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Author's POV

A few days passed, and the atmosphere in Knowledge City had shifted. The cold, sterile air of competition had been replaced by the soft glow of a new beginning. For Krithika and Anant, the "Great Merger" was no longer about patents or profits-it was about the discovery of a woman who could finally put down her shield and a man who was honored to hold it for her.

Krithika was a revelation. To the world, she was the sharp-tongued consultant, but to Anant, she was a soft, romantic fire.

One evening, they stood at the edge of the shoreline, the moon reflecting off the dark water. Anant was watching her-not the horizon, but the way the salt breeze played with her hair.

"You know," Anant whispered, his voice deep and steady. "People say that when you look into the eyes of the one you love, the storms of the world are supposed to calm down. Jab main apni girl ki aankhon mein dekhta hoon, toh toofan tham jaana chahiye."

Krithika looked up at him straight in his eyes and pulled him with his tie towards her, her eyes shimmering with a mischief that was now laced with pure affection. "So? Toh kya toofan thama?" (So? Did the storm calm down?)

Anant leaned in, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "Toofan ka toh pata nahi..par agar aise hi dekhta raha too tsunami zaroor aajayega. but if I keep looking at you like this, a tsunami is definitely coming."

The weight of his gaze was too much to handle. Out of a beautiful, rare shyness, Krithika didn't retort; she simply hid her face against his chest, hugging him as if she never wanted to let go.

Later that night, as they walked back to the car, Anant caught her hand and pulled her into the shadow of a blooming gulmohar tree. He didn't say a word, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, golden pen-the same fountain pen he had "stolen" in 12th grade.

"I think this belongs to the girl who beat me by 0.5%," he murmured, placing it in her palm. "Consider it a peace treaty. I don't want to fight for the crown anymore, Kittu. I just want to be the one who support you while you conquer it"

Dhruv's POV

Watching Anant these days is like watching a man who has finally found the missing piece of a complex puzzle. He's happy. They both are. They deserved this togetherness-a partnership of equals who truly speak the same language.

Mannu was sitting on the edge of the bed, already scrolling through wedding decor ideas on her phone. "I've already started planning, Dhruv! The theme should be 'Titan Gold,' and we need the best orchids..."

I laughed, sitting beside her and gently taking the phone away. "Easy, Mannu Sahiba. Let them breathe. In these matters, they should be the ones deciding the pace. Let them enjoy being 'lovers' before they become 'fiancés'."

She pouted, looking a little disappointed. "But in my case, you didn't wait! You didn't even ask me. You directly went to my parents with a rishta. Why the double standards, Dr. Mishra?"

I pulled her closer, my heart swelling with a decade of unspoken truths. "That's because I had twelve years of confidence in you, Mannu. I knew from those school hallways that you'd already fallen for me. I didn't need to ask because your heart had been answering me every single day. I just went to claim what was already mine."

Mannu's face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. She looked away, but I caught her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes.

"And besides," I whispered, my voice dropping to a low, velvety tone. "My fees for that dosa-making lesson are still pending. A debt is a debt, Mannu."

Mannu looked at me, her eyes soft and shining with a surrender that was purely beautiful. "Yes, it is," she whispered back. "Aur main udhaar nahi rakhti." (And I don't keep debts.) she chuckled.

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