The Unwanted Royal Marriage

25. When the time's right.

Adhyay's pov

Later that day, as I returned from work, I found her in the garden, her hands carefully arranging a cluster of flowers in a small vase. She looked up when she heard my footsteps, and her face lit up with that soft, genuine smile that I was beginning to recognize as hers alone.

"You're home early," she said, her tone casual but warm.

"Thought I'd finish up a bit earlier today," I replied, shrugging lightly. "How was your day?"

She gestured toward the flowers she'd arranged. "It was nice. I spent some time with your mother, learning about the household routines. She even let me help in the kitchen."

I chuckled, picturing her in the kitchen with my mother. "Did she put you to work already?"

Meera laughed, shaking her head. "Not really. She just... let me be a part of it. And it felt nice."

Something about the simplicity of her answer struck me. She wasn't asking for much, just a chance to feel connected, to belong. And somehow, knowing that made me want to do everything I could to make sure she did.

The garden was quiet, bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun. As I stood there, watching her work, the peacefulness of the moment settled over us. Meera handled each flower with such care, arranging them thoughtfully, as if each petal and stem had its own story.

She looked up at me again, catching my gaze. "Would you like to help?" she asked, holding out a small bundle of flowers.

I moved closer, taking the flowers from her hand, our fingers brushing briefly. "Alright," I replied, smiling. "Just tell me where they should go."

She showed me, guiding my hand as we placed the stems together in the vase. "See? You're a natural," she teased, her laughter light and genuine.

I glanced at her, feeling something shift. It was strange—this gentle familiarity between us, this easy closeness. It didn't feel forced or awkward; it felt natural, as though we were simply continuing something that had always been there, waiting to be discovered.

As we finished with the flowers, we ended up sitting together on the bench, watching the colours of the sunset fade into the night. I found myself telling her stories—small memories of my childhood, of growing up here, things I hadn't thought to share with anyone in a long time. She listened intently, her expressions changing with each story as if she was experiencing those memories with me.

In turn, she shared little pieces of herself, talking about her family, her brother Abhimaan, and how much they all meant to her. Her voice was soft, and full of nostalgia, and I realized that she, too, was finding her way here, just as I was learning to make space for her in my life.

Finally, there was a quiet pause between us, a comfortable silence filled with the subtle sound of the evening breeze. I looked over at her, feeling the weight of something unspoken—something that had grown between us in these small, shared moments.

"Thank you, Meera," I said quietly, breaking the silence. "For... for being here. For doing all of this."

She looked at me, a bit surprised, and then smiled, her gaze steady and warm. "I'm glad I'm here," she replied softly. "And I... I want this to work, Adhyay. I want us to feel like... like a real team."

I nodded, the sincerity in her words resonating deeply with me. "Me too," I replied, feeling the weight of those words settle somewhere within me.

We then entered inside,

I turned around just in time to catch Dev's teasing grin as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, looking every bit the troublemaker he was. "Arey Adhyay Bhai sa!! Aap itne jaldi, who bhi Bhabhi ke saath, uuhhhh!" he said with exaggerated disbelief, dragging out the words for effect.