SHANAYA’S POV :

The silk blindfold slid off gently.

For a moment, my eyes remained shut, afraid the dream would vanish if I opened them too soon. But then I let the world in—and the breath caught in my throat.

I was standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower, but I had never seen it like this. Not even in postcards. Not in my wildest dreams.

The entire pathway leading up to it was covered in rose petals—crimson and blush, scattered like the universe had bled love onto the earth. Golden lanterns lit the sides, flickering gently like whispers of magic. There were soft fairy lights twinkling around ivory pillars, and cascading flowers framed the moment like art.

At the center of it all, right before the Eiffel Tower, stood a massive floral arch with the words:

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

And beneath it—him.

Kabir.

Wearing black. The most handsome I’d ever seen him. His eyes locked onto mine like they held the weight of a thousand promises.

A string quartet played softly in the background. The gentle melody of a piano echoed through the Paris air. And yet, the loudest thing in the world was the thudding of my heart.

My feet moved on their own. The candles flickered around me. Each step forward felt like walking deeper into a fairytale.

He took my hand.

I could barely breathe.

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THIRD PERSON POV :

Kabir knelt down.

Not because tradition asked him to.

But because before this woman, he would always kneel in reverence. Always bow to the miracle of her love.

He took a velvet box from his coat pocket—but didn’t open it yet.

His eyes, normally so unreadable, now shimmered with emotion, unshed tears gathering in the corners.

"Shanaya,"

His voice trembled, only slightly, but it was enough to shatter her heart open.

"I have fought wars for empires. I have walked through fire, lived in darkness, made a home in silence... but none of it ever gave me the peace your smile does."

Shanaya brought a trembling hand to her lips, already crying.

"You brought color into my grey world. You brought chaos into my perfectly controlled life. And I’ve never been more grateful to be completely ruined by love. By you."

The music swelled in the background. A crescendo of violins.

"You saw the broken parts of me and called it art. You held my hand through storms. You stayed even when you didn’t understand it all. And somehow, you still look at me like I hung the stars in your sky. But Shanaya, baby... you’re the entire constellation in mine."

He finally opened the box.

The ring inside wasn’t just beautiful. It was breathtaking.

A teardrop diamond glistened between two smaller stones, surrounded by intricate golden vines that looked like they had been spun by dreams.

"So here I am... in the city of love... on my knees before the only girl I have ever, and will ever, love... asking one question."

He smiled, tears escaping now.

"Will you marry me, Shanaya? Will you make me the luckiest man to ever breath? "

Shanaya couldn’t speak.

She fell to her knees in front of him, laughing through her tears, nodding violently.

"Yes! Yes, Kabir! A thousand times yes!"

The moment their lips met, the Eiffel Tower behind them lit up—as if Paris itself had been holding its breath.

The lights burst in cascading waves, gold and pink, champagne and ivory, sparkling like a thousand stars had just descended for their kiss.

And then—a roar.

"YESSS!"

Shanaya gasped and pulled back as voices erupted around her.

From the darkness, from behind floral screens and pillars, from secret corners and pathways...

Her family.

Her mom and dad, crying. Her brothers—cheering.

Kabir’s parents. His younger brother Rohit grinning like a fool. Shreya squealing. Kartik tossing rose petals in the air.

All of them.

Clapping. Cheering. Laughing. Crying.

"YOU SAID YESSS!"

Cameras clicked. Confetti flew. Champagne corks popped. Music swelled.

And Shanaya? She just held Kabir tighter.

In a city built for love, she had just said yes to the kind of forever people write books about.

And the night had only just begun.

--------

SHANAYA’S POV :

My hands were still trembling.

The sparkling ring on my finger shimmered under the lights of the Eiffel Tower, and as I looked up, all I could see was Kabir—my Kabir—holding onto me like I was his world.

And I was. Just as he was mine.

For a few seconds, time slowed.

All the cheering, all the clapping, all the magic blurred at the edges as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, into his warmth, into the safe rhythm of his heart.

“I still can’t believe this is real,” I whispered, my voice muffled into his black tuxedo.

“It is,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head. “And it’s only going to get better.”

We pulled away slightly, eyes locking. The Eiffel Tower burst into shimmering gold behind him like it was blessing us—celebrating us. The music continued playing in the background, soft pianos, violins, and violas lacing the air with a dreamy charm. The pathway lined with glowing candles, rose petals fluttering under the night breeze—it was everything I had ever dreamed of and more.

“I love you so damn much, Kabir Singhania,” I said with a teary laugh, gripping the lapel of his coat.

“And I’ll spend every day proving how much I love you, future Mrs. Singhania,” he smirked, brushing his lips gently across mine before pulling me in for a kiss.

And then—

“Wooohoooo!”

“Finally!”

We broke apart with startled laughter as voices erupted around us. I turned, stunned, as our families—all of them—came pouring out from behind the Eiffel Tower lights.

My mom, dad, and Ishaan—beaming. Shreya, Vihaan, Veer, and even Kabir’s notoriously hard-to-please grandfather stood with glistening eyes and huge smiles. Everyone was there.

“Bhaiiiiiii!” Rohit ran forward first, yanking Kabir into a half-hug, half-headlock.

“You sneaky genius!” Shreya squealed as she hugged me. “He’s been planning this for weeks! We had to keep it all secret. It was torture!”

“Wait… what?” I blinked, overwhelmed. “Everyone knew?”

My mom came forward, cradling my cheeks in her hands. “We did, sweetheart. And he… he came all the way to India just to ask for our blessing. Just like a true gentleman.”

I turned to Kabir, who looked a bit sheepish now, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You… you went all the way back for that?”

Kabir raised both brows, feigning innocence. “Of course. You thought I’d just propose without speaking to your dad first? I value my life, Shanaya.”

The group burst into laughter.

Ishaan clapped Kabir’s shoulder. “You really surprised us, man. That whole apology, the way you asked for her hand… even I was almost ready to cry.”

“You did cry, bro,” Veer teased. “Don’t lie.”

“You cried before he even asked,” Shreya added, poking Ishaan.

“Oh shut up,” Ishaan grumbled, rolling his eyes, but his grin didn’t fade.

“You really did all of this?” I whispered, walking closer to Kabir, still stunned.

“I wanted to do it the right way,” he said softly.

“You’re my world, Shanaya. And your family is a part of that world. I had to tell them how sorry I was for everything… and how badly I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. To all of you.”

He lifted my hand, placing a kiss on my knuckles, just above the ring.

“You could’ve just proposed on the couch,” I said with teary eyes and a teasing smile. “I still would’ve said yes.”

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have that Eiffel Tower glow or that red dress,” he winked.

More laughter, more teasing, and then a wave of hugs came crashing over us—my dad whispering how proud he was, Kabir’s mom pressing a kiss to his cheek, our siblings tossing jokes about the wedding planning already.

I stepped back for a second, just to take it all in.

Paris. Lights. Love. My family. His family. And us.

This was it.

My forever was beginning.

-------

AUTHOR’S NOTE :

AHHHHH—they're engaged!!!

I swear I had tears in my eyes while writing this chapter. Did you? Because Kabir just set the bar to the moon. A dreamy Paris proposal in front of the Eiffel Tower, candles, music, that red dress, and a heartfelt speech that melted Shanaya (and probably all of us) into puddles.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more magical—BOOM—the families show up, cheering like it’s the biggest Bollywood wedding reveal ever!

Now tell me—did this proposal live up to the hype? Do you think Shanaya had any clue? And let’s talk about Kabir flying to India just to ask for her hand—gentleman goals or gentleman goals?

BUT… this is only the beginning.

We’ve said yes…

Now comes the madness, the wedding bells, the chaos, the romance, and a few surprises along the way.

Let me know your favorite moment from the chapter—and get ready, because their love story is just getting started.

Until next time,

–  Vrinda

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