Next morning, Ayesha woke up in her small house feeling like the happiest girl in the world.
Yesterday was not fake.
Rayan had said he was falling for her.
He had asked her to be his REAL girlfriend.
She had kissed him.
It was all real now.
She was humming a song and making tea for her mother when her phone rang.
It was Rayan.
But his voice was not romantic today.
It was tense, scared, angry.
“Ayesha, where are you?
Are you at home?” he asked quickly.
“Yes, at home.
Why?
What happened, Rayan?
Is everything okay?” “No, nothing is okay.
Dadi Jaan has called an emergency family meeting.
In 1 hour.
At the palace.
You have to come RIGHT NOW.
Wear that red gown again.” “But why?
What happened?
You sound so tense,” Ayesha asked, her happiness disappearing.
Rayan took a deep breath.
“Sana…
Sana found out about our contract.
She took photos of us at the lake and sent them to Dadi Jaan.
She told her everything.
That I am paying you 5 lakhs to be my fake girlfriend.” Ayesha’s phone almost fell from her hand.
The tea cup broke on the floor.
“What?
How…
how did she know?
Who told her?” “My driver.
She bribed him.
Ayesha, listen, whatever happens in the palace, don’t be scared.
I will handle it.
I will tell Dadi the truth, that it STARTED as fake but now it’s real.
I love you, Ayesha.
Trust me.
Come fast.” He cut the call.
Ayesha’s mother saw her face.
“What happened, beta?
You look like you have seen a ghost.” Ayesha told her everything, crying.
Her mother hugged her.
“Go, beta.
Go and face it.
If his love is real, he will fight for you in front of his family.
Go.” One hour later, Ayesha entered the palace again.
But this time, it didn’t feel like a palace.
It felt like a court.
A court where she was the criminal.
The whole Ahmed family was sitting.
More than 30 people.
Dadi Jaan was in the middle, her face like stone, full of anger.
Sana was standing beside her, smiling evilly like she had won a war.
Rayan was standing in a corner, his fists tight, looking helpless for the first time.
And on the big table, there was a printed paper.
The contract.
The 5 lakh contract that Rayan’s lawyer had made.
Sana had somehow stolen a copy.
“Ayesha, come here,” Dadi Jaan said in a very cold voice.
The loving Dadi from two days ago was gone.
Now she was the powerful head of the Ahmed family.
Ayesha walked slowly, her legs shaking.
She stood in the middle of the hall.
Everyone was staring at her with disgust.
“Is this true?” Dadi Jaan threw the contract paper at her feet.
“Is it true that my grandson, Rayan Ahmed, is paying you 5 lakh rupees to act as his girlfriend?
Is our family’s respect for sale for 5 lakhs?” Ayesha picked up the paper.
It was true.
It was the contract with her signature.
She started crying.
“Dadi Jaan, I…
I can explain…” “Explain what?
That you are a gold digger?
That you trapped my innocent grandson for money?
Sana told me everything!
You work as a waitress and you saw a rich boy and you trapped him!” “No!
It’s not like that!” Ayesha shouted through tears.
“I never trapped him!
HE came to me!
He offered me money because my mother is in the hospital!
I needed money to save my mother!” Sana laughed loudly.
“Wow, what a story!
Mother in hospital!
Classic gold digger drama!
Dadi, don’t believe her!
She is lying to get sympathy!” Rayan could not take it anymore.
He ran to Ayesha and held her hand.
“DADI, ENOUGH!
Don’t insult her!
It’s MY fault, not hers!
I FORCED her!
I told her I would give her 5 lakhs if she becomes my fake girlfriend for 30 days because I didn’t want to marry Sana!
She didn’t trap me!
I trapped her!” The whole hall went silent.
Rayan Ahmed, who never explained himself to anyone, was shouting for a poor waitress.
Dadi Jaan looked at Rayan, shocked.
“You…
you did this?
You brought a girl on rent to fool me?
Your own Dadi?” “Yes, Dadi, I did.
Because you were forcing me to marry Sana!
I didn’t love Sana!
I don’t love her!
And I thought…
I thought I could never love anyone.
So I thought a fake girlfriend was easy.
But…” He looked at Ayesha, who was crying badly, her face covered with tears.
“But now it’s not fake, Dadi.
I swear on you, Dadi.
What I feel for Ayesha now is 100% real.
I love her, Dadi.
I really love her.
That contract is garbage now.
I tore it in my mind the day I kissed her.
I want to marry her, Dadi.
Not Sana.
Only Ayesha.” Everyone gasped.
MARRY?
The CEO wants to marry a waitress?
Sana screamed, “NO!
Dadi, no!
You promised I will marry Rayan bhai!
You promised my mother!
This waitress is lying!
He is just saying this to save her!” Dadi Jaan stood up slowly.
She walked to Ayesha.
Ayesha closed her eyes, thinking Dadi would slap her.
But Dadi Jaan did something no one expected.
She held Ayesha’s face and wiped her tears.
“Child, look at me,” Dadi said softly.
Ayesha opened her eyes, scared.
“Tell me the truth.
Only the truth.
Looking into my eyes.
Do you love my Rayan?
Or do you love his money?” Ayesha looked into Dadi’s sharp but kind eyes.
She forgot about the 30 people watching.
She forgot about Sana.
She only thought about Rayan.
About his kiss, about his protection, about how he knelt for her, about how he offered to make her a doctor.
And she said from her heart, with all her honesty, “Dadi Jaan, when he first offered me 5 lakhs, I only saw money.
Because my mother was dying and I had no choice.
I thought he was a rude, ruthless CEO.
But in these 3 days, I saw his real heart.
I saw how lonely he is.
How much he needs love.
How he protected me when everyone insulted me.
I…
I fell in love with him, Dadi Jaan.
Not with his money, not with his palace, not with his cars.
I fell in love with the man who is scared to be hurt, but still has the kindest heart.
I love him, Dadi.
I really love him.
If you tell me to leave him today and never take a single rupee, I will leave.
But I will still love him.” She was crying, but her voice was so honest, so pure, that the whole hall became silent.
Even the servants had tears in their eyes.
Dadi Jaan stared at her for a long time.
Then she turned and looked at Rayan.
“And you, Rayan?
Do you love her?
Or is this another one of your business deals?” Rayan walked to Ayesha and knelt down again, just like he did at breakfast.
But this time, he took out a small box from his pocket.
Inside was not a fake necklace.
It was a real diamond ring.
A very big, very expensive diamond ring.
“Ayesha, I, Rayan Ahmed, have done many deals worth billions.
But the best deal of my life was the 5 lakh deal with you.
Because that 5 lakh deal gave me you.
I don’t want a 30-day contract anymore.
I want a lifetime contract.” He opened the box.
“Ayesha, will you marry me?
Not for 5 lakhs, not for 30 days, but for 70 years?
Will you be my real wife, not fake girlfriend?” Ayesha’s hands went to her mouth.
She was shocked.
Crying, laughing, everything together.
The whole family was shocked.
Sana fell on the floor, crying.
Ayesha looked at Dadi Jaan.
Dadi Jaan smiled and nodded.
A small, approving nod.
Ayesha then looked at Rayan, who was still kneeling, waiting for her answer with hopeful eyes.
“Yes…” she whispered.
“Yes, I will marry you, Rayan.” Rayan stood up and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground.
He kissed her forehead in front of everyone.
Dadi Jaan laughed loudly and clapped.
“Mubarak ho!
My grandson has finally found a girl who loves him, not his money!
Sana, you should learn something from Ayesha!
True love is not about money or status, it’s about heart!
And Ayesha has the purest heart!” She walked to Sana.
“And you, Sana, you tried to break them with your jealousy.
But you only made their love stronger.
Now go to your room.
And you are punished.
You will not get any pocket money for one month!” Everyone laughed.
Sana ran away crying.
Dadi Jaan then announced, “Next week, we will have the biggest engagement party in Lahore!
Rayan Ahmed and Ayesha!
My grandson and my new granddaughter!” Rayan whispered in Ayesha’s ear, “See?
I told you.
No one can hurt you when you are with me.
Even Dadi.” Ayesha hugged him and whispered back, “Our 30-day contract became a lifetime contract in just 8 days.” Rayan smiled.
“Because Cinderella finally found her CEO Prince.
And this Prince will never let his Cinderella go back to cleaning tables.” That day, Ayesha went home not as a fake girlfriend, but as the future wife of Rayan Ahmed.
The whole poor street celebrated.
Her mother cried with happiness and hugged her.
The 5 lakh contract paper was still lying on the floor of the palace.
But no one cared about it anymore.
Because some contracts are meant to be broken by love.
Day 8 was over.
Only 22 days were left in the original contract, but they didn’t need those days anymore.
They had a whole lifetime ahead.
But little did they know, this was not the end of their problems.
Because Zara, Rayan’s ex-girlfriend, and Sana were now teaming up together for the biggest revenge.
And Rayan’s father, who left him 20 years ago, was coming back to Lahore after hearing about the engagement.
The real storm was still coming.