His arms wrapped around me. "Yeah. I wanted to surprise you."
"In India?"
He nodded. "I know we live in England. I know we're still figuring things out. But when we get married, I want us to have roots here too. Somewhere you can call home. With your people. With mine."
Something tugged at my heart.
"You should've asked," I said softly, voice trembling just a little.
"I know," he replied. "But it felt right. And I wanted to see this expression on your face." He reached up, cupping my cheek. "You're glowing."
I smiled, biting my lip. "I just... I didn't think anyone would ever do something like this for me."
He leaned in, voice a whisper against my skin. "I'd do anything for you."
Silence stretched between us. 
Heavy. Soft. Safe.
Then—
"Ishaan?"
"Hmm?"
"Next time we kiss, I get to bite you."
He laughed. "Deal. But then I get to return the favor."
We fell onto the bed laughing, tangled in sheets and each other, kisses turning slower and more meaningful, like we had all the time in the world.
And maybe... we did.
🧸ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི 
I lay sprawled across his chest, my fingers lazily tracing random patterns on his skin while his heart thudded steadily beneath me. 
He was still catching his breath from all my teasing, looking like some mythic god under me—bare, flushed, and completely at my mercy.
And oh, I wasn't done with him.
I leaned in, pressing soft, wet kisses across his collarbone, up his neck, and to the corner of his jaw. 
His stubble tickled my lips and I giggled when he twitched.
"You're addicted to kissing me, aren't you?" he murmured, voice hoarse.
"I like leaving my mark," I said innocently... even as I sucked gently at the sensitive spot just under his ear, earning a groan from him.
"Lavika..." he warned, but it was already too late. 
I had a wicked idea burning at the back of my mind.
I suddenly pushed off the bed and got up.
"Jaaaan" Ishaan blinked. "Where do you think you're going in the middle of this?"
I glanced over my shoulder with a smirk, already halfway across the room. "Bas ek minute, Ishaan. Don't move."
"Don't move?!" He sat up, his hair a mess, skin flushed, still panting. "You're going to leave me in this condition? Isse toh emotional damage ho raha hai."
I chuckled as I walked out, calling over my shoulder, "Thoda sabr kar lo, my muffin."
I reached the lobby where my sling bag lay on the couch, and rummaged through until I found what I needed—my fiercest, boldest red lipstick. 
The shade I reserved for days I wanted to feel like I owned the damn world.
I uncapped it, smiling to myself in the mirror as I applied it, slow and precise.