ” she warned.
Ayaan immediately raised his hands in surrender before sliding beside her, finally behaving and getting serious about work.
One week passed in a blur and Ayaan and Zara were completely consumed by her training to take over the empire. It was overwhelming, Zara had to learn every business, every operation, every chain of command, every person who played a role in running the vast network of companies.
Many times she wondered why Ishaan or the others couldn’t take over instead. But the more she learned, the more she understood the weight Reyansh and Mithun had carried all these years and she began to genuinely admire Ayaan, who had been steering the entire empire alone since taking charge.
It scared her. And every time that fear flickered across her face, Ayaan was right there, steady, calm and reassuring. He believed in her more than she believed in herself.
Their days became predictable yet exhausting. They returned home late from the office, barely catching a breath before diving into more discussions over dinner. Nights ended with both collapsing into bed and falling asleep instantly. Their personal dynamic remained the same, Ayaan’s tender forehead and cheek kisses. and Zara quietly dodging whenever he tried to deepen them.
It was another night as usual to their routine, they were once again in his study, buried under reports. Zara glanced at the clock which showed 12:15 a.m.
“I think I’ll call it a night,” she said softly, closing her laptop. She walked to their bedroom, too drained to think further.
Ayaan remained behind, pacing the study, fingers threading through his hair in frustration.
It had been more than two weeks and Hari Narayan still hadn’t gotten hold of the crucial details they needed. And with Saanvi’s birthday barely two weeks away, the timeline was suffocating.
Everything needed to fall into place exactly as he planned and the pressure was beginning to claw at him.
To clear his mind, he turned to the latest reports on the ongoing projects and welfare schemes announced by Suryadev, the Prime Minister, head of the ruling party. Ayaan had been digging deeper into every scheme and every project introduced in the last three years, searching for patterns, loopholes anything that could help them.
The pressure was relentless. He poured himself a drink and stood by the window, quietly sipping as he watched the night sky. His chest felt tight and his thoughts were spiraling. He needed peace before he lost control of himself.
And there was only one place he knew he would find his peace… with his wife.
Ayaan set the glass aside and returned to their bedroom. He changed quickly and slipped under the duvet. The moment he wrapped his arm around her and inhaled her soft, familiar fragrance, the tension in his shoulders eased and sleep claimed him instantly.
In the morning, Zara woke in Ayaan’s embrace, his face resting softly against her chest as he slept peacefully, his arm curled around her. Her chest tightened.
” Do you still think it’s her… your girlfriend… and not me you’re holding? This thought is killing me, Ayaan. And I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you for punishing me this way”, she thought bitterly.
She slipped out of his arms and went into the washroom.
Ayaan woke moments later, instinctively reaching for her warmth and found the bed empty. Before he could search for her, his phone rang with call from Mithun.
“Good morning, Uncle,” Ayaan greeted, already hoping for good news.
“Good morning, Ayaan. It’s Saanvi’s birthday in two weeks, so I thought we should plan a surprise,” Mithun said. But the slight emphasis in his tone told Ayaan the real message, ‘they had what they needed ‘
Ayaan smiled. “I’d love that. I can’t wait for her birthday, Uncle. Let’s meet at the office and plan it.”
He ended the call with a sigh of relief and entered the closet looking for Zara. Just then she stepped out of the bathroom in her robe. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“I’m so happy, Zara. Mithun Uncle just called. Looks like Grandpa got what we needed. I’ve asked him to come to the office today. Let’s get ready, we need to finish the overseas report before he arrives.” he said, kissing her cheek softly.
He pressed a kiss to her damp shoulder, unable to resist, his hands tightening on her waist. His warm breath brushed her skin, sending a shiver down her spine as he kissed her nape.
“Ayaan… we have to leave. We have a lot to finish,” Zara said quickly, pulling herself back to reality.
He groaned softly and nipped her earlobe. “God, I miss you, wifey. But you are right, lets get ready quickly ” he said and stepped back with a smile.
They got ready and together they arrived at the office. Rohan entered immediately with coffee, and the three began working on the pending reports. They were deep in discussion when the door opened and Mithun walked in with Reyansh beside him.
Zara rushed forward and hugged them warmly. Ayaan followed, hugging the men before exchanging a subtle nod with Zara.
Ayaan then stepped out with Mithun and Reyansh, leading them to the conference room. Once inside, they activated the jammers and sound silencers.
Only then did their real conversation begin which stayed between the three.
*********************
A/N:
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