As soon as Ahaan stepped into the mandap and took off his shoes, Samaira, Ruhi, and Jeevika sprang into action-so did Vihaan, Reyansh, Agastya, and Nitya.

But the girls were more than prepared. Ruhi and Jeevika positioned themselves in front of Samaira like protective shields as she quickly grabbed the shoes and darted away.

Reyansh tried to block her path. "Hey! Those are royal shoes!"

Ruhi playfully pushed him back. "Then guard them better, Mr. Royal Guard."

The girls succeeded, disappearing into the crowd with Ahaan's prized jootis.

Reyansh called after them, clearly not ready to accept defeat. "This means war!"

Nitya and Vihaan rushed after Samaira, but she had already vanished.

Amyra's Room

Once Ahaan was seated in the mandap, Ruhi and Jeevika slipped away to Amyra's room. They opened the door to find Samaira sitting on the couch, animatedly narrating how they pulled off the shoe heist.

As they entered, Amyra and Samaira looked up. Samaira asked, "Is it time?"

Ruhi nodded.

They all turned to Amyra, who looked nervous, but unmistakably radiant.

"Are you ready, Amyra? If not, say the word. I can still help you escape," Samaira said seriously.

"Exactly," Ruhi chimed in. "It wouldn't be too hard. I can handle the crowd outside."

Amyra gave them a deadpan look. "Guys..."

She knew they were serious. They always had her back, even when the world hadn't. They stood by her side when she first revealed her relationship with Ahaan.

"I'm more than ready. I know it's a big step, but with Ahaan, I'm willing to take it."

"Great! Because if you had said yes to running, it would've been a real problem. Making the bride run away from the royal palace of Rajasthan is no joke," Samaira said dramatically.

"I agree. And besides, we're still single. Also, how will Samaira ever meet her crush if the bride ditches the wedding?" Ruhi added, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly.

Amyra and Jeevika burst into laughter.

"Very funny," Samaira said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, enough jokes," Jeevika said with a smile. "Amyra needs to enter in five minutes, or the special stage we prepared for her will go to waste."

Everyone nodded and turned to Amyra, offering encouraging smiles.

Mandap Area

The priest began his final preparations at the mandap.

Ahaan sat at the center, regal in his gold-embroidered sherwani and turban. But his eyes kept scanning the entrance.

Vihaan leaned in. "Calm down, Bhaiya. If you twitch any more, the priest will think you're possessed."

Ahaan groaned. "She's taking too long."

Agastya chuckled. "Relax. They're preparing the queen."

Amyra's Royal Entry

Suddenly, the lights dimmed.

A soft tune began-shehnai and veena blended with orchestral strings. The heavy double doors at the far end slowly opened.

Everyone turned.

There stood Amyra.

She looked like a queen-his queen.

Draped in a royal red and gold lehenga that glimmered like firelight, with a sheer dupatta veiled over her head, she was ethereal. Her ruby and gold jewelry sparkled with every step. Her eyes were perfectly lined, and a calm, radiant smile graced her lips.

Every eye in the room was on her.

Every breath paused.

But Ahaan? He forgot to breathe altogether.

Vihaan leaned over and whispered, "Told you he'd faint."

Samaira, watching from among the guests, suppressed a laugh.

But her gaze shifted to Vihaan-who, she noticed, wasn't looking at the bride or groom, but only at her.

Samaira's cheeks turned pink as she subtly looked away.

Amyra reached the mandap. Her eyes locked with Ahaan's.

A thousand emotions flickered-love, nerves, excitement, shared memories.

Ahaan extended his hand. Amyra took it, her grip firm-a silent promise: I'm yours. Ahaan silently vowed never to let that hand go.

The priest cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"

Dadi nodded. "Yes. Let the rituals begin."

After the Mandap Rituals

The rituals concluded with laughter and blessings. As Ahaan stood with Amyra to exit the mandap, he suddenly froze. "My shoes... where are my shoes?"

The boys looked around in exaggerated confusion. "What?! The royal jootis? Gone?!"

Samaira, Ruhi, and Jeevika stepped forward dramatically.

Ruhi crossed her arms. "If you want your royal feet covered, we'll need compensation."

Reyansh groaned. "Here we go..."

Ahaan raised an eyebrow, playing along. "And what exactly do you want, my dear little sisters?"

"Wait! Ahaan, not so fast!" Agastya spun around.

Vihaan turned to the others. "Let's split up and search. They can't have gone far!"

The boys scattered-Reyansh and Agastya toward the vanity room, Nitya to the guest rooms, and Vihaan toward the flower baskets.

Ruhi and Jeevika circled them like agile ninjas, dodging every attempt to corner them.

At one point, Reyansh dived into a cushion pile, yelling, "Aha! Gotcha!"-only to pull out a baby's shoe.

Vihaan groaned. "This is so unfair!"

Samaira smirked. "Everything's fair in love and war... and this is war-with a hint of love."

Even after half an hour of searching, the boys returned, defeated.

"You done searching? Or should we give you a map?" Ruhi teased, especially mocking Reyansh, who looked seconds away from a dramatic meltdown.

A crowd gathered, forming a playful circle around the bickering teams.

Ahaan raised a brow.

Ruhi stepped forward. "We demand 5 million."

Reyansh choked. "Haww! You're a doctor! Shouldn't you be saving lives, not robbing grooms?!"

Ruhi scoffed. "And you're a doctor too You shouldn't be fighting with another doctor. Sit down."

The crowd roared with laughter.

Reyansh pleaded, "Dadiii! Tell them this is daylight robbery!"

Dadi smiled, holding her aarti thali. "Beta, they're giving you their best friend. Samaira, Ruhi, Jeevika-loot them properly. Main tumhare saath hoon."

Everyone laughed louder as Reyansh clutched his heart. "Dadi, are you our Dadi or theirs?"

Vihaan raised his hands. "Okay, okay! Ahaan bhaiya will give 10 million."

Ahaan turned to his brother with a betrayed expression. Is he really my brother? he thought.

Vihaan added, "But in return, I demand your best friend-for life."

He grabbed Samaira by the waist and pulled her toward him. She gasped, and the hall fell into stunned silence.

Everyone stared-especially Ahaan and Reyansh.

"He's impossible," Ahaan said, facepalming.

"He's not impossible," Reyansh muttered. "He's just blind in love."

Agastya and Nitya groaned together. "Ugh, he's gone soft."

Vihaan clutched his chest. "Soft? I've been struck by Cupid's arrow-named Samaira."

Samaira rolled her eyes, cheeks flushed. "Shut up, Vihaan."

Nalini nudged Vikram and whispered, "Your son is getting more shameless every day."

Vikram grinned and winked. "Of course. He's my son. Openly loving our women is in our blood."

Samaira quickly stepped back, clearing her throat. "Ahem, I think we were discussing ransom?"

Ruhi nudged her, grinning, but stood straight as Ahaan spoke. "You want 10 million?"

Ruhi and Jeevika nodded dramatically. Samaira shook her head quickly.

"Fine," Ahaan said, smirking. "10 million each."

The crowd gasped-except the Oberoi family. Ten million wasn't even 1% of their wealth.

"AND..." he added, "individual flats and personal cars-for each of you. After all, you're not just Amyra's best friends. You're family."

Applause erupted. Dadi wiped a tear.

Reyansh blinked. "Bhaiya! At this rate, you'll go bankrupt!"

Ahaan chuckled. "It's worth it-if I get to keep my wife."

Ruhi looked at Samaira, who raised her lehenga to her ankles and revealed the oversized jootis. Everyone chuckled.

Ruhi picked them up and dramatically placed them in front of Ahaan. "Take your shoes, Jiju. But remember-we're watching."

Samaira raised a finger. "Forever."

Vihaan whispered, "You can watch me all you want."

She shoved him lightly. "Shut up."

As Ahaan slipped on his shoes, the hall burst into applause and laughter, carrying the royal wedding.

As the laughter from the joota chupai slowly faded, the guests began to walk out, heading toward the grand dining area.

The beautiful garden was now glowing under the soft shimmer of chandeliers and fairy lights. The air smelled of roses, sandalwood, and freshly cooked Rajasthani delicacies and international cuisines.

Within minutes, only the close family members remained inside the hall, now quieter, and more intimate.

Ahaan stood beside Amyra, her hand still resting gently in his, as if letting go would mean waking from a dream. Amyra glanced at her parents and best friends, who were all looking at the pair with warm smiles.

Dada Ji rose from his seat, grabbing everyone's attention as he spoke.

"Usually, the vidaai takes place right after the wedding," he said, pausing to look at the young couple. "But the crowning is still left, which will be done tomorrow in the early morning. I know you're all tired, but it's necessary before we do grahpravesh of Amyra."

Gasps echoed softly across the room.

Amyra's eyes widened. Ahaan turned to look at her-softly, reassuringly.

And then she nodded and said, "As you wish, Dada Ji."

Dada Ji smiled proudly at Amyra's words.

Time Skip - Random

Samaira stood by the pillar, Vihaan beside her. The moment felt bittersweet-it had taken fourteen years for them to reunite, and now they were going to be separated again.

Vihaan, her Vihaan, her dream, her deepest ache-stood still, hands in his pockets, watching her with a tenderness that made her heart ache.

"Only seven hours left," she whispered.

Vihaan looked at her. "Seven hours... before I let go of you again."

A pause.

Samaira blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tear that finally escaped. "It hurts."

Vihaan gave a painful smile. "It's supposed to. If it didn't, it wouldn't be real."

They stood in silence, holding each other-two souls in love, separated by distance, connected by destiny.

Reyansh stood awkwardly near the floral arch, hands shoved into his kurta pockets, his thoughts more chaotic than ever.

Ruhi's laughter echoed somewhere behind him-light, carefree, and suddenly... distracting.

He looked over. She wasn't even looking at him. But still... she was all he saw.

"What the hell is this?" he muttered to himself.

He wasn't the poetic type. Never had been. He didn't believe in signs or meant to be. He was known for his playboy image-a façade for the outer world. All those scandals, crafted by his own hands. But right now, seeing Ruhi nudge Jeevika playfully, her eyes glowing... something twisted inside his chest.

"She's just a friend," he thought. "Isn't she?" But then again... he wasn't so sure anymore.

Ruhi tried to focus on Jeevika's conversation, but she couldn't. Reyansh's voice from earlier kept echoing in her mind, and a small smile crept onto her face.

"Haww! You're a doctor! Shouldn't you be saving lives, not robbing grooms?!"

"Dadi, are you our Dadi or theirs?"

The way he looked at her when she stole the shoes. The way his face flushed when she teased him. Why was she thinking about him now?

This wasn't her. She didn't get distracted. Not by boys. Not by feelings. But here she was, arms crossed, wondering what he was doing... and whether he was thinking about her too.

She shook her head.

"It's just tiredness," she whispered. But her heart? It fluttered in protest.

The Next Morning

Palace Hall

Red and gold carpets stretched majestically from the grand palace gates to the central royal hall, richly adorned with intricate Rajasthani motifs and ancient royal emblems. The hall buzzed with anticipation—royal guards stood in ceremonial uniform, priests chanted ancient Sanskrit hymns, and guests, still dressed in elegant traditional clothes, gathered to witness the coronation of the new king.

The coronation of the Crown Prince and his bride—the next Maharaja and Maharani of Rajasthan—was about to begin.

Ahaan entered first, dressed in a regal white-and-gold achkan with a deep crimson angavastram draped over his shoulder. His turban bore the historic Oberoi crest, the same one his father wore during his own coronation. As he walked toward the throne, chants of “Raj Tilak ki Jai!” echoed through the palace grounds.

Moments later, Amyra appeared.

Draped in a traditional red-and-gold Pathani saree, her hair braided in the royal Rajasthani style and adorned with fresh mogra flowers, she moved with such grace that the whole crowd watched in stunned silence.

If she looked like a queen last night, today she was one.

As she reached Ahaan, his expression softened. He stepped forward and gently took her hand. Together, they stood in front of Vikram and Nalini, ready to accept their place in Rajasthan’s legacy.

The royal priest began the ceremonial mantras. Vikram stepped forward, solemnly removing the royal chain and sword from his own attire. He handed the sword to Ahaan with both hands.

“From this day forth, you will protect this legacy—not just with strength, but with love, patience, and fairness.

Ahaan dropped to one knee and accepted the sword with both hands. “I promise, Rana Sa.”

The priest marked his forehead with vermillion and sandalwood, officially crowning him as the future Maharaja of Rajasthan. Amyra stood beside him, her maang-tika replaced with the Rajmata Sringar, a powerful symbol that she was now the Rani Sa of Rajasthan.

Dada Ji stepped forward and raised his hand. The entire palace quieted. “From this moment on, Ahaan Vikram Nalini Oberoi is declared Rana Sa of Rajasthan. And beside him stands Amyra Manish Amrita Singhania Oberoi, as Rani Sa.”

Loud applause was heard all over the mansion as the media captured the royal coronation.

An hour later, the coronation had ended. The guests were gone. The grandeur faded into a heavy silence as the moment everyone had been dreading arrived.

The Vidaai.

Amyra stood near the palace gates, arms wrapped around herself, looking tense and quiet. Her eyes stayed on her parents, who were gently speaking with Dada and Dadi.

Amrita turned—and the moment she met her daughter’s eyes, all composure shattered. She rushed forward and embraced Amyra tightly. “My baby…” Her voice cracked. “I still remember the day we brought you home. And now... we're sending you away.”

Amyra buried her face into her mother’s shoulder, her grip tight. “Maa, don’t go yet. Just a little longer.”

Manish joined them, resting a protective hand on her back. “If we don’t leave now,” he said softly, “we may never be able to.”

Tears welled up in Amyra’s eyes. “That would be fine with me.”

He chuckled faintly, gazing at his little princess—now Rajasthan’s queen. “Princess, you may now belong to a royal family and have the entire state calling you Rani Sa, but if you ever feel the need to come home—don’t hesitate. You will always be your father's princess.”

Amyra nodded and hugged him tight. Tears streamed down her face.

The Oberoi family watched silently from a distance, their expressions full of warmth and pride.

Behind them, Samaira, Ruhi, and Jeevika stood, eyes glistening.

“This is harder than I thought…” Samaira whispered.

“We’ve done everything together since school,” Ruhi said softly. “Now… we’re separate?”

Amyra turned to them, lips trembling.

Samaira broke the silence, her voice surprisingly steady. “Well… this is it. Time to leave you behind like a married old lady.”

Amyra laughed through her tears. “You wish. I’m still cooler than you.”

“You wish,” Samaira fired back with a smirk. Then she hugged Amyra, whispering, “I’m going to miss you. So, so much.”

Ruhi wiped her eyes but tried to sound cheeky. “Are you sure about this, Amyra? We can still kidnap you.”

Amyra hugged her. “Kidnap me whenever you want. But till then… video calls every night.”

“Done,” Jeevika grinned, pulling her in. “We’ll spam you so much, Ahaan jiju will beg us to stop.”

Amyra smiled softly. “Just promise me… you’ll visit.”

“We will,” Samaira whispered.

After some time, everyone was still chatting when Samaira's eyes went to search for... HIM.

Vihaan.

He stood alone, leaning against a marble pillar, hands in his pockets. His eyes never left her-like she might vanish if he dared to blink.

"You're not going to say goodbye?" Samaira asked, trying to sound lighthearted.

He walked slowly toward her, each step heavy. "Why should I?" he said quietly. "You might be away from me-but I'm still yours."

Samaira raised an eyebrow. "Not the line I expected. Don't people usually say, You're mine?"

Vihaan gave her a soft, smirking glance. "You're not an object to own. But I'd gladly be yours-alive or dead."

A silence fell.

"You'll call me every day," she whispered, eyes moist.

Vihaan gently cupped her face. "Every single day." And then pulled her into his arms.

"I wish you could stay longer," he murmured.

"I wish that too," she whispered. "But my life is still in Lucknow... even though my heart is now in Jaipur-with someone named Vihaan."

He smiled, his gaze intense. "I love you, jaan."

"I love you too, Vihaan."

And then... he kissed her.

Not a gentle kiss. Not a polite farewell.

It was everything-years of silence, longing, fear, and love. Her hands clutched his shirt as his fingers buried into her hair. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a promise.

When they pulled apart, breathless, she whispered, "What if I never come back?"

He brushed her jaw gently. "Then I'll come find you."

She laughed tearfully. "You're such a flirt."

"And you," he said, voice dark and sure, "are the only woman who makes me want to live."

Samaira turned to leave but paused.

She held Vihaan's hand and gently tugged him toward the back garden-the spot where they'd first kissed.

The moment they entered, petals began falling from the sky.

Vihaan looked up-choppers hovered above, releasing thousands of rose petals.

He turned back, stunned-only to see Samaira down on one knee, holding a velvet box open with a diamond ring sparkling inside.

"Mr. Prince..." she said with a grin, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

Meanwhile

The family was still chatting, soft laughter and tearful moments blending together, when a sudden stir came from a few maids standing near the palace's corridor windows overlooking the garden.

Two maids gasped, hands flying to their mouths as they pointed upward, eyes wide.

"See! Flowers are falling!" one exclaimed.

"From the sky! Choppers! It's raining roses!" said another, nearly dropping the silver tray in her hands.

Dadi, seated on one of the sofas, raised an eyebrow. "What is happening now?"

Vikram and Manish, who were talking seriously, glanced upward through the blooming archway. "Choppers dropping petals?"

Everyone's attention went outside hearing Vikram's voice, and they saw Nalini walking towards the window and saw blades of a chopper. "This isn't a random stunt," she said, confused.

Everyone, now confused and curious, followed the commotion toward the garden lawn, where rose petals began to swirl down in a fragrant cascade.

Back Garden Lawn

And there-right in the center of the now-blooming garden-stood Vihaan, completely still, eyes wide in astonishment.

Before him, on one knee, was Samaira.

Around them, petals rained like silk.

Above, five choppers hovered gracefully, dropping red and white flowers in a cinematic storm. A long golden banner swayed in the wind:

"Will You Be My Boyfriend, Mr. Prince?"

Everyone collectively froze.

Reyansh choked. "WHAT THE-"

Agastya let out a long whistle. "Bro got proposed to... in a royal-style flower attack."

Nalini's lips twitched despite herself.

Dadi blinked rapidly. "That girl just proposed to him?" "In the garden? With choppers?"

Vandana covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Well, that's one way to make sure no other girl dares flirt with Vihaan ever again."

Rajeev muttered, "Even I didn't go this crazy for my wedding proposal."

Nitya, arms crossed, raised an impressed brow. "She's got style. Mafia-level drama. I approve."

Even Ahaan, who had just turned back to check on Amyra and her parents, stood frozen, jaw slack. He turned toward Amyra, stunned.