Chapter 22
Author's POV:
The glass skyscraper shimmered against New York's skyline. Inside its topmost floors, silence reigned - a silence born of fear. Because everyone in that building knew one truth:
AK did not forgive mistakes.
And today, AK sat at the head of the boardroom. Her posture flawless, her black suit tailored to precision, her face half-shadowed by her sleek hair.
"Mr. Brown," her voice cut like a blade across the table, "you presented me numbers that insult my intelligence. Do you think I built this empire to listen to excuses?"
The man stammered, "Ma'am, I-"
Her palm slammed against the desk. The sound echoed. Everyone froze.
"Get out. You're fired. Arjun, clear his desk by noon."
The man scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over his chair as he left.
The rest of the room stayed in dead silence. Aayat's eyes scanned them one by one, sharp, merciless.
"Anyone else who wants to waste my time?" she asked quietly, her tone more dangerous than shouting.
Not a single person spoke.
When the meeting ended, employees spilled out, whispering. None had ever seen AK's full face. Only Arjun - her loyal shadow - had that privilege. For the world, AK was a myth, a mystery, a power hidden in shadows.
The door clicked shut. Silence.
And then-
"Bas be karo, Miss Hitler......... waise yaar tum toh apni ankhon se hi aglay insan ki rooh ka b postmortem kar laiti ho gy..."
The teasing voice belonged to Ayaan Khan. He strolled into her office, tie loosened, exuding his signature arrogance. To the world, he was another cold, ruthless CEO - feared across continents. But to Aayat, he was just Ayaan.
She didn't even look up from her files. "Tumhe koi aur kaam nahi hai, Ayaan? Mujhe aur Mere employees ko disturb karne aajao bas?"
He leaned casually on her desk, smirking. "Disturb? Main toh unki jan bachata hoon. Warna tumhare gusse se toh bechare mar hi jaye gay ..... dragon queen."
Her lips twitched - the faintest sign of amusement, quickly hidden.
"Stop exaggerating."
He grinned wider. "Oh come on. Tumhe dekh ke toh mujhe bhi kabhi kabhi darr lagta hai. Imagine un becharon ka kya haal hota hoga."
Finally, she looked at him, her gaze icy. "Do you want me to fire you too in business world?"
"Tum mujhe fire karogi?" He leaned closer, dropping his voice. "Sweetheart, main tumhara saara system crash kar dunga. Tumhare bina ye business chal skta h ...par mere bina?" He smirked knowingly. "Not possible."
She rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
"Exactly," he said proudly, "tumhara idiot."
~
Later that night, Aayat shed the cold mask. In the Khan penthouse, she was no longer AK. She was Aayat, Sameer and Sonia's daughter.
Sonia fussed over her dinner. " meri jaan, tumhara chehre ka rang kitna utar gaya hai. Kam kaam kiya karo."
"Mama, I'm fine," Aayat said softly, for once not the ruthless queen but a dutiful daughter.
Sameer smiled warmly, touching her head. "Tum meri sabse badi kamyabi ho, Aayat. Tumne apna aur mera naam roshan kar diya hain. Main fakhr se sabko kehta hoon, AK meri beti hai."
Her throat tightened, eyes stinging. She whispered, "Thank you, Baba."
And for a moment, the storm inside her calmed.
---
Meanwhile, in India...
The Malik Mansion echoed with silence. Time had moved forward, but hearts had remained stuck eight years in the past.
Hayaat kept her sister's photo hidden in her diary, whispering at night, "Aapi, please maaf kar Dena mujhe."
Saad and Huzaif lived with guilt, avoiding her name because it burned their tongues and heart.
Her parents remained adamant. To them, Aayat was still the daughter who destroyed their honor.
And Rayyan Malik...
He sat alone in his study. His once vibrant face was now pale, his eyes hollow.
Every night, he closed his eyes and heard her voice: "Rayyan... main sirf tumhari hoon."
He clenched his fist. Hate had become his shield. He told himself she betrayed him, ran away with that man. But the more he repeated it, the more the lie suffocated him.
Sometimes, in the dead of night, he whispered, "Ya Allah... agar wo sach mein bewafa thi... toh meri duaon mein aur dil mein ab tak kyun hai?"
His heart had no answer.
~
Aayat Khan - cold, powerful, unshakable, ruling the corporate world.
Rayyan Malik - broken, lost, drowning in the ghosts of the past.
Two hearts, separated by oceans and lies, still tied by invisible threads of memories.
And fate was preparing to bring them face to face again.