Page 31 of When Love Trespassed

As they rolled through the hallway toward the living room, there was a sudden shift in energy. Nandini’s friends were here, and the sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and the mouthwatering aroma of freshly delivered pizza filled the air.

But the second Shaurya wheeled Grandpa into the room, everything stilled, like someone had hit the pause button on the scene.

Priya froze mid-sip, Kavya nearly dropped the stack of napkins she was holding, and Jyoti let out an audible gasp, as if she’d seen someone walk straight off a movie set.

A few other girls Nandini had invited blinked wide-eyed, their conversations dissolving into flustered giggles and hushed whispers.

One of them even flipped back her hair seductively, and the other reapplied her lip gloss.

Shaurya was no stranger to female attention, but this sudden temperature spike was hard to ignore.

Grandpa’s smirk was instant as he scanned the room with narrowed eyes. All the girls had moved into Shaurya’s orbit like he was the sun and they were very devoted satellites.

“Shaurya, you didn’t tell us you’d be attending,” Priya said, her voice just a bit too bright.

“Oh my god, you look so different in casuals,” Jyoti chimed in, shamelessly checking him out.

“Do you always dress like this on your days off?” Kavya added, already placing herself a little too close on the sofa.

Shaurya, calm as ever, gave a courteous nod and his trademark half smile, but the change in the room was unmistakable.

Grandpa’s eyes danced between the girls and Shaurya, and though he said nothing for a beat, his thoughts were very clear.

This boy walks into a room, and suddenly, everyone’s hormones lose coordination.

He cleared his throat loudly, and with a mischievous tilt of his head, he said, “Well, well. I didn’t know I invited a walking heartthrob. Had I known, I would’ve charged for entry tickets. I could’ve made a fortune.”

Shaurya turned, half an eyebrow raised at Grandpa, already preparing for a sarcastic comeback, but Grandpa was quicker. He pointed towards the main door just as Varun strolled in, grinning as he pulled off his sunglasses with a dramatic flourish.

“I meant him,” Grandpa said, tilting his head toward Varun.

“Obviously,” Shaurya muttered, knowing how Varun had somehow left a deep impact on Grandpa with his easy charm and cool and jovial personality. Yet, this time, Shaurya knew exactly whom the old man had meant.

Varun beamed inside, greeting Grandpa and Shaurya first before meeting the girls, who were thrilled to have another handsome hunk to admire.

And then Shaurya saw her.

Nandini stepped into the room from the hallway, laughing at something Lakshmi had just said. Her head tilted slightly as she smiled, and the sound of her laughter did something to him. Derailed his thoughts. Disarmed his mood completely.

She was in black.

A soft, flared cotton dress that floated just above her knees, moving with her like it had memorised her rhythm.

No sequins, no glitter, no dramatic flair.

But on her, it looked lethal. The dark fabric contrasted against her warm-toned skin, making her earrings glint brighter and her eyes look sharper as she glanced around the room.

Her hair was loosely pinned up, with a few tendrils slipping free at the nape of her neck, framing her face in the kind of way that made a man forget everything, even how to blink.

And her smile?

It undid him. Every single time.

Whatever the rest of the night held, one thing was clear.

This party was about to get very interesting.

****************

The moment Nandini stepped into the living room, she felt his gaze. Her dress swayed gently with her movement, her hair falling just right around her face, and she knew without looking that he was watching.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

His eyes trailed her as if they were tethered, as if each step she took carved its way into his focus.

And while he sat there beside her grandfather, calm and unreadable to the rest of the world, she felt the heat of his gaze on her skin, like he was touching her with just his stare.

Which he wasn’t.

Obviously.

Not that she was overthinking it or anything.

The music turned on a second later, thanks to Grandpa’s command, and the living room was filled with laughter and chatter once again.

The pizzas had already arrived right on schedule, exactly as Shaurya had instructed (seriously, who gave orders like that in someone else’s house?), and now the party had officially begun.

Nandini moved toward the table, grabbed a slice of Cheese burst tandoori paneer pizza, her grandfather’s undisputed favourite, placed it on a plate and walked over to where he sat, handing it to him with a playful smile.

“Your favourite, Daadu.”

Grandpa’s eyes lit up. “Now, this is what healing tastes like.”

But before he could take the bite, Shaurya’s voice cut in.

“Didn’t I say no cheese burst pizza for him?” he said, his eyes flicking from the pizza to her. “It’s not good for his recovery. Too heavy. Too much sodium.”

Grandpa had already taken a bite, savouring the taste of the warm melted cheese, so he wisely decided to remain silent—half to enjoy the moment and half to avoid giving Shaurya time to snatch the slice from his hands.

Nandini’s brows lifted as she turned to Shaurya. “One slice is allowed. It’s a party, after all. Let him enjoy it.”

Shaurya frowned, clearly not convinced. “That’s how it starts. One slice today, and tomorrow it’s samosa chaat again.”

“Good,” Grandpa muttered under his breath, chewing happily. “May that tomorrow come soon.”

She shot her grandfather a warning look, then turned back to Shaurya, reigning in her rising amusement.

“So, what would you like to have? We have Margherita, tandoori paneer, spicy jalapeno and corn, chicken pepperoni,” she asked, keeping her tone even. Neutral. Grandfather-approved.

Shaurya’s gaze met hers, and for a second, she almost forgot they weren’t alone. There was something disarmingly focused in the way he looked at her—like he wasn’t just seeing her but reading every flicker of her expression, every breath she tried to regulate.

“I don’t eat much pizza,” he said, his tone casual but laced with quiet judgment. “Too much grease. Too much junk. Not exactly ideal for people who care about long-term health.”

Nandini arched a brow. “It’s a party. Not a wellness retreat.”

“Still,” he added, eyes narrowing just slightly, “you shouldn’t overdo it either.”

Then, with a subtle smirk that annoyed her more than she wanted to admit, he added, “I’ll settle for the drink that Mr. Raichand is having. Orange juice. No soda.”

She handed him a glass of orange juice with a nod, not trusting herself to say anything more with her grandfather sitting just within arm’s reach. Instead, she turned to the rest of the room and took on the role of a perfect host.

Ten minutes later, she slipped into the kitchen to grab some diet cola cans. The room felt blessedly cooler and quieter. But her moment of peace was short-lived.

Priya followed her in, wasting no time.

“Okay,” she began, arms crossed, eyes glinting. “What’s going on?”

Nandini blinked. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Priya said, cutting the crap. “What’s happening between you and your grumpy, attractive neighbour?”

Heat bloomed across Nandini’s face. “There’s no ‘me and Mr. Ahuja,’” she insisted, grabbing the cola cans a little too quickly. “You know he is helping Grandpa recover. That’s it. I mean, that’s why he comes here. For him. Not me. We just… exist. In proximity.”

Priya raised an eyebrow. “Sure. That’s why his eyes follow you like a plot twist every time you walk into the room.”

“He does not—”

“Oh please,” Priya interrupted, waving her hand dismissively.

“I can see both of your villas from my window, remember? The man doubles his workout routine whenever you step out. Yesterday, he did, like, three hundred push-ups while staring in your direction. That’s not fitness. That’s focus. On you.”

Nandini tried not to smile. Or blush. Or wonder how many push-ups he could do.

“He’s just competitive,” she muttered.

“Really? Okay, and I suppose it’s just coincidence that you keep ‘accidentally’ watering his patio every other morning…?”

Nandini was caught. She hadn’t realised Priya had noticed that much from her villa. If Priya had seen it all so clearly… who else had? Thankfully, before Priya could deliver her next set of questions, Varun stormed into the kitchen.

“We need more chilli flakes and oregano,” he declared dramatically.

“Oh, sure,” Nandini replied, turning back to the fridge.

A beat later, a sharp yelp filled the air.

She whipped around just in time to see Varun hopping on one foot, his face twisted in exaggerated pain. Priya, who had apparently been standing suspiciously close, took a quick step back, her expression a picture of innocence.

“What happened?” Nandini asked, brows raised in suspicion.

“I—uh—sprain,” Varun announced. “Came out of nowhere.”

Nandini folded her arms. “Who gets a sprain just by standing?”

“With me, anything is possible,” he said with a grin.

Before she could retort, Grandpa’s voice rang from the living room, “Nandini! The cheese dip’s finished!”

Varun clutched his chest. “Your country needs you, Captain. I’ll recover. Don’t worry.”

Nandini narrowed her eyes at him and then turned to Priya. “Check the bottom drawer. The extra chilli flakes and oregano should be in a red-lid jar.”

And with that, she hurried out of the kitchen with the dip her grandpa needed so badly.

****************

A few hours later

The party was in full swing. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Everyone except Nandini.

She stood quietly by the corner table, holding an untouched glass of cola in her hand, watching the chaos unfold from a distance. Or rather, watching him from a distance.