Page 132

Shaurya didn’t move. “No.”

Grandpa’s eyes snapped to him. “I said, OPEN THE DOOR, Shaurya.”

“I’m not done,” Shaurya replied firmly. “Because what you’ve given me so far is just your fear wrapped in concern for Nandini. You are her grandfather, and I know you want the best for her. But deep down, you also know love doesn’t come with guarantees. It comes with conviction. And I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am about Nandini.”

Grandpa opened his mouth to respond, but the words never came. His face looked dangerously close to surrender. He looked as if he was still trying to find one last reason to push Shaurya away, but he couldn’t find any that made sense.

“I’m not walking away from Nandini, Grandpa. Not today, not ever. I’m not asking for permission anymore. I’m waiting for your blessing. And I will keep waiting. I will keep fighting for her, for us… until you see what we already know.”

Grandpa’s voice came out low, almost defeated. “Why are you making this so hard for me?”

“Because love is hard,” Shaurya replied. “But turning your back on it? That’s even harder.”

The silence that followed was heavy. It wasn’t a victory. Not yet. But something had shifted. And for the first time, Keshav Raichand, the man who never bent, had run out of words to argue.

Shaurya finally stepped back and slowly unlatched the door.

The moment it swung open, Nandini rushed inside, her breath catching as her eyes darted between the two men. Relief flooded through her at the sight of them both standing…silent, unhurt. She never doubted Shaurya’s intentions. Not for a second. But the thought of him pouring his heart out to her grandfather, whose health was already fragile, had terrified her. She couldn’t risk his blood pressure spiking because of something she’d caused.

She stepped further in, her gaze flicking from Grandpa’s taut shoulders to Shaurya’s clenched jaw. The storm between them had clearly passed, but the air was still heavy with what remained.

Shaurya looked at Grandpa one last time, and then he turned to Nandini. In the next second, he stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing the tears that had already begun to fall.

He didn’t care that they had an audience—Varun, Meera, Lakshmi, even her grandfather.

“He can take you to London, Nandini… but not away from my heart.” His eyes didn’t waver. “I know how much you love him. I know you would never disobey him. So if this is what he needs, then go. Go with him.”

Her chin trembled as she stared up at him, broken by the sheer strength it took for him to let her go.

“I believe in us,” he said softly. “I trust what we have. No matter the distance, our love will still burn brighter than anything he throws our way. I’ll cross oceans, continents—hell, even heaven to find you, Nandini. A few thousand miles are the least of my worries now.”

That undid her.

Nandini broke into tears, her body shaking with the sheer force of it. Every inch of her wanted to collapse into him, to bury herself in his chest and cry until the ache disappeared. But she couldn’t. Not with her grandfather watching. Not when one wrong move would only harden his stance again.

So she kept her arms stiff at her sides and sobbed quietly.

Shaurya took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Nandini’s tear-streaked face, willing himself to walk away. If he didn’t leave now, he knew he’d pull her into his arms, kiss her, and never let her go.

He turned, forcing himself to move. Varun followed quietly, with Meera trailing behind him.

But Lakshmi stayed behind. Her eyes welled up as she turned to Grandpa.

“Don’t do this to her,” she said softly. “You love her more than life itself. And yet these tears… they are not because of Shaurya. They’re because ofyou.You promised your wife you’d never let Nandini cry. If she were alive… maybe this poor girl wouldn’t have had to fight so hard for her love.”

Grandpa’s shoulders sagged, all his defiance bleeding out of him. He sat down slowly at the edge of the bed, saying nothing.

Lakshmi gently wrapped her arms around Nandini and led her out of the room, away from the heartbreak she didn’t deserve but was forced to carry.

CHAPTER 24

Raichand Villa – Weekend

Nandini descended the stairs, exuding confidence in a sleek navy-blue pantsuit paired with a crisp white blouse. Her hair was styled in a sleek ponytail, and the nude makeup enhanced her naturally sharp features. She wore small pearl studs and nude heels, looking poised and every bit the brand founder she had worked hard to become. Her iPad was tucked under one arm, ready for the big meeting ahead.

She saw Grandpa sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. His cup of morning tea was untouched and had long gone cold. The television was on, though it was nothing more than a flicker of light and distraction as the volume was muted. He didn’t even seem to notice Nandini had entered the room.

It had been four days since Shaurya’s confrontation with him. Four days since everything had shifted.