One week after the grand engagement, the Ahmed Palace was not celebrating.
It was preparing for war.
Rayan’s father, Kamran Ahmed, had done what he threatened.
He had filed a case in Lahore High Court and London Business Court.
His claim was simple and dangerous: “My son, Rayan Ahmed, is mentally unstable and is marrying a poor gold-digger waitress under emotional pressure.
He is not capable of running Ahmed Industries.
I, as his father and 30% shareholder, should be made CEO again to save the company.” The news spread like fire in all business channels.
“CEO Rayan Ahmed to lose his company for a waitress?” “Billionaire CEO vs Father – 1000 Crore Battle!” Share prices of Ahmed Industries fell by 20% in one day.
Investors were scared.
Board members were calling Dadi Jaan non-stop.
In his 30th floor office, Rayan was sitting alone at 2 AM, looking at court papers.
His lawyers said, “Sir, it’s a weak case, but it will take 2 years.
And until then, the company’s reputation will be damaged.
Your father knows this.
He wants you to settle.
He wants you to leave Ayesha and marry the London billionaire’s daughter.” Rayan’s eyes were red from not sleeping.
He had not eaten for two days.
He was fighting his father again, just like when he was 8 years old and helpless.
Just then, the office door opened.
Ayesha came in, holding a lunchbox.
The security guards had tried to stop her.
“Madam, Sir said no one can meet him.” But she had shouted, “I am his future wife!
Move!” She walked in and saw Rayan.
Her strong, ruthless CEO, looking broken, tie loose, hair messy, surrounded by papers.
“Rayan?” she said softly.
Rayan looked up.
When he saw her, his hard face softened.
“Ayesha?
What are you doing here at 2 AM?
How did you come?” “I took a rickshaw.
Your phone was switched off.
Your Dadi told me you haven’t gone home for 2 days,” she said, putting the lunchbox on his table.
It was his favorite, chicken biryani made by her mother.
“Rayan, you have to eat.
You will get sick.” “I have no appetite, Ayesha.
My father…
he is going to take everything.
My company, my hard work of 15 years, everything I built after my mother died…
he will take it.
And all because of me…
because I decided to marry you.
If I had married that London girl, this would not have happened.” He looked down, guilty.
“Maybe…
maybe my father is right.
Maybe I am being selfish.
Maybe marrying you is destroying my company.
5000 employees work in my company, Ayesha.
If my company falls, 5000 families will suffer.
Just for our love?” Ayesha’s heart broke hearing this.
He was thinking of leaving her for his company?
She held his face and made him look at her.
“Rayan Ahmed, look at me!
Are you the same man who knelt three times for me in front of 500 people?
Are you the same man who threw Zara and Sana out of his palace for me?
Are you the same man who slept on the floor of my poor house?” Rayan had tears in his eyes.
“Yes, but…” “No buts!
You told me that day near the lake that your peace is not in your palace, your peace is with me.
Was that a lie?” “No, it was not a lie!
You ARE my peace, Ayesha!” “Then fight!
Don’t give up!
Your father left you when you were 8 and you built this company from zero without him!
You are not 8 years old anymore!
You are Rayan Ahmed!
The ruthless CEO!
Are you scared of a man who stole money and ran away?” Her words hit him like lightning.
She was right.
He was not that helpless 8-year-old boy anymore.
He stood up.
“You are right, Ayesha.
I am not 8 anymore.
I will not let him take my company AND my love.
I will fight both battles!” He called his head lawyer at 2 AM.
“Wake up all lawyers!
I want to file a counter case tomorrow morning!
Fraud, domestic violence, abandonment!
I want to prove that he stole my mother’s money 20 years ago and left her to die!
And I want to cancel his 30% shares!” The lawyer was shocked.
“Sir, that case is 20 years old, evidence will be hard…” “My Dadi has all evidence!
My mother wrote a diary before dying!
Find it!
And also, call a press conference tomorrow at 11 AM.
I will tell the whole world why I am marrying Ayesha.” Next morning, 11 AM, press conference at Ahmed Industries head office.
More than 100 journalists.
Rayan came holding Ayesha’s hand.
Dadi Jaan was also there.
Rayan took the mic.
His voice was strong again.
The CEO was back.
“Thank you for coming.
My father, Kamran Ahmed, has filed a case saying I am mentally unstable for marrying a waitress.
So today, I will tell you the full truth.” He told everything.
How his father left his mother for his secretary.
How he stole 20 crores from his mother’s company.
How his mother died of heartbreak when Rayan was 10.
How Dadi Jaan raised him.
How he built the company from 1 crore to 1000 crores with his own hard work.
“My father says Ayesha is a gold digger.
But let me tell you who the real gold digger is.
A man who steals his own wife’s money is a gold digger.
A man who leaves his 8-year-old son for money is a gold digger.
My Ayesha never asked me for money.
I forced her to take my card.
She wanted to pay her mother’s hospital bill by working hard, cleaning tables!
She is not a gold digger, she is the most self-respecting woman I have ever met!” He then showed his mother’s old diary on the projector.
In the diary, his mother had written, “If I die, my son Rayan should never give a single rupee to Kamran.
He is a fraud.” The journalists were shocked.
Cameras flashing.
“So I have filed a counter case against my father for fraud of 20 crores 20 years ago.
And I am sure the court will cancel his shares.
And about my share price falling?
Let it fall!
A company that falls because its CEO marries for love, not for money, does not deserve to be a big company!
My 5000 employees know I will never let them suffer!
I will work day and night to bring the shares back!” He then knelt down again, for the FOURTH time, in front of 100 journalists and live TV.
“Ayesha, I know I already proposed to you, but this time I am proposing in front of the whole world.
Not as a CEO, but as a man who loves you.
Ayesha, will you marry me tomorrow?
Not next week, not next month.
Tomorrow!
Because I cannot wait to make you my wife and show my father that love is more powerful than his 1000 crore blackmail!” Ayesha was crying loudly.
She had never seen such a public declaration of love.
“YES!
YES, RAYAN!
I WILL MARRY YOU TOMORROW!
I WILL MARRY YOU TODAY ITSELF!” The whole press hall clapped and cheered.
“Cinderella!
Cinderella!
Cinderella!” Live TV was showing it.
The whole Pakistan was watching.
The story of the waitress and the CEO was now the number one story.
And in London, Kamran Ahmed was watching live TV in