Mishti couldn’t take her eyes off as he said this.
“I failed at that once,” he admitted, without flinching. “I didn’t choose her when I should have. I didn’t stand by her when I should have.”
His eyes softened, only for her.
“But she did,” he said, this time palming her cheek. “She always did.”
The smallest curve touched his lips. “And that’s why,” he murmured, no longer speaking to the table at all, “I don’t need to think before saying this… that Mishti iss duniya ki sabse acchi patni hai. (Mishti is the best wife in this world.)”
Mishti wasn’t prepared for this. It was the same line she always used for him, calling him the best husband in the world, and now he was saying it for her. As she looked at him now, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her lips trembling with a smile she could not control anymore.
Overwhelmed by the blush, the emotion, and the happiness threatening to spill over, Mishti rose quickly. “I… I’ll bring the desserts,” she murmured and left the table.
Karan watched her go, the smirk returning to his lips, allowing her that escape without stopping her.
VK finally let out a slow breath, the tension easing from his shoulders as he replied, “I am so happy, Karan. Seeing you and Mishti coming close, you understanding her pain and she loving you back like she never stopped. This is what you both always deserved. To be happy. Together.”
Karan nodded once, then added, “I was anyway going to talk to you about her London plans.”
VK nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
“Now that this incident has happened,” Karan said calmly, though there was worry beneath it, “I don’t want to take any risks. I’ve already spoken to the best private agencies there for security. Mishti will have her own guards from now on.”
Mishti, who had just stepped out of the kitchen again, heard it all and stopped short. She hadn’t expected this. The extent of the measures he had already put in place for her safety in London left her momentarily stunned.
Karan continued, unaware of her presence. “Also, I’ll need your help in finding the best penthouses in London, somewhere close to theSahara Foundation. I want a secure place for her to stay.”
“But I already have a studio apartment,” Mishti finally interrupted, returning to the table.
Karan turned to her at once. “You’re not living there anymore,” he said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “It’s too unguarded. And besides…” his gaze softened for just a second, “…you deserve much more than that little place.”
He paused before adding, “The last time, I couldn’t make this happen because you didn’t know that I was aware where you are. This time, I don’t want a single inconvenience for you. Or any loopholes in your security.”
Mishti opened her mouth to argue, but VK intervened before she could. “Karan is right, Mishti. He’s thinking like a husband. And he has every right to protect you, especially when he won’t be with you and will be living miles away.”
Karan went quiet for a second. Then, as if a thought struck him mid-breath, he said slowly, “Actually… that’s the real problem, isn’t it?”
Everyone looked at him, waiting.
He turned to Mishti. “I’ll come with you,” he said, already deciding. “To London.”
Her eyes widened.
“Actually, yes,” he continued, as if convincing himself aloud. “Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ll be there with you. That way, I won’t have to worry about how you’re living.”
Rajat frowned slightly. “And what about the business here?”
“You and Abhimanyu are here,” Karan replied without hesitation. “Besides, I can work from there. What’s the big deal?”
Both men nodded, and Karan concluded, “That’s the best solution.”
“No,” Mishti said firmly. “You’re not coming with me.”
Annoyance flared in Karan’s eyes, anger too, but he didn’t want to take this discussion further in front of everyone. He nodded once, meeting her gaze with a look that clearly said this isn’t up for debate. He didn’t voice it, though. What he said instead was, “We’ll talk about this later.”
Mishti caught both, his words and the unspoken warning beneath them. Angrily, she turned away and began serving the desserts.
When she served the bowl of dessert to Karan, his smile was back. He didn’t waste a second tasting the halwa, and the look he gave her afterwards said everything—how badly he wanted to pull her close and kiss her for making it so perfectly.
