Page 54 of When Love Trespassed

Shaurya’s Villa

It had been nearly a week since that disastrous Valentine’s night, when Shaurya had last stood face-to-face with Nandini. And every day since then had felt like a punishment he couldn’t escape.

They barely kept in touch. A few brief video calls, the occasional heartfelt text messages, and stolen glances from their respective balconies… just enough to remind each other that they were still holding on. But not enough to ease the ache within them.

Sometimes, they didn’t even speak. They just stared at each other through their screens, trying to draw comfort from a digital presence that could never replace the real thing.

Every time Nandini thought of sneaking out to meet him, the looming presence of her grandpa inside the house stopped her cold.

And she’d also made it clear to Shaurya that he couldn’t come near Raichand Villa.

Not yet. Not with Grandpa’s blood pressure still dangerously unstable after that night.

She couldn’t risk making it worse. Her guilt ran deep.

Deeper than her desire to see Shaurya. For now.

Shaurya, however, was losing it.

He’d tried everything. The first few mornings, he stood by the mango tree on his side of the property, holding a coffee mug he never drank from. Waiting. Hoping for a glimpse of Grandpa. A moment with him. A window to talk.

But every time the old man stepped out and noticed him, his face would harden, and he’d turn back towards the house without a word. The message was loud and clear: You’re not welcome here.

On the third day, desperate, Shaurya waited until he saw Grandpa sitting on the veranda, flipping through an old newspaper. Shaurya walked towards him slowly. He barely got five steps in when Grandpa stood up abruptly and went inside, slamming the glass door shut behind him.

The next attempt was even worse.

On the fifth day, he had even made it to their doorstep. Lakshmi answered the door with panic written all over her face. From inside, Grandpa’s voice barked out a warning loud enough to carry through the house: If Shaurya didn’t leave immediately, he’d call the police and report him for harassment.

That same day, Shaurya discovered that Grandpa had blocked his number.

There was no way in. Not unless the old man himself opened a door. And that, more than anything, was driving Shaurya mad.

Meanwhile, Nandini was caught in the middle. Every evening at dinner, she tried to reason with her grandfather. Softly at first. Calmly. But when that didn’t work, she pleaded. She even raised her voice once. But Grandpa refused to budge.

“I’m saving you from a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your life,” he’d said one night, pushing his plate away untouched.

“He’s not a mistake,” she’d shot back.

“Then stop calling him behind my back. Stop crying for a man who’s already broken his promises once.”

That night, Nandini walked out of the dining room with tears in her eyes. That was the sixth day.

By the seventh day, Shaurya was barely sleeping. His work had taken a backseat. Emails left unanswered, meetings skipped, deadlines forgotten. None of it seemed to matter anymore. His world had narrowed down to one problem: Getting through to Keshav Raichand.

Varun had been visiting Shaurya frequently for the past few days, trying to calm him down, trying to help. But even he was running out of hope.

“You need to understand something,” Varun said over coffee that morning.

“Your girlfriend’s grandfather isn’t just stubborn.

He’s legendary . Ask anyone in Serene Meadows.

His decisions are final. Set in stone. Priya’s told me several stories she heard from her parents.

Once he sets his mind on something, no one, not even his family can change it. ”

Shaurya set his coffee mug down with a thud. “Are you here to help me or to scare the hell out of me?”

Varun chuckled. “I’m just saying. You need to know what you’re walking into. This isn’t a love story anymore. This is war.”

Shaurya was fuming quietly when Varun paused, then added, almost hesitantly, “Also… in the middle of all this chaos, I forgot to tell you something.”

Shaurya looked at him. “What?”

Varun rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. “Priya spoke to her parents about us. The day after Valentine’s.”

Shaurya’s eyes widened. “And?”

“They want to meet me,” Varun said. “This weekend.”

Shaurya blinked and then broke into a grin. “Wait! This happened six days ago , and you’re telling me now?”

Varun shrugged. “You’ve been dealing with your own storm, man. And honestly? I didn’t want to make you jealous.”

Shaurya rolled his eyes. “Oh, please.”

But then, he leaned forward and clapped Varun on the shoulder. “Congrats. If the Mehras are inviting you over to their place, I can already hear the wedding bells.”

Varun laughed, but there was a wistful look in his eyes. “Yeah… I hear them too. I really hope we both get our happily ever afters.”

Shaurya’s smile faltered slightly.

“All we need to do,” Varun continued, “is figure out how to break through that fortress called Keshav Raichand and make him see what you and Nandini have.”

Shaurya leaned back in his chair, exhaling hard.

He knew Varun was right. It wasn’t about convincing the world anymore. It was about convincing one man.

One man who had locked every emotional door and thrown away the keys. But Shaurya wasn’t ready to walk away from the woman he loved. That wasn’t even an option.

Just then, a knock resounded through the door. Meera went to open it and Lakshmi stepped in, breathless, worry written all over her face.

Shaurya stood up immediately. “What happened?”

“Grandpa has asked Nandini to pack her bags,” Lakshmi said urgently.

Shaurya froze. “Pack? What do you mean? Why?”

“He’s taking her to London this weekend.”

“London?” Shaurya snapped. “But she’s supposed to sign the deal with her investor this weekend.”

“Yes,” Lakshmi nodded. “As soon as she signs the deal with the investor, Grandpa is taking her to London that same night. He’s already made all the arrangements.”

Shaurya’s hands curled into fists. “What the f*ck?”

“He told me to take a month off. Which means… they’re not planning to come back anytime soon.”

Shaurya’s expression darkened.

“Nandini wanted to call you, but right now, she’s trying to convince him to cancel the trip. He won’t listen. Her father’s already been asked to book the tickets. It’s all set.”

A tense silence followed. Then, Shaurya stood up abruptly and stormed towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Varun asked, alarmed.

“To end this. I’m done being polite. If that old man won’t hear me out, I’ll force him to listen.”

Varun, Meera, and Lakshmi exchanged a quick glance and hurried after him. They knew exactly what Shaurya was walking into and what might erupt if two equally stubborn men had a face-off now.

Raichand Villa

Nandini stood in her grandfather’s bedroom, her voice raw from pleading over and over again, but he remained unmoved.

Grandpa stood calmly near his wardrobe, pulling out a folded woollen sweater and inspecting it as though her words were nothing but background noise.

The open suitcase lay on the bed, half-packed with his essentials.

Shirts, scarves, medicine pouches… all neatly arranged. He refused to meet her eyes.

“Daadu, why now? Why London?” Nandini asked, her voice a mix of frustration and heartbreak. “Just last month, you told Mom and Dad that this time of the year, the mango season, was sacred to you. How can you leave when the trees are just about to bear fruit?”

He held up the sweater and glanced at it. “It’ll be cold in London,” he said, more to himself than to her. “This one should do. It’s light but warm.”

“You’re not even listening to me!” Nandini snapped, stepping in front of him, blocking the path between the wardrobe and the bed.

“You wait all year for this season just to distribute those mangoes. You call it your tradition, your ritual. You say it makes you feel close to Daadi. And now you’re running from it? ”

Grandpa finally paused. “I’m not running, Nandini. I’m protecting you. You need a break from all of this. Especially from him. As long as you’re living next door to that man, you’ll always find ways to talk, to meet, and I can’t let that happen. That’s why we’re going.”

Nandini looked away in anger, searching for a way to stop this from happening, but he had already made up his mind.

It wasn’t easy for a man like him to leave Raichand Villa at the onset of mango season.

The trees were already flowering in full bloom.

And for decades, he’d taken up the responsibility of handpicking the best mangoes and proudly distributing them to every house in Serene Meadows.

He’d never missed it, ever. It wasn’t just a chore to him.

It was his way of staying connected to his late wife, his promise to her.

But this time, he was willing to miss it. For Nandini.

This wasn’t a spur of decision for Grandpa.

He had thought it through. Let someone else handle the responsibility of the mangoes, he had reasoned.

There were plenty of willing hands here.

The trees would bear fruit with or without him.

He needed to focus on his granddaughter’s future.

On protecting her from heartbreak. On preventing her from making a mistake he believed she’d come to regret later.

London wasn’t just an escape. It was a deliberate, well-thought-out decision.

With her parents already there, he was confident the three of them together could talk some sense into her.

Help her understand that falling for a man nearly a decade older…

that too a divorced man… was not a path she should walk down.