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Chapter 39

She blushed slightly at his words, quickly sipping her chai to hide her smile.

After chai, he drove them through the bustling streets of Mumbai.

"Close your eyes," he said suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it," he insisted, grinning.

She gave him a wary look but complied.

"Where are we going?" she asked as the car slowed down.

"You'll see."

When he told her to open her eyes, she gasped loudly. "No way!"

Right in front of her stood Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan's iconic house.

"Ayaan!" she squealed, jumping out of the car. "You brought me to Mannat?"

He leaned against the car, watching her with amusement. "You're obsessed with SRK, so I thought, why not?"

She stood there, staring at the house in awe, her hands clasped together like an excited child. "This is... this is amazing!"

He chuckled, pulling out his phone to take a picture of her. "You're cute when you're this excited."

She didn't even hear him, too absorbed in the view.

After a few minutes of fangirling, he led her to a nearby stall at Bandstand for pav bhaji. They sat on a low bench, the salty sea breeze ruffling their hair.

"So," he began, watching her savor the food, "what's your favorite SRK movie?"

"*Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,* obviously," she replied, her eyes lighting up. "Raj is the perfect hero."

Ayaan smirked. "What about me? Don't I fit the hero role?"

She gave him a deadpan look. "You're more of the annoying sidekick."

He feigned offense, clutching his chest dramatically. "Wow. That hurts."

She laughed, shaking her head, while he looked at her in awe. She was the only one who has called him something like that—without any hesitation. And this fresh energy was what he craved for such a while.

"Come, let's walk." He said, taking her hand.

The two of them walked alongside the beach. It wasn't loud. They weren't talking much, but it was nice and peaceful—and they liked it this way.

After walking along the beach for a while, Ayaan's phone buzzed. He frowned as he read the message.

"Everything okay?" Naina asked.

"Football meeting," he groaned. "In an hour."

"Oh," she said. "You should go. I'll be fine."

He hesitated, clearly torn. "You sure?"

"Positive," she said with a reassuring smile.

Reluctantly, he drove her back to her building.
As she unbuckled her seatbelt, he leaned closer, his hand gently cradling her jaw.

Her breath hitched. "What are you doing?"

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered, his eyes searching hers.

She blinked, stunned into silence.

He smiled softly. "Your eyes are saying yes," he murmured and smirked, leaning in to press a slow, tender kiss to her lips.

Her heart raced, but she smiled as she pulled away, whispering, "Bye, Ayaan," before slipping out of the car.

He watched her go, a small smile tugging at his lips.

~•~

Back in her apartment, Naina found Ananya and Meera sprawled on her couch.

"Where have you been?" Ananya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"With Ayaan," Naina admitted, sinking into a chair.

"Oh my god," Meera gasped. "What's going on with you two?"

Naina hesitated, then sighed. "I like him. I really like him. But... I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Ananya asked gently.

"Of letting my guard down," Naina admitted. "What if he's not serious? What if it's just... a phase for him?"

Meera placed a hand on her shoulder. "Naina, if it was just a phase, it would be over by now. I am telling you he's crazy about you. Anyone can see that."

"Yeah," Ananya added. "And you're crazy about him too. So stop overthinking and go for it."

Meanwhile, Ayaan sat in the locker room after his football match, looking distracted.

"What's up with you?" Rohan asked, sitting beside him.

"Yeah, you've been weird all day," Arjun added.

Ayaan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I want to ask her out. But I don't know how. And I don't know if she'll say yes."

"Bro," Rohan said, clapping him on the back, "you've got to take a chance."

"Yeah," Arjun agreed. "She's into you. We can all see it."

Ayaan leaned back, thinking about Naina's smile as she got out of his car. He didn't just like her. He was falling hard.

And he was ready to take the chance.

🩵