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Grandpa grinned, pride shining in his eyes that she’d come to his defence and stood up for him.

“Oh really?” Shaurya grinned, looking at Grandpa knowingly. “If he truly wanted to leave, do you think anything could’ve stopped him? That door wasn’t locked from the outside. He could’ve easily pushed past me and opened the door himself and left. But he didn’t. He stayed because deep down, even heknew it was high time we had this conversation. He knew he needed to hear me out.”

Nandini glanced at her grandfather in surprise.

Grandpa shrugged sheepishly and said, “This boy is smarter than I gave him credit for.”

Shaurya folded his arms. “Just learning from the best.”

Their shared laughter filled the room, easing the last remnants of tension from the air.

Then, Shaurya took a step forward and his face grew solemn. “Grandpa… I never thought I’d want to marry again. After my bitter divorce, I’d shut that door for good. But you gave me hope, Grandpa. And today, with your blessing, I don’t want to wait any longer. I’d like to formally ask for your permission to marry Nandini. As soon as possible. Because I can’t wait to make her my wife. I can’t wait to build a life with her.”

Grandpa looked at him for a long moment and nodded. “On one condition,” he said quietly. “You promise to love her more than anything or anyone in this world. Make her your first priority. Always.”

Shaurya nodded. “She already is the centre of my world. You’ll always see her smiling with me. That’s a promise I intend to keep and honour every single day.”

Grandpa placed his hands on both their heads and gave them his blessing. They bent together to touch his feet, and he rested his palms on their backs, holding them for a beat longer.

As they rose, Grandpa chuckled, his voice laced with nostalgia. “You know… I always dreamed of getting Nandini married during the mango season,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “So I could fill the entire wedding buffet with every single mango dish imaginable—Aamras, mango lassi, mango kulfi, mango ice cream, mango chutney, mango curry, mango rice… everything.”

He looked at them both, his eyes misty yet full of excitement. “Now that you two want to get married soon, the timing couldn’tbe more perfect. Mango season is already here. This is the best time. I’ll call the priest today itself and ask him to find the most auspicious mahurat for your wedding in the coming weeks.”

Nandini looked at Shaurya, her eyes shining with excitement. And he smiled back at her, finally at peace to have gotten their happily ever after.

“So, I assume tonight’s London flight is being cancelled?” he asked Grandpa, who sighed, grumbling good-naturedly.

“It was a business class ticket. Non-refundable. But yes, yes, we’re cancelling it.”

He turned towards the door. “In fact, I’m calling my son and daughter-in-law right now. It’s time to get this wedding train moving. We’ve got to start the preparations.”

“Dad and Mom might not be convinced easily,” Nandini reminded him gently.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle them,” he replied, waving his hand dismissively. “My word is final, you know that. And they should thank me for saving them the trouble of finding a perfect son-in-law.”

He stepped out the door, full of renewed energy. But just before leaving, he turned around with a mock glare, “And just because I’ve given you my blessing doesn’t mean I want you two meeting secretly like this. I’m still old-school, you know. Keep some distance before marriage.”

The playful scolding made both of them laugh.

“Nandu, come home soon,” he added before finally walking out.

Once he was gone, Nandini turned to Shaurya, her face glowing. “Looks like our stayover days are getting closer,” she whispered, barely able to believe how drastically their world had changed in just one afternoon.

Shaurya didn’t answer at once. He simply looked at her like she was the only thing that had ever made sense to him. Then,slowly, he stepped towards her, closing the remaining space between them.

“Just a stayover?” he murmured, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face and tucking it gently behind her ear. “Nandini… I’m done with borrowed hours or stolen moments.”

He dipped his head closer, his breath grazing her lips. “I want a permanent home with you in it. I want 24/7 access to my Nandini… no permissions, no waiting.”

She gasped slightly, her hands instinctively sliding up his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat under her palms. It mirrored hers—wild, hungry, alive.

“Then claim it,” she whispered, her voice trembling with longing. “Claim your home.”

That was all the permission he needed.

He cupped her face with both hands, tilting her chin up, his thumbs grazing her cheekbones. And then he kissed her.

A kiss that spoke of every promise they had ever made in silence. Of every moment they had been denied. His lips moved against hers with aching intensity, savouring her. She melted into him, her arms winding around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair as if she couldn’t resist touching him. She pulled him closer, deeper, until there was no space between them.