Page 138 of No Boss
The burner flared.
Heat poured down, lighting his face in gold for a few moments.
She looked at him without meaning to. He seemed unreal. Too close. Too much. She turned away, steadying herself.
“There.” Her hand lifted, pointing. “Anand Mahal.”
From above, it looked smaller than she had ever known it.
She turned back.
He was watching her again.
This time, she did not turn away.
The balloon climbed. The burner fell silent as they reached a steady height. Night gathered along the edges of the sky. The city below held onto its glow.
Movement caught her attention. Small lights, rising from below. Too precise. Too deliberate.
She released him and stepped closer to edge, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
Drones.
Dozens of them.
They rose, aligned, each light finding its place against the dark sky.
WILL YOU MARRY ME, MEERA?
Five words. Suspended in the air. Visible to the entire city.
Her breath left her.
She turned.
He stood close, watching her. The ease he wore had fallen away. What remained was bare. Raw. A man who had placed everything in front of her without armor.
The wind caught her hair. His hand rose, brushing it back. His fingers lingered at her cheek.
“I had speeches prepared.” His voice stayed low, stripped of authority. “None of them matter now.”
His thumb traced her cheekbone.
“I came here to close a chapter. You… Meera, you opened something I didn’t know existed.”
His other hand came up, framing her face, anchoring her in the moment.
“I don’t want to go back to who I was before this.”
The words carried no hesitation.
“I want to marry you, Meera Chauhan.”
Everything inside her stopped. Breath. Thought. Movement.
His thumbs moved against her skin, grounding her, keeping her present.
“Not because of the rain.” His jaw tightened briefly. “Not because of what anyone expects.”
