Chapter 54
Two weeks had passed since Aayat returned to London-two weeks of unfamiliar warmth, silent glances, soft smiles, and a man who was slowly losing control over the feelings he had buried for years.
Ayaan sat in his office, sunlight spilling across his desk as he leaned back in his chair, a small, unconscious smile stretching on his lips. His mind wasn't in the spreadsheets open in front of him. It wasn't in the pending deals. It wasn't in the meeting lined up for the afternoon.
His mind was with her.
Her annoyed expressions... the way she ran from him every time he got too close... the way her heartbeat sped up whenever his name slipped from his lips.
Ayaan exhaled softly and closed his eyes.
He could still see her face in the penthouse kitchen last night-
the fear in her eyes when he stepped close, the tremble of her hands, the way she whispered
"tum dur reh kar baat nahi kar sakte kya?" as if she herself didn't understand what he was doing to her.
Ayaan's lips curved again.
He didn't realize he was drifting into that la-la land again until the sharp vibration of his phone cut through the silence. The screen lit up.
Ayaan straightened, instantly alert, and picked up the call with a smile.
"Assalamualaikum baba..."
"Wa-alaikum assalam beta," Sameer Khan replied warmly.
"Disturb toh nahi kar diya?"
"Nahi baba," Ayaan chuckled softly. "Main bas... betha hua hi tha."
"Bohut khush lag rahe ho, Ayaan. Aisa kya ho gaya? Kya koi badi deal haath lag gayi hai?"
Ayaan shook his head, unable to stop the smile spreading across his face.
"Deals toh aati jaati rehti hain baba..."
" yeh bhi hai," his father teased.
"Phir wajah kya hai? Humein bhi batao."
Ayaan leaned back, biting back a grin.
"Aapko kya lagta hai?"
Sameer Khan immediately laughed.
"Agar mera beta itna khush hai toh wajah sirf ek hi ladki ho sakti hai...."
Ayaan finally laughed, shaking his head.
"Baba...."
"Hmmmm, toh phir... tum dono?" his father teased further.
Ayaan cut him off gently.
"Abhi waisa kuch nahi hai baba... par kuch changes toh a rahe hain. Jaise..."
He paused, heat rising under his skin.
"Aap khud samajh jao na.... Bas dua kare ap."
Sameer Khan's smile was audible in his next words.
"Samajh gaya aur Meri dua tumhare saath hai hamesha. InshaAllah iss baar tum Aayat ka dil zaroor jeet loge. Iss baar woh kisi be rishte mein nahi bandhi... tum uske dil tak pohanch sakte ho."
Ayaan lowered his gaze, heart warming.
"Aap bas dua karein."
" theek hain aur haan meri beti ka khayal rakhna. Usse koi pareshaani nahi honi chahiye."
Ayaan's smile softened.
"Hamesha rakhuga baba."
The call ended.
Ayaan stared at his phone... and then, without wasting a second, typed:
"Arjun, aayat ki aaj ki saari meetings cancel kar do. 1 bajay ke baad ki."
The reply came instantly:
"Okay boss."
Ayaan smirked, slipped his phone aside, and buried himself in work. Hours floated by without him noticing. His mind remained annoyingly cheerful. And she-Aayat-remained the reason.
At 12 pm, his PA Ana entered.
"Sir, your meeting time-"
She didn't finish.
Because the door burst open.
And there she stood.
Her hair slightly messy from rushing. Breath uneven. Eyes burning.
She marched toward him.
Ayaan blinked slowly, his heart dropping into a softer rhythm.
"Aayat... tum yahan? is waqt? Main meeting ke baad tumhare paas hi aane wala tha."
"Khud meeting par ja rahe ho toh meri meetings kyu cancel karwa di?!" she snapped.
Ayaan tried not to look too amused.
"1 bajay ke baad ki cancel karwayi hain. Tumhari bhi... aur apni bhi."
"But kyu?!"
"Main meeting karke aata hoon, phir batata hoon... okay sweetheart?"
Her cheeks instantly turned red.
Ayaan's smirk deepened.
Aayat pointed at him dangerously, voice trembling.
"Main ja rahi hoon. Mujhe kahin nahi jana."
She turned.
He caught her wrist.
"Please mat jao na..." he said softly, eyebrows lowered in that boyish pleading way.
"Ayaan-" she warned.
"Bolo Ayaan ki jaan..."
Her mouth fell open.
"Flirter..." she muttered, jerked her hand away, and looked anywhere except at him.
"Sirf tumhare liye."
Her lips twitched into a hidden smile, but she quickly turned her face.
"Tum has rahi ho?"
"N-nahi toh-"
"Maan lo na yaar, tum sharma rahi ho. Kuch nahi jayega tumhara."
Before she could respond, someone cleared their throat loudly.
Standing awkwardly. Head bowed. Eyes wide.
"Sir... meeting..." As soon as he said that, he ran away from there.
Aayat stiffened.
Ayaan, secretly thrilled, whispered to himself,
"Socha nahi tha aise achay din bhi ayenge mere."
Aayat glared.
"Kya kaha tumne?"
" Madam Ye mera laptop hain. balkay... ye mera pura cabin tumhare hawale hain.. jo krna hain karo. Main aata hoon. Bye my paglate."
He slipped on his coat, winked-winked-at her, then walked out like a smug king.
Aayat stared after him, horrified.
"Iske sir pe chot mat lag gayi haim... din ba din flirter banta ja raha hai..."
She sat in Ayaan's chair, mumbled curses, then picked up her phone.
Half an hour later, she sighed and finally opened his laptop.
Her picture appeared as the wallpaper.
Aayat froze.
Then whispered:
"Meri picture? Seriously? Aur wo be itni funny face wali..."
A laugh escaped her.
" Kahi ye meri picture dekh kar hasta toh nahi rehta ...
Ye mera mazak uda raha hain kya? Chodugy nahi isey.... Flirter no.1 na ho toh...."
No wonder the man was flirting-he was already gone long ago.
Curious, she opened a drawer. And her picture was placed there too.
Before she could see anything else-
The door opened again.
Aaliya stepped inside with her usual bright smile-
Which instantly dropped.
"Tum?"
Aayat raised one eyebrow and went back to the laptop.
Aaliya stormed forward.
"Tumse bol rahi hoon. Ayaan ki chair par kya kar rahi ho?"
Without looking up, Aayat replied,
"Tumse matlab? Apna kaam karo."
Aaliya snapped the laptop shut.
Aayat's eyes lifted sharply.
"Masla kya hai tumhara?"
Aaliya folded her arms.
"Shayad tumhe pata nahi hain, per Ayaan ko bilkul pasand nahi hain, koi uski cheezon ko haath lagaye. So... get out. Now."
Aayat smirked.
She pointed to herself.
"Main ' koi ' nahi hoon? Main Aayat hoon. Aur main nahi, tum jao yahan se."
She reopened the laptop.
Aaliya slammed it shut again.
Something snapped inside Aayat.
She stood, shoved Aaliya backward.
"Tumhari problem kya hain? Kis haq se mujhe yahan se nikalne ka keh rahi ho?"
Aaliya's face twisted.
"Ayaan ki Khaas friend hoon main."
Aayat laughed.
"KHAAS friend ... aur itna nahi pata main kaun hoon?"
She moved to sit back down and picked up a pen-Ayaan's pen, the one he treasured.
Aaliya snatched it instantly and placed it back.
"Usse nahi pasand koi uski cheezon ko haath lagaye."
Then she grabbed Aayat's arm and pulled her up roughly.
"Ab dafa ho yahan se-"
She shoved her.
Aayat stumbled and fell.
The entire office froze.
Aayat stood slowly... eyes wide... breaths shaking.
Something inside her cracked.
And the next second-
She snapped.
She began throwing everything-
the pen,
the files,
the medals,
the trophies Ayaan had collected over years.
Her hands got cut. She didn't notice. Or didn't care.
Aaliya panicked and rushed to grab her again.
She held Aayat's arm tightly, painfully.
Aayat flinched.
"Chhoro mujhe!"
"Ab tumhe building se bahir phenk kar hi chodoongi-"
Aayat pushed her. Hard.
Aaliya stumbled backward-
And fell.
The staff gasped.
The room went silent.
Just then-
A cold, deep voice sliced through the air.
"Yahan kya ho raha hai?"
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