Mishti couldn’t stop herself from smiling too.
She knew Karan had softened toward Komal in his own way. And she also knew this nok-jhok between them would always remain, no matter what.
CHAPTER 46
Two Days Later
Two days later, Avni, Rajat, and VK finally came to see Karan. They were supposed to be here the very next day after the incident, but it was Karan himself who had refused. The reason had been simple.
The man who had shot him was still at large. The police were doing everything they could, and they had a solid lead, one that promised results soon. Very soon, the man would be caught. Until then, Karan was not willing to let Avni or anyone else in the family bypass the security protocols just to meet him. No matter how much it hurt him to say no, he had stood firm.
Avni, however, had her limits. She worried too much, loved her brother too fiercely, and once that worry crossed a certain line, no logic could hold her back. She insisted, argued, pleaded, and finally, Karan relented. Today, they were at the Wadhwa mansion, here to see him with their own eyes.
The moment Avni saw Karan, all her restraint broke apart. Tears welled up as she pulled him into a tight hug. He was recovering well, everyone said so, but for a sister, that reassurance was never enough. She had imagined too many worst outcomes, lived sleepless nights. Seeing him standing there, alive and healing, finally put her at ease.
Mishti did not let the family leave without having lunch together. After all these years, Avni had come back to theWadhwa mansion, and Mishti made sure she was treated not just as a guest but as family. She had personally overseen the lunch preparations, moving through the kitchen, ensuring everything the family liked was cooked, and she had made the dessert herself. Moong dal halwa, because Karan liked it.
They were seated at the dining table, VK speaking to Karan about how far the police investigation had progressed. Karan answered calmly, filling them in on what he knew, while Mishti moved around the table serving everyone.
Even when everyone began to eat, Karan did not. He waited. Only when Mishti finally settled into the chair beside him, only when she began serving herself, did he lift the spoon to his mouth.
She noticed it.
Lately, every such gesture from him had started touching something deeper than her heart. It reached her soul, leaving her breath a little uneven every time. Without even trying, he was becoming the husband she had once dreamed of.
Midway through lunch, she noticed him struggling.
There was a plate of galouti kebabs placed in front of him, soft but delicate enough to need both hands to break properly. It required a steady grip, a fork to hold it in place, and controlled pressure to cut through without crushing it. With his left hand injured, Karan could not manage it the way he usually did. He tried once, then again, his jaw tightening slightly in frustration.
Mishti noticed it instantly.
Without a word, she picked up a piece from her own plate, broke it carefully, and lifted it to his mouth. He leaned in and ate it, accepting her help as naturally as breathing, as though this was how it had always been between them.
Only after he swallowed did their eyes meet.
They held each other’s gaze for longer than necessary, the world around them fading again into a blur. The ease withwhich they recognised each other’s needs, each other’s pain, was written plainly across their faces, in their expressions.
The rest of them noticed it, too. VK, Abhimanyu, Rajat, Avni, all of them saw how she fed him, how natural it looked. Every single time their gazes met, there was a spark that refused to be subtle. The way Mishti’s eyes flickered from his, taking in both his eyes, then instinctively dropping to his mouth as he ate the bite from the spoon she held for him.
It was far more intimate in a way than even touching each other.
Rajat finally cleared his throat, unable to ignore it any longer. Turning to Avni with a half-resigned smile, he said softly, “Weare just married… but the real newlywed feels are sitting right in front of us.”
Mishti immediately looked down, her cheeks warming under the attention, while Karan merely smirked, unbothered and entirely aware that Rajat was right. What he shared with Mishti, this ease, this understanding, this pull between them, was no less than what newlywed couples felt. If anything, it ran deeper.
Avni leaned toward Rajat and said teasingly, “You should learn from my brother then.”
Rajat nodded, accepting that without argument, before turning to Karan. “What say, Karan? Anything you would like to say to us? What needs to be done for a successful marriage?”
Karan did not look at Rajat when the question was asked.
For a moment, it was as if he hadn’t even heard it. His attention drifted back to Mishti instead, settling on her face.
“I don’t know how to explain that,” he said, “I’m still learning.” His gaze stayed on her as he continued, “But whatever I have learnt so far about marriage … I’ve learnt it fromher.”
Mishti tried to keep her expression neutral as Karan continued.
“Marriage isn’t about sharing a house or responsibilities,” he went on. “It’s about standing by each other, understanding each other without being told, and choosing your partner every single day.”
