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Grandpa offered a tender smile, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “Just reminiscing about your Daadi,” he admitted.

Moved by his sentiment, Nandini knelt beside him and placed her hand over his.

“I’m missing her too, Daadu. I know how much she loved New Year’s. Just like me.”

He chuckled, the sound resonating with warmth.

“Yes, she did. You know, after the New Year’s party, your Daadi and I would have our own private celebration right here,” he began. “We’d sit under this very tree, sharing stories of our journey together. I’d play her favourite songs, and she’d surprise me with my favourite dessert. Sometimes, we’d even dance under the starts, just the two of us. No music. Just us.”

Nandini’s heart swelled with affection. “That sounds magical,” she whispered softly.

Grandpa’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Did I ever tell you that our first kiss happened on a New Year’s Eve, right here, under this tree?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? How did that happen?”

Before he could delve into the tale, Lakshmi Aunty’s voice interrupted them.

“Grandpa, your friends are outside, waiting for you to head to the community hall.”

Grandpa rose, patting Nandini’s hand. “Another time, my dear,” he promised.

She nodded, watching him join his friends. “I’ll bring the gifts for the kids and meet you there,” she called after him.

Left alone, Nandini turned to the mango tree, tracing its bark lovingly with her fingers.

“Daadi,” Nandini whispered softly, her fingers trailing along the rough bark of the mango tree. “Your love story with Daadu... it’s the kind of romance I read about in my silly novels. A first kiss on New Year’s Eve?” Her smile grew wistful. “That’s dreamy. Sexy. So swoony.”

She wrapped her arms around the trunk, the bark cool against her cheek.

“Shower some blessings on your granddaughter too, please. I mean, just a little nudge from above, so I find something like what you and Daadu had.” She giggled under her breath. “You know… someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve who isn’t just allergic to joy and sunlight.”

She pulled back slightly and puckered her lips to place a kiss on the tree’s bark when a sudden awareness prickled at her senses. Glancing sideways, she spotted Shaurya standing by the poolside of his villa, his gaze fixed intently on her.

Nandini instantly straightened like a guilty schoolgirl caught red-handed, passing a note. Her lips were still pursed from the kiss meant for the tree.

Oh. My. God.

He definitely thinks that kiss was for him.

Panicking, she pressed her lips into a flat line and blurted out, “I was… um… kissing the tree. Just so we’re clear.”

Shaurya’s lips quirked into a knowing, subtle smirk. “Did I say I thought it was for me?”

Flustered, Nandini crossed her arms. “You were staring like you did.”

“I was staring because most people don’t make out with their trees,” he mocked, his eyes gleaming with amusement and… something else.

“I wasn’t making out with it,” she hissed, her cheeks flaming. “It was a blessing kiss. A sentimental moment. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Right,” he nodded slowly. “So, I clearly interrupted a very sacred ritual.”

He took a leisurely step closer, the moonlight casting shadows across his chiselled features. He was dressed casually and looked completely unbothered, and nowhere ready for the party tonight.

Curious, and maybe a bit eager to change the subject, Nandini tilted her head and asked, “Are you not coming to the community hall for the New Year’s party?”

A sardonic chuckle escaped him.

“You mean the gathering where your grandfather and his allies exchange jabs about me and the tree dispute, while their wives and daughters sneak glances at me as if I’m a juicy piece of meat? No, thank you. I’d rather avoid that circus.”