ADHVAIT'S POV

SHE SAID YES

Am I dreaming????? FUCK NOOOOO.

She's ready to accept me? Literally—as her husband???

I immediately sat down on my couch after processing her hug. That hug—it was everything.

Her first step in our relationship.

Her first step towards trusting me, and I couldn't be more grateful.

I could feel my heart beating loudly. The idea of spending my whole life with her... it was everything I ever wanted.

And now that it's finally happening, it feels too good to be true. I could feel my eyes welling up at the mere thought of imagining her as my wife. The way I'm cycling through different waves of happiness and disbelief is just unreal.

Okay, this is definitely a dream.

"I'm not dreaming, right?" I texted her.

"No, Mr Mehra. This is very much real," she replied instantly.

Wait... when are we going to tell our families? Let me just ask her.

"Also... I have a question," I typed.

"Yeah, what is it?" came her reply.

"Are you ready to tell our families about us? I'm sure they must be waiting for our answers. No pressure though—we can wait as long as you want," I replied.

"We can inform them after Bhaiya and Bhabhi are back, i.e. after 5 days, if that's okay with you. Since everyone will be present then," she texted.

"Sure, I have no issues," I replied.

Okay then," she wrote back.

"Good night," came another text before I could respond.

"Good night to you too, Senorita," I replied, then closed my phone to finally get a few hours of sleep.

I hope everything goes well. The next few days are going to be tiring and hectic—this new deal I've signed is a huge one. I want to visit the site myself and supervise everything. I want it all to be perfect—because it has my love's name attached to it.

Sighing, I freshened up and lay down on my bed.

But sleep felt far away tonight. The mere thought of her and me together kept me up for quite a while.

Time skip ( two days)

It's been two days since we've properly talked—other than exchanging passing smiles or those "good mornings" at the dining table. And oh! Our ritual of course. I wouldn't skip it for the world.

I haven't been getting time to talk to her. Whenever I'm free, she's caught up in meetings, and whenever she's free, I'm in one.

Today's the day I finally took a half day off to spend some time with her and the rest of the family.

Currently, I'm driving back home, and I was pulled out of my thoughts by the ringing of my phone. It was Avinash.

"Hey bro, what's up?" I said, picking up the call. The car was already connected to the speakers.

"All good, man. What's up there? How's my Sunu?" he replied.

"Your Sunu is doing well. And the good news is—she agreed to the proposal," I said.

"WHAT?!" he screamed.

"Kamine, don't shout!" I hissed as his sudden yell echoed through my car. "And yes, she agreed. We were supposed to tell the family when you got back, but well, now you know."

(Asshole, don't shout.)

"How is that even possible?" he asked, still in shock.

"Remember the party and the announcement I told you about?" I asked, and he hummed in response.

"Yeah, so she was shocked when she heard the name—and honestly, I don't blame her. Anyone would be shocked if their potential groom launched a chain of hotels named after them.

After the party, we had a conversation about her doubts—about us, and the whole relationship thing. And somehow... she said yes," I explained.

"Oh," came his reply.

"Yeah. Now tell me—when are you guys landing tomorrow?" I asked. They were originally supposed to return the day after tomorrow, but decided to surprise the family. Typical. But whatever, they're arriving tomorrow now.

"Afternoon, 3 PM. We're currently waiting to board our flight," he said.

"Okay, see you tomorrow. Call me once you land—I'll send a driver to pick you guys up," I said with a hum.

"Alright, bro. See you," he said, and I ended the call.

SUNAINA'S POV

It's been two days since we last talked face-to-face—it's just our notes doing the talking now. He's been very busy; I barely even see him except during breakfast.

I talked to my best friend about this, and she somehow convinced me that saying yes to him was the right thing to do. Not gonna lie—my heart believes it too. He's not like my father, or any other man. He respects me, and he respects my ambitions.

Most importantly, he's not the type of person who'd feel insecure or embarrassed if his partner earns more than him. In our case, I'm pretty sure I'm not the one earning more—but that's not the point. The point is, he cares. He's genuine. And he's everything I could ever want in a husband.

I saw raw sincerity in his eyes that day when he sat beside me, trying to help me with my doubts—and somehow, he succeeded.

The love and softness in his eyes made my heart warm. I've never seen such pure emotion for me in anyone's eyes—except, of course, from the people I call my family. Which, by the way, has never included my parents—but that's a story for another time.

Right now, I'm sitting in front of my vanity, doing my skincare. My work for the day is done, so I took a relaxing shower and changed into my comfortable PJs.

It's almost time for dinner, so I stepped out and saw the ladies of the family gathered there.

"Hello ladies," I said, sitting on one of the sofas next to Pari, opposite Aunty and Eshu.

"Hello."

"Hi, Di," came their responses.

"So, what's happening?" I asked.

"Nothing, we were all free so just chit-chatting. We thought you must be working, so we didn't disturb you," Eshu said.

"That's great. Well, my work ended early today, so here I am," I said.

And just like that, we spent an hour or so talking about random things—without any stress or tension.

Soon it was dinner time, so we all headed to the dining room. We were  joined by Uncle and, surprisingly, Mr Mehra too.

"Arre bhaiya, strange to see you at the dining table during dinner," Pari said mischievously.

"Acha beta, batau tujhe," he said, lightly smacking her head and taking his seat.

( Oh really? )

"And to answer your useless question, I finished work early today," he continued.

"Strange... Sunu di finished her work early too," Eshu said with a mischievous smile.

"Hey, don't bring me into this," I said, taking a bite of the heavenly dosa Aunty had made.

"Exactly why I finished work early," he replied, smirking at me—making me choke on my food and shoot him a 'what the hell' look, while the girls went "ooooo" teasingly.

"Mr Mehra, shut up," I said, showing him a butter knife with an 'I'll kill you' look. He raised his hands in mock surrender, still smirking.

I so want to wipe that annoying smirk off his handsome face.

"So... are you taking Di on a date?" Pari asked excitedly.

"Not just her. I'm planning to take all my princesses—and if Chacha allows, my Chachi too—on an ice cream date," he said with a smile that made me smile too. It had been so long since we spent time with the girls like this.

"Young man, I am more than capable of taking my beautiful wife on a date. You all can have her during the day, but the nights are mine, thank you very much," Uncle said instantly with a mischievous smile, making Chachi blush.

"Yeh bacho ke saamne kya bol rahe hain aap," Aunty said, blushing and lightly hitting Uncle's hand.

(What are you talking about–in front of the kids?)

"Bacho, apne kaan band kar lo zara," Uncle said, and we all did exactly what he asked—even Mr Mehra. Uncle then whispered something in Aunty's ear that made her blush deepen.

(Kids, close your ears for a moment.)

"Okay," Uncle said, motioning for us to uncover our ears.

"Ahem... teenagers in love—spare us single souls, please," Pari said dramatically, and we all burst into laughter.

And just like that, we had our dinner filled with funny banter, teasing, and delicious food. Soon, we were ready to head out for our ice cream party, but the person taking us was definitely taking his sweet time.

"Ready to go, ladies?" Mr Mehra said, finally emerging from his room.

"Finally, our Barbie is ready," Eshu said sarcastically, making him look confused while the rest of us chuckled.

"What?" he asked, still confused.

"Nothing, let's go," Pari said, dragging him out, and we followed.

"You guys wait—I'll get the car," he said, jogging toward the parked car and bringing it to the front of the main door. He jogged back over and, like a true gentleman, opened the back seat door for his sisters. After they were settled, he opened the front door for me.

"Flowers for my lady," he said, handing me a beautiful bouquet of white roses as he got in.

"Awwww," Pari and Eshu said in unison, making me blush.

"Thank you," I said, taking the bouquet.

"And here—these are for my princesses," he said, handing tulips to Eshu and red roses to Pari.

"Thank you, Bhaiyaaa," they said.

It warmed my heart to see him treat his sisters with such love and care—like a father ready to bring the whole world to their feet if they asked.

"So, shall we go?" he asked, and after getting our approval, he drove us to the ice cream parlour.

As we arrived, I noticed it was a different place than the one we'd been to before.

"Girls, go grab a table. I'll park the car and come with your sunu di," he said, stopping at the entrance. Eshu and Pari nodded, stepped out, and headed inside.

"I'm sorry—I wanted to take you on a proper date, just the two of us, but it's just..." he started as he parked.

"Stop. I couldn't have asked for anything better. I love these girls, and I'm more than happy to have this little outing with the four of us," I said, cutting him off.

"Why are you so understanding?" he said with a wide smile, holding my hand in his. I just shrugged, smiling.

"Ab chalo, they must be waiting," I said after a minute or two, as he kept staring at me.

(Now let's go, they must be waiting.)

"Yes, let's go," he said, stepping out and opening the door for me as well.

"After you, madam," he said, making me laugh.

"I'd prefer you beside me, sir," I said. He looked surprised as I hooked my hand into his, and we walked together toward the parlour.

"Here they are!" Pari said as we sat down at the seats they had saved for us.

"So, did you guys order?" I asked, scanning the ice cream menu.

"Nope, we were waiting for you both," Eshu said.

"Okay, tell me what you all want," Mr Mehra said.

"I'll have butterscotch," Eshu said, and he nodded.

"I'll have a choco-chip sundae," Pari said.

"And what about you, madam?" he asked me.

"I'll have cookies and cream," I said.

"Okay, ladies, I'll go and order," he said, walking away to place the order.

And just like that, we had a beautiful ice cream treat. After returning home, we tucked the girls in, and now we're walking toward our rooms.

"will you go on a walk with me, if you are not tired? " he asked suddenly, honestly I was waiting to spend some time with him.

"Sure," I said, smiling, and we both headed to the garden for a walk.

"So, how was your day?" he asked as we walked side by side in comfortable silence.

"It was good. I had a lighter workload today," I said, making him nod.

"What about you? How was your day?" I continued.

"It was fine—nothing interesting, just meetings," he said with a chuckle, making me chuckle too, knowing how hectic life as a businessman can be.

"Tell me something about yourself," I said. I genuinely wanted to know more about him.

"About me? There's nothing much to say," he replied, a bit confused.

"Arre, aisa thodi hota hai," I said, wait..scratch that–I whined.

(Hey, that's not how it works.)

"Okay... I completed my studies in India. Never really travelled outside the country unless it was for work. I had no crushes, no girlfriends—nothing. You could say work and studies became my coping mechanism after my parents passed away," he said.

"I can relate. After Ma and Pa... I, too, threw myself into studies," I said, my voice heavy with emotion.

"My parents loved you so much, you know—probably more than they loved me," he said, chuckling softly, making me chuckle too.

"I loved them just as much. They were everything I had, apart from Bhaiya. Ma was my best friend, mother, sister—everything. Pa was the father who loved me dearly. After they were gone, I was devastated. Bhaiya was with me, but I still miss them every day," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat and holding back the tears.

"Please let it out. Don't keep it in," he said, stopping and pulling me into a hug, holding me against his chest.

"I'm fine. It's okay," I said after a minute or two, seeking comfort in his warmth. He sighed, but nonetheless nodded.

"You know, I'm quite shocked," I said after a few seconds of silence as we resumed walking.

"About what?" he asked, confused.

"About you not having any crushes or girlfriends," I said. He chuckled.

"I was expecting some ex-drama," I said, sighing dramatically, making him laugh wholeheartedly—the sound I could listen to forever.

My chest swelled with pride knowing I was the reason behind that smile.

"I apologize for the disappointment, m'lady," he said once he stopped laughing.

"Koi nahi, ab kya kar sakte hain—seh lenge thoda," I said, pretending to be disappointed.

(It's fine, what can we do–I'll manage.)

"You are something else," he said, shaking his head, and I just shrugged.

"You know, after I met Ashu, she made me experience the beauty of friendship. Before her, I never had any real friends," I said, smiling, remembering how she carved her place in my heart.

"She was your classmate?" he asked.

"No, I met her after I met Devesh Bhaiya, during my first year of graduation. He had a party, and I went with Bhaiya. At first, I was reluctant, but because of her persistence, we kept meeting—and she became the sister I never had," I said, smiling softly.

"She is a beautiful soul," he said, and I nodded, still smiling.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked. I had to do this.

"Of course," he said, turning towards me, giving me his full attention.

"As far as I know, you don't seem like the kind of person who would take such a huge decision—like naming your entire project after a girl you've known for barely two months. Am I right?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," he hummed, nodding.

"So what made you take that decision? Be honest this time, please," I said. He sighed and took my hand in his.

"You know, sometimes you meet someone, and your heart tells you instantly—that's the one. For me, you are that person. I know it might feel overwhelming, and I'm more than ready to give you all the time you need.

But for me... I thank God every day for sending you into my life. Because you are the one for me. My heart told me that—and in your case, my mind doesn't really work," he said.

I was still processing what he had just said. He had indirectly confessed to me.

"I... I don't..." I stuttered, struggling to form a sentence.

"Shhhh... you don't have to say anything. Take your time," he said gently, shushing me.

"What if we don't work out?" I whispered, letting my insecurity slip out.

"We will. I'll make sure of it," he said, his eyes full of sincerity and truth.

"Okay," I said, giving him my biggest, most genuine smile.

"Shall we go in? It's getting late," he said, and I nodded.

"Good night, Senorita," he said as he dropped me off in front of my room, ready to head to his, which was alongside mine.

"Wait," I said. He turned to me, confused—and I did something he might've expected, but definitely not this soon.

I hugged him, wrapping my arms around his neck and tiptoeing slightly. I could feel him freeze, but once he recovered from the shock, he hugged me back tightly, snuggling into my neck.

"Thank you," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear as I started to pull back—but he tightened his hold, not letting me go just yet.

"You have no idea what this means to me... meri jaan," he murmured as he finally let go of the hug.

Giving him a soft smile, I turned around and waved at him before closing the door—only after he gave me his biggest, brightest smile.