There are moments in life when a man should be allowed privacy.
Graduation.
Career choices.
Existential breakdowns.
And, ideally—
his own proposal.
Unfortunately, Aarav did not belong to a family that respected ideal conditions.
He belonged to a family that believed patience was simply fear wearing polite clothes.
Which was why, at exactly 11:06 AM on a perfectly innocent Saturday, he walked into the living room and found—
everyone.
Waiting.
Like a criminal trial.
His mother.
His father.
Grandmother on video call, like divine surveillance.
His sister is holding a notebook labelled:
OPERATION PROPOSAL
Illegal.
Completely illegal.
His younger cousin is wearing sunglasses indoors for no reason.
Rohan was standing beside the sofa like a motivational speaker with bad intentions.
Aelina, Selene, Nysera, and Orion were sitting with the calm expressions of people who had accepted that reality here no longer followed laws.
And in the centre of it all—
Mira.
Arms crossed.
Already suspicious.
Smart woman.
Very smart woman.
The moment Aarav entered, everyone looked at him.
Silence.
Then—
His mother said:
"Sit."
Not a request.
A spiritual command.
He sat.
Because survival.
Because instinct.
Because mothers outranked democracy.
Rohan whispered beside him—
"If you survive this, I want rights to the film adaptation."
Denied.
Immediately denied.
His sister stood dramatically.
Too dramatically.
"Since emotional progress has clearly occurred…"
No.
No sentence starting like that had ever led to peace.
She flipped open the notebook.
"…and since Grandmother has already booked the hall—"
From the phone, Grandmother proudly said—
"Non-refundable deposit."
Of course.
Of course, there was a deposit.
Aarav covered his face.
This was not life anymore.
This was an organised destiny.
His sister pointed at him.
"We believe it is time."
Silence.
Mira slowly turned toward him.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Aarav looked at the universe.
No help.
No witnesses.
Only suffering.
He answered carefully—
"Time for what?"
Rohan stood like a man delivering national news.
"Brother."
A dramatic pause.
"Proposal."
Death.
Immediate.
Ceremonial.
His younger cousin threw flower petals.
WHERE DID HE GET FLOWER PETALS?
No one asked.
No one wanted the answer.
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I hate all of you."
Fair.
Deeply fair.
His mother folded her hands.
Calm.
Terrifying.
"We are not forcing anything."
A lie so elegant it deserved awards.
She continued—
"We are simply saying…"
A pause.
"If you know, then don't behave like a government office."
Cruel.
Accurate.
Powerful.
Even his father nodded from behind the newspaper.
"Processing delays ruin lives."
Betrayal.
Paternal betrayal.
Nysera sipped tea.
Of course.
Then said—
"In ninety-two per cent of future branches, delay causes unnecessary emotional damage."
Traitor.
Mathematical traitor.
Selene crossed her arms.
"If action is required, hesitation is weakness."
Of course, the war queen supported aggressive romance.
Aelina smiled softly.
"Some moments should be chosen, not postponed."
Even the gentle one had joined.
Orion, former destroyer of timelines, quietly added—
"Trust me. Waiting too long creates problems."
That one hit.
Everyone felt it.
Even the room paused.
Because when the ex-apocalypse gives relationship advice—
You listen.
Mira looked at all of them.
Then at Aarav.
Then said the most dangerous sentence possible.
"I would like to hear his answer."
Silence.
No jokes now.
No family chaos.
Just truth.
Aarav looked at her.
At the woman who had arrived from another century and somehow made every future feel less lonely.
The person who challenged him.
Stayed.
Chose him.
The person whose name was beside his on terrible cream paper hadn't felt wrong.
And suddenly—
All the noise disappeared.
Only her.
Only this.
He stood.
Slowly.
No performance.
No dramatic speech prepared by relatives.
Just honesty.
Again.
Always be honest.
"I hate that they're doing this like a public event."
Rohan whispered—
"Valid opening."
Very valid.
Aarav kept his eyes on Mira.
"But they're right about one thing."
A breath.
"I do know."
Silence.
His mother stopped smiling.
His father lowered the newspaper.
Historic.
Even Grandmother went quiet.
Because now—
This mattered.
Aarav stepped closer.
No ring yet.
Not here.
Not like this.
Because some things deserved better than an audience with snacks.
He said softly—
"I'm not proposing today."
Rohan collapsed dramatically.
His sister shouted—
"PLOT TWIST!"
Mira remained still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Aarav smiled faintly.
"Because when I ask…"
He glanced briefly toward the family.
"...I would prefer it not happen with your grandmother threatening me through speakerphone."
From the phone:
"Coward."
Correct.
Deeply correct.
He laughed.
Then looked back at Mira.
And the room disappeared again.
"When I ask…"
His voice lowered.
"…it will be because I'm giving you a moment that belongs to us."
Not pressure.
Not performance.
Choice.
Again.
"I want it to be real."
A pause.
"I want it to be yours."
Silence.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Mira's eyes softened in that quiet way that mattered more than tears ever could.
She stepped closer.
Close enough that everyone else became background noise.
Then she said—
"Good."
A breath.
"Because if you proposed in front of your entire family…"
A pause.
"…I would have said no out of principle."
The house exploded.
Rohan screamed.
His sister fell to the floor.
Grandmother shouted,
"Fair!"
His mother closed her eyes like a woman personally betrayed by romance.
Even Selene looked impressed.
Aarav smiled.
Because honestly—
Of course, she would.
And that was exactly why he loved her.
Mira crossed her arms again, rebuilding her dignity.
"But".
There it was.
The dangerous word.
She looked at him.
Clear.
Steady.
And said—
"Don't take too long."
Silence.
Then absolute destruction.
Rohan ascended spiritually.
His younger cousin started playing wedding music from his phone.
Orion looked like he needed a moment.
Aelina smiled.
Selene approved.
Nysera looked like probability itself had signed documents.
His mother whispered—
"Finally."
Grandmother began discussing jewellery again.
Naturally.
And Aarav—
stood there laughing in the middle of the chaos.
Because after everything—
after time, wars, and impossible futures, and family pressure strong enough to bend reality—
This was the answer.
Not a proposal.
Not yet.
But permission.
Hope.
A yes waiting in the future.
And somehow—
That was even better.
Because forever wasn't something you rushed.
It was something you chose.
Carefully.
Completely.
Together.
Even if your family refused to wait politely.
Especially then.