In the quiet of the evening, Veer entered the house and immediately noticed that something was off.

Usually, the house was alive with the sound of his grandmother and Aditi chatting and giggling with each other.

They would often be playing games or watching movies together. But tonight, there was an unusual silence that hung in the air.

He found his grandmother coming down the stairs and he asked,

"Dadi, where's Aditi?"

She looked at him with a slightly concerned expression.

"Since she came back from college, she hasn't said a word. Normally, she would have told me everything that happened in one go. Go and talk to her, maybe something happened in college that's bothering her."

He nodded and made his way to their room where he found Aditi sitting on the bed, engrossed in a book.

"Aditi"

she looked up, standing up to greet him with a glass of water.

"Thank you, Dadi mentioned that you haven't said much since coming back from college. Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"Veer, why did you send bodyguards to college for me?"

He was taken aback by the question.

"For your safety, Aditi. I just want to make sure you're protected."

Aditi let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly.

"But it feels like a cage, Veer. Nobody talks to me freely because of them. Everyone is scared, even teachers"

"Aditi, I only wanted to protect you. I didn't realize it was making you feel this way. I'll talk to the guards and make sure they give you space and freedom in college. Your safety is important, but so is your happiness,"

He couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in his chest as he listened to Aditi's words. He had only sent the bodyguards to college to ensure her safety, but he hadn't considered how it might affect her social interactions.

"I didn't realize it was making you feel trapped, Aditi. I only wanted to protect you,"

he said, remorse coloring his voice.

Aditi gazed at him with a mix of frustration and sadness.

"I know you were just trying to keep me safe, Veer. But safety shouldn't come at the cost of freedom. I want to feel like a normal college student, not someone always under surveillance, it's feeling like a cage to me, please I don't want any bodyguards"

"I am sorry aditi, I'll ask them to stay away when you are with your friends but I'll not ignore your safety, guards will be with you no matter what"

"But veer..."

"Aditi that's my final decision, I don't want to argue about this....!!!!"

He said in a little loud voice which made her flinch at her place.

She started shivering remembering her father's shouting.

He immediately regretted it and took her in his arms to calm her down.

"Shh, its okay aditi its me, calm down, I am sorry"

She clutched his shirt tightly, slowly she was calming down.

Once he got sure that she calmed down, he slowly detached her and made her sit on the bed and kneeled down in front of her.

"Aditi, listen to me, your father was indulged in many illegal businesses and many things in which he shouldn't, he was even involved with drug dealers, and many gangs, which are very dangerous, and since your father is being jailed, they faced a loss, and they got to know that you are his daughter and he has many rivals, that's why I appointed bodyguards for you, so they can't hurt you, I don't want to cage you jaan just wanted to protect you from them, I can't afford to lose you jaan, please try to understand."

She nodded cutely making him chuckle.

"Accha okay I'll ask the guards that whenever you are with your friends they should be at a safe distance, they will not bother you"

"Hmm, sorry veer I shouldn't have been shouted at you"

"It's okay, look at this"

He gave her an envelope,

She opened it and was shocked.

"Veer.... you got a businessman of the year award...!!!!"

She asked excitedly, and he nodded.

To his shock, she hugged him tightly.

"Seems like you got an award..!!!"

"That's the same thing veer, I felt like I got an award"

Her one sentence made him the happiest one, he couldn't wish more than this.

He wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you, be ready tomorrow"

"You will take me with you?"

"Of course Aditi, you are my wife, so of course I'll take you, I want my wife to be on my side when I receive the award"

Her eyes welled up with the tears, her father never took her or her mother anywhere.

He wiped her tears.

"No more crying, come on let's have dinner..!!!"

She nodded with a smile.

They went down for dinner.

"Baccha what happened, did he do something, if yes then tell me" dadi said.

"Wow dadi I am touched with the confidence you have in me"

"No dadi actually what happened...."

She told her everything.

"Even though I don't like those creepy creatures, wherever we go comes behind us" dadi said.

Aditi chuckled.

"You both make as many teams as you want, but I'll not remove any security around you both, Now come on let's have dinner and one more thing d

adi you know tomorrow is my award function"

"I know how I can forget it"

He nodded.

They had dinner together...!!!