Nandini's POV

I snuggled deeper into the soft embrace of my bed, relishing the warmth of the blanket cocooned around me. The gentle rays of the sun peeked through the curtains, casting a golden hue across my room, but I had no intention of waking up yet. My body felt heavy with comfort. That is, until I felt a familiar hand caressing my hair.

"Gudiya, wake up," Dadu's loving voice broke through my sleep-dazed state. I stirred slightly but remained where I was, resting my head on his lap. "Remember, you have to go to the temple with your amms," he reminded, his tone affectionate yet firm.

I groaned, reluctant to leave the comfort of my bed. "Dadu, five more minutes please..." I mumbled, hiding my face in his lap.

"Bacha, aur kitna sona hai tumhe? It's already 10:00 a.m.! And guess what? I made your favorite breakfast today," Dadu chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. His warmth always made it harder to refuse, but I wasn't ready to give up yet.

I looked up at him with a sleepy smile. His eyes were crinkled with affection, and I could never deny him for too long. "Okay, okay, I'm getting up," I sighed dramatically before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"That's my good girl," he said, beaming, as he kissed my forehead. With that, I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

After brushing my teeth and slipping into the warm water of the bath, I closed my eyes, letting the tension leave my body. The heat of the water relaxed me, but I couldn't linger too long. I had promised Amms I'd go to the temple with her.

I slipped into a soft pink kurta with a matching sharara, choosing a delicate pair of silver jhumkas to complete the look. A quick touch of mascara and a light pink lipstick brightened my face. Satisfied with how I looked, I grabbed my dupatta and slipped on some heels.

When I made my way downstairs, I found Dadu and Amms already sitting at the dining table, waiting for me. "Good morning, Amms," I greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, khana," she replied, looking me over approvingly.

We started breakfast, and true to his word, Dadu had made my favorite—chocolate pancakes. I grinned and dug in, savoring the taste. I could feel his gaze on me, proud as always when I enjoyed his cooking.

"Dadu, you're the best cook ever! I love you so much for making this," I said, beaming at him. His eyes twinkled as he sipped his tea, clearly pleased.

But as soon as I finished my third pancake, I felt Amms' sharp gaze on me. Uh-oh. "I'm done! I can't eat any more," I said, putting my fork down.

Amms wasn't having it. "You've only eaten three pancakes, Nandu. How is that enough?" Her tone was serious, and I quickly shot Dadu a pleading look.

Thankfully, he came to my rescue. "Let her be, Kalyani. If she's full, she's full."

I let out a small sigh of relief and got up, only to hear Dadu's next words: "Ramu, bring a glass of milk."

I froze. Milk? Really, Dadu? I turned toward him, my eyes wide in horror. "Dadu, noooo!" I whined dramatically, backing away from the dining room. But Dadu was already on his feet, glass in hand, coming toward me like a man on a mission.

"Stop running, Gudiya! I'm getting too old for this, and you're making me chase you," Dadu scolded, though there was a playful glint in his eye.

The emotional blackmail worked, and I stopped in my tracks. "But Dadu, milk? You know how much I hate it," I pouted.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not falling for my antics. "If you're as strong as you say, then drinking one glass of milk should be nothing, right?"

I sighed, knowing there was no escape. Taking the glass from him, I dramatically pinched my nose, downed the milk in one go, and handed the empty glass back to him, making a face of pure disgust. Dadu chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Good girl."

Amms joined us, shaking her head in disbelief at the whole scene. "The two of you," she muttered with a fond smile. "Now, let's go, Nandu. We'll be late for the temple."

"Coming!" I nodded, and after bidding Dadu goodbye, we headed out.

Manik's POV

I was lost in thought, my mind completely consumed by her—Nandini. I hadn't seen her in over a decade, yet the feelings I had for her were stronger than ever. I wondered how much she had changed. Had she grown taller? I highly doubted it. She'd always been adorably petite.

Appa's voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. "We need to postpone the trip to Mumbai," he said, his tone heavy with disappointment.

All of us—me, Mukti, Cabir, Dhruv, and Abhi—looked up in surprise. I could see the sadness in his eyes, and it was clear that this wasn't a decision he made lightly. "There's an issue with the Gujarat branch. Appa has to go there to handle it."

I felt a pang of disappointment. I'd been so excited to finally see Nandini again, to tell her how I felt after all these years. But I knew Appa wouldn't delay the trip unless it was important.

"It's okay, Appa. We can go after the problem is resolved," Abhi reassured him, though I could tell he was just as disappointed.

"Yeah, we understand," Dhruv added, trying to lighten the mood. The rest of us nodded in agreement.

Appa sighed and nodded. "I'll call Dadu to inform him."

We watched as Appa dialed Dadu's number. I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but from Appa's tone, it was clear things were serious.

"Appa, how are you?" he asked, his voice softening. "We're all good here. There's a problem with the Gujarat branch, and I think you need to come over to handle it."

There was a pause, and then Appa asked, "How is she doing?"

I knew exactly who he was referring to. Nandini. Even though they hadn't spoken in years, Appa still worried about her like she was his own daughter. He ended the call with a heavy sigh and turned to us. "Dadu's coming to Gujarat."

I could sense the tension in the room. Appa had always blamed himself for sending Nandini away. I hoped that this trip to Gujarat would help mend things between him and Dadu, but it also meant I'd have to wait even longer to see her.

After the call, we all stood up. "Since we're not leaving right away, let's focus on work in the meantime," Dad suggested, and we all agreed.

I kissed both of my mothers on the forehead, then turned to Mukti and Aliya, doing the same. We exchanged a few playful words before heading out to our respective workplaces. Cabir left for his RJ job, Abhi went with Appa to the office, and Mukti and Aliya went to their fashion house. Dhruv left with Dad, and I headed toward Infinite Records to wrap up some pending work.

Nandini's POV

The day had been peaceful, just the way I liked it. After our temple visit, Amms and I returned home, where I found Dadu sitting on the couch, lost in thought.

"Dadu, what's wrong?" I asked softly, sitting beside him and resting my head on his shoulder.

He smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Gudiya, we need to go to Gujarat. There's some trouble with the family business."

I knew what this meant. Gujarat meant being near people I had left behind, people I wasn't sure I was ready to face. "It's okay, Dadu," I said, forcing a smile. "You and Amms can go. I'll stay here in Mumbai."

But before Dadu could respond, Amms spoke up, her voice firm. "No, Nandu. You're coming with us, and that's final. No arguments."

I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her when she used that tone. "Fine, but I'll stay at the penthouse."

Amms raised an eyebrow, clearly not happy with my stubbornness. "Nandini, we'll discuss this later. For now, start packing."

I reluctantly nodded, knowing that this trip to Gujarat was going to be anything but easy.

Back in Gujarat, preparations were underway. While Nandini was packing her bags in Mumbai, Manik was finalizing his work at Infinite Records, wondering how long it would be before he could see her.

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