Zara searched for him in every room of the villa, the garden, the backyard, the poolside, the gym, the garage but he was nowhere and panic twisted her insides.
“Did he leave? Did he… leave me?” she whispered, clutching her head as sobs broke out of her.
She felt devastated and dragged herself back to their bedroom and froze. Ayaan was lying on the couch, his back turned to her, his face buried against the cushions. Relief washed over her so hard that her knees nearly gave out.
“Ayaan… please look at me. Please listen to me. I’m sorry” she cried softly and her voice trembled.
” You haven’t done anything wrong. Its me who broke your heart and your trust in me in the first place so please, you don’t have to be sorry. Please go to sleep, I’ve sent the staff away. They’ll be back in the morning. I wouldn’t leave you here alone.” Ayaan murmured, not turning toward her even once.
Zara opened her mouth, but no words came. Her heart felt like it was shrinking inside her chest. Her eyes drifted to the bed, then back to him. He had never slept without holding her close and now he wouldn’t even look at her. She sat on the bed, watching him through her tears, waiting… hoping… but exhaustion eventually pulled her under.
Morning light woke up her. She blinked and immediately looked toward the couch but it was empty. Her heart raced and she rushed to the washroom, knocked hard but the door was open and he wasn’t inside. She stumbled back into the room and noticed a neatly placed paper on the nightstand. Her hands trembled as she picked it up and recognized his handwriting instantly.
“I’m too ashamed to even breathe the air around you. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have. I’ve informed Mom that you’ll be staying with them. The driver will take you there. Take care.”
There was no ‘your Ayaan’, no warmth…. Just a message.
Her breath hitched reading the note. She grabbed her phone and dialed his number desperately but it was switched off.
“He must have gone to the office”, she thought and clinging to that hope she rushed to get ready. When she reached the living area, she saw that the staff had already returned to work.
“Madam, breakfast is ready,” the manager informed politely but Zara shook her head, dismissing him gently and hurried outside to the car.
“Drive to the office,” she instructed but the driver hesitated and turned toward her. “Madam, sir has instructed me to take you to the manor.” he said politely.
“To the office.” Zara said firmly and the driver nodded and began the drive without another word. The moment they reached, Zara rushed to the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently as it climbed to their floor. When the doors opened, she stepped out quickly and spotted Rohan on a call.
“Where is Ayaan?” she asked urgently.
Rohan looked at her, confused. “Madam, sir hasn’t come to the office today.”
Zara froze, shocked to her core. Before he could notice the tears gathering in her eyes, she hurried into her cabin and shut the door. She tried calling Ayaan again but his phone was still switched off. With trembling fingers, she dialed Sameer’s number and he answered on the first ring.
“Sameer… where is Ayaan?” she asked, her voice barely holding together.
“Madam… we’re in Delhi. Sir is in his study and has strictly ordered not to be disturbed,” Sameer replied gently and Zara cut the call.
” What would I tell the woman and man who trusted me….. who believed I would stand by their son when the truth about his girlfriend came out? How am I supposed to face them now, after doing the very same thing and breaking their son to the point he left without wanting to see me ? They had believed in me so sincerely. They had even told me that Ayaan was devoted to me. And still… I had ignored their words. He was right. I should have confronted him or even punished him the moment the truth came out. Instead, I bottled everything up, let my insecurities consume me and chose revenge. This isn’t who I am. I should have stopped him from touching me and I know he wouldn’t have crossed that line against my wishes. I was hurt and betrayed and in my pain, I punished him the same way he had hurt me.” Zara thought and sank onto the couch, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Please, Ayaan… I’m sorry. I could have punished you any way but not this. I shouldn’t have said those things. I should have fought with you rather than bottling up all my emotions. Please forgive me… please come back ” she whispered through her tears.
After a long moment, she wiped her face and forced herself to breathe. She had created this mess and now she had to face it. She glanced at the clock. It was already 11. Gathering whatever strength she had left, she called the driver and asked him to bring the car around. Then she walked out of her office, her steps unsteady but determined.
When she reached the car, she opened the door and said quietly, “Take me to the manor.”
When Zara arrived at the manor, Vaishu, Reyansh, Ishaan and Pari were seated in the living room, looking as though they had been waiting for her for a while.
The moment Vaishu saw her, she hurried over. “What happened, Zara? Ayaan said you’d be coming over and we’ve been expecting you for hours. And where is he? His phone’s been switched off all morning” Vaishu rambled in concern and gently cupped Zara’s face.
“You don’t look well. Come, sit down,” she said softly and guided Zara toward the couch.
Zara sat down without meeting anyone’s eyes, her fingers trembling in her lap as she tried to hold herself together.
“Zara, what happened, child? Ayaan said he had made plans for the two of you this week so why did he change them all of a sudden? Did something happen? Did he hurt you again?” Reyansh asked, concern etched in every word.
Hearing him take her side even now against his own son broke Zara completely. She burst into tears. Pari immediately sat beside her, rubbing gentle circles on her back. Vaishu clasped her trembling hands and wiped her tears.
“Stop crying, Zara. Tell us what happened,” Vaishu urged softly.
Before Zara could answer, the manager stepped in. “Sir, the advocate has arrived to meet you and Madam Zara.” he said and Ishaan instructed him to send him in. Pari tried to soothe Zara as the family exchanged puzzled looks over the lawyer’s sudden visit. The advocate greeted everyone respectfully and handed a folder to Reyansh.
“Sir, last night Ayaan sir called me and instructed that all his shares and the properties he personally owns be transferred to his wife, Mrs. Zara Ayaan. He asked me to deliver the documents to her in person,” the lawyer explained and the room fell silent in shock. Reyansh thanked the lawyer and dismissed him politely. As soon as he left, Zara broke down again, her sobs echoed through the hall.
“Please forgive me, I failed your trust. I hurt him…. no, I ruined him. I’m not a gold digger, I don’t want any of his money. Please… please call him back” she cried, folding her hands helplessly.
Vaishu looked around at everyone, her own eyes welling up. She hugged Zara tightly.
“Zara, calm down and tell us what happened. Where is Ayaan?” she asked, though her voice trembled, the dread in her chest growing heavier by the second.
Zara struggled to speak through her tears, “On the first night of our wedding, he said I was just a placeholder in his life. I thought he still saw her in me. My insecurities, my pain and rage blinded me and I failed to see the way he truly treated me. Last night, I asked him if he was imagining her in me… and my timing was horrible. It shattered him. I demanded answers and he confessed that he loves me but after what I said, he wouldn’t even look at me. He left… He left me.”
She broke down again, clutching her head. “Please forgive me. I destroyed everything.”
Vaishu’s heart ached for her son and the woman weeping before her. “You both love each other but you let every other emotion take the reins. He shouldn’t have hurt you and you shouldn’t have hurt him either. You don’t deserve this pain….. neither of you. I thought you both were finally healing. Now stop crying, child. Tears won’t fix anything. Let’s give him some time to cool down. He won’t stay away from you for long… he’ll come back and stop blaming yourself for everything happening ” she said softly.
Meanwhile, Ishaan stood tense and pale. He stepped aside to call Sameer. After a brief conversation, his expression hardened. He clenched his jaw and fists with fury and dread mixing in his eyes. Without a word, he grabbed the remote and turned on the massive TV. The room fell into stunned silence as the news flashed with Suryadev addressing the media.
The family’s attention snapped to the screen as Suryadev stood before a swarm of reporters and flashing cameras. His face was grave, his eyes shadowed with disappointment and exhaustion. The murmuring crowd fell silent when he raised his hand to address them.
“Good morning to the citizens of this nation. Today, I stand before you not as a politician or a public servant but as a father who has failed. My son, Advik, is under scrutiny for matters that have shaken not only this family but also the faith this country places in justice. As a citizen of this nation, I believe no one…absolutely no one is above the law. Not even my own blood.” he said and gasps rippled through the crowd.
“If my son is involved in any act that threatens the safety or peace of this country, then he must face the consequences. I hereby declare that, until proven innocent, I disown him publicly and completely. I have no son who stands against the ideals I have lived for. I will personally ensure that the truth comes out. Every single person connected with Advik or his network will be punished…no matter their status or power. If I must sacrifice my life to protect this nation and its people, I will do so without hesitation.” He paused, lowering his head for a moment before looking straight into the cameras.
“My loyalty lies only with my country and its people. Justice will prevail.”. The broadcast ended abruptly and the living room fell into a suffocating silence.
“I just hope Ayaan doesn’t do anything in haste. I’ll fly to Delhi and meet him,” Ishaan said, already reaching for his phone. Zara looked at him with hope shining through her tear-streaked eyes, silently pleading to go with him. Ishaan gave her a gentle smile and patted her head. “I’ll bring him back, Zara. ” he said but Reyansh raised a hand, stopping him.
“No, Ishu. Give him some space. They both need time to think, to realize what they truly mean to each other. If you interfere now, it’ll only make things worse. The wounds are still fresh. Just keep in touch with Sameer, make sure he’s okay and not doing anything rash.” he said firmly and Ishaan hesitated but finally nodded in agreement.
“Zara, go and rest for a while,” Vaishu said softly.
Zara nodded numbly and went to the bedroom. She sat on the couch, clutching her phone, typing messages over and over to reach him. A few minutes later, Pari entered the room with a tray of food. She set it on the table and sat beside Zara.
“Zara, stop crying, Ishaan and I made our share of mistakes too before we understood what we meant to each other. You wouldn’t believe it, but I was actually engaged to someone else who turned out to be the one destroying our family.” Pari said gently.
Zara looked at her through blurred vision as Pari smiled faintly. “Things will get better. You just have to be patient. Ayaan isn’t like everyone else. His emotions run deep when he loves, he does it with everything he has and when he’s hurt, it consumes him. He just needs time to process it all. You both need some space to breathe. “
Zara broke down again and hugged her. “He’s not angry at me, Pari… he’s angry at himself. He feels like he failed as a husband, as a man. He thinks he doesn’t deserve love. After all those years of grieving for her, he finally moved on… and I turned his life into hell again.”
Pari’s eyes welled up and she wiped Zara’s tears. “You both just need to talk it out but not while your wounds are fresh. Don’t let misunderstandings destroy what you’ve built together. For now, eat something and rest. He will call you.”
She handed Zara a plate, but Zara shook her head. “Ayaan wouldn’t have eaten either. I’ll wait to talk to him. He used to feed me whenever I skipped my meals,” she said softly, her voice breaking.
Pari’s heart twisted in pain. She gently stroked Zara’s hair. “Alright. I’ll try to reach him,” she promised, then quietly left the room. Zara lay on the couch, staring at her phone, willing it to ring. But there was still no message from Ayaan.
Meanwhile, Ayaan stood alone in the study, the dim light casting long shadows around him. His gaze was fixed on the laptop screen…… their wedding picture smiling back at him.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t know my actions were hurting you this much. But how could you even think that I’d ever see her in you? You could have done anything to hurt me and I would have endured with my heart for breaking your heart, for hurting you. ” he whispered in breaking voice.
He exhaled shakily, pain flashing through his eyes. “It hurts, Zara. Every part of it hurts. And I know you must be hurting too. I’m sorry I failed to fix things when I should have. Now… I don’t even know if I can fix what I’ve ruined.”
His fingers tightened on the edge of the desk as he continued in a hollow voice, “I can’t face you right now. I don’t even know if I should come back. What if you still believe I haven’t moved on and that I still see her when I look at you? I can’t bear that… I really can’t. Maybe it’s better if we stay apart for a while. I’ve hurt you too deeply and disrupted your life and I don’t want to do that anymore. I won’t force you into this relationship again. We need this space, for you to decide your future freely. That won’t be possible if I stay close, carrying my guilt and pain with me.”
He looked back at their smiling faces on the screen and whispered, “Your mama, papa, your brother and sisters will take care of you. You’ll never be alone. Please… forgive me.” he said and his throat constricted as he shut the laptop and sank into the chair.
He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, only for his already ruined mood to darken further in fury as Suryadev’s face appeared on the screen, addressing the nation.
*********************
A/N:
They need this space. Hold on for three more chapters for them to get back together until then let Ayaan know the complete truth that has been hidden from him.
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