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He held up the sweater and glanced at it. “It’ll be cold in London,” he said, more to himself than to her. “This one should do. It’s light but warm.”

“You’re not even listening to me!” Nandini snapped, stepping in front of him, blocking the path between the wardrobe and the bed. “You wait all year for this season just to distribute thosemangoes. You call it your tradition, your ritual. You say it makes you feel close to Daadi. And now you’re running from it?”

Grandpa finally paused. “I’m not running, Nandini. I’m protecting you. You need a break from all of this. Especially from him. As long as you’re living next door to that man, you’ll always find ways to talk, to meet, and I can’t let that happen. That’s why we’re going.”

Nandini looked away in anger, searching for a way to stop this from happening, but he had already made up his mind. It wasn’t easy for a man like him to leave Raichand Villa at the onset of mango season. The trees were already flowering in full bloom. And for decades, he’d taken up the responsibility of handpicking the best mangoes and proudly distributing them to every house in Serene Meadows. He’d never missed it, ever. It wasn’t just a chore to him. It was his way of staying connected to his late wife, his promise to her.

But this time, he was willing to miss it.For Nandini.

This wasn’t a spur of decision for Grandpa. He had thought it through. Let someone else handle the responsibility of the mangoes, he had reasoned. There were plenty of willing hands here. The trees would bear fruit with or without him. He needed to focus on his granddaughter’s future. On protecting her from heartbreak. On preventing her from making a mistake he believed she’d come to regret later.

London wasn’t just an escape. It was a deliberate, well-thought-out decision. With her parents already there, he was confident the three of them together could talk some sense into her. Help her understand that falling for a man nearly a decade older… that too adivorcedman… was not a path she should walk down.

Grandpa was sure his son and daughter-in-law would support him. Together, they could convince Nandini that this wasn’t love. It was infatuation, fleeting, an emotional detour thatneeded correction. And with enough time and distance, she’d see it for what it truly was and let it go.

“I’m not coming,” Nandini said, breaking the silence, her voice rising.

He looked at her, quiet for a second. Then he said, almost gently, “You won’t let me go alone. I know you too well, Nandini. You’re my granddaughter. You’ll come with me.”

Before Nandini could respond, they both heard his booming voice.

“No one is going anywhere. Not you. Not her.”

Nandini and Grandpa both turned towards the doorway.

Shaurya stood there, his eyes locked on Grandpa like a soldier stepping into enemy ground, determined to win.

Grandpa’s expression twisted with fury. “How dare you step foot into my house! Lakshmi!” he bellowed, looking over Nandini’s shoulder. “Where is she? Lakshmi! Get this man out before I call the police!”

But Shaurya was already walking further into the room.

“I’m not leaving until you hear me out,” he said calmly.

“I don’t want to listen to a single word you say!” Grandpa growled, moving closer. “I don’t know you, and I don’t want to. Get out before I do something I regret.”

Nandini quickly moved between them, her eyes wide with panic. “Shaurya, please. Not like this. This isn’t the time. Please go.”

Shaurya looked at her but didn’t back down. “If not now, then when, Nandini? After he hauls you off to London and puts a continent between us?”

“She’s my granddaughter,” Grandpa thundered. “I can take her wherever I damn well please.”

“And she’s the woman I love,” Shaurya’s eyes burned as he shot back. “She’s not anywhere until you give us your blessings. Until you accept our love.”

Grandpa’s face flushed red. “Don’t challenge me, boy—”

Nandini’s heart pounded with dread. She could feel the tension in the room and feared that things could spiral out of control between the two men. Both were equally stubborn, both equally on edge. Desperate to prevent the situation from exploding, she tried to push Shaurya back, pleading with him to leave before things got worse.

Instead, he reached out and took her hand.

Grandpa’s eyes widened the moment he saw Shaurya touch Nandini. His breath caught, fury flashing across his face.

“Shaurya…” she whispered, confused by the sudden shift in his demeanour.

He looked at her, his eyes never leaving hers. “Do you trust me, Nandini?”

She lifted her eyes to meet his, emotion tightening her throat. Nodding, she whispered, “Yes.”

Without another word, he turned towards the door, still holding her hand. She resisted, startled by his sudden movement.