"Mr. Vishal Saxena, do I need to remind you that we're here for a business deal and not to discuss about my wife." The icy tone had Vishal raise his hands up in surrender. Srishti got a little uncomfortable and she so wished she had stayed back home.

The two men discussed about their deal while Srishti got busy with Ayaansh but she would time and again feel Vishal's gaze on her which made her nervous.

Some time later, Ayaansh started crying and despite Srishti's attempts to calm him down, he didn't stop, worrying Sahil.

"What's wrong? Is he hungry? Does he want a new toy?" Sahil asked in a worried tone and Srishti just chuckled in reply.

"Relax, Sahil. He's just not used to being around strangers for so long." She indicated towards Vishal who had been staring at the exchange between the two.

"Then I'll ─"

"No. I'll just take him for a tour around, you can carry on." She stood up with Ayaansh in her arms without waiting for his reply. Not wanting to sound rude, she turned towards Vishal and passed him a small smile.

"Excuse me," Vishal smiled back at her.

"It was nice meeting you, again." He commented and she gave a fake smile this time before leaving.

Sahil looked at him after she was gone and clenched his jaw seeing a goofy smile on his face. He took a deep breath before they decided to discuss the rest of the meeting.

"You have a beautiful wife, Mr. Malhotra." Vishal said once they were through the deal and Sahil was about to leave. He stopped and his eyes snapped at him.

"I suggest you keep your views and eyes both to yourself and focus only on this deal." Sahil warned in a cold tone and left without waiting for his reply.

When he found Srishti, he just pulled her out of the cafe ignoring her questions while Ayaansh found it exciting as he squealed.

"Sahil, what is wrong with you? Why did we just leave like this? I didn't even say goodbye to Mr. Saxena. Seems so rude." She huffed as they stepped inside their room.

Ayaansh immediately wiggled in her arms and she put him down. He crawled towards his toys section leaving his parents to their arguments.

"Well he wasn't your friend, Srishti that you wanted to say goodbye to him." Sahil said stiffly and she glared at him. What was up with him lately?

"Why are you behaving like my husband, Sahil?" The question was straight and blunt because she wanted to know why he was being like that when they had clearly agreed on only being Ayaansh's parents.

"Maybe because I am." He replied with the same bluntness and she grew annoyed.

"Yes, yes you are but only as a formality. Did you forget you don't do relationships and this marriage was only for Ayaansh?" She pointed out and he was silent.

They kept staring at each other for the longest time, none ready to back down. For Srishti, she really was getting annoyed and curious as to why he was behaving like that. And for Sahil, he was finding the answers himself.

"Mum... Mum... Mumma"

Both of them froze and tried to confirm that they heard it. Srishti blinked her eyes at him who himself looked dazed.

Then slowly a sly smirk formed on her face as if telling him he-said-mumma-first and his eyes slightly narrowed.

Funny, how they could go from being tense to playful just because of the tiny little man in their life.

────────

Zevah had been worried sick from the past few days and it was all because one person.

Aditya Singhania.

He had been very secretive for some time now and she knew he was upto something. She just knew.

About her parents, she would get a call from them everyday. They were adamant, persistent and forceful this time into getting her married and she didn't know for how long she could avoid them.

Speaking of it, her phone began to ring again and she sighed tiredly. She picked it up and just as she was about to press it on her ear, it was snatched from her hold.

"She's not marrying anyone." Aditya barked into the phone and ended it. Zevah gasped loudly as he slammed the phone on the desk.

"How dare you?" She breathed out and he looked at her with his dark gaze.

"How dare you, Aditya!" Her voice raised and his jaw clenched. He clasped her hand and pulled her inside his cabin to avoid a nuisance in his working place.

"Why did you bring me here?" She demanded and he took a deep breath.

"Marry me."

She froze for a moment before she started laughing.

"Well that was a good one ─" She joked but then stopped seeing him being all serious.

"Wait, you're serious?" She asked and he arched one eyebrow at her.

"As serious as I'll ever be. Marry. Me." He stressed and she went blank.

"No" She hissed and turned to leave but he grabbed her elbow and pulled her close so that her back collided with his front.

"I'm not backing out from this, Zevah. I've thought about it a lot in these days and I know I'm saying." He said huskily and she shivered involuntarily in his hold.

"What made you think I'll say yes, Aditya? I barely even know you. And liking isn't the only thing needed for a marriage to work. So tell me why should I marry you?" She breathed out and his fingers momentarily tightened on her arm.

"So that your parents won't bug you anymore. So that you won't ever have to be afraid of them. And so that you can live peacefully and so can I." He whispered and she was back to reality.

Pushing herself away from him, she spun around and looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm not a charity case. I don't need your pity, Aditya." She hollered incredulously not believing he could say something like that.

"I never said you were." He fired back and she was already appalled by him. How dare he even say that?

"But your actions surely prove that." She was boiling to the point where she could even slap him but controlling her urge, she took a deep breath.

"This conversation ends here." She declared and turned around to leave.

"Its far from over." He commented just as she about to open the door but ignoring it she stepped out from his cabin.

Reaching her desk, she sat down and rested her head on the table. Why was everyone hell bent on draining her out of energy these days?

All of a sudden she missed Srishti and their days when there was no Malhotra or Singhania in their lives. Atleast they were living freely and peacefully.

"I don't know what to do." She whispered to herself and sighed.

────────

It had been an hour. An hour since Sahil tried to get Ayaansh speak 'Dadda'. An hour since Ayaansh continuously spoke 'Mumma' every time he asked him to speak 'Dadda'. And an hour since Srishti laughed at Sahil's efforts.

"Mumma"

"Yes baby." Srishti grinned at Ayaansh who now forwarded his toy towards her. The toy was just for her to watch because when she would try to touch it, he would snatch it back.

"Mumma"

This continued until Sahil grew annoyed because he was only showing it to his mother.

He felt left out.

He felt jealous.

"Ayaansh buddy, say Dadda." He tried again to which Ayaansh only blinked his eyes at him before going back to playing with his toys.

"That's it." Sahil stood up and paced in the room while Srishti tried to hold in her laughter. A giggle escaped her lips and she immediately clamped her mouth shut when Sahil turned around and stared at her.

"Stop laughing." He ordered which only made her laugh louder.

"Fucking great." He mumbled under his breath but she heard it and glared at him.

"Stop cursing infront of your son." She scolded him and he stared at her amused.

"So that got you to stop laughing?" He questioned and she gave him a warning look which only made him roll his eyes.

"We'll be leaving in two days. So if you want we can go to sight seeing tomorrow." He informed all of a sudden and she gaped at him before a grin formed on her face.

"Well who am I to deny that offer." She chirped and he shook his head at her excited form.

Seeing her playing with Ayaansh, he couldn't help but wonder about Vishal Saxena. There was something off about that man and he knew it. The way he stole glances of Srishti when he thought no one was looking and they way he didn't even back down after knowing she was married was annoying.

Relationship or not, she was his responsibility and he wasn't going to have anyone harm her in any way.

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