Breakfast eventually ended on a lighter note. Laughter replaced the earlier tension, and for a moment the palace felt almost normal again.

Soon after, everyone began drifting toward their routines.

Navdeep left for the office with his usual calm efficiency, discussing schedules with Tarini as they walked out of the dining hall. Servants cleared the long table while the younger ones scattered through the palace corridors.

Meanwhile, Taniskh Chandravanshi remained in his room.

His laptop was open on the large mahogany desk, several documents spread beside it. The screen showed a video call—faces from London appearing in neat squares as business discussions moved forward.

Even though he was thousands of miles away from his office, the meeting carried the same intensity.

“Yes, move the deadline by two weeks,” Taniskh said calmly, fingers tapping lightly against the desk. “And make sure the investors receive the revised proposal before evening London time.”

A man on the screen nodded. “Understood, Mr. Chandravanshi.”

Another voice added, “The Singapore partners are also waiting for your confirmation.”

“You’ll have it by tonight,” Taniskh replied.

The meeting went on for nearly an hour before he finally closed the laptop.

The room fell quiet again.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples for a moment when suddenly—

Knock. Knock.

His eyes lifted toward the door.

“Yes,” he said.

The door opened slowly.

Sahera stepped inside first, her expression already brighter than it had been the previous night. Behind her came Tara, Kevin, and finally Saransh, who leaned casually against the doorframe.

Taniskh raised an eyebrow, amused by the sudden audience.

“Well,” he said, folding his arms slightly. “This looks like a delegation.”

Sahera walked straight toward him.

“Papa,” she began carefully, “we wanted to ask you something.”

Kevin immediately added, “Actually… insist.”

Tara nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Definitely insist.”

Taniskh’s eyes flickered with curiosity. “That sounds dangerous.”

Saransh crossed his arms. “They’re not going to leave until you agree anyway.”

Sahera shot her brother a look before turning back to her father.

“We’re going shopping,” she said.

“For what?” Taniskh asked.

“Engagement shopping,” Tara answered quickly.

Kevin chimed in, “Clothes, jewellery, decorations… the whole thing.”

“And,” Sahera added slowly, “we want you to come with us.”

Taniskh blinked once.

“Me?”

“Yes,” all three said at once.

Saransh sighed softly. “They’ve been planning this speech for ten minutes.”

Taniskh leaned back slightly in his chair, watching them with quiet amusement. “I thought people usually avoid taking fathers on shopping trips.”

Sahera shrugged, trying to look casual but clearly hopeful. “Maybe other fathers. Not mine.”

The words landed softly in the room.

Taniskh looked at her for a moment, seeing the unspoken request beneath the excitement.

After last night… she didn’t want to be alone.

He closed the laptop completely and stood up.

“Well,” he said, reaching for his jacket, “I suppose London can survive without me for a few hours.”

Sahera’s face lit up instantly.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Kevin grinned. “This is going to be fun.”

Saransh shook his head slightly, already walking toward the door. “God help the shops today.”

And as the four of them pulled Taniskh out of the room, the palace corridors echoed with something rare.

Youth.

Laughter.

And for the first time in years, Taniskh Chandravanshi was simply going out with his children—not as a former prince, not as a businessman.

Just as their father.

The mall was alive with the usual weekend chaos—bright lights reflecting off polished floors, music echoing softly through the corridors, and crowds drifting from store to store.

Kabir Rajput walked in with his hands in his pockets, already looking slightly regretful about being there.

His mother had sent him.

Apparently, one of their restaurant employee’s children had a birthday, and Kashish insisted the gift had to come personally from the family.

So here he was.

As he stepped further inside, something colorful caught his eye.

A florist stall stood near the entrance, overflowing with flowers—roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers arranged in bright bouquets that instantly drew attention.

Kabir slowed down.

“Flowers…” he murmured absentmindedly.

And suddenly a memory surfaced.

The same girl.

The one he had met a few days ago in Switzerland.

The way she had stood near a flower shop there, sunlight catching in her hair.

He didn’t even realize he had walked closer to the stall.

“Sir, bouquet?” the florist asked politely.

Kabir blinked, then nodded before his brain could catch up. “Yeah… sure.”

He picked a simple but elegant bouquet—white lilies mixed with soft pink roses.

He didn’t even know why he was buying it.

Still, he smiled slightly as he paid for it.

Shaking the thought away, he continued walking until he reached the children’s section of the mall.

And immediately regretted everything.

Toys everywhere.

Stuffed animals. Puzzle boxes. Cartoon backpacks. Remote control cars. Dolls.

Kabir stared blankly.

“What do six-year-olds even like?” he muttered.

Finally, he pulled out his phone and called his mother.

After a few rings, Kashish Rajput answered.

“Yes, Kabir?”

“Mom, what should I buy for a six-year-old?”

There was the sound of utensils clattering in the background.

“Kabir, beta, buy something that makes the child happy. I’m in the middle of the kitchen right now. A big client is coming today, I have to finish a dish.”

“But—”

“Think yourself!” she said quickly.

And the call disconnected.

Kabir stared at his phone.

He groaned. “Great.”

He knew better than to call again.

His mother rarely cooked personally in the restaurant anymore—she mostly supervised the chefs—but today a special client had requested her dish specifically.

Both his parents were busy.

Which meant the responsibility had fallen on him.

He turned back to the shelves.

“Toy?”

He picked up a stuffed dinosaur.

“Too basic.”

He put it back.

“Chocolates?”

He paused in front of a huge chocolate box.

“Too predictable.”

Next aisle.

Board games.

“Kids love games… especially boys.”

Then he froze.

“Wait… what if the child is a girl?”

Kabir groaned again.

Finally, he opened Google and typed: What gifts do six-year-olds like?

Completely absorbed in his phone, he wandered out of the aisle without looking.

And—

Thud.

He walked straight into someone.

At the same moment, a cup of hot coffee tilted dangerously.

Splash.

The dark liquid spilled across Kabir’s brown shirt.

“Sorry! Oh my God, I’m really sorry!”

Kabir looked up.

The man in front of him looked startled, holding the now-half-empty coffee cup. Beside him stood a young man and a teenage boy.

Before Kabir could respond, the older man turned sharply to the younger one.

“Saransh! Where were your eyes? Look, the boy’s shirt is stained. The coffee was hot.”

Then he looked back at Kabir with concern.

“Are you okay, son?”

The man’s voice was calm but firm.

Kabir shook his head lightly. “No, no, Uncle, I’m fine. Please don’t scold him. I wasn’t looking either.”

Saransh stepped forward immediately. “But your shirt got ruined because of me. I’m really sorry.”

Kabir glanced down at the spreading coffee stain on his brown shirt and shrugged.

“It’s totally fine,” he said with an easy smile. “It’s a brown shirt anyway. The stain will go.”

The middle-aged man studied him for a moment, clearly relieved.

Meanwhile Kabir casually wiped his shirt with a tissue, still holding the bouquet in his other hand—completely unaware that he had just bumped into Taniskh Chandravanshi and his children in the middle of the mall.

They stood there for a moment, the awkwardness of the coffee accident hanging in the air.

Then Taniskh Chandravanshi spoke gently, his tone warm but composed.

“Mind if you join us for lunch?” he said. “That way we can at least repay you for the trouble.”

Before Kabir could respond, Saransh added quickly, “Yes, please. It’s the least we can do.”

Kabir Rajput hesitated.

He wasn’t someone who usually joined strangers for lunch.

But the way they insisted made refusing difficult.

“Umm… alright,” he finally said with a small shrug.

As they started walking together through the mall corridor, Kabir glanced at the two people walking slightly behind Taniskh—Kevin and Tara.

Curious, he asked, “Are you guys NRI?”

Taniskh smiled faintly. “I’m Indian… but we live outside India.”

Kevin nodded casually. “Yeah. We’re from London.”

Kabir nodded, absorbing the information as they walked further.

He checked his phone briefly, scrolling through a notification.

And then—

He heard it.

A voice.

Soft, familiar.

“Papa… where were you guys?”

Kabir’s steps slowed.

His heartbeat suddenly picked up.

He knew that voice.

He didn’t even need to look up yet.

Slowly he raised his eyes toward Taniskh—and saw a girl standing in front of them, her back facing him as she spoke to Taniskh.

It was Sahera.

Taniskh answered her calmly, saying something about them being delayed.

Then Sahera turned.

At the exact same moment—

Kabir looked up.

Their eyes met.

For a second the mall disappeared.

Sahera’s eyes widened with clear surprise.

Kabir’s gaze held something deeper—something he couldn’t quite name.

Recognition. Curiosity. Something almost electric.

The moment stretched.

Until Saransh broke it casually.

“Actually, Sahera… I accidentally spilled coffee on him.”

Sahera blinked, forcing her attention away from Kabir.

“Oh,” she said simply.

Nothing more.

She didn’t say she already knew him.

Didn’t say she had met him before.

And Kabir stayed silent too.

Kevin clapped his hands lightly. “Okay, let’s eat before we all starve.”

They moved toward a restaurant and soon settled at a six-seater table.

Kabir found himself sitting directly opposite Sahera.

While she talked with Tara, he caught himself looking at her more than once.

She noticed.

But pretended not to.

After a few minutes Taniskh cleared his throat lightly.

“Sorry,” he said to Kabir, “we haven’t properly introduced ourselves.”

He extended his hand. “I’m Taniskh.”

He didn’t mention his surname.

Saransh followed. “I’m Saransh.”

Taniskh gestured toward the girl across the table.

“This is Sahera, my daughter. And Saransh is my son. They’re twins.”

Kabir nodded with a small smile. “Yeah… they do look similar.”

Tara leaned forward cheerfully. “Hi, I’m Tara.”

Kevin grinned and pointed at himself. “And I’m Kevin, bro.”

Kabir laughed slightly and high-fived him.

“Nice to meet everyone. I’m Kabir.”

Taniskh nodded approvingly. “Please, order whatever you like.”

Soon the table filled with food.

But Kabir’s phone kept vibrating again and again.

Finally he sighed. “Excuse me for a minute.”

He stepped away from the table and answered the call.

“Bol, Yuvaan,” he said sharply. “Didn’t you get any other time to call?”

On the other side, Yuvaan replied, annoyed. “What? You’re the one who told me to call at this time, bro.”

Kabir paused.

“Oh… right. I forgot.”

Then suddenly he remembered something else.

“By the way, tomorrow we’re going to Inaya Saxena’s engagement party. You’re coming with me.”

“Wait, what—”

But Kabir had already cut the call.

Back at the table, Tara’s attention had shifted to the bouquet Kabir had left there.

She picked it up curiously.

“Sahera, for whom do you think he bought this?”

Sahera shrugged casually. “How would I know?”

Tara grinned mischievously. “Who else? Girlfriend.”

She nodded toward Kabir in the distance. “Didn’t you see how he went away to take calls?”

Kevin laughed quietly.

Tara added teasingly, “But Sahera… doesn’t your boyfriend Austin call you like that too?”

Sahera’s expression changed instantly.

“Please don’t talk about him,” she said quietly.

Tara fell silent.

Just then Kabir returned to the table.

“Sorry,” he said. “Work calls.”

The conversation moved forward again.

Taniskh asked politely, “What do your parents do, Kabir?”

Kabir wiped his hands with a napkin. “My mom is a chef. And my dad runs a business.”

Taniskh nodded thoughtfully. “And you?”

Kabir smiled slightly. “I’m a model, uncle.”

Kevin almost choked on his drink. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Kabir laughed. “Mostly ad shoots. I’ve done a few ramp shows too… maybe five or six international ones and around twenty here in India.”

Tara looked impressed.

Taniskh studied him for a moment before nodding.

“It’s nice meeting you, beta. These days we don’t see many young men with your manners.”

Then he asked curiously, “But what were you doing in the children’s section earlier?”

Kabir rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I came to buy a birthday gift for a six-year-old… but honestly I had no idea what to buy.”

Taniskh chuckled softly.

“Ah.”

Then he turned toward Sahera and Tara.

“You two are experts at gifts, right?”

Both girls looked up.

“Help him choose something.”

Tara’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Of course, uncle!” she said enthusiastically.

And just like that, the lunch that had begun as an accidental meeting turned into something far more unexpected.

After lunch, the group slowly made their way back into the mall corridors.

Bright toy stores and colorful displays filled the children’s section again. Rows of stuffed animals, miniature cars, puzzles, and cartoon backpacks stretched across the shelves.

“Alright,” Tara clapped her hands dramatically, “mission six-year-old gift begins now.”

Kevin leaned against a shelf, amused. “I’m just here for moral support.”

Kabir Rajput looked around helplessly. “Honestly… I still don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Relax,” Tara said, already scanning the shelves. “Kids are easy.”

Meanwhile, Sahera quietly picked up a colorful puzzle box and examined it.

“Six-year-olds love things like this,” she said.

Kabir nodded. “That actually makes sense.”

Tara grabbed a remote-control car from another shelf. “Or this!”

Kevin laughed. “That’s for you, not the kid.”

For a few minutes the four of them moved between shelves, comparing toys and joking around while Kabir tried to decide.

Finally Tara and Kevin wandered a little further into another aisle.

That left Kabir and Sahera standing near a quieter corner of the store.

Sahera suddenly turned toward him.

Her expression was serious now.

“Are you following me?”

Kabir blinked, genuinely surprised.

“What?”

“You heard me,” she said, crossing her arms slightly. “First Switzerland… now here.”

Kabir stared at her for a moment before letting out a short breath of disbelief.

“I have many things to do in life,” he said calmly. “Following you is not one of them.”

His tone wasn’t rude—just honest.

Then he added with a faint smile, “Maybe destiny has some other plans.”

Sahera looked at him for a second longer, trying to read his expression.

He seemed completely sincere.

Which somehow made the situation even stranger.

Before she could reply, Tara’s voice echoed from the other aisle.

“Sahera! Kabir! I found the perfect gift!”

The moment broke.

Sahera glanced at Kabir once more before turning away and walking toward Tara.

Kabir followed quietly behind her.

Neither of them said anything.

But somewhere in the silence between them, the question lingered—

If this wasn’t coincidence…

Then what exactly was it?

Tara’s excited voice echoed from the next aisle.

“Sahera! Kabir! Come here, I found something!”

For a brief second, Sahera and Kabir Rajput stood facing each other after that strange conversation.

Then Sahera abruptly turned away.

Without another word, she walked toward Tara.

Kabir stayed where he was for a moment, exhaling softly before straightening his posture and following them—his expression once again calm, as if nothing unusual had just happened.

When he reached the aisle, Tara was standing beside a bright display with a proud smile on her face.

“Look at this!” she said, pointing dramatically.

Sahera glanced down.

A small bicycle stood in front of them—bright red with white accents, a tiny bell on the handle, and training wheels attached neatly on the sides.

She immediately smiled.

“This one,” she said, turning slightly toward Kabir. “I think a six-year-old would love this.”

Kabir examined it for a moment.

Then he nodded, impressed.

“That’s actually a great idea.”

Tara folded her arms smugly. “Obviously.”

Kabir chuckled lightly before looking at both of them.

“Thanks,” he said sincerely. “You saved me from buying something completely useless.”

Sahera only gave a small nod.

The earlier tension between them had faded into something quieter, something neither of them addressed.

“Well,” Tara said, clapping her hands once again, “mission accomplished.”

She and Sahera began walking toward the exit of the store.

Kabir stayed behind for a moment at the counter.

He paid the bill while the store staff prepared the bicycle.

“Sir,” one of the employees said politely, “would you like us to pack it?”

Kabir shook his head. “No need. Just send it to the parking area.”

Then he added casually, “Shift it to my car.”

The employee nodded immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

Receipt in hand, Kabir walked out of the store to where Tara and Sahera were waiting near the mall corridor.

And for a brief moment, as Sahera glanced at him again, the strange familiarity between them still lingered quietly—like a story that had started long before either of them realized it.

After helping Kabir choose the gift, the group eventually headed toward the parking area of the mall.

The evening crowd had started to grow, cars moving slowly in and out while security guards guided traffic. Sahera walked ahead quietly and slid into the back seat of the car, closing the door softly behind her.

Outside, Tara and Kevin were still talking near the trunk while the bicycle was being shifted.

Inside the car, Sahera leaned back against the seat.

For a moment she simply stared out of the window.

But her thoughts weren’t on the parking lot.

They were on someone else.

Kabir Rajput.

The way he had looked at her earlier.
The way he had calmly answered her question.
Maybe destiny has some other plans.

She frowned slightly.

“Why am I even thinking about this?” she murmured under her breath.

Just then—

Her phone vibrated.

She glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

Without thinking much, she declined the call.

The phone fell silent again.

A few seconds later—

It rang again.

The same number.

Her eyebrows knitted together. She stared at it for a moment before cutting the call again.

“Strange,” she whispered.

The phone went quiet once more.

Outside the window she could see Kabir speaking briefly with the store staff near his car, the bicycle now being placed carefully in the trunk.

For a moment her attention drifted back to him.

But then—

Her phone buzzed again.

The same unknown number flashed on the screen.

This time Sahera’s expression shifted slightly, irritation creeping in.

She rejected the call once more.

“Who keeps calling like this?” she muttered.

The phone rested in her hand now, silent—but somehow it felt like the calls weren’t finished yet.