At the airport, Zada, Zahir, and Zian waited in eager anticipation, spotting their family as they emerged through the gates. They waved excitedly as Omkara, Gauri, Shivaay, Anika, Rudra, Bhavya, and the youngest siblings—Zaif, Anya, and little Zera—made their way toward them.

After warm hugs and greetings, Zahir took the lead, guiding the family out to the cars waiting to take them to a villa owned by the Oberoi family in Delhi, a quiet, private place for the family to relax and refresh before the Vedant family's barbecue later that evening.

As the Oberoi family settled into the villa, little Zera immediately became the centre of attention, toddling around in her bright pink dress and clutching her favourite stuffed bunny.

Zada crouched down, arms open wide.

"Come here, my baby!" She called, and Zera's eyes sparkled as she wobbled over to her big sister, her bunny flopping in her tiny hand.

"Za-da!" Zera squealed as she fell into her sister's arms, giggling as Zada lifted her up, pressing a dozen kisses onto her cheeks.

"You missed me?" Zada asked, her voice soft and adoring.

"Missed you this much!" Zera held her arms out wide, making her siblings laugh.

"Oi, princess, what about your favourite brother?" Zahir teased, holding out his arms. Zera's eyes widened with delight, and she wriggled out of Zada's arms, practically leaping into his.

Zahir spun her around, making her squeal with delight.

"My little doll!" He murmured, brushing her curls back tenderly. "I missed you more than you missed me, you know."

Zian reached over, playfully tickling Zera's side.

"Don't listen to him, Zera. I missed you the most," he said, grinning as she squirmed in Zahir's arms, giggling and trying to hide from Zian's tickling fingers.

Zera looked between her brothers, eyes twinkling as she held up her bunny.

"You missed Mr. Bunny, too?" She asked innocently.

"Of course! How could I not miss Mr. Bunny?" Zahir took Mr. Bunny from her, patting its soft head.

Zian chuckled, wrapping an arm around Zahir as they both hugged Zera tightly, all of them laughing and Zada quickly joined the lot.

Zaif and Anya, watching the scene, hurried towards them and joined the siblings hug.

The elders watched with a smile.

Rudra and Bhavya had a smile on their face watching their nieces and nephews.. They had together taken the decision of not having kids. Because they both didn't want such a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They were both free spirited people who preferred to enjoy life to the fullest without having to take the responsibility of another person too.

At the villa, the Oberoi family quickly freshened up. But before they could leave, Omkara called his children into the sitting room for a brief, serious discussion.

"Zada, you have kept this relationship hidden for months. Why?" Omkara's expression was firm as he directed his first question at Zada, who stood confidently, her posture unwavering.

Zada took a deep breath, meeting her father's gaze head-on.

"Papa, I wanted to be sure of what I felt before I told you. I wanted to be certain he was the one for me." Her voice softened, her tone filled with determination. "I love him, Papa. And he loves me. There is no going back."

"You are still young, Zada. There is so much you don't know about the world and relationships." Omkara sighed, exchanging a look with Shivaay.

"I know, Papa. But I know my own heart." Zada's face didn't waver.

Rudra couldn't help but chuckle.

"Congratulations, Zada! You managed to get a boyfriend despite these two bodyguards constantly shadowing you." He winked, nudging Zahir and Zian, who both rolled their eyes. Zada smirked, catching Rudra's tease.

"Rudy chachu, I didn't just get a boyfriend. I got their best friend," she replied smugly. Omkara's face soured.

"Amar is a playboy, Zada," Omkara pointed out bluntly, not hiding his distaste.

"He was," Zada corrected confidently, holding her head high. "Before he met me. And I can say with complete confidence that, from the moment his eyes fell on me, he hasn't looked at anyone else."

"And how do you know that?" Shivaay folded his arms, casting a sceptical glance.

"Ask Zian or Zahir, bade papa." Zada turned to her brothers.

"Grudgingly, I admit it. Ever since she started college, I haven't seen him with any other girl. I haven't even seen him look at anyone else." Zian shrugged.

"Maybe he was putting on a show for you, to win you over." Omkara raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"He didn't need to, Dad. He had no idea Zada was our sister at first. He loved her for herself." Zahir shook his head.

"You both seem awfully defensive of him." Omkara glanced between his sons, a frown etched on his face.

"Because he earned it," Zahir replied simply.

"Earned it?" Omkara repeated, and Shivaay's expression mirrored his intrigue. "How exactly?"

"When we first found out, we were furious. We knew what Amar's reputation had been, and we gave Zada an ultimatum: choose between us and him." Zian paused, his voice dropping. "She refused to choose. And we cut her off for a week. Refused to speak to her, avoided her at every turn."

"Then Amar showed up. And he fought with us—not for their relationship sake, but for ours. He didn't try to convince us of his feelings or prove himself. He just told us that Zada was miserable without us, and that if we made her cry again, he would take it up with us. He made it clear that Zada's happiness mattered more to him than anything." Zahir took over, his tone solemn.

Zada's eyes misted as she heard her brothers recount the story. She hadn't known the depth of that confrontation, but now she realised why Zahir and Zian had come around so wholeheartedly.

"He didn't know who she was," Zian continued, glancing at his father. "He didn't know she was an Oberoi, or that she was our sister. He loved her just as she was. And when he found out, he stayed. He didn't run off scared of us."

"And they put him through so many silly tests, just to see how far he would go," Zada added, her voice laced with both pride and amusement. "He didn't need to do any of it, but he did, just to make sure I was happy."

Omkara and Shivaay exchanged looks, reluctant respect surfacing as they absorbed what their children had said.

Finally, Omkara nodded, his stern expression softening—if only slightly.

"Alright, then. Let's go meet this boy. I would like to see for myself if he is worth all the fuss."

A/N

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SF❤️