After a long day of shopping, all the outfits had been chosen, and they were finally on their way home.

Nandini, Navya, and Kartik got out of the car, while the rest of the group drove back to Malhotra Mansion. It was already 8 PM when they reached home. The elders, along with Abhimanyu, had already arrived. After a short while, Nyonika and Raj also left, and the Murthys sat down at the dining table for their evening meal.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. One of the servants opened the door to welcome a man, a woman, and two young children—a girl and a boy.

The lady, Swarna, smirked as she stepped inside. "Servants opening the door for us, huh? Looks like the family is quite busy now, isn't it?"

Hearing her voice, the rest of the family walked to the door to see none other than Swarna Chachi standing there.

Swarna raised her eyebrows. "Oh ho, aao aao! Time mil gaya?"

Raman smiled awkwardly. "Arey bhabhi, if you had informed us that you were coming, we would have sent a car for you."

Ishita nodded, adding, "Exactly, we thought we'd see you in Greece, like everyone else."

Swarna waved her hand dismissively. "That's for people outside the family. Why shouldn't I come to the house?"

Nandini, sensing the growing tension, stepped forward to handle the situation.

She politely greeted the family by touching their feet and met the two kids, Ayeza and Rishabh, who were sweethearts, despite their mother's attitude. The twins were 16, and they quickly made a good impression.

Nandini smiled at them. "Chachi, you must be very tired. Ajay bhaiya, can you please show them to their rooms?"

Swarna flashed her a polite smile, but there was no warmth in her tone. "Chal, Nandu. Shaadi nahi hui hai, toh dhyaan toh rakhna padega. Naira and Kartik are lost in their world of love, and we should be making sure everything is good here. These things are best dealt with in the rooms. Nowadays, kids don't seem to know how to respect boundaries."

Naira was about to reply but stopped herself. Kartik, already irritated, was stopped by Nandini from speaking out.

With a tight-lipped smile, Swarna and Manish followed Ajay to their rooms, leaving Ayeza and Rishabh to mingle with the rest of the family.

Ayeza looked up at Ishita and Raman. "We missed you, Badi Ma," she said sweetly.

Ishita's face softened as she pulled Ayeza into a hug. "I missed you too."

After the introductions, Ayeza turned to Nandini. "Nandini Di, can I stay with you tonight in your room?"

Nandini smiled and nodded. "Of course! Go upstairs, first room on the top floor. I'll be there soon."

Ayeza smiled and left, and Rishabh followed her to rest.

Once the room settled, Naira leaned in toward Nandini, looking frustrated. "I am so done with her. What is her problem really?"

Nandini rubbed her arms gently, trying to calm Naira. "Naira, we all know how she is. Let's not let her get to us."

Naira sighed and nodded, heading off to her room, bidding Nandini a "Good night."

Kartik, still fuming, turned to Nandini. "Be fine and make sure she's okay," he said, before following Naira.

Nandini turned to her parents. "Mamma, Papa, please talk to Chachi. I can't stand seeing Naira like this. Chachi needs to know that her behavior isn't okay."

Raman nodded. "We will, beta. You go and rest now."

After a quick goodbye to her parents, Nandini made her way to her room.

As soon as she entered, she found Ayeza sitting on the bed, holding a photo frame from Nandini and Manik's Roka ceremony. When Ayeza noticed Nandini, she quickly put the frame down.

Nandini smiled softly and sat next to her.

Ayeza looked at her in admiration. "You both look so good together, Di. And Jiju—he's really handsome. I can't wait to meet him in person."

Nandini smiled, feeling her heart swell with affection. "We'll meet him soon, I promise."

Ayeza, excited but also curious, asked, "Will he come here tomorrow?"

Nandini hesitated before responding. "Um, no darling, actually he has some work this week. We'll meet him at the airport."

Ayeza seemed a bit disappointed but nodded. "Oh, okay."

Nandini smiled at her. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll be there in a minute."

Ayeza nodded and left the room, heading off to bed.

Nandini took a deep breath and walked out onto the balcony to call Manik.

As soon as she dialed, he picked up on the first ring.

Nandini chuckled. "You were sitting on your phone or what?"

Manik's voice was playful. "I was waiting."

Nandini smirked. "I know. Why didn't you call me?"

Manik laughed softly. "Well, I thought you'd be busy, and if I called and interrupted, you'd bite my head off. So, better to stay safe, you know?"

Nandini raised an eyebrow. "You know what? You're bad."

Manik's tone softened as he replied, "Maybe I am, but I'm all yours now, ma'am."

Nandini playfully responded, "Where do you get these cheesy lines from, Malhotra?"

Manik teased her, "You need to respect my heart because they come straight from there."

Nandini smiled. "I do. I do."

Manik chuckled, his voice turning a little more serious. "I do too. Now, shall we kiss?"

Nandini laughed. "Ha ha ha, very funny. Now, tell me, what did you do today?"

Manik relaxed into his bed. "Dinner and now in bed. What about you?"

Nandini sighed. "Same, except... Chachi and her family are here."

Manik's voice shot up in surprise. "WHAT? Weren't they supposed to be in Greece?"

Nandini nodded, although her voice was laced with frustration. "They were, but now they're here. What can we do? And why are you so shocked? Aren't you not scared of her?"

Manik shrugged, slightly annoyed. "Of course, I'm not scared. It's just that you guys talk so much about her, I didn't expect her to show up today. Anyway, when will we meet now?"

Nandini's voice softened. "Straight at the airport."

Manik groaned. "Seriously? A week? Are you hearing yourself?"

Nandini laughed lightly. "Yes, I am. Manik, we've missed out on so much work already. We need to focus on it this week. All the preparations are done. We need to wrap it up and enjoy the wedding fully."

Manik exhaled a long breath. "Who am I even arguing with? Fine. Go sleep now. Good night."

Nandini whispered, "I love you."

Manik's reply was simple, yet filled with affection. "I know."

Over the months, Manik had developed a habit of not always responding to "I love you" with "I love you too." It wasn't that he didn't mean it; it was just that he enjoyed feeling the love in the little things—his actions, his "take cares," his forehead kisses. It meant more to both of them than words ever could.

With that, they both drifted off to sleep, content and happy, ready for whatever the next day would bring.