Epilogue #2
Shauna smiled as he followed her lead, and soon they were both laughing, falling into the music together.
Their steps weren’t perfect, not clean or synchronized like the others had been.
They missed beats, overlapped, improvised, but somehow none of it mattered.
Because they flowed in tune with each other, instinctively matching and adjusting their steps.
It wasn’t a choreography; it was… their connection.
Their love flowing through the dance. And it was beautiful.
Akash couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop looking at her. A deep happiness filled his chest. God, he loved her.
The music swelled toward the end, and without thinking, he extended his hand.
She took it instinctively. He tugged her toward him, and in one smooth motion, he lifted her with a single arm, pulling her off her feet as they spun in a circle together, round and round to the music.
Her head fell back in pure delight, laughter spilling from her lips as her golden lehenga flared around them, catching the lights in a dazzling whirl.
For a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
Then, gently, he set her back on her feet, not letting go. He spun her once more, slower this time, drawing it out before pulling her in and dipping her low toward the ground.
Her breath hitched, a soft laugh escaping as she held onto him, completely trusting him.
For a moment, everything stilled.
And then the crowd erupted. Cheers, whistles, and applause crashed around them as people rose to their feet, hooting and clapping loudly.
Akash let the moment linger for just a heartbeat longer before helping her fully upright again. Their eyes met, and she gave him a radiant grin. Without a word, he took her hand and led her off the stage.
The second their feet hit the ground, the deejay picked up the cue. Music blasted back to life, louder, faster, pulling everyone in. The dance floor filled almost instantly. He turned back to her, already moving, pulling her into the rhythm.
He caught sight of Janak for a brief second. He was standing on the side with Suveer Malhotra, watching them, his face lit with quiet happiness, pride shining through his intelligent eyes.
Akash met his gaze, giving him a small nod and a wide grin.
And then, his heart impossibly full, he was pulled right back to her.
Always her. Just her.
Her reception was in full swing. The Sehgal Plaza banquet hall had been transformed into something almost dreamlike.
Crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden light across the sprawling space, their glow reflecting off polished marble floors.
Tall arrangements of white and blush roses lined the huge room, their soft fragrance mingling with the hum of laughter and music, while guests in glittering ensembles moved like a sea of color around it all.
Amidst all of it, Shauna stood slightly to the side, away from the crowd. Watching him. Always watching him.
Akash stood a little distance away, talking to her parents, his head tipped back slightly as he laughed at something her father had just said. The ease in him, the warmth… it made something inside her chest tighten in the best way.
As if he sensed it, his gaze lifted. And found her instantly. Of course it did.
His lips curved into that familiar smirk, the one she loved far too much, the one that told her he knew exactly what she’d been doing.
Watching him. Just as he had been watching her.
It had been like this the whole evening. Through crowds, through conversations, through the endless stream of people waiting to speak to them, they always found each other. Without trying. Without thinking. They always knew where the other was… what the other was doing.
She let out a sigh. It still felt surreal that she’d married Akash that afternoon on the beach, with the sea stretching endlessly behind them, just the way he’d wanted. And him… he’d looked spectacular dressed in all white.
God. For the rest of her life, she’d never forget the look on his face when he’d seen her.
She’d chosen to wear a rust-orange lehenga, the same shade she had worn the very first time he’d laid eyes on her, and this time she’d seen his reaction in real time.
His jaw had gone slack. His eyes had widened for a fraction of a second before something softer and deeper had taken over.
They had shimmered, just for a moment. And then pure, unfiltered joy had lit up his face as she’d walked toward him.
Leaving her parents, Akash made his way toward her.
“Hello, my beautiful wife.” He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “Why are you standing all by yourself?”
“I was watching you, husband,” she replied.
“You’ve been watching me for a long time, I think. For years, maybe, haven’t you?”
She tilted her head, giving him a coy smile. “Just like you’ve been watching me.”
His gaze didn’t waver. “I couldn’t have you then… but at least I could watch. And so I did. Every move you made, every smile you gave, I held on to all of it. Because even that felt like something.”
A deep sense of rightness settled over her as she looked at him.
“I did the same. I watched you when I wasn’t supposed to… when I knew I shouldn’t.” Her chest felt heavy with emotion. “I’d look for you in every room, every crowd. And when I found you, I’d pretend I hadn’t been searching at all.”
Memories flickered through her, of stolen glances, of a quiet ache, of wanting something she couldn’t have.
“It hurt,” she admitted softly. “Watching you… knowing you were right there, and still not mine. Wanting you and having to pretend I didn’t. But somehow that makes all this… this moment… us… feel even more real.”
She brushed her hand against his cheek. He kissed her palm.
“We waited,” he said. “We ached. And now… now we finally get to belong to each other.”
She swallowed through the emotions pressing in on her.
He tipped her chin up, looking into her eyes, but before he could say anything, there was a tap on his shoulder.
Akash moved, keeping his arm around her waist as VJ brought a good-looking man forward.
“Hey, guys,” VJ said. “Meet my cousin, Zorawar Randhawa, the Prince of Devangarh. His mother, Sanchali Devi, is my dad’s sister.”
The man, Zorawar, held his hand out to Akash. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” Akash responded warmly.
“Please, call me Zorawar. All my friends do.” He took Shauna’s hand next. “Congratulations to both of you, and thank you for inviting me to your wedding.”
Shauna smiled. “Thank you for taking the time to be here with us.”
“It was my pleasure. I wanted to personally thank you for returning my family’s lost necklace. I cannot tell you how happy my mother is to have it back in the family.”
“Some things carry too much history to be lost,” Akash replied. “And I’m glad we could right the wrongs done in the past.”
Zorawar nodded. “You’re right. My mother says the necklace has seen four generations.
Now, thanks to you, it will see a fifth.
” He gave them a warm smile. “I won’t keep you from your guests.
But truly, this means more than I can say.
And my mother has specially invited you both to come visit our family’s estate.
VJ speaks very highly of you all. Perhaps, in time, our association could become. .. more.”
“Thank you. We’d like that,” Akash replied. “And we’ll definitely visit soon.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Zorawar said with a light chuckle before stepping away into the crowd with VJ.
Shauna turned to Akash, and suddenly a sharp tap of someone testing a mic cut through the room.
“Good evening, everyone,” her grandfather’s voice rang out, bright and clear as he came to stand in the center of the room, a little distance away from Akash and Shauna.
The chatter in the hall slowly quieted around him.
“I’m sorry to interrupt this way,” he said into the mic, his tone warm. “But I only need a few minutes of your time.”
Shauna’s brows knit slightly as she glanced at Akash. He looked just as confused.
“Do you know what’s going on?” he murmured.
She shook her head, her attention already shifting back to the front as her grandfather began to speak.
“I’m so happy,” her grandfather said. “Today, my dearest Shauna got married to one of the finest men I know. One of my favorites...”
A fond smile tugged at her grandfather’s lips as he looked at Akash.
“Not fair,” Rishi called out, pretending to be offended. “I’m your favorite. Everyone knows that.”
“Favorite grandchild,” Akash said aloud. “I’m his favorite. Full stop.”
Laughter rippled around them. Shauna chuckled, remembering this very same conversation she’d had with Akash all those weeks ago in her grandfather’s office, back when things had been so stilted between them.
Oh, what a long way they had come.
“I’m so glad they found their way to each other,” Janak said. “But let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Because, of course, Akash and Shauna were never going to make it easy for anyone. Least of all themselves. They’re both incredibly stubborn, as we all know.”
More laughter moved through the crowd.
“They didn’t see eye to eye for years,” Janak continued, “but I knew from the very beginning that they belonged together.”
“What is he talking about?” Shauna whispered, leaning closer to Akash as her grandfather’s words sank in.
“No idea.” He gave a small shrug.
She focused back on her grandfather.