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Rohit chuckled, clearly amused. “I like that. Strong and independent. I admire women who talk like that.”

Across the table, Shaurya’s grip on his fork tightened, his knuckles turning white as he stabbed at his food, his appetite long gone. As Rohit continued to lavish Nandini with compliments, far more than necessary, Shaurya bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to chew through the frustration. Lakshmi, while clearing the side dishes, caught his expression and offered him a knowing, sympathetic glance. He gave her nothing back. He couldn’t.

The conversation shifted again. Grandpa leaned back with a heavy sigh. “Once Nandu gets married, I’ll be left alone in this huge house.”

“I wouldn’t mind staying here if you’d have me,” Rohit said quickly, smiling. “That way, Nandini could still stay close to you, and I’d get to live in such a beautiful house. Villas have a charm that high-rise towers just can’t match. What say, Grandpa?”

Grandpa beamed. “Now, that’s the kind of son-in-law I’d like to have!”

Shaurya’s jaw ticked. His gaze snapped to Nandini again, just in time to see her smile falter, ever so slightly. She glanced his way, and in that brief eye contact, everything unspoken roared between them.

Stop this,his eyes said.Don’t go any further.

But she broke the moment, looking away.

When she spoke, her voice was soft but steady. “Would you like to see the house, Rohit? I can show you around.”

Grandpa nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes! Show him your room too, Nandu. Let him see the place where my granddaughter dreams up her business empire.”

The fork fell from Shaurya’s hand with a loudclink.

Their eyes locked again. Hers filled with hesitation… guilt. His blazing with rage.

As Nandini rose and quietly motioned for Rohit to follow, Shaurya abruptly pushed his chair back and stood.

“I should get going,” he said.

“Now? But we haven’t even had dessert yet,” Grandpa replied, disappointed.

“Some other time, Grandpa. Something urgent came up. I really can’t stay anymore.”

Grandpa nodded without protest. “Okay. And thank you for joining us, Shaurya. It’s always good to have you here.”

As he turned to leave, Nandini turned slightly, her gaze catching his one last time.

This time, there was no hiding what was in his eyes. Pain and fury. She had never seen him like this before. And the fact that she was the reason behind that storm in his eyes nearly knocked the breath out of her.

But still, she said nothing.

Shaurya turned and walked out, each step heavy with barely controlled emotion. He didn’t look back. Not even once.

****************

It was late evening when Nandini stepped out of the shower for the second time that day. The shower hadn’t just been to wash off the day’s physical exhaustion, it was an attempt to drown out the chaos in her mind. Too much had happened in a single day—Shaurya’s sudden confession, his apology still echoing in her ears, and now Grandpa’s obvious interest in pushing forward the alliance with Rohit. Her head and her heart were at war, and both were losing.

Wrapped in a soft robe, she stepped out onto the balcony of her bedroom, hoping the night air might bring some clarity. Almost instinctively, her gaze drifted towards Shaurya’s villa. And what she saw there made her heart skid to a stop.

The gym lights on the ground floor were on.

And in the middle of it stood Shaurya, mercilessly punching a heavy bag suspended in the middle of the room. He wore a black sleeveless training vest, his arms flexing with every strike. Hisblack gym pants moulded to his powerful legs, his muscles taut with tension. Sweat poured off him, soaking through the fabric.

But it wasn’t the intensity of his blows or his fury that startled her. It was his hands.

His knuckles were red, and they were bleeding. Still, he didn’t stop. He kept hitting the bag like he was trying to beat something dead inside him back to life.

Watching him like that, angry and wounded, hurt her more than she could handle.

She didn’t even pause to think, didn’t care that she was wearing nothing but a robe. Worry took over, and she just ran.