happily (n)ever after: A Love Story of One More Day by Jinesh Bhagdev is an emotional contemporary romance about love, companionship, family, and the quiet choices that shape a life together. Set across Mumbai, Rishikesh, Ladakh, Dubai, Bilimora, and Dharwad, the novel follows two people who are not an obvious match but gradually discover that meaningful love is often built through ordinary moments rather than grand gestures.
At the centre of the story is Viyaan Kotecha, a Gujju banker from Bilimora who lives by numbers, routines, and careful decisions. He counts everything—the kilometres he runs before sunrise, the minutes his rescue dog Goldie waits at the door, and the distance he keeps from anyone who might ask him to stay. Viyaan is someone who always picks dare over truth and has spent much of his life believing that being needed is the same as being wanted.
Then comes Meera D N, a soft-skills trainer from Dharwad. Quiet until it matters, Meera is a trained listener who understands people and knows exactly what to say when someone needs to hear it. Yet when it comes to Viyaan, she gives him the same three words again and again: maybe next time.
Their lives could not appear more different. He is a banker from Bilimora; she is a Kannadiga trainer from Dharwad. They are two people from different backgrounds who, at first, seem unlikely to fit into each other’s lives. But Goldie, Viyaan’s rescue dog, seems to understand something before either of them does.
What follows is a slow-burn love story that develops across Mumbai, Rishikesh, Ladakh, and Dubai. The relationship grows through shared experiences, conversations, misunderstandings, and the small moments that gradually bring two people closer.
Goldie is more than a pet in the story. The rescue dog becomes an important part of the relationship and serves as a quiet connection between Viyaan and Meera. His presence adds warmth to the narrative while reinforcing one of the novel’s central ideas: sometimes the smallest parts of our lives can become the most meaningful.
The story also moves beyond the traditional idea of a perfect romance. It does not present love as something that automatically creates a fairytale ending. Instead, it explores the effort, uncertainty, vulnerability, and everyday choices that are involved in building a life with another person.
Viyaan has spent much of his life mistaking being needed for being wanted. As his relationship with Meera develops, he begins to understand the difference. He is gradually confronted with the things he has avoided and the emotions he has kept carefully controlled.
Meera, meanwhile, is not simply waiting for Viyaan to change. She has her own identity, experiences, and understanding of relationships. Her quiet strength and ability to listen become an important part of the connection between them.
The novel’s setting also contributes to its emotional journey. Mumbai, Rishikesh, Ladakh, and Dubai provide different backdrops as the characters navigate their relationship and the changes taking place in their lives. From busy city spaces to quieter destinations, the story moves through places that reflect different stages of their journey.
At its heart, happily (n)ever after is a story about presence. It asks what it really means to show up for another person—not only when life is exciting or easy, but also during ordinary days and difficult moments.
The book’s central idea is captured in its treatment of happily ever after. Rather than presenting happiness as a permanent destination, the story suggests that a meaningful relationship can be found in choosing one another repeatedly. A happy life may not always look like a traditional fairytale, but it can be built through shared mornings, conversations, companionship, family, and the decision to stay.
Jinesh Bhagdev is an Indian novelist who writes about people who are easy to overlook and the truths that individuals often carry quietly. His writing focuses on everyday human experiences and the emotional realities that exist beneath them.
His debut novel, happily (n)ever after: A Love Story of One More Day, was published in June 2026. The novel is an emotional contemporary love story set between Mumbai, Bilimora, and Dharwad. Within two months of publication, it reached the top twenty in Amazon India’s Multicultural and Interracial Romance charts.
Jinesh travels extensively for work, and much of the novel was written in the gaps between those journeys. Airports, hotel rooms, and the final hours of the day became part of the writing process. This background gives the novel a perspective rooted in movement, observation, and the small details of everyday life.
The title itself carries an important idea. There is an element of “never” hidden inside “(n)ever,” reflecting the book’s exploration of expectations, uncertainty, and the possibility that life may not follow the version of happiness people initially imagine.
The novel also focuses on the idea that love is not limited to the moments before marriage or the beginning of a relationship. It explores what happens when people continue choosing each other through ordinary routines, changing circumstances, responsibilities, and the realities of life together.
This makes happily (n)ever after a story not only about falling in love, but also about remaining present within it.
For readers who enjoy contemporary Indian romance, slow-burn relationships, cross-cultural connections, family dynamics, and emotionally grounded storytelling, the novel offers a story centred on people rather than perfect circumstances.
Ultimately, happily (n)ever after: A Love Story of One More Day is about the beauty of one more morning, one more conversation, one more cup of tea, and one more day spent with the people who matter.
Because sometimes a happily ever after does not look like a fairytale.
Sometimes, it simply means choosing to stay.
BOOK: happily (n)ever after: A Love Story of One More Day
AUTHOR: Jinesh Bhagdev
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PURCHASE LINK:
https://books2read.com/u/bxVRMD?store=amazon
Instagram: @jineshbhagdev
