Ayesha’s pov

“Hello,” I muttered, almost ready to drift back to sleep.

“Eshu,” said the person on the other side. My eyes instantly lost whatever sleep they had a few seconds ago.

Sitting up straight, I said, “What happened?” while glancing at the clock that read 4:30 a.m.

“They are here. I dropped them at the outhouse last night,” she replied. Her voice was calm yet firm.

“Okay, do one thing. Help me inform everyone that we have a meeting at six at the outhouse,” I said.

“Okay,” she replied firmly and ended the call.

Taking a deep breath, I went ahead with my morning routine and quietly drove to the outhouse after leaving a quick note for bhabhi, informing her that I had to leave early for work.

“Good morning, boss,” said Ishika Jha, my personal investigator and a victim of that fucker’s wrongdoing.

“Good morning, Ishu. How’s it going?” I asked, grabbing my stuff from the back seat.

“Good. You?” came her monotonous reply. At this point, I was quite immune to her tone. I knew she was not rude, just too broken to trust herself with anyone anymore.

“Amazing,” I said, smiling widely at her. There was a time when I was distant like her, but my bhabhi’s love and warmth broke my inner shell. Something I wished for Ishu too, that she would give us a chance and trust us.

“Let’s head in. Everyone’s here,” she said, nodding curtly. I nodded and followed her.

“Look who’s here,” I said cheerfully as I walked into the living room where everyone was seated. My investigation team, each of them somehow a victim of his wrongdoing, all trying to find justice for themselves and their families.

“Eshuu,” came their replies in chorus.

“Hi, dadi,” I said, touching the feet of the eldest member of our team, Savitri dadi. Another victim who lost her family because of him, and the best psychologist according to me.

“Dadi ki jaan kaisi hai?” asked dadi. Her wrinkled eyes shimmered with warmth and pure motherly love.

(Dadi's jaan, how are you?)

“Bohot achi,” I replied, embracing her and soaking in all the elderly warmth.

(Very well.)

“Where are they?” I asked after a few minutes of casual chit chatting with the team.

“Here,” came a chorus of two voices. My Iru di and jiju.

“Hii new mommy and daddy,” I squealed, rushing to hug di and jiju.

“Kaisa hai tiger?” asked jiju, patting my head as I side hugged him after giving a long hug to di.

(How are you tiger?)

“Ekdum badiya, aap?” I replied with a soft smile. He nodded with a smile in response.

(Amazing, and you?)

After catching up with everyone, it was time for the main task I had called them here for.

“Okay, let’s start. First of all, Ishika, did you find out about the person who attacked me and my senior?” I asked, keeping my voice steady and professional.

“I am working on it. I think I might need a week to get all the information,” she replied. I nodded, indicating for her to continue working on it.

“Niharika, any lead on his whereabouts?” I asked, turning towards her. She was a professional, mastered in martial arts and self defense, and had taught self defence to everyone in the team.

“Yes. He was last seen in Phuket, but he went underground after that. My sources say he is still in Phuket,” she replied. She was also a private investigator working alongside Ishika.

I nodded at her. “Okay, let’s talk about the main plan.” The team straightened in attention.

“Slowly and steadily, we weaken him. So weak that he begs. Begs for survival. Exactly how he thinks he can make us do with that note. Bit by bit, we will break him. His trusted men will fall like termites eating away at wood,” I said, getting up from my seat and plugging my laptop into the projector.

“Iru di and jiju, you will go back to your family here in India. Devika, I want you to increase their security. One of you will go with them as their baby’s caretaker. Keep the team on high alert because this time we must lure him back to India,” I added. Iru di looked at me with widened eyes while jiju held her hand to comfort her.

“Divisha, I want you to send a protection team to someone’s home and tell them to guard the place completely. He must not get shot again, and his family must be guarded as well. Hire more people if necessary, but there should be no compromise when it comes to the protection of my family, my friends, or him,” I said firmly, leaving no room for argument. She nodded in response.

“Now for dadi. First of all, stop smirking,” I said with a sigh. Her smirk only deepened, and the others laughed, making my cheeks heat up. “Okay, enough. Dadi, I want you to keep an eye on his digital footprints. I want every single digital update and every transaction he makes.”

“Make sure Niharika, Ishika, and you are all coordinated with each other regarding his whereabouts and location history,” I added. They nodded in response.

“Devika and Divisha, tell your teams to lay low. They should not get caught no matter what. If he finds out about this, I will have to deal with his investigator ass,” I said firmly, sighing at the end.

“You guys can leave. Iru di and jiju, stay,” I said, taking a sip of water. The team nodded and left one by one.

“Eshu, I cannot go back home,” Iru di said firmly.

“You have to. You cannot keep running away from your family. They are waiting for you,” I replied just as firmly.

“I agree with Eshu. Iraya, aap kab tak aise dur rahoge unse?” jiju said softly, as if explaining something to a child.

(For how long are you going to stay away from them?)

“I am not ready to do that, Maan,” Iru di replied, her eyes watering slightly.

“You are. You know you are. You are just scared of rejection from your brother,” he replied, holding her hands in his.

“I’ll leave you guys alone. Let me know whatever you decide,” I said and quietly slipped out after jiju nodded, giving them the privacy they needed and letting him handle the situation.

“I’ll leave for work now. Make sure you do the tasks assigned to you. Divisha, I’ll send you a number. He will give you all the information you need,” I said, grabbing my stuff and heading out after bidding goodbye to everyone.

Igniting my car, I drove straight to the CBI office, not before calling Vidit bhai.

“Hell-”

“How’s he?” I asked the moment he picked up the call.

“Tum dono se hi hello nahi hota kya?” came Vidit bhai’s voice from the other side.

(Can't you guys say hi or hello ?)

“Hi Vidit bhai, don’t force me to say hello to you in my Delhi accent,” I replied, sweetening my voice.

“Ek din bohot pitoge tu aur woh tera aashiq,” replied Vidit bhai irritably.

(One day I'm going to beat you and your lover.)

“Haha, so funny. Now tell me,” I said, fake laughing.

“He’s fine. I went this morning to help him freshen up. It’s his left hand, so he can eat on his own. But the doctor said the bullet was very close to his heart, so it will take some time for him to heal,” Vidit bhai replied.

“He’s not coming to the office, is he?” I asked further, taking a left turn.

“Nahi meri maa nahi aa raha, ab mera peecha chodh do tum dono,” whined Vidit bhai.

(No, my mother, he is not. Now leave me alone.)

“Thank you, Vidit bhai,” I said extra sweetly before ending the call.

The next eight to nine hours were spent investigating the medical isotopes case. Today, we had to talk to the research center’s present and past employees.

“So,” Riti said, appearing out of nowhere as I walked out of the washroom.

“Idiot, you scared me,” I said, taking a breath.

“Hehe, sorry. So…” she said, bumping her shoulder into mine.

I narrowed my eyes at her weird, cheeky smile. “So?” I asked, confused.

“Went to check on Zeeshan bhai yet?” she asked, bumping her shoulder into mine again.

“I just wrapped up my questioning sessions,” I said, watching her cheeky expression drop into a done look within seconds.

“GURL,” she screamed so loudly that I had to shush her by placing my hand over her mouth.

“Stop screaming,” I whisper screamed, narrowing my eyes at her. She nodded, gesturing for me to remove my hand, which I did.

“Why the fuck did you not meet him yet?” she asked, pulling me aside.

“I just… couldn’t get the time to,” I said slowly. She raised her eyebrows, her hands moving to her waist.

“Fine. I couldn’t bring myself to see him. I don’t think I’ll be able to see him like that,” I muttered, tapping my foot on the floor.

A bad habit I had whenever I did not want to lose control over my emotions.

Just when Ritika was about to say something, a notification pinged on my phone.

“Check it,” she said. Her face looked like she was trying not to smile.

“No, I’ll do it later. What were you saying?” I replied.

“Arre, what if it’s urgent? Just check it once,” she urged, motioning with her hands for me to look at my phone.

“Fine, fine. I’ll check it,” I sighed, pulling out my phone.

A text from an unknown number.

" Ab toh aapko sabkuch pata hai, aur kitna tadpaogi aap mere dil ko?"

(Now that you know everything, how much longer will you make my heart yearn for you?)

A single text was enough for my cheeks to recognize the sender.

My heart raced uncontrollably after reading it. It felt like it was about to explode. And my cheeks? They felt like they were on fire.

“Abhi bhi nahi jaegi?” Ritika whispered beside me, her eyes filled with mischief.

(Will you still not go?)

“I-I, but he’s at home. Unke gharwalo ko kya bolungi,” I stuttered, taking a few shallow breaths to calm my racing heart and flushed cheeks.

(What am I going to say to his family?)

“Arre tu chal toh meri janeman, baaki sab mai aur mera maal dekh lenge,” she teased, bumping her shoulder against mine.

(You just come, my love . Rest will be handled by me and my darling.)

“I-I think it’s late. I should probably go tomorrow,” I reasoned. How could I just go there like this?

“Chup chap chal warna dhakka maarke lekar jaungi terko,” she said with an extra sweet smile, the psychotic kind.

(Walk quietly or I'll drag you there .)

“Okay,” I sighed.

Together, we walked back to grab our stuff.

For one last time, I gave her my best puppy eyes. Shaking her head in response, she nodded instead.

I shook my head again. She nodded again.

As I was about to shake my head once more, she grabbed me and dragged me forward with more force.

“Drive,” she said firmly.

“Yaar tu smjh na, mai kaise baat karungii unse. Mai unhe face kaise karu,” I said softly, my cheeks heating up for the second time that day.

(Yaar atleast understand, what will I say to him? How can I face him?)

“Suhaag raat nahi hai teri kamini, sirf haal puchhne jana hai Zeeshan bhai ka. Chup chap chal,” she glared at me. I fake cried but still unlocked the car.

(It's not your first night, you are just going to check upon his health. Now walk.)

“Ad-address nahi pata humeii,” I shouted, smiling victoriously.

(We don't know his address.)

“Address daal rahi hu. Now drive,” she said, smiling victoriously and making my smile drop.

( I'm putting the address, now drive.)

Giving up on my life, I drove to the address Ritika had saved in my car.

All through the drive, my thoughts were a mess. What was I going to say to him? Something like, hey, you good? Or, what’s up? How was the bullet?

Ritika, on the other hand, decided to play romantic songs.

“Finally,” I heard Ritika whisper when I pulled into the driveway.

Zeeshan's POV

“Baith aaram se ab,” Vidit said as I walked out of the washroom after cleaning myself.

(Now sit properly.)

“Unse baat hui?” I asked, making myself comfortable on my bed.

(Did you talk to her?)

“Ha-” A phone call interrupted him.

“How’s he?” came her voice from the other side the moment he picked up the call.

“Tum dono se hi hello nahi hota kya?” Vidit replied, glaring at me.

(Can't you both say hi or hello first?)

“Hi Vidit bhai, don’t force me to say hello to you in my Delhi accent,” she replied, sweetening her voice. I could almost feel her sarcastic smile through the phone.

“Ek din bohot pitoge tu aur woh tera aashiq,” Vidit replied, narrowing his eyes at me. I chuckled quietly.

(One day I'm going to beat you and your lover.)

“Haha, so funny. Now tell me,” she said, fake laughing. I nodded at him, urging him to continue.

“He’s fine. I went this morning to help him freshen up. It’s his left hand, so he can eat on his own. But the doctor said the bullet was very close to his heart, so it will take some time for him to heal,” he said.

“He’s not coming to the office, is he?” she asked further. I knew she was raising her voice at me.

“Nahi meri maa nahi aa raha, ab mera peecha chodh do tum dono,” Vidit whined, throwing a tantrum like a child.

(No my mother, he is not. Now leave me alone.)

“Thank you, Vidit bhai,” she said extra sweetly before ending the call. He stared at the screen in disbelief, making me burst into laughter.

“Saale tum dono mujhe pagal kar doge,” Vidit glared, throwing a pillow at me.

(Asshole, both of you will make me go insane one day.)

“Chal jaa. Tujhe late ho raha hai na,” I said, taking a deep breath to control my laughter.

(Go, you were getting late, weren't you?)

“Ha haa,” he replied, glaring at me.

(Yeah yeah.)

“Aur sun, unka number bhejio meko,” I said. His expression immediately turned mischievous.

(And listen, send me her phone number too.)

“Bohot maarunga. Bhool mat, tera woh wala video hai mere paas. Chup chaap number bhej,” I warned. He sighed dramatically before forwarding her number to me.

(I'll beat you . Don't forget, I still have that video of yours. Quietly send me her number.)

I immediately saved her number on my phone.

Dropping my body onto the bed, I completely forgot about my wound. The moment I landed on the soft mattress, waves of pain shot through my body, forcing a sharp hiss out of my mouth.

“Abbe oo aashiq, number bheja hai bas, tumhari shaadi ka card nahi,” he said, laughing like an idiot.

(Hey loverboy, I just sent her phone number to you, not your wedding card.)

Ignoring him, I simply waited for the right moment.

I knew she would not come to meet me on her own. I needed to do something.

But I also did not want to disturb her while she was working. And I knew exactly the person who would tell me when she was free.

“Hello, Zeeshan bhai,” Ritika’s voice came from the other side as I called her.

“Can you help me, Ritika?” I asked, hoping she would say yes.

“Aapki seva mein haazir hai hum, bataiye kya karna hai?” she replied cheerfully.

(Always here to help, tell me .)

“Ayesha jab free ho jae kaam se, meko ek baar text karna and just bring her to me, please. I know she will hesitate,” I explained. She chuckled on the other side.

(Text me when Ayesha's free from work.)

“Done.”

“Thank you, thank you. I promise I’ll treat you to your favourite butterscotch ice cream,” I said, letting out a breath of relief.

“Okay,” she said, chuckling again before ending the call.

And now we wait.

To distract myself, I decided to finish some pending work, checking case files and other evidence, unintentionally drowning myself in it for hours. All the while, my mother kept feeding me different things from time to time and urging me to rest.

“Or… kya haal hai,” Vidit said, walking into my room, dropping his office bag and himself onto my bed with a thud.

(Yo..wassup?)

“Nikle woh log?” I asked, handing him a bottle of water.

(They left?)

He took a few sips and replied, “Haa, they left a few minutes ago. Aate hi honge.”

(Yes, they left a few minutes ago, they must be coming.)

His words made my heart race, skipping multiple beats.

Putting my laptop aside, I quickly tidied up my room, shoving yesterday’s clothes into my cupboard, arranging my desk, and dumping all the dirty dishes into the kitchen sink since I obviously could not wash them with one hand.

Pushing Vidit off my bed, I straightened the bedsheet and gathered the pillows scattered around.

“Waah beta,” Vidit said, chuckling loudly. I shoved him aside and rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my ears heat up slightly.

(Damn)

Just then, the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath, I sat down on my bed. Gesturing Vidit to open the door, he narrowed his eyes at me but left anyway.

Nodding to myself, I took another deep breath, staring at my hands.

Oh wow, I have a mole on my ring finger.

A few knocks interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said, my voice breaking and barely louder than a whisper.

Clearing my throat, I said again, louder this time, “Come in.”

Vidit entered first, looking at me teasingly. Ritika followed, wearing the same teasing expression.

What was wrong with them?

Then she walked in, looking anywhere but at me. A soft chuckle escaped my mouth.

“Andar nahi aaogi aap?” I asked gently when she kept standing near the doorway.

(Won't you come in?)

She looked up and nodded, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of red.

Getting up, I gently held her hand and guided her to sit on the bed against the headrest, where I had been sitting earlier.

“Ritika, make yourself comfortable,” I said to her, though my eyes stayed fixed on Ayesha, who looked like she would rather be anywhere else.

A knock followed, and Veer’s head peeked in.

“Zee bhai,” he said, flashing his full grin.

“Come in, Veer,” I replied, climbing onto the bed from the other side and sitting beside her against the headrest, maintaining a respectful distance. Vidit sat in front of us, while Ritika chose my chair.

“Aapke friends hai ye?” Veer asked as he walked in.

(They are your friends?)

“Yes, say hi to them,” I replied with a soft smile, glancing at her. She sat stiffly but smiled gently at Veer.

One by one, Veer shook hands with Vidit and Ritika.

“Vidu bhaiya, meko bed par chadhne mein help karna zara,” Veer urged. Vidit helped him immediately.

(Vidu bhaiya, help me climb the bed please.)

Veer climbed onto the bed and stood in front of her, extending his hand. “Hi, I am Veeranshu Kapoor.”

“Hii Veeranshu, can I call you Veer too?” she asked, shaking his hand.

Veer nodded shyly and hid himself in my uninjured arm, making all of us laugh.

“Veer, it’s your bedtime, isn’t it?” I asked, gently running my fingers through his hair.

“Mhm, I am sleepy too, Zee bhai,” he murmured.

“Go to sleep. Come on. You don’t want to miss school tomorrow, do you?” I said. He nodded and left, bidding us goodbye.

“So,” Ritika said, looking at us mischievously.

“What?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“Are you guys going to keep shying away and not talk, or are you going to say something?” she asked. Vidit chuckled along with her.

“I want to talk to her alone. You guys can leave,” I said. They laughed but left without another word.

Strange.

“Hey,” I said softly, turning towards her.

“Hi,” she replied, staring at her hands.

“Will you not look at me?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.

“I am,” she replied, her eyes still avoiding mine.

“Idhar hu mai,” I said, gently turning her face towards me by lifting her chin.

(I'm here.)

And finally, her eyes met mine. Her calm yet nervous gaze mirrored my own.

“Kaisi ho aap?” I asked with a smile.

(How are you?)

“You look tired,” she said, ignoring my question, worry etched across her face.

“I… no, I am fine,” I replied. No, scratch that, I stuttered.

“Are you not resting properly?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I- arre kaha jaa rahi ho aap?” I said quickly as she stood up to leave.

(I- hey, where are you going?)

“Ayesha,” I said, holding her wrist to stop her. The next thing I knew, a slap landed on my right cheek.

My eyes widened as my hand flew to my face.

“Bohot zor se maara,” I said, hissing slightly.

(That was a powerful slap.)

“Mazak lag raha hai aapko?” she asked, her eyes watering.

(You still want to joke around?)

“Nahi meri jaan, aap idhar baitho pehle,” I said gently, pulling her back onto the bed.

(No my love, come on sit here first.)

Kneeling in front of her, I asked softly, “Now tell me, what do I deserve this slap for?”

“Fucking get up this instant and sit next to me, warna dusra gaal bhi hai aapka,” she glared dangerously.

(Or else you have one more cheek.)

I stood up immediately, completely forgetting about my injury, letting out an unintentional hiss.

“Oh God. That’s why I told you to take care of yourself. Aapko toh Superman banna hai. Pehle bullet kha lenge, phir dhyan bhi nahi rakhenge,” she scolded, helping me sit properly and tucking pillows behind my back and around my injured arm.

(You have to act like a superman, first he'll take a bullet and then he wouldn't even take care of himself.)

Her fussing made my heart flutter with warmth. It almost felt like we were a normal husband and wife.

“Now you’re smiling,” she said, hands on her waist, glaring at me sharply.

Swallowing nervously, I bit back my smile. “I’m not. Who’s smiling? Not me. pfft.”

“Zeeshan,” she said before breaking into tears.

Sitting closer, I asked gently, “Can I hug you?” She answered by closing the distance herself. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close as she let out everything she had been holding in.

Once she calmed down, I wiped her tears with my right hand and handed her a glass of water.

“I was scared,” she said softly.

“I know,” I whispered, taking her hands in mine.

“I promise I’ll take care of myself,” I said, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I can’t lose you again, Zeeshan. Not this time,” she said, looking at me with tear filled eyes.

“I won’t let that happen. I promise,” I replied. She nodded, wiping her nose with her sleeve, making me smile softly.

A knock echoed, and Vidit walked in after I asked him to.

“Dinner is ready,” he said, glancing at us.

“All good?” he added.

“Yes. Let’s go,” I replied. He nodded and left.

“Go wash your face. Here,” I said, handing her a freshly washed towel. She nodded and went to the washroom. Meanwhile, I picked up both her phone and mine.

She returned looking as beautiful as ever, placed the towel on the chair’s headrest to dry, and together we walked downstairs.

“Um,” she said, hesitation clear on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t think I should meet your family yet,” she said nervously.

“But I think you should definitely meet my family now,” I replied, taking her hand in mine.

She pulled her hand away as we reached the dining table.

“Aajaoo dono,” Mumma said with a warm smile.

(Come on you both.)

“Hi aunty,” Ayesha said, standing awkwardly beside me.

“Hii beta, come on, sit,” Mumma replied. She nodded and sat across from Mumma, while I sat beside her. Vidit chuckled, and Ritika sat next to Mumma.

“Kaisi ho?” Mumma asked.

(How are you?)

“I am good, aunty. Aur aap?” she replied with a smile.

“Ekdum badiyaa. I didn’t know tum bache log kya khate ho, I hope you like the food,” Mumma said, serving her.

(Amazing. I didn't know what your preferences are, I hope you enjoy.)

“Aapne mujhe toh kabhi serve nahi kiya, aunty,” Vidit complained, betrayal evident on his face. Same, brother, same.

(You never served me with your hands, aunty.)

“Haath hai na tumhare paas?” Mumma replied, making Ritika laugh and Ayesha chuckle.

(You have hands, don't you?)

And just like that, we had dinner filled with laughter and blushes on her cheeks every time she caught me staring at her.

Later, Vidit dropped her home along with a driver who lived nearby, driving her car.