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“Don’t let her go,” Grandpa added softly. “Not if she means so much to you.”

Shaurya’s eyes welled up. Without another word, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around Grandpa. The hug was tight, desperate, and uncharacteristically vulnerable for someone like Shaurya. But he didn’t care. The tears in his eyes had already betrayed him.

The old man’s words had cut through every layer of fear and doubt. He was right. Living with the regret of never trying again was far worse than the fear of failing.

“You’re right…” Shaurya whispered. “I’ve been letting fear make my decisions for me. And that’s not how I want to live anymore.”

Grandpa gave a soft smile and patted Shaurya’s back proudly, happy he had finally realised that. After a long moment, he pulled back slightly and studied Shaurya’s face.

“Tell me something,” he said. “That woman we saw leaving your villa secretly on Christmas night… was that her?”

Shaurya stilled. He’d forgotten about that. A few of Grandpa’s friends had caught a glimpse of someone slipping out his back door that night. But they hadn’t known it was Nandini. He nodded slowly.

Grandpa gave a knowing smile. “Next time she visits, don’t sneak her out like a secret. We’d all like to meet her.”

Shaurya hesitated, torn. Should he tell Grandpa the truth that the woman he loved was Nandini, his own granddaughter? He wasn’t afraid of Grandpa’s reaction, but right now, none of that mattered as much as talking to Nandini herself. He needed to clear the air, lay everything bare. He needed to apologise. Heneeded to explain why he’d pulled away, why fear had made him act like a fool. That mattered more than anything.

He took a breath, straightened up, and said, “Thank you, Grandpa. For everything. I really needed this clarity.”

Grandpa smiled. “You’re welcome. But if you really want to thank me, then do me one favour.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Clear your schedule for lunch tomorrow,” Grandpa said. “I want you here with us.”

Shaurya nodded. “Sure. But what’s the occasion?”

“My son’s friend’s boy, Rohit, is coming over for lunch,” Grandpa replied casually. “I’d just like you to… get a read on him.”

Shaurya frowned. “Get a read on him? Why would I need to read your son’s friend’s son?”

Grandpa chuckled. “Because he’s coming to meet Nandini. As a potential suitor.”

The words hit him like someone had just punched him. Shaurya’s heart dropped, and the blood drained from his face.What?Nandini was meeting someone else?

He sat frozen, anger and jealousy flooding in fast. So much had happened, and now she was… moving on? Or was she being forced to move on?

No. That couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let it happen. Not when he’d just realised how much she meant to him.

Not when he knew without a doubt that she was the one.

There was no way in hell he was letting someone else step into the space he had once held. Nandini was his.

And now, he was going to fight like hell to win her back.

CHAPTER 19

Raichand Villa – Next Day

The afternoon sun filtered softly through the lace curtains of the kitchen windows as Nandini stood by the stove, quietly stirring a simmering pot of dal. The aromatic scent of cumin and asafoetida, laced with a hint of cardamom from the kheer cooling nearby, hung in the air. On the counter behind her, a silver tray was filled with the glistening boondi ladoos she’d made by hand, her fingers still tinged with saffron and sugar from shaping them not long ago.

She wore a simple lemon-yellow kurta, her hair tied back in a loose braid, with a few strands escaping to frame her face, which was still puffy from the tears she hadn’t yet learned to hide well. Today was the day she was supposed to meet Rohit Wadhwa, the son of her father’s long-time friend, a man practically handpicked to be her husband.

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

After everything that had happened with Shaurya just a week ago, Nandini had sworn off men, off love, off expectations. And yet, here she was, about to entertain the idea of a stranger for the sake of her father’s promise.

Marrying so soon wasn’t her dream. Never had been. Since the past year, she had pleaded with her father and explained to him that her startup needed her full attention. That shewasn’t ready for marriage. Not when her heart was invested in something else, something hers.