TRISHA
As we landed in Austria and stepped out into the crisp mountain air, Krish turned to me and took my hand. “You ready for this?” he asked, his eyes shining with excitement and warmth.
I smiled, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “With you, always.”
We arrived at his father’s estate, a beautiful old manor nestled among the towering Alps.
As we approached the imposing wooden doors, I felt a mix of nerves and anticipation flutter in my stomach.
This was it—it was the second time I was going to meet the renowned man who headed the global agency GLEN I worked for.
And who also happened to be my future father-in-law.
Yet the moment his eyes landed on Krish, his stern expression melted into a warm smile. Father and son embraced tightly, sharing a look of obvious affection.
“It’s wonderful to have you home again,” he murmured gruffly.
Pulling back, he turned his assessing gaze on me. I fought not to shiver under his penetrating stare as he extended his hand.
“So, we finally meet again, Miss Trisha Choudhary,” he said, his tone inscrutable.
I took his proffered hand, unsure if I should attempt to touch his feet as he was going to be my father-in-law soon. But I resist doing so for now. “The honour is all mine, Sir. Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”
He studied me a moment longer before his lips quirked in a faint smile. “Please, call me Ratan. Any woman about to join this family deserves to use my first name or call me ‘Dad’.”
And just like that, the uncomfortable tension seemed to dissipate. Krish looped an arm around my waist, beaming proudly.
Over a scrumptious home-cooked meal, Ratan uncle indeed proved to be as larger-than-life and commanding as I’d suspected.
He regaled us with stories from the earliest days of GLEN’s formation, the gritty details of undercover operations that made my stomach churn.
Yet he also shared amusing anecdotes about Krish’s mischievous childhood that had me doubled over with laughter.
“He reprogrammed all the computer systems in the headquarters one day to play that ridiculous item song he loved those days, on loop!” Ratan uncle chuckled, shaking his head in fond exasperation. “It took our tech teams over a week to override his system hack!”
I shot Krish an incredulous look as he snickered unapologetically. “What? I was going through... a phase.”
“More like causing me multiple headaches is what you were doing,” his father retorted, though his eyes twinkled with unmistakable fatherly pride.
As the evening wound down, Ratan uncle turned to me with that same inscrutable mask once more. “Trisha, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with you in private before we retire for the night.”
Krish stiffened almost subtly beside me, but I met his troubled gaze and gave him a reassuring nod.
I knew he was worried after the last time his father had spoken to me privately as it had ended with him forcing us to go our separate ways.
But I refused to let old fears and miscommunications haunt us any longer.
I followed Ratan uncle through the dimly lit corridors out to a serene courtyard terrace overlooking the snow-capped peaks beyond. For a long while, we simply admired the view in silence, the tension building with every passing second.
Finally, he turned to face me fully, his expression softening into something almost paternal.
“Krish has already informed me of his intentions to make you his wife,” Ratan uncle began gruffly. “I want to know—will you continue your work with GLEN after the marriage? Your skills are far too valuable to lose.”
“Of course,” I replied without hesitation. “GLEN and the life of an agent will always be my priority.”
A ghost of a smile played across his weathered features. “I’m pleased to hear that. But I must also ask—will you give the same unwavering dedication to my son and your future marriage?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“Please, let me explain. When you two were... involved before, I made the regrettable decision to interfere based on some misguided attempt to ‘protect’ my only son from potential heartbreak and make him focus only on his work.”
He shook his head remorsefully. “It was a horrible misjudgment on my part, born of my own selfish fears. I’m sorry, Trisha, for everything that you and Krish had to endure because of me.
What I failed to understand is that Krish is more than capable of balancing his commitment to this organisation with building a life with someone he loves. ”
Stepping closer, he grasped my hands tightly in his weathered ones. “You make my son happier and more grounded than I have ever seen. For that, you have my eternal gratitude and respect, Trisha.”
My eyes burned with relieved tears at his words. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
He gave my hands one final paternal squeeze before turning to look back towards the manor. Krish appeared, unable to stay away any longer.
His father turned to him, pulling him into a hug. “You have always made me proud, Krish. Now, I cannot wait to see how you both flourish in your love while continuing to work together at GLEN.”
Krish looked at his father, his eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you, Dad. I promise we won’t let you down.”
His father pulled away and looked at us both. “The wedding should take place next month, if you’re both ready. After the wedding and a month for your honeymoon, I have a very critical mission awaiting the two of you. Are you ready for it?”
Krish and I exchanged a look, then nodded in unison. “We’re always ready,” we said together.
Ratan uncle’s approving nod and answering smile were all the further blessings we needed.
“Good. Now, let’s head back inside. We have much to prepare for.”
Krish and I exchanged knowing glances, the corners of our lips quirking up in matching smiles. No matter what life threw our way, we were ready to face it head-on—as partners, as spies, and as a couple madly in love.