Locke and Key

6

On her last morning in Mumbai before heading back to Delhi for her senior year, Shruti frowned. While she was still wrapped warmly in the blanket on Arjun's bed, his side was empty.

"Sunny?" she called.

"In the kitchen!" he yelled back from downstairs.

She groaned and rolled out of bed, grabbing her robe on her way out the door to cover up in case he wasn't alone; since telling everyone else about their relationship in June, they'd had very little alone time.

"Good morning," he beamed when she found him moments later over the stove wearing only his boxer briefs. "I'm almost finished with breakfast."

Shruti stood in shock. "You cooked."

"I did," he confirmed, nodding at the spread on the small table in the breakfast nook of his kitchen. "It's your last day here; I wanted it to be memorable."

"But you never cook," she went on, taking a seat at the table. "And there's coffee!"

He chuckled as he turned off the stove and carried over the last plate-parantha-to join her. "Well, you've been drinking tea all summer and I know you missed it, so I sent Rakshit out for some last night while you showered."

She leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you."

"Of course," he smiled, pleased with himself to have made her so happy. "Now, eat up because we have a busy day ahead of us."

At the end of the day, after spending hours around Mumbai, Shruti noticed that Arjun was leading her through Victoria Memorial to the Riverfront Park.

"I'm feeling a little déjà vu," she joked as they sat on the same bench.

"This is the place where I first opened up to you," he began, "and where you opened up to me. It was here, almost exactly one year ago, that I knew I was completely in love with you, Shruti Sarnaik, and I haven't regretted it for a second."

"I'm glad," she smiled. "I haven't regretted it either. Leaving tomorrow morning is going to be the worst day of my life."

"That's why I want this one to be your best," he replied, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a small velvet box.

She looked around nervously and for the first time realized they were completely alone in the park. "Where is everyone?"

"Neil rented out the space for me," he explained. "I needed this to be perfect." He got down to the ground on one knee in front of her. "I'm difficult, to say the least. I'm stubborn and opinionated, and I have to get my way, always. But above all of that, I love you. You came into my life just as this wild ride was starting and I can't imagine going through it with anyone else at my side." He opened the box to reveal a stunning round-cut diamond on a simple white-gold band. "Shruti, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she answered quickly, with no hesitation in her response. "Yes, I'll marry you."

"I can't believe you all came!" Shruti cried happily upon greeting her Mumbai friends after her graduation ceremony had ended.

"Of course we came," Arohi said, hugging her tightly. "You're part of the family, and we stick together."

"Forever and always," Shanaya murmured, taking her turn to hug her. "He's at your apartment. He didn't want to draw attention to himself on your day."

Shruti just grinned. "Then let's go."

She hadn't seen Arjun in person since March, despite talking via webcam every day. To say she missed being with him was an understatement, and now that she had graduated, she would be moving to Mumbai to be with him full-time.