"What the hell do you mean by Zada's boyfriend?" Omkara thundered after overhearing a phone call his wife was having with his daughter.

"Omkara. You can't eavesdrop like that." Gauri said, glaring at her husband.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I happened to overhear you speaking to Zada. Now answer me, damn it." Omkara demanded furiously.

"Stop screaming, will you?" Gauri asked, totally unfazed by her husband's fury. She was quite used to all his moods, so it wasn't a big deal.

"Does Zada have a boyfriend?" Omkara asked once again, trying to calm down. He knows his wife very well. If he becomes overbearing, she will simply ignore him and walk out. Now he needs answers.

"Yes."

"Since when?"

"It's been a few months."

"And why am I only knowing about it now?"

"Come on, you are a dad. Daughters naturally keep their boyfriends hidden from their dads." Gauri said, with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

"Why would you keep it hidden from me, Gauri?" Omkara asked, glaring at her.

"Because I didn't want you to become impulsive and ruin things for our daughter when her love was in the budding stage." Gauri said honestly.

"She is only twenty one. How can she get a boyfriend now.." Omkara asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

"For your kind information, you knocked me up when I was just a few months over eighteen. I had your three children when I was nineteen." Gauri said and Omkara had the gall to look sheepish.

"That's another thing. You were my wife." Omkara argued.

"Oh yes. How can I forget that you had married me at the tender age of eighteen, without even asking for my consent." Gauri said and Omkara shot an exasperated look at her.

"Why are you bringing it all up now?" Omkara asked and Gauri grinned.

"Because I love to annoy you." Gauri said cheekily.

"Now tell me about this guy." Omkara demanded.

"His name is Amar Vedant." Gauri said.

"Amar Vedant? As in the boys' best friend? That playboy?" Omkara asked in disbelief.

"Yes.."

"My daughter is in love with a playboy?" Omkara asked, panic flashing through his eyes.

"I happen to remember someone who had a live-in relationship with a girl for almost five years. And guess what? He didn't want to commit to her. The poor girl wasted her five years on this commitment phobe and he broke up with her at the first chance he got." Gauri said, blowing on her nails with a bored look on her face. Omkara paled at the reminder of Ridhimma, his ex-girlfriend.

"Why the hell are you bringing up my shortcomings when we are talking about our daughter?" Omkara asked in exasperation.

"Just making sure that you remember all this while you rain down on the poor kids." Gauri said and Omkara shot an angry glare at her.

"That you are right, my darling Gauri. I am going to rain down on them like hell." Omkara said and walked out of the room in search of his brothers.

Omkara stormed through the hallways, his temper barely contained as he went in search of his brothers.

'Amar Vedant? Of all the people... a playboy for my daughter?' His mind whirled as he reached the recreational area of the Oberoi mansion where Shivaay and Rudra were gathered, casually talking over some coffee. Anika and Bhavya were in the corner, checking out some magazines.

"Om, what's gotten into you?" Shivaay asked, raising an eyebrow as his brother barged in, his face red with anger.

Without a greeting, Omkara launched into it.

"Zada has a boyfriend," he stated, his tone filled with disbelief.

Shivaay immediately sat up, all his protective instincts kicking in at once.

"What? Since when?" He demanded, already on high alert. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and he looked ready to spring into action.

Omkara shook his head, still trying to digest the information himself.

"A few months apparently," he muttered, "and get this — his name is Amar Vedant."

Shivaay's eyes widened.

"Amar Vedant? The boys' best friend? That Amar Vedant? The guy who's been bouncing between girls like they are fashion accessories?" His tone was sharp, his face showing the same disbelief that Omkara felt.

"Exactly! And Gauri knew about it. She has been keeping it a secret from me!" Omkara fumed, pacing the room, his hands running through his hair in frustration. Shivaay clenched his fists.

"This is unacceptable. We need to fly to the Delhi right now and meet this guy in person. If he thinks he can mess with our baby's heart, we will show him otherwise." Shivaay's voice was firm, and he started to stand, already making plans in his head.

"You will do no such thing, Shivaay." Just as Shivaay was about to grab his phone, Anika, who had overheard the conversation, stepped in with a sharp glare.

Shivaay froze mid-motion, turning to his wife in surprise.

"Anika, you can't be serious," he said, frowning. "We can't just sit here and do nothing while some playboy makes moves on Zada."

Anika folded her arms, her expression unamused.

"I am very serious. First of all, the poor darlings are so much in love. They have just gotten free from all the atrocities Zahir and Zian rained down on them. Let them live in peace for a while."

"You knew about this?" Shivaay shot Anika, a look of shock.

"Of course, I knew," Anika said coolly. "Gauri told me. We have been keeping you lot out of the loop because we knew exactly how you would react—like you are doing right now."

"You knew it, and you didn't say a word to me? How could you hide something this important?" Shivaay stared at his wife in disbelief, his voice rising.

"Why would I?" Anika shot back, unfazed by his anger. "When I knew exactly how you would respond. You would hop on a chopper, storm into their lives, and scare the poor guy off. They are adults, Shivaay. They have a life. Let them live it their way."

"But... Amar Vedant, Anika bhabhi? That boy has never been serious about anything in his life." Omkara blinked, still reeling from the revelation.

"People change, Om. And if Amar has stuck by Zada, even with Zahir and Zian looming over him like a couple of bodyguards, then maybe he is not the boy you think he is." Anika shrugged.

Omkara opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by a soft chuckle from Rudra, who had been quietly sipping his coffee and watching the whole exchange with amusement.

"Anika bhabhi has got a point," Rudra said, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "If Amar's managed to survive the boys' scrutiny and is still be in a relationship with Zada, then the guy's probably a keeper."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Shivaay glared at his younger brother.

"Look, you two are overreacting. Zada is a smart girl, and if Amar's sticking around despite the boys, maybe there is more to him than you think. And let's face it — if Zahir and Zian haven't scared him off yet, what makes you think you will?" Rudra shrugged, unfazed.

Omkara and Shivaay exchanged a look, their initial fury slowly giving way to reluctant acceptance. As much as they hated the idea of their baby being with someone like Amar, they couldn't deny the truth in Rudra's words. If Zada had chosen him and if he had survived the wrath of her protective brothers, maybe he wasn't just a playboy they had him pegged to be.

Anika watched their expressions shift and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.

"See? Now just let the poor kids enjoy their relationship without you two swooping in like storm clouds ready to rain down on them."

Omkara sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as the weight of the situation sank in.

"I don't like this," he muttered, still not fully convinced but knowing there wasn't much he could do.

Shivaay, though still tense, sat back down, his hands clenching and unclenching as he struggled to accept the situation.

"Fine," Shivaay said grudgingly, "but the second this guy slips up..."

"We will handle it," Anika said firmly, cutting him off. "But for now, trust your daughter. She has grown up with enough of your overprotective ways. Let her figure this out on her own."

"To Zada and Amar. May they survive the collective madness of this family." Rudra raised his coffee cup for a toast, still grinning.

Omkara and Shivaay shot him matching glares, but Rudra's laughter filled the room, lightening the tension that had gripped them moments before. Anika gave Shivaay a final, pointed look before walking out of the room with Bhavya trailing behind her.

"I still don't like it." Omkara sighed once more, sitting down heavily beside his brothers.

"None of us do," Shivaay muttered, but the fire in his voice had dimmed, replaced by a resigned acceptance that there wasn't much more they could do.

"Maybe we should pay a friendly visit to this guy.."

A/N

It was fun to write a scene with the Izhqbaaz characters after such a long time..

Hope you guys enjoyed it too..

Please do vote and comment...

Love,

SF❤️