42. THE moment.

Anika-

"Is everything okay, Nishu?" I asked her gently. Nisha looked quite upset after the phone call.

"Surprise, I'm getting married." Her face was blank, and my heart dropped. Married? What does she mean by 'married'?

"To?" Diya interrupted.

"I have no freaking idea" Nisha said, looking more lifeless than ever. It couldn't be with Aarav, because Nisha's mom had no idea about their relationship.

"Is it with Aarav?" Jai asked.

"I hope so" Aarav scoffed, glancing at her gently.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Nisha asked Aarav.

They went into her room to discuss whatever this shock was, while Diya left shortly after. Jai and I exchanged the same confused expression.

"I don't think it's with Aarav" I said.

"I don't think so either" he replied.

When Aarav and Nisha came back out, Aarav suggested meeting Nisha's mom to sort things out.

As far as we all knew, Nisha didn't have a good relationship with her family. Only her younger brother seemed to like her, and the feeling was mutual. She was putting up with her parents mostly for his sake, I guessed. Her mom and dad rarely let her go anywhere or bought her anything new. But that was her story to tell, so I hadn't shared any of this with Jai or Aarav.

"So, are we leaving?" I called from my room.

"Not we, just us" Nisha clarified.

"And why's that?" I protested, heading into her room.

"It's our mess, Anika. Even if you came back to Hyderabad, it's still going to be me and Aarav facing my parents. So it's better if you stay and enjoy your trip" Aarav explained.

"But how am I supposed to enjoy myself when this is happening?" I groaned.

"I want you to. It's nothing serious, Ani. We'll just go tell my mom we're dating. She'll give Aarav a chance—just look at this face" Nisha said, holding Aarav's chin as he pulled a puppy-dog face.

"Actually, I've got a little plan for us" Jai interjected, glancing my way.

"Oooohhhhhhh!" Nisha and Diya teased in unison.

Diya also wanted to head back with Nisha and Aarav, while Jai and I were going... somewhere. I still didn't know where. We had to pack our bags, so we headed back to our rooms.

Their flight was in a few hours, so we ordered lunch to the room and decided to have this meal the way we always did—just the close ones together. We started watching Emily in Paris and, as usual, the bickering was endless. Team Anti-Gabriel, all the way!

"Get ready, our flight's in a few hours" Jai reminded me.

"And where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see" he winked. He winked! God, I missed this man.

We all left for the airport. Jai had arranged a private jet for us, while the others took a regular plane—well, business class, of course, because the Singhanias don't do economy.

We said our goodbyes. "Call me as soon as you meet them, okay?"

"Yes, madam!" Aarav gave a playful salute, and the three of them left for their flight.

With an hour to kill, I asked Jai to join me at the bookstore. He agreed in a heartbeat.

..............................................................................

Jai-

Anika looks like a kid who's in Disney World for the first time whenever she enters a bookstore. It's like the books are calling her, and she has no idea which direction to go first. And I love watching that side of her.

She picked up a couple of books that she said were 'trending' at the moment, and then we stood in line for billing. Ma'am insisted on paying, like what? Yes, I love that my girl is financially independent, but when I'm with her, I prefer paying for the both of us. Why am I even earning if not for this?

We headed to our private jet and took off for Finland. You know why? Well, let's see...

It took us about 5-6 hours to reach Finland from Paris. And the view was stunning. Yes, I am talking about my girl!

Anika was reading the book she bought a few hours ago and fell asleep while reading it. I don't know how this girl can fall asleep anywhere and everywhere.

As soon as we landed, Anika woke up, and the view from the plane made her do a happy dance.

"Where are weeeeeeeeeee???" she asked.

"Finland."

"And why?" she wiggled her eyebrows, and I couldn't hold back my laugh. She was such a goof.

"You'll see," I replied.

We had someone waiting for us outside the airport, and they took us to our hotel. It was a beautiful resort, nestled in the snow, with a view you could see right from the bed.

It was the D-day. The day I tell her everything I've been wanting to say. But will I get an answer in return? Let's see.

Honestly, I don't expect the same in return. I just need to get it off my chest. I don't want to hide this from her anymore. I want to say it freely.

Around 10:30 p.m., I told Anika to dress up and meet me outside. I was waiting for her, feeling nervous for the first time in ages. It was terrifying, actually.

I'd been planning this day for a long time. The Northern Lights were on display tonight. The lights were brilliant, and I had been waiting for this moment because I knew she had been dying to cross this off her bucket list.

She finally came out, and I covered her eyes.

"What is this about?" she asked.

"Just wait, baby."

"Why are you acting weird?" she asked. Only if she knew.

"Just close your eyes and follow my instructions," I said while leading her to the spot I had picked.

I led her into the snow, to a place where no one else could enter. There were a few warm lights, a bouquet of sunflowers, and I had drawn a big heart in the snow. I guided Anika into the center of it.

"You can open your eyes," I said.

She opened them and immediately looked up—the lights were that good!

"Oh my god, Jai," her eyes filled with tears.

"Let me finish, and then you can cry as much as you want, okay?" I joked, and she let out a teary laugh.

"Okay."

I got down on one knee. I felt like a hero, for real. I'd kneel in front of this woman any day.

I took her hand, and she placed hers in mine.

"Anika, ever since you came into my life, everything has been brighter, even before our moms arranged our marriage. You've always been a ray of sunshine in everyone's life. And when I found out you were going to be my wife, I couldn't believe it. When that day came, it was the best day of my life."

"I know I've messed up in the past. Losing you made me realize I've never wanted anything more. You're my end goal. I promise I won't make the same mistakes again. I'll stick by that."

"Over the past few months, you've become more than my wife—you've been my home, my peace, my path, and my best friend. I couldn't have made it to where I am now without you. Thank you for believing in me and helping me become the person I am today."

"Now, about you. Anika, you're the most beautiful person inside and out. The way you get excited over little things and tear up when someone cries in a movie—it's the cutest. The way your eyes light up when you see me after a long day at work—it makes me want to capture that look forever."

"The way you ask me to recreate scenes from your books with a puppy face, like I'd ever say no to you. I could never!"

"The way you always care for everyone around you. You're such a good person, Ani, and I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

"I know we've been best friends in this marriage, trying to make it work, but I can't keep this inside anymore, Ani..." I paused for a few seconds.

"I LOVE YOU, ANIKA. I love every single thing about you. From your optimism to your anxiety, everything. I'm the luckiest man to have a wife like you, and I never want to lose this. I want to wake up next to you, have our low-key cooking sessions, watch TV and bicker for no reason on a mundane day, go out just for fun, spend quiet evenings lost in our thoughts, and end the day sleeping beside you."

"But I also want to travel the world with you and give you everything you've ever wanted—even the things you never ask for. I want to be the person you rely on, just like I rely on you. I want to be the one on the receiving end of your love because I know how deeply you love, and being the one to receive that is a blessing."

"I love you, Anika. I never believed in soulmates, but now that I have you, you're my first, my last, and my only love. You're my one true soulmate. My irreplaceable one."

"Will you be mine until the very end?" I finished.

"JAI—" she choked, and by this point, she was kneeling in front of me, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh my god... okay, can I say something?" she asked, and I nodded.

She looked nervous but didn't hesitate. "Okay, the first time I saw you, I was a goner. You were this incredibly handsome guy who was also emotionally intelligent, but you were my best friend's brother. I didn't want to risk my friendship with Aarav by pursuing you. But every time we met, there was this charm, this aura about you that I couldn't shake."

"I spent most of my holidays at your house, and every moment I had with you became an entry in my diary. You were my first and only crush. I was literally obsessed with you."

"I knew you had girlfriends back then, and it broke my heart every single time. It was one heartbreak after another until I had lost all hope."

"Until our moms decided to marry us off," I said, and she nodded.

"All those feelings came rushing back. I had never known you like this before. I knew the side of you everyone else saw, but getting to know the real you was the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for always being there when I needed you. Thank you for supporting me, for standing up for me even when I didn't. Thank you for putting up with my tantrums and mood swings—you deserve an award for that."

"And I want to spend every single moment with YOU, Jai. I always have. I used to wait for those moments, but now they happen every day, and I'm the luckiest person on this planet. The way you've prioritized me, cared for me, and loved me—even though you didn't say it out loud—has made me the happiest person."

"I LOVE YOU, JAI. I've been falling for you for a long time, and I hope I never stop."

She was falling for me? I wish I'd known this sooner. I would've had her a long time ago. But hearing her say all this made me feel like the luckiest man alive.

"What?" I was tearing up too.

"Yeah... I could never find the courage to tell you," she looked down.

"Wow." I was stunned but beyond happy. I was the happiest person alive!

I pulled out the box from my jacket and opened it. Anika had wanted this chain with a heart pendant but couldn't get it because it was out of stock. I had it custom-made for her in gold.

"It's so beautiful!" she lifted her hair, and I hooked it around her neck.

"Thank you. I love you, Jai" she said. It still felt surreal.

"I love you more, baby" I said, kissing her. She was mine.

We sat there while Ani took in the view and everything that had just happened. This moment was worth the wait.

We went back to our room and laid down on the bed.

"So, you had a crush, huh?" I teased her.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she rolled her eyes.

"I was charming back then," I said, setting my hair.

"You were not," she protested.

"But am I now?" I winked.

"Maybe..." her lips were so close to mine, then she pulled back.

"You can't do that!" I got up, and Anika started sprinting around the room.

"Catch me if you can!" she laughed breathlessly. I could, but I won't.

I started running after her, with the most beautiful view surrounding me.

...............................................................................

And with that, Heartfelt Whispers has finally come to an end. I'm going to miss these two, but somewhere in the imaginary world, they have happy ending.

What was your favorite part of Heartfelt Whispers?