𐙚⋆°.⋆♡ Author POV:-

"Zeva, Sir is calling you."

"He is home?"

"Yeah, he wants to have dinner with you."

"Okay, I'm coming. But wait!"

"Yeah"

"How am I looking?"

"The way you look daily."

"No duffer! Can't you see any change?"

"No"

"I got a new haircut dammit! When will you start noticing things?"

"My job is to notice your whereabouts not you."

"Go to hell!"

"The haircut is looking pretty indeed!" he murmured to himself chuckling softly as she left the room stomping her feet in pure anguish.

Zeva entered the dining hall and her father looked up to her breaking the silence engulfing the large quiet hall.

"How is your thesis going?"

"It is going really well dad. I have made a tremendous progress in my report." Zeva answered cheerfully, pulling a chair for herself.

Settling comfortably on it she continued," My mock test results are also announced, I have the highest GPA in my department."

"Great. So that is why you sneaked out yesterday for a party?"
he said making her squint close her eyes realizing she had been caught yet again.

"D..Dad actually, my friends said we should celebrate. So just that's why I went to that club." she said softly with fear and guilt laced in her voice.

"Do you know whose daughter are you?
he questioned raising his voice.

"Yours, I guess"
she replied with an uncertainty dominating her voice.

"Shut up! You are the younger daughter of Rajdeep Sarraf, one of the most respected elites and this is how you behave? You said that you don't want to join business, so I let you pursue your career the way you want. You wanted to study psychology and I never interfered in your decision. But if I ask you to maintain the prestige of the surname you carry, you are obliged to do so. You cannot roam around in clubs like this."

"I am sorry dad. I won't repeat this." she said stammering with her eyes down casted.

"I hope you keep your word." he said coldly making her nod her head softly.

The dinner went in silence and Zeva turned back to go to her room but instead, chose stairs that led to the terrace. As she expected, there was Atharva leaning on the railing with his back facing her.

She stormed towards him and stood beside him clenching her fists.

"Tumne phirse meri chugli kar di na"

"That's what I get paid for I guess." he answered calmly looking the night view with slight breeze making his hair flutter and fall on his forehead.

"Oh, come on! Why do you always have to spit it out whenever I sneak out?" she yelled with her patience crossing limits.

"Because it's wrong! If you are told not to, then you shouldn't."

he replied with his voice yet calm and composed.

"Wrong? are you blind? Can't you see how many restrictions are imposed on me? It's not my fault that I am born in this stupid so-called elite society. I am not going to dance on your or my dad's tunes. I will go wherever I want to. Do what you want."

She spat harshly and turned to leave when he finally caught her elbow halting her steps and turning her towards himself.

"Why are you making this difficult for yourself? You belong to a high-class society, and you should feel lucky. You are an elite and should behave like one. What's wrong in it?"

he remarked with inquisitiveness lingering in his voice.

"Because it's all fake and bullshit. You see these high-class people; they just like to show off their status and power. They are such diplomats who will measure your respect by the price tag of the purse you carry. I never wanted to and never will be a part of this society of lie and charade."

she said, each word loud and crystal clear with the determination and the confidence she carried in her words and ideologies.

She freed her wrist from hir grip and turned back to leave sparing a last glance at him when his voice halted her on her tracks,"

Why are you so different from others Zeva?"

She turned halfway and intrigued,
"Am I wrong?"

"No" he replied instantly.

"And still, you don't love me back."

she declared making him numb. Looking at his blank expression, her lips curved into a soft smile, and she left from there leaving him alone in despair.

"It's not my place to do so. You will have to understand that someday or the other." he mumbled under his breath before a soft groan left his mouth.

NEXT MORNING-

"Anaya beta breakfast is ready. Come downstairs."

"Okay maasi, coming."

She settled herself on the chair in front of Zeva's chair. In middle of both their chairs was present their father sitting on the head chair, chugging on his salad meal.

"Good morning di!"

"Good morning Ziv. How are your studies going?"

"Great. My thesis is almost ready."

"Well done! And your Paris takeaway hamper is already kept in your room, check it when you come back from college."

"Thank you di, you are so sweet."

She smiled in return blinking her eyes when their dad's voice broke the just erupted silence.

"Anaya, as you are back to India now, you should take over your responsibilities."

"Yes dad, sure."

"So which branch are you planning to work for? The one here in Mumbai or the other chain in Delhi or Indore?"

"This one dad. I'm not leaving this house." She affirmed.

"But why? You can join the Delhi branch too, it has better opportunities for you." He argued to which she declared again.

"I want to stay with Zeva."

"What? So to be with her you will knock down a better career opportunity?" He intrigued, taken aback by her suddenly confront.

"I will stay in Mumbai only dad. I want to stay with Zeva. I didn't get a chance to see her grow up, but when I have a chance to be with her now, I will not leave it. She grew up without mom and even you were engrossed in work! Don't know how many PTAs in school left unattended, but now I will be there for every college fest of hers. Whenever her thesis gets a prize or her GPA remains highest, I will be there to cheer and clap for her, click her photos whenever she wears a medal."

she said with her face tilted in Zeva's direction while her eyes remained glued to her face with gratitude and love lingering on it spreading like the smell of honey, symbolizing the connection of sisterhood which embraced them today finally after don't know how many years of disappearance.

"Since when did you become so much considerate about other people?" he questioned with shock masked on his face.

"She is not some other people! She is my only sister." she said with harshness and determination stressed in her voice, instantly gone the elder sister replaced by the tough-nut elder daughter.

"Fine! Consider yourself lucky Zeva! Jiski batameezi ne puri duniya me record tod rakhe hai, wo aapse behad pyaar karti hai!" he said with submission in his voice and face.

"When is my CEO declaration by the way dad?"

Anaya said shifting the topic to which his dad cleared his throat, inhaling a deep breath before unfolding the truth in front of her volcanic-trait daughter.

"Actually, you are taking up office. But not as the CEO, as a secretary."

his father stated slowly and looked at her for a loud reaction but scrunched his eyebrows on looking at her remain unfazed.

He waited a few seconds for a reaction when suddenly her laugh echoed in the dining hall. Zeva and he both looked at each other and then at her with confusion written on their foreheads.

"You are so damn funny dad! Oh my god! I can't take it! Zeva, pass me the water." she said while laughing her ass out. Zeva passed her the glass of water quickly which when she was about to touch to her lips, he said again,

"I am not joking. You are joining as the secretary of the new chief designer of the company Aarav Tripathi."

Her laugh faded the next second.

Silence.

The glass fell from her hands, shattering into a million pieces on the ground, breaking the silence with a splashing voice.

Horror fazed on her face, and she asked with trembling lips not believing on his confession.

"D..dad? You mean I... I am going to work as a secretary! A damn SECRETARY!"

"Yes, you are. Because no doubt you are brilliant, but you lack the qualities of a CEO. You don't have the discipline a CEO should have. You are extremely insolent and arrogant for a CEO. Price is good, but vanity is not.

So, till the time you don't mend yourself and be perfect for leading the company, I will rate your performance as a secretary."

Saying this, he stood from the chair turning to leave when her question halted him on his tracks.

"But why secretary dad?"

"Because that is the job that requires highest level of patience, and you don't have even an ounce of it. I want you to develop that and the day you do it, I will hand over the company to you."

He left the hall completing his words, leaving her in the biggest shock. Zeva came near her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder cooing softly,

" It's okay di. You will be able to do it well."

"I will have to. I cannot lose the company at any cost."

"Hmm, don't worry."

"What was the name of that designer? For whom do I have to work?"

"Aarav, Aarav Tripathi I guess." Zeva replied making her scrunch her eyebrows a bit.

"Aarav? Have I heard of this name before?" she mumbled to herself, loud enough for her to listen.

"Didi, there are hundreds of Aarav in this world! Even I have two in my college. You might have heard of this name anywhere. Don't stress much, anyways you are meeting him tomorrow in office."

she said with a calmed voice to which she replied curtly,

"Hmm. You are right. I shouldn't think much. Anyways, you will be late for college, go."

"Yeah, bye."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1700 words

Hope you all liked the chapter 💗✨

Sorry for making you wait but next updates will be more frequent.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

What are your views about zeva and atharva's story?
Tell me in the comments.

Follow me on instagram for spoiler reels and updates- @ nainainks

Take care.