Cabir stood in the garden, watching as the man described by the guards approached. Without wasting any time, he stepped forward and dialed a random number from his contacts, trying to make the situation look realistic. But as soon as the call connected, he realized who he had called—Navya.

"Shh, Navya, don't take anything I say seriously, just listen quietly," Cabir whispered, hoping she wouldn't react too much.

"What are you talking about, Cabir?" Navya asked, clearly confused.

Cabir saw the man starting to walk away and knew he had to act fast. He spoke quickly, keeping his voice low enough for the man to hear.

"Yeah, I know, so many plans... but what can we do now? Nandini, Bhabhi, she broke off the engagement... no wedding, no fun," Cabir said, hoping to get Navya's attention.

"What nonsense are you saying?" Navya replied, clearly shocked.

"Yeah, there was love, but Nandini ended it all. Anyway, I'll talk to you later, let's meet soon. Bye!" Cabir hurried to end the conversation.

"Bye? What do you mean, bye?" Navya asked, but Cabir quickly ended the call and rushed inside.

Inside, he dialed Navya's number again. "Hey, Navya, sorry! It's a long story, but come over to the Malhotras' house. Don't worry, everything is fine. No wedding happened, just be careful and come quickly," he said, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Okay, I'll be there soon," Navya replied before hanging up.

Cabir felt a bit nervous. This was his first call with Navya, and it left him with mixed feelings, but he quickly focused back on the plan. He rushed to the hall to inform Raj, Manik, Raman, and Abhimanyu.

In the hall, Raj nodded as Cabir entered. "Good job, now let's wait for the call," he said.

Raman added, "Yes, and I don't think it'll be long before they reach out. Abhi and I have a small task, related to the industry. If the call comes, let us know, Raj."

Raj agreed. "Of course."

Raman and Abhimanyu left for their floor. Meanwhile, Raj, Manik, and Cabir sat in the library, waiting. After a while, Raj's phone rang.

Manik immediately said, "Dad, this is him for sure. Don't agree too quickly, he might get suspicious."

"Yeah, be careful, papa," Cabir added, his concern evident.

Raj picked up the phone, immediately adopting his signature "Raj Malhotra" tone. "Hello."

"Mr. Malhotra, hello," Prashant's voice came through the line.

"Yes?" Raj replied, his voice steady.

"I am Prashant, owner of Verma Industries," Prashant said.

"Okay, please go ahead," Raj responded, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"I heard about your son's wedding being canceled. I'm sorry to hear that," Prashant said.

"I'm sure that's not the reason you called, right?" Raj asked, already getting suspicious.

"Well, you don't like beating around the bush, and I don't either. Consider my daughter, Soha, for Manik," Prashant proposed.

"We don't know you, and Manik isn't ready for marriage with anyone right now. How can we say yes?" Raj replied firmly.

"Look, Manik is at the right age. As a well-wisher, I think you shouldn't delay. If the wedding age passes, things get difficult. It's time for him to move on," Prashant insisted.

"We don't know you, and the children have never met," Raj replied, still not convinced.

"We'll come over to your house today for dinner and discuss things. The kids will meet, and we can talk business too. How about it?" Prashant suggested.

"At our house?" Raj asked, still unsure.

"Yes, you don't know much about us, so it's important to meet in person and discuss things. What do you say?" Prashant urged.

"I've already told you, we've thought everything through," Raj said, his patience wearing thin.

Laughing, Prashant said, "You're funny. Let's make it official, then. 8 PM, at your place. See you then. Bye."

"Alright," Raj said curtly before hanging up the phone.

Cabir, noticing his father's unease, asked, "What happened, Papa?"

"That guy was very strange. Never spoke to someone like him before. And now, he wants to come for dinner without even being invited, all for a marriage proposal. If I refused, it would've caused problems. I didn't say yes, I just told him we've already made our decision," Raj explained.

Cabir and Manik both laughed at their father's observations.

"So, they're coming, right?" Manik asked.

Raj nodded.

"Step 1 is done. I've already informed Bhabhi and the rest upstairs," Cabir said.

Manik playfully added, "Should I go too?"

Cabir teased him, "Sure, go ahead. How can we come between you and your future wife?"

Manik slapped Cabir on the head, annoyed. "No drama, please."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Did they come earlier than expected? It's supposed to be tonight, right?" Cabir wondered aloud.

"Go see who it is. Bring good news, please," Raj said.

Cabir chuckled as he went to check, while Manik dashed upstairs, eager to see Nandini.

At the door, Nandini opened it with a smile as soon as she saw Manik. Their reunion, though brief, felt sweet.

"I don't mind standing here smiling, but can I come inside?" Manik asked.

"Oh, sorry, come in," Nandini said, stepping aside to let him in.

Manik smiled sheepishly and walked inside, telling Raman, Abhimanyu, and Ishita about the situation. Nyonika was upstairs talking to Ishita about the wedding preparations. After all, despite everything, the wedding wasn't really canceled.

Abhimanyu said, "They seem very uncivilized, showing up without an invitation, and now they want dinner? Be careful, Manik. I don't trust them."

Raman added, "Yes, beta, we can handle things, but stay alert. Nandini could be blackmailed. Nyonika Bhabhi, everyone, stay cautious. We'll stay connected with Raj upstairs."

Manik reassured them, "Don't worry, Dad. We'll be careful. I'll go tell Mom to get the dinner preparations started."

Nandini added, "I'm coming to help, Mom."

Manik laughed. "How will you come downstairs?"

Nandini replied, "With my feet?"

Manik smiled. "No, I mean, you can't come in front of them."

Nandini gritted her teeth but controlled her temper, not wanting to argue.

Manik chuckled. "Dinner time, let's go. Mom needs help, after all."

Nyonika said, "Yes, let's go, Nandu."

The three of them descended down together, ready for what the evening would bring.