Suryadev knew he was losing the battle against Vaishu and Ayaan. Key leaders and senior members of his party had already resigned and even a few cabinet ministers had stepped down ahead of the elections. The damage was evident.
At the campaign that followed, it felt nothing less than a carnival and one after another, prominent figures publicly joined Vaishu’s party in the presence of the party head and Vaishnavi Rey. With overwhelming support from party workers, volunteers and the general public, Vaishu’s party now stood untouchable.
Suryadev wanted to blame Vaishu and Ayaan for the chaos unfolding around him but the thought of the evidence locked in Ayaan and Ishaan’s hands kept him silent. Instead, he delivered a predictable political statement, claiming that the people would teach the traitors a lesson in the elections. But anger was not what consumed him, it was fear.
He desperately wanted to meet the Rey brothers, to negotiate, to somehow retrieve the evidence before the elections. But reaching them was nearly impossible unless they chose the meeting and both Ayaan and Ishaan made sure he remained cut off. For a week, Suryadev drowned in the fear of losing everything he had built over two decades.
Then, one evening, he received a message from Nafel Razaq requesting an urgent discussion.
Suryadev sat alone in his dimly lit study, the weight of the week dragged at his shoulders. The house was silent but his mind was far from it. As the clock neared midnight, he pulled out the encrypted device, a secret channel he had used for years, the only one he believed to be truly untraceable.
With a deep breath, he dialed a number and after two rings, the line clicked.
“You finally remembered me,” Nafel’s voice came, calm but edged with cold annoyance.
Suryadev swallowed hard. “The situation has changed. The Rey brothers… they have cornered me. Important members have quit, cabinet ministers have resigned and every move I make is under a microscope.”
Nafel scoffed hearing his words. “I didn’t call to hear excuses. Where is my gateway Mr. Suryadev? You promised I’d have full access for my operations. My men are ready. The shipments are ready. I need entry into the country.” he demanded in a clipped tone.
Suryadev clenched his fist. “I told you, I can’t open anything right now. Ayaan and Ishaan have everything. Every file, every transfer, every hidden deal. They have evidence enough to bury both of us.”
The line went silent for a second but Suryadev knew it wasn’t shock, it was anger.
“So what? You are scared of two boys?” Nafel finally asked in a low mocking voice.
” Those men you call as ‘boys’ have the intelligence wing, the media and the public wrapped around them. And the elections are in a few months. If I move even a grain of sand in your favor, they will crush me before the ballots even open.” Suryadev snapped.
Nafel’s laugh was humorless. “I didn’t ask for your political analysis. I asked for the gateway. Open it. Now.”
Suryadev exhaled sharply. “You don’t understand. I no longer have the authority to risk it. Every border, every port, every digital trail, Ayaan has tightened it all. If I try anything, he will know.”
“I’m not asking you to try, I’m ordering you. And don’t forget, your term is ending in a month before election. I m sure you would lose the elections, Mr. Suryadev. I m watching everything. So why cling to loyalty now?” Nafel replied coldly.
Suryadev’s blood ran cold.
“Open my business. Give me access. Or you will lose far more than a political seat. You know I have more than what those men have against you ” Nafel said and Suryadev closed his eyes, feeling the trap closing on him from both sides, the Rey brothers on one and Nafel on the other.
And he had no escape. “I’ll… see what can be done,” he whispered.
“You better,” Nafel said and cut the call without another word.
Suryadev stared at the dark screen, the weight of impending doom sinking deeper into his chest.
The next morning, Ayaan and Zara were in the garden feeding breakfast to Rehan and Zavi when Sameer approached them. Both babies stretched out their hands with bright smiles and Sameer chuckled, waving back at them.
Zara instantly sensed something was wrong. “Sameer wouldn’t interrupt us unless it’s urgent. Go ahead, Ayaan. I’ll take care of them,” she said gently.
Ayaan tried to hand over Rehan to one of the nannies but the little boy clung to him tightly, refusing to let go.
“Alright, alright, Rehan. Daddy isn’t leaving you,” Ayaan murmured and kissed his head before nodding at Sameer.
“Wait for me in the study.” Ayaan said and Sameer left from there.
Once Rehan and Zavi were fed, Ayaan and Zara returned to their room. Ayaan placed their favorite toys in front of them and instructed the nannies to stay close while Zara watched over the babies.
He then walked to the study and as soon as he entered, Sameer handed him a note, one that had been sent by Dario.
Ayaan’s expression stiffened and without wasting a second, they immediately placed a call to Dario to hear what news he had.
Dario picked up the call almost immediately.
“Last night, Suryadev contacted Nafel through one of his hidden, untraceable channels. My man had been Nafel’s side during the conversation. Nafel demanded that Suryadev open a gateway for his illegal operations. He wants his network planted inside the country before the elections. He is convinced Suryadev will lose and wants his business secured.” Dario said and Ayaan’s eyes darkened, he tapped his fingers against the desk.
“Suryadev refused. He told Nafel he can’t move a single piece with you and your brother breathing down his neck. He admitted you have full control, evidence, leverage, everything. He said one misstep and he’s finished. Nafel didn’t take it well. He threatened him and the message was clear. He wants his business opened, elections or not.” Dario said and Ayaan leaned back in his chair and the corner of his lip curled into a cold smirk.
“Good. The moment we have been waiting for has arrived. Let them corner each other. Dario, stay low and stay alert. Nafel will make a move soon, desperation always pushes monsters out of hiding. I will get him to you this time. One chance and you finish him ” Ayaan said and Dario agreed to his words.
Ayaan ended the call and his eyes narrowed with fierce determination.
“Suryadev’s term officially ends next week. He won’t hold any power after that. Arrange a call with Nafel, tell him it’s regarding business. And warn him clearly, if the call leaks, he can forget about the gateway forever.” Ayaan said and Sameer nodded instantly and stepped out.
Ayaan returned to the room only to stop dead in his tracks.
Rehan was on his tummy, pushing forward with tiny determined movements… slowly, carefully… crawling. Zara sat beside him, wide-eyed and curious, as though witnessing the greatest achievement in the world.
Ayaan didn’t dare move or breathe too loudly. His heart swelled as he watched Rehan crawl a few small steps on his own. Both of them started clapping and Rehan looked up, startled at first, then broke into a big smile seeing his parents cheering for him.
“My little monster has started crawling now ” Ayaan laughed and swooped in to kiss his cheek.
They both sat on the carpeted floor, arms open wide, encouraging their babies to crawl toward them. Rehan made steady progress towards Zara, delight radiating from his tiny face.
Zavi tried too, lifted her body and pushed gently but toppled softly onto her tummy again. She blinked up at her parents and Ayaan chuckled and lifted her into his arms.
“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll keep trying. You have got daddy and mama cheering for you.” he murmured, combing her soft hair with his fingers.
Zavi responded by licking his cheek and grabbed his collar, making Ayaan laugh out loud as she played with him.
Suryadev was rapidly losing his patience under the mounting pressure. His desperation finally snapped and two days later he contacted Brindha’s parents, urging them to make a move against Ayaan and his family. He offered them a huge sum of money along with a strong seat and position in the party.
By evening, breaking news flashed everywhere. Brindha’s parents had filed a complaint stating their daughter was missing after visiting Rey’s manor. Her mother claimed Brindha might have been kidnapped due to the ongoing family controversy, even added that her daughter was in love with the youngest son of the Rey family and had now mysteriously disappeared.
The statement triggered a wave of speculation and controversy across the media.
Reyansh received a direct call from the Commissioner and he calmly confirmed that Brindha was perfectly safe and enjoying her stay with their family at the manor. Zara watched the news, grumpy and irritated and Ayaan gently stroked her back to calm her.
Within an hour, orders were passed and Brindha was brought to the living, beautifully dressed to join the family dinner. A photo of the entire family dining with her was publicly released.
Ayaan recognized Suryadev’s attempt to use Brindha’s disappearance against them and decided to turn this exact move back on him.
Brindha stood trembling, already aware that her parents stunt had backfired. Ayaan walked toward her slowly, his eyes calm but carried a threat sharper than any weapon.
” You have created enough mess. And now you will clean every bit of it.” Ayaan said subtly.
She swallowed hard. “I–I didn’t know they would file a complaint. I never—” she stuttered out of fear.
Ayaan cut her off, his voice dangerously soft. “Save it. You wanted attention. They wanted power. And both of you tried to use my family as bait. Now you will record a video. You will state clearly that you were forced by Suryadev’s men to create controversy in the Rey family… to frame mom… and to damage my reputation. If you try to twist even a single word, I promise you, the consequences will be something you cannot bear.” He said dangerously lowering his tone.
Brindha’s breath hitched and she nodded rapidly feeling terrified.
Within minutes, the camera was switched on. Brindha repeated every line as Ayaan instructed. She exposed the pressure, manipulation and agenda of Suryadev’s men behind the false complaint.
Ayaan then handed her mobile to Sameer. “Extract everything,” he ordered.
Inside her phone were messages, voice notes and call logs from Suryadev’s men instructing her on what to say and how to act.
Two hours later, Ayaan’s legal team and PR team took the matter in their hands and released the recorded video along with the evidence to the media.
The news exploded nationwide.
Opposition leaders immediately filed an official complaint against those men. As the story spread, volunteers, activists and public groups began filing their own FIRs. Within a day, the number of cases piled up so high that even the Commissioner was forced to set up a special inquiry panel.
Inside the manor, Ayaan watched the chaos unfold on-screen.
And this time, Suryadev had walked straight into the trap he set for someone else.
Suryadev’s roar echoed through the manor as he flung the flower vase against the wall. It shattered, glass scattering across the floor like the remains of his pride. He swept his arm across the table, sending files, awards and photo frames crashing down. Nothing felt enough, nothing soothed the burn of humiliation raging through him. Everything he built, every attempt to control the situation had collapsed in a single day.
He gripped the edge of the table, chest heaved and eyes burned with a mix of fury and fear.
” How did everything slip out of my hands? “ he thought and his knuckles turned white as he slammed his fist onto the surface, the echo bounced off the silent walls. His empire was strong, but today his anger had reduced him to a man drowning in the consequences of his own miscalculated moves.
Meanwhile, Ayaan had other priorities.
Reyansh and Pari took Rehan and Zavi away, giving Ayaan the space he needed. His focus was only on the woman curled on the couch in their room, his wife, his storm, his peace.
Zara sat with her arms folded, lips pressed in a stubborn pout. Even her silence held accusations.
Ayaan knelt in front of her gently taking her hands. “Sweetheart, you know I only love you. You are the one I breathe around.” he whispered and brushed his thumb over her knuckles,
Zara didn’t move at first. Then she sighed and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and pressed her forehead against his chest.
“I hate it when someone says they love you. I’m very possessive. Very very.” she muttered, voice muffled.
Ayaan chuckled softly, tilting her chin up. “And I love you being possessive,” he replied, sincerity glowing in his eyes.
Before she could respond, he captured her lips in a slow, claiming kiss, one that told her she was his only one, one that melted the last bit of irritation in her.
Zara sighed against his mouth, fingers curled into his shirt like she never wanted to let go.
“You are mine,” she murmured between breaths.
Ayaan smiled. “Forever. Only yours.” he replied and lifted her into his arms. He settled her comfortably on his lap and kissed her forehead, her cheek and her lips again. His small tender moments soothed her grumpy heart.
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