Destiny: Time To Fall In Love

Chapter 17- Whispers to the Moon

Veer's POV

The clock on the wall read 2:00 AM by the time I pulled into my driveway. The house was deathly silent, the heavy shadows of the mansion feeling less lonely tonight than they usually did. I moved quietly, heading straight for my room; I didn't want to wake my father or explain why I was coming home at this hour with a faint smile on my face.

After freshening up and changing out of my suit, I sat on the edge of my bed. My eyes fell on the gift bag Aashi had given me.

I reached inside and pulled out a stack of books and a small, bright yellow smiley-face toy. Tucked between the pages of the top book was a small slip of paper. I opened it, recognizing her neat, slightly hurried handwriting.

"Sometimes you don't need a reason to be happy. When you start smiling, that moment itself becomes happy. So keep smiling always, Mr. Maheshwari! These are my favorite novels—hope you like them too, since you mentioned you enjoy reading. Wish you a Happy Birthday once again!"

I looked at the note for a long time. A slow, genuine smile spread across my face—the kind of smile I hadn't felt in years.

I glanced at the titles of the novels. I couldn't help but let out a soft huff of laughter. "Silly girl," I whispered to the empty room. "I've already read every single one of these books."

As a CEO, I had to stay ahead of every trend and literary classic. But as I traced the covers she had picked out for me, I knew these copies were different. "But I'll treasure these," I added quietly.

Then, I picked up the small smiley-face toy, its wide, stitched grin looking back at me. "And you, little buddy... you're going to live on my car's dashboard now."

I wanted that reminder. I wanted to remember her voice telling me to make a wish and the way she looked under the moonlight.

Exhaustion finally began to pull at my senses. It had been a long journey—from a business meeting in Manali to an accidental date at an amusement park—but as I closed my eyes, I realized it was the first birthday in a long time where I didn't feel the weight of what I had lost. Instead, I felt the warmth of what I had found.

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Aashi's POV

The moment I stepped through the glass doors of the office, I was nearly knocked off my feet. Someone grabbed me from behind in a bone-crushing hug. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was—only one person in this building had that much chaotic energy.

I turned in her arms to see Mahi beaming at me with a slightly guilty but mostly ecstatic smile.

"Aashi! I have the greatest news to share with you!" she squealed, practically jumping in her designer heels.

"And what is it?" I asked, raising my brows. "Did you finally find a way to make the printer work on the first try?"

"Better! Vikram and I are getting engaged next week!" Her voice was loud enough to echo across the entire open-plan floor, causing several heads to turn.

"Oh my god! Congratulations, girl!" I pulled her into a tight hug, genuinely happy for her. They were perfect for each other.

"Just a congratulations won't work," Mahi said, pulling back and wagging a finger at me. "You have to come shopping with me. I need the perfect dress, and I need your nose to pick the perfect fragrance."

"Done, sweetheart," I said with a wink.

As we stood there, Mahi's nose suddenly crinkled. She leaned in closer to my shoulder, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. "Aashi... what did you bring for lunch today? That smells incredible. Is that saffron? And cardamom? Please, please let me have some!"