Ayaan stood from the couch and moved to her side as Zara watched him bewildered.
“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. Ayaan quietly removed his shirt and Zara gasped, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. She tried to get down from the bed in a hurry but Ayaan stopped her, gently holding her shoulders.
“Please… calm down,” he whispered but Zara was already sobbing.
Her eyes were fixed on the tattoo……… her own image inked over his chest, with her name curved above it. The skin around it was still red and tender, proof that the tattoo was fresh and still healing.
“What have you done?” she breathed and her voice trembled. She reached out with shaking fingers and touched the image gently, her emotions spilling over as she traced the outline.
“I got this done after you asked me to return home from the hospital. I didn’t know any immediate way to make you believe that you’re the only one in my heart. I needed to be by your side….to take care of you, to show you how much I love you and what you mean to me. But none of that would matter unless you believe that everything I do and feel is for you… only you.” Ayaan said in a low steady voice and took a slow breath.
“I don’t want you think that I imagine her when I call you ‘Zara.’ This name reminds me of you……..only you. You carved that place in my heart. I could have inked just your name, but that wouldn’t have given the assurance that it truly meant you. So I had your beautiful face inked on my chest. I love you, Zara. I really do.” Ayaan confessed and Zara broke down completely, sobbing without uttering a single word.
“Please don’t cry,” Ayaan murmured and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, her palm gently brushing the tattoo of her own image on his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered and Ayaan stroked her arm softly.
” Please don’t ever say sorry again. Its me who is solely responsible for everything that happened between us. And I m not leaving you alone and I don’t want you to feel stressed so we don’t need to talk about everything right now. Let’s sleep… we’ll work through things slowly, together.” he said and rose to his feet.
He helped her lie down, then joined her on the bed. He pulled the duvet over them as they lay facing each other. They didn’t cuddle, but Ayaan reached out and rested his hand over hers, which lay on the pillow between them.
“Sleep, Zara, I’ve got you sweet heart” he whispered with a smile.
Zara kept her gaze fixed on the tattoo and a realization washed over her. She had questioned him if he saw his girlfriend in her because he made her feel insecure and she had made him feel insecure… enough to ink her face and name onto his chest. In their own ways, they had wounded each other and they stood equal.
Ayaan’s hand moved gently through her hair, caressing softly until her breathing steadied and she drifted into sleep.
The next morning, Ayaan woke first and found them curled up in each other’s arms. He stiffened slightly not wanting her to think he had taken advantage of the situation, even though both of them had subconsciously moved closer during the night.
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then carefully untangled himself from her hold and got out of the bed. He walked into the closet and closed the door behind him.
The moment it clicked shut, Zara opened her eyes and touched her forehead taking a long breathe.
Once they were ready, Ayaan called the nurse to check on Zara before informing the manager to set up breakfast in the garden.
“Why do you want to have breakfast outside? I can barely eat… their effort might go to waste.” Zara said, sitting on the couch and already feeling drowsy.
“That’s exactly why I want us to eat in the garden. You might not feel like eating in a closed room. Fresh air and a change of scenery might help. We’ll walk around, take our time and maybe the distraction will ease your nausea.” Ayaan replied gently and Zara was speechless that he had thought it through so carefully.
When the manager texted that everything was ready, Ayaan took her hand and guided her to the garden. A small table with two chairs was set up and breakfast was arranged neatly.
Ayaan served a plate and turned to her. “Come on. Let’s walk around and look at the plants. I’ll feed you while you do just don’t look at the plate,” he said.
Zara nodded and walked toward her favorite plants. Ayaan handed her the juice first, then fed her small bites of breakfast as she admired the garden. Whenever she felt nauseous, he paused and distracted her with gentle conversations about the plants and the flowers she loved.
By the time she finished eating, he handed the plate to the maid who waited nearby. He gave Zara a glass of water and continued walking with her until she stopped at the swing and sat down. Only then did she realize he had stopped feeding her.
“Where’s the plate?” she asked, confused.
Ayaan smiled and gently wiped her lips with a napkin. “When I was a kid, I used to refuse food. Mom would take me to the garden and play with me. I’d be so happy that I wouldn’t notice her feeding me in between. I only found out when the maid dropped the plate one day. When Mom had to travel, I would miss her terribly. So when she would come back, I would be stubborn and I only eat if she fed me. I loved those moments.” he said and chuckled softly at the memory.
“I know how much you love plants and pampering them… just like you want to be, should be pampered. I see a lot of myself in you….so many similarities.” Ayaan said and Zara stared at him, stunned by his honesty.
“A little love and a little pampering for my wife,” he said softly and Zara glanced at the table, then back at him. Without a word, she served a plate of breakfast and placed it in his hand.
” I’m too tired to pamper you. So pamper yourself.” Zara said and Ayaan burst into a warm chuckle as he began eating his breakfast.
Reyansh, Mithun and Vaishu arrived at the villa in the evening and found Ayaan and Zara in the garden, enjoying tea and snacks. Zara greeted them with a warm hug and Ayaan dismissed all the staff to give them privacy.
Reyansh placed a file on the tea table before picking up the cup of coffee Zara had poured for him.
” This file has the complete list of everyone we’ve ever been associated with, along with their past and current backgrounds. It also includes the ones who no longer exist. I hope we’ll be able to identify whoever is messing with us,” he said and Ayaan skimmed through the file, closed it, and set it back on the table.
“We’ll arrange for our men to keep an eye on those who fall under the suspicious radar,” Mithun added and Ayaan hummed in agreement.
“I’ll need time to go through this report and we shall decide once I m done,” Ayaan said, then went on to explain his idea of forming a bench of executives to handle the business so Zara could get proper rest. The family welcomed his decision wholeheartedly.
Vaishu noticed Zara’s face scrunching up as she tasted the snacks and let out a soft chuckle.
“Pregnancy makes you crave the craziest things. Close your eyes and tell us what you want to eat, we shall arrange it,” she said.
Zara pouted at first, then dropped the snack onto the plate. She closed her eyes and a few seconds later, she licked her lips as though she could already taste something in her imagination. She opened her eyes and pouted again, picking up the chocolate milk Ayaan had quietly handed her. Even he couldn’t suppress a chuckle, which earned him a sharp glare from her.
“Tell me, what do you want to have? There’s nothing we can’t get,” Ayaan said gently.
Zara took a long breath, “There’s a tamarind tree in the orphanage where I grew up. I used to climb up and pluck the tamarinds, grind them with salt and green chilli… it tasted amazing. And don’t even ask me about the guavas from the tree there, they’re the best,” she said.
Reyansh and Mithun exchanged a knowing look, fully aware of what was coming next.
After dinner, once Zara had fallen asleep, Ayaan settled on the couch in their room with his laptop and the file Reyansh had given him. He began analyzing the report, circling every name that raised suspicion. The top ten included those whose businesses were suddenly flourishing, individuals rumored to have ties to the underground world and anyone with strong connections to Suryadev.
He called Sameer and sent him the list, instructing him to have their men begin discreet surveillance on each person. Only after everything was set in motion did Ayaan return to bed. The moment he lay down, Zara instinctively scooted closer and Ayaan wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling his face into her neck as he inhaled her familiar scent.
“God, I missed you so much,” he whispered and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before pulling her into his arms.
In the morning, Ayaan stayed close to Zara as they got ready. She expected breakfast in the living area, but he led her straight to the car.
“Where are we going?” she asked and Ayaan just smiled saying it was surprise.
Two hours later, Zara’s eyes widened as the car entered the gates of the orphanage she grew up. Tears filled her eyes as she stepped out with Ayaan’s help. Some staff recognized her and greeted her. Ayaan, meanwhile, noticed the place lacked proper facilities.
“Why hasn’t any infrastructure been built? You could’ve reached out to NGOs…… even ours supports many homes,” Ayaan said to the in-charge. Before the man could respond, Ayaan informed Sameer to send the orphanage details to Ishika and they entered the hall where children had gathered.
“When rich people visit, we get better food… sometimes old clothes that become our new ones,” Zara said softly and Ayaan saw the pain behind her smile.
“Is it your birthday? We shall sing” a child sad but Ayaan shook his head gently.
“No, not today. We’re here to spend time with you. But I’m hungry and I’m sure you all are too. So let’s have breakfast first, then we shall play.” he said and looked at Sameer.
Zara was surprised when Ayaan sat with the children for breakfast, sharing their food and even fed her from his own plate as he listened to their little stories. Afterward, they moved to the garden and he let Zara rest while he played with the kids, glancing at her every now and then and smiled whenever he caught her watching him.
When the children finally tired out, he asked Sameer to bring juice for everyone. “This juice is so good, When will you come again, uncle?” one of them asked and Ayaan understood the longing behind the question.
“I’ll try to visit often but from now on, you’ll get good meals and juice every day.” he promised gently and the children squealed with excitement.
Once the kids left for their classes, Ayaan took Zara’s hand and walked her to the old tamarind tree. He put on gloves and climbed up and dropped tamarinds to the ground. He got down and climbed up the guava tree and plucked a few guavas and climbed down with a smile.
“It’s been years since I climbed a tree. I used to do it at our farmhouses in Ooty and the garden at grandpa’s home at Delhi. But now I’ll climb as many as you want just to get these for you.” he said and Zara smiled fully.
In the old kitchen, she washed the tamarind and ground it with green chilli and salt. Ayaan watched her take a bite and moan at the taste. When she offered it to him, he tried it and immediately blew at his tongue from the spice but ended up laughing and loving it anyway. They ate as much as she wanted, walked around once more and finally left the orphanage with hearts a little fuller and memories they would never forget.
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