Chapter 61
Aayat stood between the two men, her breath trembling, anger and hurt blazing equally in her eyes. For a moment, neither Ayaan nor Rayyan dared to move. The silence was sharp-like the moment before a storm.
Then she spoke-slow, cold, and shaking.
"Tum dono ko marna hai na... toh ek kaam karo... mujhe jaan se maar do. Aise sab kay samne mera mazak bananay se toh behter hi hoga ye."
Her voice echoed in the hallway, and instantly, something inside both men broke. Their anger, their ego, the heat of the fight-everything cooled in one breath.
Rayyan stepped forward first, guilt softening his features.
"Aayat... I'm sorry. Main-"
She cut him off sharply.
"Bas."
Rayyan froze.
Ayaan moved too, almost instinctively reaching out to her, but she threw a hand up without even looking at him.
Her voice trembled.
"Tum dono... iss waqt yahan se chalay jao."
Ayaan took a step, stopped, then quietly walked toward the guard, placed Aayat's phone into his hand, and left without a word.
Rayyan opened his mouth again-but Aayat didn't spare him a glance. She turned around and walked inside the company building.
And Rayyan, defeated, walked away.
~
Inside her office, Aayat slammed her cabin door shut. Her heartbeat hammered painfully against her ribs. She leaned against the door, eyes closed, hands flying up to her temples as a dull ache spread.
She sank into her chair and bent forward, fingers buried in her hair, breathing unevenly.
She didn't know how long she sat like that-seconds, minutes-until suddenly, sharply, a single thought struck her.
Her eyes flew open. She jumped to her feet, grabbed her phone, and rushed out.
~
On the other side of the city, Ayaan sat in his office, anger simmering under his skin. He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
"Phir se tum uski taraf ja rahi ho, Aayat..." he muttered to himself, frustrated at the thought.
He rubbed his forehead, exhaled deeply, trying to control the storm inside him.
~
Aayat reached his office.
She didn't knock. She pushed the door and walked straight inside.
Ayaan, eyes still closed, snapped irritably,
"Maine kaha na, yahan koi na aaye-"
"Aur kyu na aaun?" she shot back sharply.
Ayaan's eyes flew open. He stiffened, instantly turning his chair away from her.
Aayat folded her arms.
"Oh toh ab meri taraf dekho gay be nahi."
He said nothing.
She walked up to him, stepping in front of his chair. He turned it away again.
She grabbed the chair, stopping it from moving.
"Naraz ho?"
Still silent.
Still refusing to look at her.
He knew it too well-if he looked once, even once, his anger wouldn't survive.
So he stared away stubbornly.
Aayat sighed, stepped directly in front of him, held her ears with both hands and said in a tiny, exaggeratedly cute voice:
"Dekho... ab main kaan bhi pakad rahi hoon..."
Ayaan glared for a second-but the moment he saw her face, his anger cracked. A tiny smile formed before he could stop it.
He quickly turned away, hiding it.
But Aayat had seen it.
"Yaar tum naraz kyu ho mujhse? Bina wajah kay?"
And just like that-his smile vanished.
He turned, frustration returning full force.
"Seriously? Tumhe lagta hai main bina wajah gussa dikha raha hoon?"
He closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, trying to calm the rage boiling again.
Then quietly,
"Ek kaam karo tum... tum uske paas jao. Jiska dard tunhe zyada lagta hai."
He opened the file on his desk, pretending to focus, but his knuckles were white with tension.
Aayat gently placed her hand over his.
He looked up, startled by the softness.
She slowly interlaced her fingers with his.
His breath hitched.
His heartbeat quickened.
Aayat gave a faint smile.
"Main kisi ki side nahi le rahi... par jo wahan hua, woh theek nahi tha, Ayaan. Staff tha wahan per. Agar baat bahar nikal jaati, media tak pohanch jati toh kitni beizzati hoti. Baba ko bhi kitna bura lagta."
Ayaan's jaw clenched. He squeezed her hand-too tightly.
"Mujhe bardasht nahi hua... jab usne tumhe chhua."
Aayat pulled her hand back gently, dragged the chair from the opposite side and sat right next to him.
"Par aaj se pehle tumne kabhi aisa nahi kiya. Jis Ayaan ko main jaanti hoon... woh har kaam soch samajh kar karta hai."
Ayaan looked at her-straight into her eyes.
"Main bhi insaan hoon, Aayat. Mere seene mein bhi dil hai. Nahi kar sakta main ab aur bardasht. Mein be eik amm insan hu."
She frowned.
"Matlab kya hai tumhara...? Tum pehle toh aise nahi the."
Ayaan leaned back, closing his eyes for a second before opening them with raw pain.
"Matlab? Matlab ye... ke ab main apni feelings se lad lad kar thak chuka hoon.
Pehle tum uske nikah mein thi... isliye khud ko samjhata raha.
Un 8 saalon mein jab jab tum tadapi ho..
. tab tab main bhi tadpa hoon. Us shaks ka naam sun kar tumhari zuban se.
Par hamesha khud ko samjhaya ke tum uski biwi ho. "
A single tear escaped him despite his effort.
He looked away.
"Sabar kiya. Intezaar kiya... tumhara. Aur ab humey saath hue 10 saal ho gaye hain takreban."
Another tear.
"Aur kitna intezaar karun, Aayat? Aur kitna sabar karun? Un 8 saalon mein kabhi tumhein paane ki koshish nahi ki. Allah janta hai. Par ab nahi kar sakta. Ab tum us k nikah mein nahi ho. Ye jaan Kar ab mera sabar toot raha hai."
Aayat's eyes filled as well.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Toh isliye tumne Rayyan ko maara...?"
Ayaan lowered his head, silent.
Aayat stood up in disbelief.
"Tum pagal ho gaye ho."
She turned to leave.
Ayaan straightened abruptly.
"Yeh kya baat hui-"
She whirled around.
"Aur kya bolu? Tumhein maloom bhi hai tum kya keh rahe ho? 'Sabar khatam ho raha hai', 'intezaar nahi hota' ye nahi hota , wo nahi hota -
iska matlab kya hai? Sab ko maroge tum?"
Ayaan stared at her.
"Tum mujhe mananay aayi thi na? Toh yeh kaise baat kar rahi ho?"
She shut her eyes, took a long breath, turned back, and sat in the chair facing him.
Pulling his chair closer, she said:
"Toh batao... kaise manana hai tumhein? Tumhare aagay haath jodu ya pair pakdu?"
Ayaan pretended to think, then smirked.
"Ek kaam karo... mere pair daba do."
She stared at him-completely stunned.
A moment ago he had tears in his eyes.
Now this?
He couldn't help smiling-he knew exactly what she was thinking. But he didn't want to burden her more.
He wanted to change her mood.
Aayat narrowed her eyes.
"Khwaab mein bhi nahi karungi."
"Kyun?" he teased.
"Kya kyun? Bohot shauk hai pair dabwanay ka... toh ek kaam karo, mere pair daba do. Heel pehen-pehen kar dard ho gaya hai."
She crossed one leg over the other dramatically and began rubbing her ankle.
Ayaan watched her... and then quietly lifted her foot from her other leg, placed it on his lap, and started massaging gently-one hand working her foot while the other flipped open the file.
Aayat's eyes widened.
She quickly tried to pull her foot back.
"Ayaan! Chorho! Damagh kharab ho gaya hai tumhara? Kya kar rahe ho-"
He held her ankle firmly.
"Mat karo. Tumne hi toh kaha tha... tumhare pair mein dard hai."
"Maine toh bas aise hi kaha tha! Choro, accha nahi lagta- mard ho kar aurat k pair dabana theek nahi hota."
Ayaan looked straight into her eyes.
" Ye kya bakwas kar rahi ho... agar aurat mard ka khiyal rakh skti h , toh mard aurat ka khiyal kyu nahi rakh sakta. Ajeeb baatein karti ho tum kabhi kabhi. Aur mujhe tum se judi har cheez pasand hain."
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
But then... the warmth of his touch pulled her into a memory she didn't expect.
~
Two days after rayyan and aayat wedding, Aayat had sat on the bed, crying softly while pressing her aching feet. She wasn't used to heels, and the pain had been unbearable.
Rayyan had walked in.
"Kya hua Aayat? Tum ro kyun rahi ho?"
She sniffed.
"Mere pair mein bohot dard ho raha hai... shayad shadi ki thakan ki wajah se. Aur heels... aap jantay hain mujhe heels bilkul pasand nahi."
Rayyan sat in front of her, lifted her foot gently.
"Yahan dard hai?"
She nodded.
He immediately stood.
"Ruko. Mein cream le kar aata hoon ami se."
Minutes later he returned and sat down again. Placing her foot in his lap, he applied cream carefully, massaging slowly.
That was the moment Nafeesa Malik walked in.
"Aayat beta tum thk-"
She stopped dead.
"Ye kya kar rahay ho Rayyan tum?"
Rayyan looked up, confused.
Aayat froze.
Nafeesa's voice sharpened.
"Aayat, tumhein sharam nahi aati? Apne shohar se pair dabwa rahi ho?"
Aayat stuttered.
"Tai Ami... mere pair main dard ho raha tha... isliye Rayyan-"
"Bas!" Nafeesa cut her off.
She scolded harshly-about duties, respect, expectations-until Aayat apologized repeatedly.
Rayyan defended her, tried to explain,
"Ami wo asta asta samj jaye gy. Abhi wo choti hain. Aayat tum ye cream laga lo."
"Aur ami ap thoda time dijiye isse." but Nafeesa had dragged him out eventually.
Aayat remembered smiling weakly at Rayyan's concern.
The thought struck her painfully.
Tears slipped down her cheeks before she even realized.
' mujhe lagta tha Tai ami sahi keh rahi hain.'
Ayaan noticed immediately.
He dropped the file.
"Kya hua, Aayat? Zyada dard hai? Tum ro kyun rahi ho?"
She pulled her foot back instantly, stood up, and rushed toward the door.
Before she could touch the handle, Ayaan caught her wrist.
He turned her around gently, cupping her face with both hands.
And that one touch-
-broke her.
She collapsed into him, crying harder, arms wrapping around him tightly.
For the first time-she held him fully, with no distance, no hesitation.
Ayaan froze.
She had hugged him before... but never like this.
Not so close.
Not so desperately.
Not like she needed him.
He stood still, stunned, heart racing as her tears soaked into his shirt.
Aayat didn't know why she was crying like this.
Why she had come here.
Why suddenly Ayaan's anger mattered so much.
Why everything about him had started affecting her.
Why she was feeling... something she didn't want to name.
And worst-
Why remembering Rayyan didn't feel the same anymore.
She didn't know.
She didn't understand.
All she knew was...
Something inside her was changing.
Something she wasn't ready for.
Something she couldn't stop.
Ayaan slowly raised his arms... about to hold her back-
And that was the exact moment Aayat's breath hitched sharply, as if she suddenly realized something.
Her fingers froze against his back.
Her eyes widened.
Her entire body stiffened.
And in her mind-
a single terrifying realization began forming...
one she wasn't ready to face.
An unspoken fear.
An unnamed truth.
An emotion she shouldn't feel.