Page 76 of Knot So Romantic

“How do I go if I don’t have anyone to go with?” she sighs again.

“You will find that special someone, too,” Kavita reassures her.

“Do you think I’ll find him at one of these weddings?” Khushi asks hopefully.

Kavita squeezes her shoulder. “Love has a way of surprising you when you least expect it.”

As we leave Khushi with a hint of a smile on her face, Kavita tugs me toward a secluded spot in the garden. The air is filled with the sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine, and in the distance, fireworks fill the sky in brilliant bursts of color.

Kavita looks up at me, her eyes reflecting the shimmering lights. Slowly, I lean down, savoring every moment as our lips meet in a soft, tender kiss.

Every time I kiss her, it feels like our first kiss, and I never seem to have enough. She holds me tight against her like she doesn’t want to let go, trailing soft kisses along my face. I groan in delight when I hear her whisper my name. To think I might never have had this if I’d given up on us. On our love. It’s like nothing I’ve ever had. Or could ever have dreamed of.

It’s a long moment before we part. Kavita’s eyes are shining.

“What are you thinking?” I whisper, stroking her cheek as I gently kiss her again before I pull back and look into her eyes.

She smiles, holding my gaze. “Remember when we first met? I had such a big crush on you. Looks like my heart knew what it wanted all along.”

“I’ll admit, I had an inkling my heart knew what it wanted right from the moment I met you, too.”

Her lips sear mine with a kiss I don’t want to ever end.

EPILOGUE

Kavita

I wake up to the sound of a faint honk outside the window. Although we’re on the thirty-first floor, we’re not completely immune to low traffic sounds from the distant road.

I miss my apartment across the park.

We’re renovating the old building to allow for an even bigger boutique space on the ground floor and a floor above my apartment to accommodate a gym.

I’ve been living with Neel for the past eight months. Though Mom and Dad were opposed to the idea at first, it just felt practical that I move in with him until my apartment is ready. Once it is, Neel plans to sell his penthouse and join me there. He never wanted to keep this place anyway.

Neel says it’ll be great to start our life together, to jog around the park every morning, and when we have kids, to have them play in the park too, like I did when I was younger. Gosh, I can’t believe we talked about having kids together.

Maybe, someday, after we’re married, I think with a contented sigh.

But even then, all this feels like a dream.

I never thought we’d be able to convince my parents that we love each other so much. And I didn’t think my parents would slowly open up to the idea of us living together even though we are not married.

But, I guess, with time, things have changed.

Neel stirs beside me and throws his arm over me, moving closer to spoon me.

“Mmm…” I say delightfully. I’ve never regretted a single moment since Neel and I got together.

He kisses the back of my neck, his hands moving to my belly and lower.

I push his hand away. “I thought you had an important appointment this morning,” I say. “No time to snooze.”

He makes a disapproving sound as I push him away and scoot out of bed.

“Come back here,” he orders.

I have to look for my underwear where I threw it last night, as we made love. Each time, our movements are frantic, desperate, as though it’s our first time.