“Minimal flowers.”
He squints at me. “You should have consulted me earlier.”
“I’ll remember that for other important occasions."
Neel stands up suddenly.
“We should go check it.” Twenty minutes later we’re on the terrace making final adjustments. The fairy lights stretch along the railing in warm golden lines.
The small table near the corner holds the things that matter most tonight: the ring box, the book of poems I wrote for her, and the little bottle of attar I made that still smells faintly of roses and old paper.
Neel walks around inspecting everything like a very tiny wedding planner. “This is acceptable.”
“That is the highest praise I’ve received today.”
He leans over the table. “Where is the ring?”
I pull the velvet box from my pocket and show him. His eyes nearly fall out of his head. “That is extremely shiny.”
“I thought she might like it.”
“She will.”
Then he looks at me very seriously. “Are you going to say something romantic?”
“I prepared something.”
“Good,” he says firmly. “Because if you just say ‘will you marry me’ it will be disappointing.”
I stare at him. “You have high expectations.”
“I learned from movies.”
I laugh quietly. “You are a terrifying advisor.”
We hear the front door downstairs open.
Neel freezes. “She’s home.” My heartbeat immediately kicks up. “Okay,” I say quietly. “Your job now.”
Neel straightens his shoulders like a soldier receiving orders. “I understand.”
Then he runs down the stairs like a thunderstorm. “DIDIIII!”
So much for subtlety. I run a hand through my hair and try to calm the ridiculous pounding in my chest.
It’s absurd. I run a publishing house. I negotiate contracts with people twice my age. And yet the idea of asking one woman a question has my hands slightly shaking. Her footsteps come up the stairs slowly. Then she appears at the top of the terrace.
And stops. The moment her eyes take in the lights and the candles and the ridiculous effort I clearly made. Her expression shifts from confusion to surprise. Then to something softer. “What is all this?”
Neel grabs her hand immediately. “Welcome.”
She looks down at him suspiciously. “Welcome to what?”
“A very important evening.”
She laughs softly and finally looks at me. “Aditya… what did you two do?”
I walk toward her slowly. “I needed your brother’s help.”
