Zada paced the small living room of her apartment with Amar, her heart racing as she replayed the earlier conversation with her mother. The weight of her father and uncles finding out about her relationship with Amar was crashing down on her like a tidal wave.

"Amar, I can't believe this is happening!" She exclaimed, wringing her hands nervously.

Amar leaned against the wall, his expression shifting from relaxed to panicked in an instant.

"Come on, give me a break! Your brothers just backed off. And now your dad and uncle are at it?" He groaned dramatically, pushing a hand through his hair. "What will we do?"

"I don't know!" Zada replied, her voice rising in pitch as panic settled in. "They are going to freak out! You know how my dad is. He is going to want to have a talk. A very serious talk." She shivered at the thought, envisioning her father's stern face and the way he often intimidated her male friends.

"Can't we just... I don't know, avoid them? Just keep our heads down until things blow over?" Amar suggested, trying to sound optimistic, but even he could hear the uncertainty in his own voice.

Zada shook her head vehemently.

"You don't know my family. They will find out eventually. And when they do, it's not going to end well for either of us." She stopped pacing, her hands balled into fists at her sides. "What if they try to scare you away? They have this whole protective family thing going on!"

Amar straightened, trying to project confidence, but the reality of the situation was settling in for him as well.

"You think they are going to intimidate me? I am not some scared little boy, Mirrie! I can handle myself." He paused, then added, "At least, I think I can."

"Do you think that will be enough?" She asked, her eyes wide with concern. "What if they come after you, Amar? I don't want them to ruin things for us! We have finally found something good, something real!"

Amar stepped closer to her, his expression softening as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Mirrie, listen to me. I care about you, okay? I love you. I am not going anywhere. But we need to think this through. How can we show them that we are serious about each other? That this isn't just some fling?"

Zada bit her lip, considering his words.

"Maybe... maybe we could invite them over for dinner. Like, all of them. My dad, mom, uncles and aunts. If they see how happy we are together, they might chill out a little."

"Dinner? You really think they would want to spend time with me after just finding out I am dating their daughter?" Amar raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? You can charm the pants off anyone when you want to," Zada replied, her lips twitching into a small smile despite her anxiety. "If you can win them over, we might just make it through this."

"Alright, I will do my best to impress the overprotective dad and uncles. Just tell me when and where." He chuckled nervously, his tension easing just a little.

"We will ask them when they are free. It will be a point in your favour, if you call them instead of them coming over to you." Zada said and Amar nodded agreeing to it.

"Alright. When should I call them?" Amar asked, though not very sure of this.

"Now.." Zada said and Amar looked at her in panic.

"Now? What the hell!"

"Why delay the inevitable." Zada said.

Amar paced the room, his heart pounding as he prepared to make the call. Zada watched him, biting her lip nervously.

"Just remember, stay calm. He is just a dad — albeit a very protective one."

"Right. Just a dad," he muttered under his breath, picking up his phone. He took a deep breath and dialled Omkara Singh Oberoi's number, the ringing echoing in his ears.

"Yes?" After a few moments, Omkara's gruff voice came through the line.

"Uh, Mr. Oberoi?" Amar started, forcing his voice to steady. "This is Amar Vedant, Zahir and Zian's best friend."

"Yeah? What do you want?" Omkara replied, his tone blunt and uninviting.

"I am calling because... I am Mirrie's boyfriend." Amar swallowed hard, trying to remain composed.

"Mirrie? Who the hell is Mirrie?" Omkara snapped, sounding more furious by the second.

"Sorry, Sir! I mean, I am Zada's boyfriend," Amar stammered, his palms growing sweaty. "I was just... um, trying to explain."

"Are you mixing up my daughter's name with some of your girlfriends and you have the nerve to call me? Bloody playboy!" Omkara's voice was cold, sending a chill down Amar's spine.

"Uh! No, Sir! Mirrie is not any ex of mine," Amar said quickly, his voice rising slightly in panic. "Mirrie is what I call Zada! You know, the magical horse from the story Zada is writing?" He blurted out, hoping the reference would ease the tension.

Omkara was silent for a moment, processing the information.

"Hmm," he finally grumbled, sounding slightly more at ease. "What did you call for?"

"I called to invite you and the Oberoi family for dinner. Would you mind flying over to Delhi for dinner with us, Sir? Me and my family would love to host you." Amar asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the knot in his stomach.

"When?" Omkara asked, the curiosity evident in his tone.

"Whenever you are free, Sir. Please let me know a date, and I will make all the necessary arrangements," Amar replied, feeling a glimmer of hope.

"Hmmm. I will get back to you," Omkara said, and before Amar could respond, the line went dead. He stared at the phone in disbelief, his heart still racing.

"Wow," he exhaled, letting out a loud breath of relief. "That man is scary."

"Well, you are dating his darling little girl. He will be scary for you." Zada raised an eyebrow, a cheeky smile playing on her lips.

"I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life. I mean, what do I even say to him when I see him?" Amar shook his head, still processing the phone call.

"Just be yourself, Amar. You are not just any guy; you are the guy who makes me happy. That counts for something," Zada said, stepping closer to him and squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Yeah, but it's a lot of pressure!" He replied, his brows furrowing. "What if he doesn't like me? What if he threatens me?"

Zada laughed softly.

"He won't. Trust me, once he sees how much we care for each other, he will calm down. Dads can be overprotective, but they want what's best for their daughters."

"Right, but still, my heart is racing. How do you manage to keep your cool around him?" Amar asked curiously.

"Oh he isn't like that with me. He loves me so much. And he will see that you love me too." Zada said softly. Amar nodded, feeling a rush of determination.

"Okay, I can do this. We can do this." He glanced at Zada, who was smiling at him with her eyes full of trust.

"Of course, we can. Together," she said softly, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

A/N

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