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Nandini rolled her eyes, thinking, here we go again. Grandpa turned to Nivedita and launched into a full-blown rant about Shaurya’s ‘fitness fundas.’

“Ever since I accepted him as my son-in-law, he’s taken over my health like it’s a corporate takeover. Every morning, he is here, dragging me out of bed to stretch and twist like a pretzel. I can’t even enjoy a lazy morning with my newspaper anymore. It’s always,‘Come on, Daadu, five more minutes! One more set!’I mean, does he expect me to walk the ramp and compete for Grandpa of the Year?”

Nandini and her mother burst into laughter.

“Oh, Daadu,” Nandini said, still chuckling. “Sorry, but I’m not getting in between you two. This war is yours to fight.”

“He’s doing the right thing, though,” her mother added with a smile. “He’s keeping you young and healthy.”

Grandpa tried to keep a straight face but failed, hiding his own grin behind a dramatic eyeroll. “Well, I suppose if I have to age like fine wine, I may as well do it with some flair.”

“Exactly!” Nandini chimed in cheekily. “If you want to keep flirting with Sharma Aunty during your evening walks, you need to be in top form.”

Grandpa’s eyes widened in mock offence. “You little traitor! I knew you were watching us!”

Nandini grinned. “Please, Daadu. Everyone in Serene Meadows knows about it. Sharma Aunty even wears extra-bright lipstick on the days you join the group for evening walk.”

He huffed dramatically, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. “I need to have a word with that Shaurya. He’s turned my sweet granddaughter into a complete menace.”

Nandini burst into laughter while Nivedita tried to suppress her chuckle.

Just then, her father, Ritesh, entered the room. His eyes welled up as he looked at his daughter dressed as a bride. He walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“When your Daadu first told us about Shaurya, we had our doubts,” he admitted honestly. “But having spent time with him these past few weeks… I’ve come to realise that even I couldn’t have chosen a better man for you.”

He smiled, pausing for a moment before adding, his face alight with admiration, “He’s sharp. A smart and shrewd businessman, especially when it comes to choosing the right clients and ventures. Did you know he gave me some brilliant insights for our company’s upcoming expansion? The man knows his game, no doubt about it.”

Then, Ritesh’s smile softened into something more personal, more vulnerable. “But what truly won me over wasn’t just his intellect, it was his heart. He’s down-to-earth and compassionate. Well grounded. A true family man. And you both managed to do what none of us could for years. You bridged the gap between me and Papa. You helped, pushed, and forced us to talk again, even though we were stubbornly resisting it. Because of you two, we are all celebrating this wedding together, as a family, without any old baggage weighing us down.”

Nandini’s eyes glistened with tears as she recalled that evening—just days after her parents had flown in from London. When the air at Raichand Villa still carried the weight of unspoken tension. The years of strained conversations, missed chances, and misunderstood intentions between Grandpa and her parents had lingered like a shadow, wrapping the house in suffocating silence.

That’s when she and Shaurya had taken it upon themselves to change that and bridge the distance between them. They had gently but firmly brought everyone into the same room to have a long overdue heart-to-heart conversation.

She remembered watching her father finally open up and speak about the silent expectations he had carried for years… the need for independence, to forge his own path, and to earn not only his father’s pride but also his approval. And Grandpa, proud and stubborn as ever, had, for the first time, truly listened. Then he, too, had opened up about how hard it had been to let go, how the silence wasn’t due to anger but from a misplaced fear. Of losing his importance, of slowly fading away from his son’s life, of no longer being needed.

Later, they had both cried. Apologised. Laughed. Hugged.

That day, old wounds had healed, and the bond between father and son, once fractured by time and silence, was rebuilt with something even stronger than before.

Now, standing here, with her father’s hand in hers, Nandini felt the full circle of that healing. Everything was mended. The bitterness had been washed away. And what remained was love—strong and unshaken.

Ritesh reached for Nandini’s hand and squeezed it. “Shaurya hasn’t just stepped in as your husband. He’s stepped up as a son to all of us. For me… he’s not just a son-in-law. He is my son.”

Then he glanced at his daughter with a teasing grin. “And let’s not forget, you both look ridiculously good together. The way he handles this mischievous daughter of mine… it’s something I must definitely appreciate. But more than that, it’s the way you two understand and support each other. Seriously, he’s everything I’d ever want in a son-in-law. You should thank your Daadu for making us see it.”

Grandpa puffed out his chest and chuckled, “See, Nandu? Didn’t I say he’d end up singing my praises?”

Nandini laughed.

Nivedita’s hand slipped into Grandpa’s as she smiled. “Papa, you’ve done your part here. You’ve held this family together for so long. It’s our time now. I know you are coming to London withthe newlyweds, but why wait till then? Why don’t you come with Ritesh and me when we go back to London after the wedding?”

Ritesh nodded in agreement. “She’s right, Papa. Come along with us when we leave. And this time, not just for a week or two. Come for a proper stay. Let us take care of you like you’ve taken for us.”

Grandpa, visibly moved, looked between them, but before he could say a word, Nivedita playfully continued, “And don’t worry, we’ll be making regular trips here too. To see you and our daughter and son-in-law. Even if Ritesh is tied up with business, I’ll come and stay for a few months.”

Ritesh huffed like a kid. “Why should I miss all the fun? I’ll come too. Business can wait. It’s running smoothly now. And if I can’t enjoy the time with my family, what is the point of all these years of hard work?”

Nandini watched her parents, once distant from this home, now standing with their hearts open, their smiles full of warmth and love. They weren’t just healed… they were thriving. This wasn’t some patched-up family. This was a family that had grown stronger, closer. The kind she always dreamed of.