Page 90

“I’m not sacrificing anything,” he said. “I’m doing what I want to do. What I love doing. And your grandpa… he means a lot to me too now.”

Something flickered in her eyes.

“When you say things like this…” she whispered, her gaze drifting to his mouth, “it makes me feel like—”

But she couldn’t finish. She didn’t need to.

Shaurya reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers, and without another word, he gently pulled her with him down the hallway, away from the living room, away from Meera’s watchful eyes. Her pulse skipped in anticipation, but her feet moved easily, willingly, like her body already knew the way.

They stopped near the softly-lit wall, and he turned to face her. In one smooth move, his hands slid around her waist, drawing her close, while his body leaned in, bracing her back gently against the wall. His gaze searched hers.

“You were saying?” he murmured, his voice rough with desire.

“I was saying…” Her voice trailed off as she reached up slowly, her fingers brushing the lapels of his suit. She tugged him just a little closer, her touch light as a feather. “You make it really hard to think straight when you look at me like that.”

He smiled, slow and heart-melting, his eyes softening as they dropped to her lips. Her thumb gently traced his jawline before she rose on her toes and kissed him. Shaurya melted into her, his hands smoothing along her waist as he kissed her back with a quiet intensity that made her toes curl.

“But your shirt’s too perfect,” she mumbled in between the kiss. “I don’t want to leave creases on it.”

“Screw the shirt,” he replied huskily. “Just kiss me.”

And she did. This time, she kissed him deeply and passionately like she’d been wanting to since forever. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his collar as her lips moved over his with purpose.

“You taste like vanilla,” he whispered against her lips, a smile ghosting across his own.

She chuckled against his mouth. “Muffin. You made me take the first bite, remember?”

“I think I’ll always need you to take the first bite,” he murmured. “Just to make everything sweeter.”

The world dissolved around them. It was just the press of lips, the soft inhale between kisses, and the hush of their breaths finding rhythm. After a long, lingering kiss, they finally pulled away, breathless.

“I could kiss you all day,” she whispered.

“Then don’t stop,” he said with a grin.

She giggled, then swatted his chest lightly. “We’ll get caught.”

“I don’t care,” he said, brushing a stray lock from her face tenderly.

And for once, Nandini didn’t hide her smile. She let it bloom fully.

“You make it look so easy,” she whispered back. “Thank you for stepping in to take Daadu to the hospital tomorrow.”

“Just focus on tomorrow’s call,” Shaurya said softly, brushing his thumb over her cheek with calm assurance. “I’ll handle the rest.”

Nandini nodded, but the flicker of worry in her eyes didn’t fade. Instead, it deepened.

“I’m just so nervous,” she confessed. “After so many rejections… I don’t think I’m ready to face another one. Not again.”

Shaurya’s brows drew together. “Why have they been rejecting it?” he asked, his tone gentle but probing.

She sighed, pulling away slightly, arms crossing her chest. “Because they think there’s nothing unique about my products. That it’s just another line in an already saturated market. Same ingredients, same promises—just dressed differently. A new scent here, a new texture there. But nothing new enough that truly stands out.”

He studied her for a long moment, lost in thought. Then he said with quiet conviction, “Then give them something unique. Bring something to your brand that no one else can. Something onlyyoucan offer. Something that has you in it—your passion, your story.”

Nandini frowned, her frustration bubbling back. “Do you think I’ve never tried that? I’ve tried and failed, over and over. I keep searching, Shaurya. I keep digging, brainstorming, and still… nothing sticks. I don’t know where to look for this so-called uniqueness anymore.”

Shaurya stepped in closer, his hand brushing the back of her arm in a quiet gesture of reassurance.