Page 55 of When Love Trespassed

Grandpa was sure his son and daughter-in-law would support him. Together, they could convince Nandini that this wasn’t love. It was infatuation, fleeting, an emotional detour that needed correction. And with enough time and distance, she’d see it for what it truly was and let it go.

“I’m not coming,” Nandini said, breaking the silence, her voice rising.

He looked at her, quiet for a second. Then he said, almost gently, “You won’t let me go alone. I know you too well, Nandini. You’re my granddaughter. You’ll come with me.”

Before Nandini could respond, they both heard his booming voice.

“No one is going anywhere. Not you. Not her.”

Nandini and Grandpa both turned towards the doorway.

Shaurya stood there, his eyes locked on Grandpa like a soldier stepping into enemy ground, determined to win.

Grandpa’s expression twisted with fury. “How dare you step foot into my house! Lakshmi!” he bellowed, looking over Nandini’s shoulder. “Where is she? Lakshmi! Get this man out before I call the police!”

But Shaurya was already walking further into the room.

“I’m not leaving until you hear me out,” he said calmly.

“I don’t want to listen to a single word you say!” Grandpa growled, moving closer. “I don’t know you, and I don’t want to. Get out before I do something I regret.”

Nandini quickly moved between them, her eyes wide with panic. “Shaurya, please. Not like this. This isn’t the time. Please go.”

Shaurya looked at her but didn’t back down. “If not now, then when, Nandini? After he hauls you off to London and puts a continent between us?”

“She’s my granddaughter,” Grandpa thundered. “I can take her wherever I damn well please.”

“And she’s the woman I love,” Shaurya’s eyes burned as he shot back. “She’s not anywhere until you give us your blessings. Until you accept our love.”

Grandpa’s face flushed red. “Don’t challenge me, boy—”

Nandini’s heart pounded with dread. She could feel the tension in the room and feared that things could spiral out of control between the two men.

Both were equally stubborn, both equally on edge.

Desperate to prevent the situation from exploding, she tried to push Shaurya back, pleading with him to leave before things got worse.

Instead, he reached out and took her hand.

Grandpa’s eyes widened the moment he saw Shaurya touch Nandini. His breath caught, fury flashing across his face.

“Shaurya…” she whispered, confused by the sudden shift in his demeanour.

He looked at her, his eyes never leaving hers. “Do you trust me, Nandini?”

She lifted her eyes to meet his, emotion tightening her throat. Nodding, she whispered, “Yes.”

Without another word, he turned towards the door, still holding her hand. She resisted, startled by his sudden movement.

“Wait, what are you doing?” she cried out, trying to pull back.

He didn’t stop walking.

“What needs to be done,” he said firmly.

He led her across the room, his hand still wrapped gently around hers. Just as they reached the doorway, he paused and turned to look at her fully, his grip loosening.

“I need you to stay out of this, just for a moment,” he said softly. “Because he’s not thinking straight, Nandini. He’s acting out of fear. And I won’t let that fear ruin something beautiful between us.”

Her lips parted, but no words came.

“He needs to hear the truth,” Shaurya said quietly. “And it can’t happen with you caught in the middle, trying to protect us both. You’ve done enough of that already.”

He reached out, and his thumb brushed a stray tear that had slipped from her cheek. “Let me fight for us,” he whispered.

And before she could say anything, he gently guided her out of the room.

“Stay here.”

Then, without waiting for a response, he shut the door from inside and turned the lock.

The sound of the lock snapping into place made Nandini gasp. She stared at the closed door, frozen for a second, and then panic took over.

“Shaurya!” she shouted, banging her fists against the wood. “Open the door! What are you doing?”

The commotion drew Varun, Lakshmi, and Meera towards Grandpa’s room. They all froze when they saw Nandini frantically pounding on the locked door, her voice choked with fear.

Inside, Grandpa’s voice roared. “Have you lost your mind? Open this door right now!”

But Shaurya stood still, facing him head-on.

“The door will open,” he said calmly, “only after you hear me out. Every word I have to say.”

Shaurya stood facing Grandpa, who looked like a volcano ready to erupt. His fists were clenched, his eyes stormy, his pride wounded. Nandini’s frantic knocking continued behind the closed door, but neither man moved.

“You’ve crossed every damn line,” Grandpa growled. “How dare you lock me in my own room?”

“Easy, I don’t want your blood pressure shooting up again.”

“Stop acting like you care. I told you I don’t want to hear a single word from you!

” he shouted, his chest rising with anger.

“You and Nandini betrayed me. I thought you were coming to Raichand Villa to look after an old man with a fractured ankle. If I’d known you were here for my granddaughter, then I would never have opened the doors of this house or my heart for you. ”

His voice cracked, but he didn’t stop. “You deserved to remain the neighbour I once resented. The man I argued with over that mango tree. You always thought that I fought hard for that tree. Then imagine to what extent I’ll go to protect my granddaughter from someone like you.”

“Neither of us betrayed you,” Shaurya replied. “And I came here with nothing but good intentions. I truly wanted to help you. What happened between Nandini and me… it wasn’t planned. It just… happened.”

“You brainwashed her,” Grandpa accused vehemently.

Shaurya took a step closer, his eyes blazing. “Brainwashed?” he scoffed. “She’s twenty-five, Grandpa. She’s smart as hell, has built her own startup from the ground up, and negotiates deals with investors twice her age. Do you really think anyone can brainwash or manipulate her?”

Grandpa went quiet, but the fury in his eyes hadn’t dimmed.

“You know your granddaughter better than anyone. She’s lived with you most of her life.

You’ve raised her and seen her grow into this amazing, strong, capable woman she is today.

You know she doesn’t get swayed easily. You know she makes her own decisions.

So do tell me, how can you believe I brainwashed her, when you know exactly the kind of woman she is? ”

“And why would I even manipulate or brainwash her?” Shaurya continued. “Do you think I was looking for this? You think I was ready to fall in love again? Ready to let someone in and dream about a future after everything I went through?”

He paused, exhaling sharply before he spoke again.

“I wasn’t ready. Not even close. I was scared…

terrified of opening up again, of making promises I might not be able to keep.

Just the thought of stepping into a new relationship and all that it demanded.

.. it scared the hell out of me. Because I’d already failed once.

And I didn’t know if I could survive failing again. ”

His eyes softened as he went on. “Then came Nandini. From the very first day, there was something about her. The way she stood by you. The way she fought for you but never lost her own voice. The strength she carried wasn’t loud, but it was unshakable, undeniable. That quiet courage… it captivated me.”

He swallowed hard, the memory resurfacing. “Do you remember Christmas night? When you and your Serene Meadows friends came over to distribute gifts and saw a woman slipping out the backdoor of my villa?”

He paused, meeting Grandpa’s eyes. “Yes, that was Nandini. And no… she didn’t come over to sneak around.

She came because she thought someone had broken into my villa.

She thought I wasn’t home and didn’t want the thief to get away with the robbery.

So, she grabbed a cricket bat and walked straight in, not caring for her own safety. ”

A faint smile touched his lips for the briefest second. “Despite the tension between us, despite the feud you and I had over the mango tree… she came. She didn’t think twice. That’s who she is. Brave, loyal, and fiercely protective of those she cares about.”

Shaurya looked away for a moment, his voice growing softer. “I never told her this… but that night, something in me shifted. That was the moment I gave her a piece of my heart. Because she wasn’t just different, she felt like home. She felt like she was mine.”

Grandpa’s face hardened. “I don’t want to hear your love story,” he snapped, his voice rising again. “Stop trying to soften me with your emotional monologue and get out!”

But Shaurya didn’t move.

“No,” he said simply. “Because this isn’t some love story I’m telling you, Grandpa.

It’s our truth. And whether you accept it or not, I’ll keep saying it.

Because Nandini deserves someone who will fight for her, and I’m not going to stop until you understand that I am that man. The man who loves her fiercely.”

Grandpa’s scowl faltered for a moment.

Shaurya took a breath and continued. “Your accident… it brought us closer. I saw how she cared for you every minute, every moment of the day. And honestly? I was envious. But more than that, I was worried for her. You refused a male nurse, and I could see the toll it was taking on her. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was exhausted, emotionally and physically.

I couldn’t just stand back and watch and do nothing. ”

He stepped closer.

“So, to protect her from burning out, and to make sure she wasn’t doing everything alone.

.. I stepped in. I accepted your challenge, remember?

To show up at Raichand Villa every single day without fail.

You thought you were testing me. And you were.

But I didn’t do it for the challenge. I did it for her. I did it for you.”