Karan and Family POV
I came downstairs just in time to overhear a conversation that made my blood run cold.
My mother, father, and wife were seated together. My wife spoke first, her voice calm—too calm.
"Ma, if the groom's character and family are good, I think we should proceed with the proposal," she said gently. "If Madhu likes him, there won't be any problem. And if she needs convincing… either I or her brother will handle it."
She turned her head toward me.
I froze.
What?
My mind spiraled. This was sudden. Reckless. Dangerous.
My best friend was already planning to confess his feelings to her—and now this? What if she broke again? What if history repeated itself?
Over my dead body.
Pulling myself together, I asked sharply, "Does she know about this?"
Silence filled the room.
Then my father spoke quietly, "No, beta."
That was it.
Without another word, I walked out of the house.
Luckily, Madhu wasn't home. I didn't want her anywhere near this chaos. I immediately called that dumbass.
"Did you tell her anything?" I asked.
Silence.
That told me everything.
"Open the door," I snapped.
I went straight to his house and laid everything out for him—no sugarcoating, no mercy. He listened, shocked but steady, and suggested talking to my family directly. I agreed. There was no other way.
As I left his place, I saw Vasu and Sharadha Ma near the car.
Next call—Talia.
"Is Madhu with you?" I asked. "Just say yes or no."
"No," she replied.
I exhaled in relief.
I told her everything—the proposal, the plan, and most importantly, how she would signal Vasu once my family gave their answer.
She sounded genuinely happy.
"Don't worry," she promised. "I won't tell her anything."
"Thank you, T," I said quietly, ending the call.
Because from this moment on,
everything depended on timing.
And one wrong move could destroy everything.
I turned my head—and froze.
Right in the middle of the road, a couple stood far too close, lost in their own world, oblivious to everything around them. I rolled my eyes.
Have they lost their minds?
Clearing my throat loudly, I snapped them back to reality. They sprang apart instantly, guilt written all over their faces. Madhu quickly got into the car, avoiding everyone's gaze.
That was my cue.
I pulled Vasu aside and explained everything—every detail—clearly and without holding back. His expression darkened with every word. Once they drove off toward the hospital, I didn't waste a second.
I called Talia.
"Come down. Now."
Then I went straight home.
I called everyone into the living room—my mother, my father, my wife, and Talia. The air felt heavy, charged with something unspoken. I sat on the sofa, elbows on my knees.
"Show me the groom's photo," I said firmly. "The one you've chosen."
My wife hesitated for a second, then pulled out her phone and handed it to me.
I took one look.
And sighed.
"He's not right for perfect match for her," I said calmly, handing the phone back.
Priya met my eyes. She understood immediately.
"What's wrong with him?" my mother asked sharply. "He's from a respectable family in India. He's well-settled, working in an IT company."
I ignored her and asked a different question.
"Did you send Madhu's photo?"
"No," my mother replied.
I let out a slow breath and covered my face with both hands.
Thank God.
At least they hadn't torn her apart yet.
"Karan, beta," my father said, concern lacing his voice. "What are you thinking?"
I looked up.
"Stop the process."
My mother gasped as if I had slapped her.
"What?" she snapped. "Why? This is a good alliance! A nice family, a suitable groom. If this gets fixed, we'll finally be happy!"
I stood up so abruptly that the sofa creaked behind me.
"Yes, beta," my father added. "This is a good place."
I clenched my fists.
"No," I said firmly. "It's not."
The room fell silent.
Because they were talking about status.
And I was thinking about my sister's heart.
And I would burn the world down before I let her break again.
"Papa, is this the kind of place where your daughter will live happily ever after?"
My voice echoed through the living room, sharp and trembling with anger.
"Did you ever stop to think—what if she says no? What if she leaves everything behind and goes back to India? And what about the permission you and Mamma gave her to join the NYPD?" I demanded, turning toward my father.
My mother tried to intervene, but I raised my voice before she could.
"And Mamma—you said we'd be lucky if this marriage happens?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Lucky for whom, Mamma? For us—or for her?"
The sIlence that followed was deafening.
"Do any of you remember what she went through?" My voice cracked, fury and pain twisting inside me. "How she fell apart—how she stopped smiling, stopped believing in herself? Have you forgotten that already?"
No one answered. No one even moved.
"I'm her brother," I continued, breathing heavily. "And I swear—I won't let her go through that pain again. Not this time. Not because of us."
The weight of my words settled in the room like a storm waiting to break.
I exhaled slowly. "Listen… there's a proposal I want to talk about," I said, my tone softening. "Before you all judge, just hear me out."
Everyone's eyes turned toward me. My palms were sweating. This was it.
"What do you all think about Vasu?" I asked quietly.
The question hit like thunder. My mother blinked in disbelief. My wife straightened up. My father was the first to speak.
"He's a good man," Papa said firmly. "He cares deeply for people—especially your sister."
I nodded, relieved to hear those words. "Papa, Vasu has loved Madhu from the day she came to New York. He never said a word because he didn't want to cross boundaries. But last night, he finally confessed it to me."
Papa removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, the way he always did when he was thinking deeply.
Then Mamma spoke, her voice tight. "How can I give my daughter to someone with no family, no background, no relatives? What will people say?"
I scoffed, but before I could respond, Papa cut in firmly.
"She is marrying Vasu, Malathy—not his background or his relatives. It's him who will be her life, not their opinion."
I looked at Papa, gratitude welling up inside me. For the first time that morning, I smiled.
He turned to me. "Does Madhu know?"
I sighed. "No, Papa. That dumbass still hasn't told her."
Papa chuckled softly. "Then tell him not to waste another second."
"Papa…" I hesitated. "Is that a yes?"
He smiled, the warmth in his eyes unmistakable. "It's a yes."
I turned toward Mamma. "What about you, Mamma?"
She stayed quiet for a moment, lost in thought. "And if she doesn't agree? Will he force her?"
"No," I said quickly. "He'd rather burn than hurt her."
Papa reached for her hands. "Malathy, he's a good man. A detective, yes, but that's not a flaw. At least we know him. We've seen how he treats our daughter—with respect, with care."
He smiled faintly. "To be honest, I trust Vasu more than I trust this idiot son of mine."
I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my grin.
Mamma let out a long breath and finally said, "Alright. If everyone's agreed, what else can I say? He's a good man—and Sharadha Ji adores Madhu. Inform him to talk to her."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were soft. That was her version of "yes."
I turned to Priya, and she smiled, giving me a small nod of approval.
Behind my father, Talia stood quietly. When our eyes met, I gave her a knowing nod.
It was done.
The war was over before Madhu even knew there was a battle.
Talia's POV
After Karan nodded, I grabbed my phone with trembling hands and typed the message:
"PROCEED, my brother-in-law."
A grin crept across my face before I could stop it.
I cleared my throat, pretending to be casual. "Okay, everyone, I'm heading to the hospital. Bye!"
The moment I stepped outside, I could barely contain my excitement. I hopped into the nearest taxi, my heart racing faster than the traffic lights changing outside. Finally her story is turning into something beautiful.
My best friend was about to have the kind of love that didn't demand perfection — only truth.
A man who saw her scars and called them constellations.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even realize I'd already arrived at the hospital until the driver called out, "Miss? We're here."
I rushed inside, weaving through people in white coats and rushing stretchers, and called Madhu.
"Where are you?" I asked breathlessly.
"Fourth floor, counter 23," she replied.
I entered the elevator, my heart pounding with excitement. When the doors slid open, I spotted Vasu standing there — tense, unreadable.
I walked up behind him and whispered, "Congratulations, brother-in-law."
He turned, startled — then a slow smile spread across his face before he pulled me into a tight hug.
"She's so lucky to have you, buddy," I said, patting his back with genuine warmth.
We pulled away, and I couldn't resist teasing, "So? What's your plan for my sweetheart?"
He smirked. "Already planned everything. Just do me one favor — make sure she changes into something white."
"White?" I laughed. "Oh, don't worry. She's got the perfect outfit — it'll even match yours."
And as I watched him walk away, I whispered to myself, Please let this be her happily ever after.
---
Madhu's POV
After my check-up, we stepped out of the doctor's room. I sighed in relief.
"I told you, I'm fine, Mr. Vasu," I said, glancing up at him.
He turned, his lips curving slightly. "I'm better after hearing it from the doctor."
I scoffed. "You're impossible!"
"It's one o'clock," he said suddenly. "Shall we… proceed with our plan?"
I froze. He remembered.
He raised an eyebrow. "By the way, what about the dress code, Madhu? I asked you one simple thing—"
"Stop!" I said, holding up a hand to his face. "I have the dress in my bag."
He blinked, genuinely surprised. "Oh… I'm sorry," he murmured.
That word again. Sorry.
He'd been saying it a lot lately.
My inner voice — the mischievous one — piped up. Maybe he's trying to say something else, babe.
I ignored it and said aloud, "I can't exactly come to the hospital in a formal dress. I'll get changed here. Just wait for me in the cafeteria, okay? And please, feed me something before I faint."
He chuckled. "Got it."
I called Talia and found out she was still in the hospital, so I made my way to the 5th floor.
When I entered the room, I found her with Sharadha Ma.
"Ma," I said softly, "how are you feeling?"
Talia stood up immediately. "We're fine! In fact, we're about to leave. The helpers will take Aunty to the car. Now you go and get ready. Hurry!"
I nodded and rushed into the bathroom.
---
Steam filled the small space as I washed my face, my nerves prickling with anticipation. I changed into the long white top that fell gracefully to my toes, paired with soft white pants and a colorful shawl. My bangles clinked gently as I adjusted my clutch clip and redid my bandage.
When I stepped out, Talia gasped dramatically.
"Where's my best friend, and who is this goddess?"
"Talia…" I started, rolling my eyes, but she ran toward me and hugged me tight.
"You look beautiful," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
I smiled. "Thank you. Why are you so happy today?"
"Because I'm happy," she said quickly — too quickly.
I narrowed my eyes. "Suspicious," I teased.
She just smirked.
I checked the time and panicked. "Shoot! I'm running late. Bye, Talia!"
She waved at me with a knowing grin.
As I walked through the hospital corridors, a few of my colleagues turned to look at me.
"Special occasion, Dr. Madhu?" one of them asked with a wink.
I laughed nervously. "Nothing like that!"
Finally, I reached the cafeteria. My heart skipped a beat.
There he was — Vasu — sitting at the corner table, coffee in hand, lost in thought.
"Mr. Vasu," I called softly.
He turned his head.
And for a split second, time stopped.
His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. The cup in his hand trembled slightly.