Adhvait's POV

Wow, it feels like a dream—she’s here in my home, and I’m her potential groom. That is, of course, if she says yes. But we’ll let her take her time. She must be  probably sleeping peacefully or working or maybe thinking about me- just like me, in the room opposite mine.

God I may or may not have gone completely insane. But do I regret it? Nope, not even a bit.

Because one thing I’m already sure of is that she’s everything I could ask for—a loving and caring partner, a mother figure to my younger sibling, a fierce lady who knows when to take a stand.

And unapologetically, I could literally go on and on about her. But we’ll have to pause, because right now it’s dinner time, and I was thinking of going and calling her personally. So, I did just that.

Leaning against the wall outside her room, I knocked on her door twice. And there she came—my love—after a minute or two, confused to find no one in front of the door, looking everywhere except behind her like a lost child.

AW MY NAIVE BABY.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I watched her being so cute and adorable. That’s when she flinched and turned.

“Hi,” I said, waving my hand slightly while still leaning against the wall.

"Kya chahiye aapko?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking at me as if she were already done with my shenanigans—well, I hope not.

(What do you want?)

"Aapka phone number agar aap dene ki kripa kare toh,"I said innocently. Come on, a little bit of teasing wouldn’t hurt, would it?

(Your phone number if you don't mind sharing.)

"Hey bhagwan, aap pagal ho gaye hain Mr. Mehra,"she said in disbelief, clearly done with me.

(Oh god! You've gone mad Mr Mehra.)

"Haan woh toh ho gaya hoon, but woh chhodo, number kab de rahi ho yeh batao," I said, shrugging my shoulders and looking at her with puppy eyes.

( Yeah perhaps I have, but leave it just tell me when you'll share your number with me?)

My tough personality? Gone. But I couldn’t care less—if it’s about her.

"Though you did nothing to earn it, but since I’ll be living here for a month, I guess it’s fair enough for me to share my number with you in case something urgent comes up," she said practically, and I eagerly nodded several times.

She was thinking practically, but me? I was just happy to have her number.

"Lao phone do apna, I’ll type it,"she said, extending her hand toward me, and I immediately pushed my phone into her palm.

( Here give me your phone, I'll type it.)

GOD, I AM DAMN WHIPPED AND THIS WOMAN IS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF HER EFFECT ON ME.

"Here you go,"she said, handing my phone back to me after saving her name under ‘Sunaina’, and I immediately changed it to ‘Biwi Saheb🤍’.

Kya? Tadap hi aisi hai, raha nahi jaata yaar, samjha karo.

(What? The desperation is unbearable. I hope you understand.)

"Itna bada ehsaan kiya aapne, hum puri zindagi karzdaar rahenge aapke,"I said, bowing my head slightly. She chuckled, shaking her head.

(You’ve done such a huge favor to me, I’ll be indebted to you for life.)

"Stupid,"she said, and started heading into her room.

"Wait!" I shouted, making her flinch and turn back.

FUCK YOU, ADHVAIT. WHAT WAS THE NEED TO FUCKING SHOUT?

“Yeah?"she asked, confused by my sudden outburst of energy.

"I was originally here to call you for dinner. Shall we go?" I asked, this time calmly.

"Oh… y-yeah, let’s go,"she said, clearing her throat.

"Ladies first,"I said, gesturing for her to move forward, which she did with a small smile—making me grin like a fool and follow her.

Aakhir apni pasandida aurat ke peeche chalne mein kaisi sharam.

(After all, what’s there to be ashamed of in following your favorite woman?)

Reaching the dining table, we found Chacha, Chachi, and my sisters already seated.

"Hey guys," I said, sitting in my usual seat. She sat opposite me, next to Chachi, after exchanging greetings with Chachi and Chachu.

"So, what's for dinner, Begum?" Chachu asked with a grin.

"Daliya for you, Patidev," Chachi replied with a sarcastic smile, and there sat Chachu—mouth wide open, eyes widened like buttons—making us stifle our laughter.

(Porridge for you husband.)

"whyyyyyyyyyy"chachu whined dramatically.

"Bhul gaye aap? You had an upset stomach. It’s good for your digestion," Chachi replied calmly as she served a generous scoop of daliya while he kept making exaggerated dramatic faces.

(You forgot? You had an upset stomach. It's good for your digestion.)

"Come on, kids, enjoy your food," Chachi said, making us smile, and we kids had the food we brought while Chachu and Chachi ate daliya. Of course, Chachi always accompanies him whenever he has to eat bland food.

The kind of love I hope to share with her. That thought alone made my heart flutter. The idea of spending a lifetime with her doesn't seem scary at all anymore. Especially when she’s sitting across from me, laughing and smiling like she belongs here.

Dinner was its usual chaos—Pari cracking some painfully bad jokes, Chachu and Chachi bickering like kids—but amidst all the noise, my eyes kept drifting to Sunaina.

She was quiet, speaking only when necessary. I could tell she was still adjusting, trying to process everything. She’s not used to this kind of madness—I could see it in her eyes.

I hate her parents for making her believe this kind of love wasn’t possible. I swear, I’ll give her all the love she's been denied.

After dinner, we all moved to the lounge, sharing some ice cream and winding down for the night.

"Sunu  beta, please apna ghar samajhkar rehna. If you need anything, don’t hesitate," Chachi said kindly, and she nodded with a soft smile.

( Sunu child, please make yourself at home. If you need anything, don't hesitate.)

"Alright, let’s head to bed. It’s getting late," Chachu announced, standing up, and we all followed his lead.

Should I talk to her? I wondered, watching her walk to her room.

Naah, maybe she’s tired. I should let her rest.

But… texting her goodnight wouldn't hurt, right?

So, lying in bed, I typed out a simple message: "Good night, Señorita."

Her reply came five minutes later: "Good night, Mr. Mehra."

Aage kya bolu????

( What's next????)

Should I continue? Or just let her sleep?

GOD, talking to your crush is the hardest thing in the world!!!

Alright. I guess I should sleep too.

Nodding to myself, I freshened up and slid under the covers. Sleep didn’t come easy, though—my thoughts kept wandering back to the girl in the room opposite mine.

God I love her.

Sunaina's POV

It was hard for me to sleep last night. Infact, sleeping in a new place is always difficult for me but yesterday, I experienced something I had craved my whole life—family time. It was overwhelming how warmly they welcomed me, how effortlessly they made me feel like a part of the family. Not once did they make me feel like a stranger.

The warmth… the love I had always longed for—somehow, they filled that void in just a few hours.

Uncle and Aunty have that soft, kind aura I used to feel around Ma and Pa.

And last night… I missed Ma and Pa more than I have in years.

I wish they were here to see this. To see me.

Right now, I’m getting ready for the day. I have a few meetings lined up and some pending files to sign, which I’ll be doing from my room since the office space isn’t fully set up yet.

But first—it’s time for breakfast.

Alright, Sunu, let’s get going.

I’m wearing a comfortable pajama set that’s presentable enough to attend virtual meetings.

As I opened the door, something caught my eye.

A white rose, tucked on the handle, with a small note attached to it.

Curious and slightly confused, I picked it up, inhaling the faint scent of the rose before unfolding the note.

"Good morning, Senorita.

I hope you slept well.

Yesterday must’ve felt a little overwhelming, but please don’t overthink it.

You did well.

Yours,

Mr. Mehra."

God, this man and his thoughtfulness.

Somehow, knowingly or unknowingly, he understands the chaos inside me better than anyone else ever has.

I looked down at the rose and the note once again, an instant smile spreading across my face. Gently placing both the rose and the note in my desk drawer for safekeeping, I headed downstairs for breakfast.

Everyone was already seated—except Mr. Mehra.

Where is he? I wanted to thank him.

"Good morning," I said, settling into my usual seat. A chorus of good mornings echoed back, making me smile at them.

"Mumma, where is Bhaiya?" Pari asked—exactly the question I had in mind. Thank you, Pari.

"He left early, beta. He said he had meetings," Aunty replied, handing me a cup of chai. I smiled at her—wide and grateful—and she let out a soft, affectionate chuckle in return.

After a peaceful yet heartwarming breakfast, I decided to start my work for the day.

I have three meetings today and a few case files to review.

After that, I’ll be done for the day.

But before anything else—a thank-you text was important.

“Thank you Mr. Mehra for the rose. It means a lot to me, and I hope you too have a great day ahead.” Nahhh… too formal.

“Thank you for the rose.” Too rude!!

“Thank youu Mr. Mehra... for the rose and the note, I hope you had your breakfast.”Nope. Sounds weird.

“Thank youuu Mr. Mehra… for the rose and the note. Chachi told me you have an important meeting today... All the best for that.” Yes! Perfect.

Patting myself proudly, I hit send and got to work.

I didn’t even realise how the day flew by—between meetings and case files, it was suddenly dinner time. I’d had lunch in my room during a meeting with a foreign client, so I hadn’t stepped out all afternoon.

However, I did notice that sometime in the evening, Mr. Mehra had replied to my text with: 'Thank you, Senorita. I'll do well, and I'm glad you liked it.' I didn’t know what to say, so I just reacted with a heart to his message.

Stretching a little, I freshened up and headed to the dining room. To my surprise, there was no one there. A maid was setting the table, so I asked her where Aunty was, and she told me she was in the kitchen.

"Hey Aunty," I said, stepping into the kitchen.

"Hey Sunu beta, do you need something?" Aunty asked with a warm smile.

"No, I just came to check if you needed any help," I replied.

"No beta, it’s fine," Aunty said, still smiling.

"I’ll help you carry the dishes to the table," I offered, picking up one of the serving bowls filled with mouth-watering food, the aroma tempting even through the lids.

"Sure, thank you beta," Aunty said.

It took me four trips to get everything to the table, and then Aunty followed with a plate of fresh chappatis.

"No one’s here yet," I said to Aunty, a bit puzzled.

"Pari and Ayesha will be here in a minute or two. Your uncle and Adi will be here in exactly five minutes," Aunty replied, taking her seat.

"Oh okay," I nodded with a small smile.

"Sit down, beta," she said kindly, and I smiled again before sitting beside her.

"So how was work today?" she asked.

"It was so tiring, Aunty," I said unknowingly, my voice slipping into a soft pout.

"Aww, my baby must be so tired," Chachi said, reaching out to gently caress my hair.

"Too much," I said, nodding with a deeper pout, which made her chuckle softly.

"Hello ladies," said Pari and Eshu as they walked in. Aunty and I greeted them with a smile.

"Dhang se baitho Pari, ye kya haii?" Aunty scolded as she saw her sit cross-legged on the chair, making me stifle a laugh while Eshu gave her a classic ‘not again’ look.

(Sit properly Pari, what is this? )

"Offo, mother dearest," Pari sighed but sat up straight anyway.

"Maar khaogi tum, sudhar jao," Aunty warned, making Pari nod absentmindedly.

(You’ll get a beating—better behave.)

"Chachi, where’s Chachu and Bhai, I’m hungry," Eshu said with a dramatic sigh.

"We’re here," came two voices at once—undeniably those of Uncle and Mr. Mehra.

"Finally!" Pari and Eshu exhaled in relief.

"Let’s eat. Khane mein kya hai?" Mr. Mehra asked, sitting in his usual spot, followed by Uncle settling into his own head-of-the-family seat.

(What's for dinner?)

"Kadhi chawal aur bhindi ki sabzi, with fresh chappatis," Aunty announced, making all the siblings cheer loudly—so suddenly that it startled me.

(Curry, rice and okra with fresh chappatis.)

"You guys scared me!" I said, placing a hand over my heart, trying to calm my racing pulse. They only gave me unapologetic smiles in return.

Dinner with this family always felt so hearty and refreshing. Amidst all the chaotic banter between the siblings and the sweet moments shared by Chacha and Chachi, we truly enjoyed our meals.

That’s when my eyes met his—beautiful, deep, but tired ones. He was smiling softly, and his eyes held so much fondness… maybe for me?

I gave him a smile—the best one I could muster. To show him what his morning gesture meant to me… or maybe just because I wanted to, causing his smile to widen.

After dinner, Chacha and Uncle headed to Mr. Mehra’s study for further discussions about the deal he was working on, while the girls went to their rooms.

"I'll help you Aunty," I said, taking the dishes from her hands and carrying them into the kitchen.

"Thank you, beta," Aunty said after I placed the last batch of dishes from the dining table into the kitchen. I gave her my brightest smile in return.

"I’ll go and complete my work then," I said after helping her a little with the kitchen chores.

"Sure beta, go ahead," Aunty replied, and I nodded with a smile before scurrying off toward my room.

After finishing the important tasks at hand, I finally wrapped up my day and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Though I really wanted to thank Mr. Mehra personally, I figured he must be tired… so I just didn’t.