“I agree, Aunty,” I say with a grin of my own. Now I’m the one enjoying the show.
She waves a hand dramatically. “Sidharth, I want a proposal right now. In front of me. I’ll be the judge of whether it’s good enough for my girl.”
“That’s a good idea, Aunty,” I say with a nod, then throw a challenging look at Sidharth.
“Challenge accepted,” he replies, a spark lighting his eyes.
I gulp hard, my heart stumbling over itself. Gosh, I should’ve known better than to challenge this man.
I watch as Sidharth rises to his feet and rounds the bed to my side, his eyes never leaving mine. The intensity in his gaze ignites every nerve in my body, and I can’t even form the words bubbling up in my throat. Words to tell him I was only joking, that he doesn’t need to do anything reckless.
And then, before I even realize what’s happening, he’s on one knee.
“You know I never believed in fate,” he begins, softly. “As a detective, I’ve always believed in logic, in things that made sense. But then you walked into my life, and suddenly, every theory I had, every rule I lived by, just fell apart.”
My eyes glisten as he continues. “You drive me insane. You argue with me, challenge me, and roll your eyes at almost everything I say. But you also make me believe that when you love someone, it doesn’t happen with logic or planning. It happens here…” he presses a hand against his chest “… with your heart.”
I blink rapidly, the world narrowing to just him as he reaches into his pocket.
“And the truth is, I want you beside me for the rest of my life.”
Before I can even gasp, he pulls out a small red velvet box and flips it open, revealing a simple, elegant, and stunning diamond solitaire ring.
“Will you marry me, Nisha? Not today, not tomorrow, but when you feel it’s right.”
For a moment, I go completely still, staring at him, my heart thudding so loudly I can feel it echoing in my throat. Even Aunty is silent. From the corner of my eye, I see her hand fly to her mouth, her eyes wide and glistening as happy tears slip down her cheeks.
Sidharth’s lips curve into that familiar, crooked grin. “Don’t keep me waiting, sweetheart.”
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice trembling before it breaks into a watery laugh. “Yes. Of course, yes.”
His smile deepens as he gently takes my hand and slides the ring onto my finger with a reverence that makes my chest ache.
“I can’t believe you actually had a ring,” I murmur, blinking down at the delicate sparkle now sitting perfectly on my finger.
“I’ve had it for days,” he says, his thumb brushing over mine. “I was just waiting for the right moment.”
Aunty lets out a sound that’s somewhere between a sob and a laugh, quickly dabbing at her cheeks.
“That was perfect,” she declares, clapping her hands. “Proposal approved.”
We all burst into laughter, mine muffled as I throw my arms around Sidharth and drop down next to him. His arms wrap around me just as tightly, and I press my forehead to his, tears falling freely now.
Sidharth has made me believe that fairytales don’t need a perfect princess. Sometimes, it’s the broken things that turn out to be the most beautiful, especially when love is involved. And maybe that’s why, right now, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
Chapter 32
Sidharth
It’s past ten. Sunita Aunty has already turned in for the night, but Nisha and I are still wide awake. Neither of us is ready to let this night end just yet. So here we are, curled up on her balcony recliner, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Her warmth is pressed against my side, grounding me, but there’s a gnawing unease crawling beneath my skin, the kind I’ve learned never to ignore. And it’s because, right now, I’ve got this feeling, an instinctive sense that we’re being watched. Every muscle in my body is on alert. But I don’t say a word to Nisha. She doesn’t need that stress tonight, not after I slid that ring onto her finger and saw her eyes light up like they held the whole damn sky.
I lower my head and bury my nose in her hair, closing my eyes as I breathe in that soft lavender scent, trying like hell to focus on her and deal with the shadows when they come. Seconds pass by. Her hair tickles my nose, and her breath is warm against my neck. Her soothing presence doesn’t chase the unease away completely, but it eases some of the tension coiled tight in my chest.
“Sweetheart, are you happy?” I murmur, my lips brushing the crown of her head.
She nods against me. “More than I’ve ever been.” Then she nuzzles deeper into my chest. “It feels like I got my Mr. Perfect, who’s way better than those book heroes I used to fantasize about.” Her fingers brush lightly over my chest. “You proved that real life can outdo fiction.”
