ISHA'S POV>

The house had grown unusually quiet, the kind of silence that presses down on your chest and makes you restless. A few relatives stepped out from one of the rooms, their faces marked with shadows of worry. Even if one couldn't understand exactly what had happened inside, the crease on Uncle's forehead gave away enough - something unsettling had been spoken, something heavy was weighing on his mind.

I was standing at the corner of the hallway, watching in confusion. My heart thumped faster as I waited for someone to tell me what was going on.

Uncle's eyes fell on me at last. He walked closer, his voice calm but carrying the weight of something serious.

"Beta, she's calling for you."

A wave of relief and happiness spread through me instantly. My lips parted with a smile. Finally... Dadi wants to see me. I was about to step forward when his next words cut through my joy like a cold blade.

"Not you, beta. She's calling for Shivam."

For a moment, I froze where I stood. Not me? But why Shivam ji?

It stung more than I wanted to admit. I had been waiting, hoping, that in this moment of weakness and silence, she would remember me first, that she would want my presence near her. But no, Dadi had asked for him.

A bitter thought slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. "It seems like Dadi has forgotten me. Isn't it? Always calling everyone else, but never me." My tone carried a sharpness, a faint anger laced with hurt.

Shivam looked at me then, his eyes steady, his lips curving into a quiet smile. He shook his head gently as though telling me not to think too much, not to take it to heart. But his smile only confused me further. What is there to smile about in this? I wondered irritably, biting back the questions swirling in my mind.

He entered Dadi's room while I lingered outside, pretending I wasn't waiting, though my heart was restless. Minutes stretched painfully, each second heavier than the last. For fifteen long minutes, I could hear faint murmurs of their conversation, but no clear words. What were they speaking about? Why was she taking so much time with him?

My chain of thoughts broke when the door opened and Shivam stepped out. His expression gave away nothing, but his eyes found mine almost immediately.

"Isha ji," he said softly, "she's calling you now."

I blinked at him. So now Dadi remembers me? A sarcastic smile tugged at my lips as I muttered under my breath, "Only now she recalls me." Still, my heart softened the moment I saw the fragile figure of my grandmother lying on the bed, her face pale yet carrying the same warmth I had known all my life.

I walked in, sat near her, and forced a teasing smile. "So finally, you thought of me, Dadi? I see how it is. You've forgotten me entirely, haven't you?"

She tried to speak, but I cut her off quickly, almost childishly. "No, no, don't explain. I've understood everything. You don't remember me anymore. That's it." I crossed my arms, though deep down the act was just a shield to cover my hurt.

Her frail hand reached for mine, her touch trembling yet filled with affection. "Are you angry with me, child?" she asked gently.

I shook my head. "No, Dadi. I'm not angry."

But my eyes betrayed me, flicking toward the doorway where Shivam stood leaning casually, watching. The sight of him there - so calm, so quietly present - sent a strange flutter through me. I quickly turned my gaze away, unwilling to admit how his nearness unsettled me. Why did my heart always race whenever he was around?

Dadi's voice pulled me back. "Listen to me carefully, my child. I know what I am about to say might upset you. You may even think I am being selfish. But believe me, I only wish the best for you. I have never, and will never, want anything that could harm you."

Her tone was different - heavier, filled with an urgency that frightened me. Never before had I heard her speak like this. My brows knitted in worry.

"What's wrong, Dadi? Is everything okay?" I asked quickly, my voice trembling.

She gave a faint, wistful smile. "If I tell you with my words, you might not listen. So let me put it differently... You trust me, don't you?"

I could only nod, unsure what was coming next.

Then she spoke the words that made my heart stop.

"I want you and Shivam to marry."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The walls around me seemed to close in, and my eyes widened in disbelief. What did she just say?

Dadi continued, her voice steady despite the weakness in her body. "I know it all feels sudden, too quick, almost rushed. But I've watched you both. I saw you together in the garden, and even beyond that... I see the way he looks at you, the way he quietly cares. He will keep you safe, Isha. He will stand beside you in joy and sorrow. That is all a grandmother wishes - to see her child happy before her time is over."

Her words pierced deep into me, stirring emotions I wasn't ready to confront. My throat tightened, and to my shock, tears began to prick my eyes. I had not expected this. Not from her. Not now.

"But-" I tried to speak, my voice shaking.

She raised her hand to silence me. "Never once in my life have I asked you for anything. Not once have I placed a burden on your shoulders. But today, I am making a wish. My last wish. Fulfill it for me, child. Let me see you married to Shivam before I close my eyes forever."

Her words struck me like thunder. My lips trembled. This was not just a request; it was her dying wish.

I looked at her, then at Shivam, who still stood quietly at the doorway. His expression was unreadable, his face calm, almost as though he had expected this. He wasn't shocked. He wasn't protesting. He was simply... accepting.

But me? I was crumbling inside. The room felt too small, my heart too heavy.

I tried to speak again, but my voice broke. "Dadi, you... you can't ask me this. It's too much. I-"

Tears blurred my vision. I turned my gaze toward Shivam, helpless, searching for some sign, some reaction from him. But he only met my eyes with that same quiet intensity, as if silently telling me to trust, to not fear.

And in that moment, I realized - this was not new to him. He had known, or at least guessed, that something like this would happen. He wasn't surprised. But I was. Terribly, painfully surprised.

My heart felt unbearably heavy as I whispered, voice hoarse, "Dadi... this... this is too much for me."

Her wrinkled hand pressed mine tighter. "It is my last wish, child. Fulfill it. Do not let me leave this world with regret."

I bowed my head, unable to hold back the tears anymore. They slipped down my cheeks silently as my chest rose and fell with the weight of emotions I couldn't name.

The silence in the room was thick, broken only by the fragile sound of her breathing and the rapid thud of my heart. I dared another glance at Shivam. He was still there, still watching, his posture steady, his gaze unwavering.

Something inside me shifted. I could not describe it - fear, confusion, but also an odd sense of safety. As though somewhere deep within, a voice whispered that maybe Dadi was right. Maybe he truly could protect me. Maybe... he already was.

But for now, all I could do was sit there, holding my grandmother's fragile hand, trying to make sense of the storm she had unleashed in my heart.

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