Nandini, after finishing all her work for the day, stepped into her dimly lit room. Before she could even process the darkness around her, she was suddenly pulled into a firm embrace, her back pressing against a solid, masculine frame.

"What are you up to, Manik?" she asked, immediately recognizing the warmth of his touch and the familiar scent that surrounded her. His hold around her waist tightened in response.

"Just giving it back to you for rolling your eyes at me earlier," Manik murmured against her ear, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. Without giving her a chance to retort, he leaned down and pressed a teasing bite against the soft skin of her neck before soothing the spot with gentle kisses. Nandini let out a sharp breath as he repeated the act, each time eliciting a stronger reaction from her.

Sensing the slight stiffness in her posture, Manik immediately withdrew. Concern flickered in his eyes as he turned her around to face him.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away. Did I make you uncomfortable?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern. His fingers tenderly brushed against her cheek, and the sheer sincerity in his gaze made Nandini's heart melt all over again.

A warm smile spread across her lips as she placed her hands over his chest. "You can never make me uncomfortable, Manik. I respect you, and everything you do only makes me fall for you harder. I'm so thankful for you." Her words, filled with affection, made his heart swell. In response, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Taking a deep breath, Nandini gazed into his eyes, a new determination shining through her expression. "But now, I want more. I want to be yours in every sense. I want you to be mine. We love each other, we always have, and I don't want any distance, no matter how small, separating us anymore. Let's do this, Manik."

Manik's breath hitched as he processed her words. His fingers cupped her face gently, searching for any hesitation in her eyes. "Are you sure, Nandini?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

With unwavering confidence, she nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. And what followed was a night filled with love—their love, pure and unbreakable.

The next morning, Nandini stirred awake to find herself cocooned in a soft blanket. A blissful warmth enveloped her as the memories of the previous night flooded her mind, bringing a natural blush to her cheeks. As she turned to her side, she noticed Manik was no longer there.

Before she could dwell on it, her phone vibrated with a message notification. She reached for it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw his name flash on the screen.

"Good morning, wifey. Had to rush to the office urgently. One of the store wings caught fire, but it's under control now, so don't worry. Be okay, please. And also, thank you for last night. I love you!"

A deep shade of pink dusted Nandini's cheeks as she reread the message, her heart soaring. She quickly got out of bed, heading to the washroom to freshen up.

Dressed in a simple yet elegant pink straight kurta paired with white ankle-length pants, she stepped out, towel-drying her damp hair. Just as she was about to tie them up, the door burst open, revealing a beaming Radhika.

"Chachiiiii!" Radhika squealed, rushing toward Nandini and pulling her cheeks with all her might.

Nandini frowned, playfully swatting her hands away. "Excuse me! Am I not your maasi?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

Radhika climbed onto the bed, her tiny legs swinging as she explained with utmost innocence, "Mom told me that Cabir uncle is my papa, so that makes Manik uncle my chachu. And since you're married to him, you're my chachi now!"

Nandini gasped dramatically, quickly doing her hair as she sat beside Radhika. "No way! I was your maasi first. Let's just make Manik your mausa instead!" she suggested, wiggling her eyebrows as if she had come up with the world's best plan.

Radhika, however, was having none of it. She pushed Nandini's finger down, shaking her head firmly. "Nope! Manik mausa is not cool. Chachu is! So you're my chachi! End of discussion!"

Nandini sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine! Is Navya downstairs?" she asked.

Radhika nodded enthusiastically, and hand in hand, they both descended the stairs.

"Good morning, everyone!" Nandini greeted as she joined Navya, Nyonika, and Cabir on the couch.

Cabir pulled her into a warm hug while Navya smiled at her.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Manik told me you were tired, so I let you sleep in," Nyonika informed her, placing a plate of breakfast in front of her.

"Have it," she added, and Nandini nodded gratefully.

"Yes, yes! Eat quickly!" Navya urged, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Nandini arched an eyebrow. "What's the rush?" she asked, taking a bite of her toast.

"Pandit ji is coming today to finalize the wedding dates," Nyonika stated casually, sipping her tea.

Nandini's face fell slightly. She knew why she wasn't entirely thrilled about it.

"Mom, shouldn't we wait for everyone to be here before finalizing? Dad isn't even home yet," she reasoned.

"Nandu, it's just about the dates. We'll inform them," Navya assured her.

Reluctantly, Nandini nodded, while Nyonika sighed.

"The roka can be scheduled for the coming Sunday, and the wedding has to be either on January 25th or in December," Pandit ji informed them after consulting the almanac.

"January 25th? That's barely a week away!" Nandini exclaimed, eyes widening.

"There are no suitable dates until December after that," Pandit ji explained.

Navya turned to Cabir. "We'll manage, right? January 25th is fine?"

Cabir nodded. "If you're okay with it, then so am I."

Nandini glanced at Nyonika, who proceeded to hand the Pandit ji his ceremonial offering before seeing him off.

"So, roka on the 23rd and the wedding on the 25th—it's final!" Navya announced excitedly, pulling Radhika into a hug as Cabir joined them in their excitement.

Later that evening, at dinner, Raj frowned as he processed the news. "So soon?" he asked, looking between Manik, Nandini, and Nyonika.

"Dad, we can't help it. Navya is adamant," Nandini explained while serving Manik his meal.

"That's fine. The wedding was bound to happen, but we need more time for preparations," Raj argued.

"Raj, we'll manage. We have three days before the roka," Nyonika reassured him.

Nandini suggested, "We can combine the roka and engagement, have the haldi on the 24th morning, mehendi and sangeet that evening, and the wedding on the 25th."

"Perfect! You're the best!" Nyonika beamed, pulling Nandini into a tight embrace, while Manik smiled, admiring the woman he loved.

Their love, their journey—everything was falling into place beautifully.