Keifer's POV
The peaceful silence inside the temple room lasted for a few more moments.
Nobody rushed to speak.
Nobody wanted to ruin it.
Then Eces slowly stood up and stretched slightly, earning an immediate yawn from Keiren.
"Ate, you've been sitting there forever," he complained dramatically.
"And you've been sleeping forever," Eces replied calmly.
That earned a few sleepy laughs.
"Alright," she said simply. "Everybody go eat before Honey starts a war."
Honey gasped.
"Excuse me! Why am I always the hungry one?"
"Because you asked for breakfast before brushing your teeth," Percy replied.
Honey pointed at him. "Traitor!"
Everyone laughed.
The mood finally lightened.
---
The dining room smelled wonderful.
Fresh aloo parathas.
Idlis.
Poha.
Coconut chutney.
Tea.
Coffee.
Fruits.
Even little Grazel was making happy noises from Grace's lap.
Jay sat beside me and immediately stole a piece of my paratha.
"That's mine," I protested.
"Our paratha," she corrected proudly.
"Our?"
She nodded seriously.
"We share assets now."
I laughed.
"Marriage really changed you."
"No," she smiled sweetly. "Marriage changed your food."
She stole another bite before I could react.
Across the table, Calix nearly choked laughing.
"Brother lost ownership rights!"
"Poor Keifer," Mica teased.
Jay grinned triumphantly and leaned against my shoulder.
I just smiled and let her win.
As usual.
Meanwhile, Eces sat beside Krish and Keiren, wearing a simple dark green kurta with cream leggings. Nothing fancy. Just comfortable.
Keiren kept talking nonstop while she quietly listened and occasionally answered him.
Across from them, Keigan was suspiciously quiet.
Very suspiciously.
He kept drinking water every few minutes despite his glass already being empty.
Jay noticed immediately.
Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
She leaned close and whispered into my ear.
"He's doing it again."
I looked up.
Poor guy.
Every time Eces laughed at something Keiren said, Keigan's ears practically turned red before he looked away and pretended to focus on his food.
He wasn't subtle.
Not at all.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Breakfast slowly became chaotic again.
Blaster asked for a fourth paratha.
Honey argued with Percy over chutney.
Ci-n and Rakki were feeding each other and pretending they weren't.
Denzel entertained Grazel with funny faces while Grace laughed.
Normal.
Comfortable.
Family.
Then Eces quietly announced,
"We should go visit some temples today."
Immediately everyone became excited.
"Field trip!"
"Temple snacks!"
"Prasad!"
"Flowers!"
"I want pictures!" Percy declared dramatically.
Krish just sighed.
And I noticed the small look they exchanged.
Nothing dramatic.
Just understanding.
---
After breakfast everyone scattered to their rooms.
I found Jay standing before the mirror again.
This time she wore a lavender kurti and white leggings, her hair braided loosely over one shoulder.
And somehow…
She still managed to steal my breath.
She saw me watching through the mirror.
"What?" she asked shyly.
"You know," I said seriously, "I think you secretly dress up just to attack me."
She laughed.
"Attack you?"
"Emotionally."
She turned around smiling.
"You're ridiculous."
"And helpless."
"Against me?"
"Always."
She softened immediately.
Then she walked over and fixed my collar.
"You know," she murmured, "I like this."
"What?"
"This."
She pointed between us.
"No chaos. No danger. Just us."
I smiled.
"My favorite thing."
She looked down shyly.
Then reached up and adjusted my hair.
"You forgot this."
"You forgot something too."
"What?"
I leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.
Her eyes closed automatically.
She smiled softly afterward.
"There."
She laughed quietly.
"That's cheating."
"No, that's husband privileges."
Jay shook her head while smiling.
Then suddenly wrapped her arms around me.
"Just stay like this for a minute."
So I did.
Just holding her.
No words.
No rush.
Just her heartbeat against mine.
Eventually she looked up.
"We should go."
"We should."
Neither of us moved.
She laughed.
"We're terrible."
"Very."
Finally, she slipped her fingers into mine.
And together we stepped outside.
---
Which was a mistake.
Because Section E had apparently gathered in the hallway.
Waiting.
Watching.
Calix pointed dramatically.
"THE LOVEBIRDS EMERGE!"
Honey clapped.
"About time!"
Percy wiped imaginary tears.
"Such beauty. Such romance."
Jay hid behind my shoulder.
"No."
"Yes!" Rory shouted.
"Temple date!" Felix added.
I rolled my eyes.
"Get jobs."
They laughed even harder.
Grace smiled softly while bouncing Grazel.
Aries shook his head.
Even Krish was hiding a smile.
Then Eces came out with Keiren, wearing a simple blue kurta and white leggings. Nothing extravagant.
And beside the staircase—
Keigan froze for exactly two seconds.
Not enough for anyone except me and Jay to notice.
Jay squeezed my hand.
"There he goes again."
I whispered back.
"He doesn't even know he's smiling."
Sure enough, when Eces asked Keiren if he had his phone, Keigan answered before Keiren could.
Everyone blinked.
Keigan blinked too.
Then slowly sat back down.
Jay buried her face against my shoulder to stop laughing.
Poor guy.
Gone.
Completely gone.
---
Eventually we all left together.
The streets of Kolkata were alive.
Flower vendors.
Temple bells.
Incense in the air.
Children running around.
Jay stayed close beside me.
At one point, a scooter sped past and I instinctively pulled her closer by the waist.
She looked up.
"Protective much?"
"Always."
She smiled sweetly.
"And if I can protect myself?"
"Then I'll protect you while you protect yourself."
She laughed.
"Fair answer."
As we walked, she suddenly stopped.
"What?"
She pointed toward a flower stall.
"Wait."
Before I knew it, she bought a small marigold flower.
And with complete seriousness—
She tucked it behind my ear.
I stared at her.
She burst out laughing.
"Perfect."
Behind us, Blaster screamed.
"KEIFER BHAI BECAME A FLOWER PRINCESS!"
Everyone lost it.
Jay was laughing so hard she almost stumbled.
So I quietly removed the flower and tucked it into her braid instead.
"There."
She touched it shyly.
"You didn't have to."
"I wanted to."
Her cheeks turned pink.
And she smiled that smile.
The one that always made me forget everything else.
Without thinking, she intertwined her fingers with mine.
And we continued walking.
Ahead, Eces and Krish walked with Keiren talking endlessly between them.
Behind us, Section E argued over snacks.
Grace and Denzel fussed over Grazel.
Honey and Percy were bickering.
And somewhere among the chaos—
Keigan kept stealing little glances.
Not realizing that Jay and I had noticed every single one.
And honestly?
Watching him fall in love might become my new favorite entertainment.
As the temple bells echoed ahead and the red flags came into view, Jay leaned her head lightly against my shoulder.
I kissed her hair gently.
And for a little while—
Everything felt peaceful.
Jay's POV
By the time we reached Kalighat Temple, the streets around it were already alive.
Kolkata never really seemed to sleep, but this place had a different kind of energy. Flower stalls lined both sides of the road, baskets overflowing with red hibiscus, marigold garlands, incense sticks, and trays for offerings. The sound of bells mixed with chants, conversations, and the occasional calls of vendors.
And somehow, despite all the noise, the atmosphere felt peaceful.
Keifer's hand never left mine.
Not once.
Every time the crowd became too thick, his fingers tightened around mine gently, making sure I stayed beside him.
"I can walk, you know," I whispered, smiling.
"I know," he replied calmly. "Still keeping you close."
I smiled to myself.
Typical Keifer.
Ahead of us, Krish and Eces walked beside each other while talking quietly. Keiren practically bounced with excitement, asking questions every few seconds, while Percy kept complaining about the humidity ruining his hair.
"My aesthetic is dying," Percy mourned dramatically.
Honey rolled her eyes. "Your aesthetic survived pani puri yesterday. It'll survive this."
Section E burst out laughing.
Even Keigan laughed, though I noticed his eyes occasionally drifting toward Eces whenever she answered Keiren's endless questions. He would quickly look away afterward, pretending to be fascinated by the architecture.
Subtle.
Not subtle.
Very subtle.
As we entered the temple grounds, everyone naturally became quieter.
The atmosphere itself demanded respect.
The scent of incense wrapped around us, bells echoed through the air, and devotees folded their hands in prayer. The walls seemed to hold centuries of devotion.
Eces quietly showed everyone what to do.
"No shoes here," she reminded.
"We know!" Calix said proudly.
Three seconds later, Blaster almost walked inside wearing his sandals.
"BLASTER!"
"I'm sorry!"
Everyone burst into muffled laughter.
Keifer chuckled beside me.
"You people are impossible."
"We're adorable," Honey corrected.
Inside, the crowd moved slowly.
I stayed close to Keifer, occasionally brushing against his arm. At one point, someone accidentally bumped me from behind.
Before I could even react, Keifer had already moved slightly, shielding me with his body.
"You okay?" he asked immediately.
I nodded.
"See?" I teased softly. "Protective again."
He looked down at me.
"Always."
That simple answer made my heart flutter.
Always.
Not sometimes.
Not when convenient.
Always.
We finally stood before the sacred image of Goddess Kali.
For a moment, everything around me faded.
I folded my hands.
Closed my eyes.
And prayed.
Not for wealth.
Not for success.
Not even for myself.
Just for everyone.
For Mom.
For Keifer.
For Keiren, Keigan, Eces, Krish.
For Section E and our strange little family.
And silently—
I prayed that whatever shadows were following us would never reach the people I loved.
When I opened my eyes, Keifer was already looking at me.
"What?" I whispered.
"Nothing."
He smiled softly.
"You looked beautiful."
I laughed quietly.
"We're literally in a temple."
"And?"
I elbowed him gently.
"Behave."
"I'm behaving."
His fingers brushed my cheek, carefully moving a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"Prayed for everyone?" he guessed.
I blinked.
"How did you know?"
"Because that's you."
His voice was soft.
"And because you always forget to pray for yourself."
My chest warmed.
How did he always know?
Outside, after receiving prasad, Keiren examined it suspiciously.
"Do we eat it or frame it?"
Krish laughed.
"You eat it."
"Good. Because I'm hungry again."
"You're always hungry," Keigan muttered.
As everyone laughed, I stood beside Keifer on the temple steps.
The red flags fluttered above us.
The bells rang again.
And without thinking, I rested my head lightly on his shoulder.
He smiled and kissed the top of my head.
Nothing grand.
Nothing dramatic.
Just quiet.
Warm.
Safe.
And as I looked at our friends laughing below, Percy arguing with Honey, Grazel happily babbling in Grace's arms, and Section E creating chaos even in a holy place, I couldn't help smiling.
Maybe peace wasn't silence.
Maybe peace was this.
Being together.
And for that moment, standing beneath the watchful eyes of Goddess Kali, with Keifer's hand wrapped around mine—
Everything felt right. ❤️
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Guys , so sorry for not uploading this chapter yesterday, as I already told you that my mother is not well so I was just busy 😞😞.
Sorry again..