Devika and shaurya went to Devika’s room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Devika’s mind filled with questions.

*Why did they want to talk to Dad privately? What could they possibly want to discuss with his She tried to push the thoughts away, but her curiosity only grew.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Rakesh glanced at Rohan.

“Rohan, beta…”

Rohan immediately understood what his father meant. Without saying a word, he quietly got up and stepped out of the room.

Once Rohan was gone, Rakesh turned toward Shaurya’s parents.

“So, tell me. What did you want to talk about?”

Shaurya’s parents exchanged a brief glance before his father finally spoke.“We really like Devika.”

Rakesh’s face lit up.“Really?”

Shaurya’s mother smiled.“He’s absolutely right. We liked Devika very much. In fact, we have to admit, she turned out to be exactly the way Shaurya described her ...beautiful, well-mannered, and virtuous.”

Rakesh couldn’t hide his happiness.“I’m so glad to hear that. I was already in favor of this marriage because my daughter’s happiness matters most to me, and I know she’s happy with Shaurya. So, why wait?”

He smiled warmly.“I’ll speak to the priest right away and ask him to find an auspicious date.”

“There’s no need for that,” Shaurya’s mother said.

Rakesh looked at her curiously.

“Before coming here, we had already consulted our priest. We even had an auspicious date chosen for the engagement.”

Rakesh’s smile widened.“You did?”

She nodded.“Yes. We came here with the intention of finalizing the marriage.”

Rakesh looked genuinely delighted."behenjii, you did absolutely the right thing. If both families are happy, there’s no reason to delay it. By the way, when is the date?”

“Day after tomorrow,” she replied.

Rakesh’s eyes widened with happiness."Day after tomorrow? That’s wonderful!”

For a moment, everything seemed perfect.

Then Shaurya’s parents exchanged another glance.

This time, however, there was something different about it...something Rakesh failed to notice.

After a brief pause, Shaurya’s mother spoke.“Actually, bhaisaab there’s something else we wanted to discuss.”

Rakesh looked at her.“Yes, of course. Tell me.”

She hesitated for a moment before continuing.“The thing is… the children will be getting married soon. Once they start their married life, their responsibilities will increase. Naturally, so will their expenses.”

Rakesh nodded slowly.“That’s true.”

“That’s why Shaurya has been thinking about starting a business of his own,” she continued. “He wants to build something stable for his future with Devika, so that she never has to face any difficulties later.”

Rakesh smiled faintly.“That sounds like a good idea. But…”

His expression became thoughtful.“Is there some problem?”

Shaurya’s mother lowered her voice.“We’re a little short on funds.”

Rakesh listened carefully.“But both of them have decent jobs,” he pointed out. “What’s the need to start a business right away?”

Shaurya’s mother sighed.“Jobs may be decent, but think about the future. Once they get married, there will be household expenses, medical costs, EMIs… everything adds up. We just want Shaurya to be financially secure before taking on those responsibilities.”

Rakesh fell silent.

He thought about what she had said.There was some truth in her argument. Starting a business could indeed provide Shaurya with another source of income and potentially give the couple greater financial stability.

After a moment, Rakesh asked,"So… how much are you short?”

Shaurya’s father finally spoke.“Not much. Just ten lakhs.”

Rakesh froze.“Ten lakhs?”

The happiness on his face faded slightly.“That’s… a huge amount.”

Shaurya’s father immediately added,“We wouldn’t have brought this up if we could have managed it ourselves. We tried, but we’re falling short. That’s why…”

He said “Ten lakh is a lot of money… but if this is for Shaurya's future, I'll think about it.”

Meanwhile, in Devika’s room, she kept pacing around, biting her nails nervously.

Shaurya was sitting on the bed, watching her go back and forth. After a while, he finally said,“Arey yaar, Devu, relax. At this rate, you’re going to finish your lifetime quota of jogging today.”

Devika stopped and glared at him.“Seriously, Shaurya? I’m not in the mood for jokes right now. I’m scared. What do you think your parents want to talk to mine about?”

The teasing disappeared from Shaurya’s face for a moment. He got up, walked over to her, and gently held her cheeks.“Devu, relax. Don’t think so much.”

Devika held his hand and looked at him anxiously.“Shaurya… they’ll agree to our marriage, right?”

He said “Of course they will, baby. Why wouldn’t they?”

Then he looked at her properly and smiled.“And by the way… you’re looking absolutely gorgeous in that saree today.”

Devika immediately blushed and looked away.

Shaurya grinned.“Honestly, I feel like crossing all the limits right here in your room.”

“Shaurya, control yourself!” Devika whispered, glancing toward the door. “Our parents are sitting right outside!”

She then wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly“I’m really scared, Shaurya.”

Shaurya hugged her back and gently rubbed her back.“Mom and Dad aren’t going to say no to our marriage.”His voice was gentle, but the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips revealed a satisfaction Devika completely failed to notice.

Just then, Devika’s phone started ringing.They quickly pulled away from each other. Devika looked at the screen.“Papa.”

She answered the call.“Hello, Papa?”

He said “Devika, you and Shaurya come outside.”

She replied “Ji, Papa.”

She hung up and looked at Shaurya“Come on.”

They both walked out of the room. Rohan was also already standing there.

Everyone looked so serious that Devika’s heart started racing again.*Why does everyone look so serious? What happened?*

Before she could ask anything, Rohan suddenly sighed in frustration.“Ah, shit! I can’t keep it in anymore!”

Devika looked at him, completely confused.“What happened, Rohan?”

He suddenly broke into a huge grin.“Dii, congratulations! Your marriage is fixed!”

Devika froze.“What?”

Rakesh laughed.“This boy can’t keep anything to himself.”

Devika looked around at everyone, still trying to process what she had just heard.*Wait… is this actually true?*

She secretly pinched her arm.“Ouch.”

Her eyes widened. It’s real.

A huge smile slowly spread across her face.

She was genuinely happy.

Shaurya lightly bumped his shoulder against hers.“I told you, didn’t I?”

Devika looked at him and smiled. Then his mother announced,“And the engagement is day after tomorrow.”

Everyone immediately started smiling and congratulating them.

The house that had been filled with tension just moments ago was suddenly filled with laughter, excitement, and happiness.

Everyone hugged each other, celebrating the beginning of their new journey together.

Devika looked at Shaurya.

He was smiling too.

She saw only love in his eyes.

She didn't see the calculation hidden behind that smile.

She didn't know about the ten lakh rupees.

She didn't know what his parents expected from her family.

And she certainly didn't know that the happiest day of her life was quietly carrying the first warning of what was yet to come.

For now, though, she simply smiled.

Because as far as Devika knew…

everything was perfect.