Boundaries Of The Heart ??

The laughter still lingers in the air when they step out of the cafe. Evening sunlight spills gold across the quiet street, painting everything in a calm glow.

Abhishek stretches his arms, yawning dramatically. “Man, that food was so good I might skip dinner.”

Hardik chuckles, tossing his car keys in the air. “You skip dinner and I’ll eat your share. No problem.”

Vanya laughs softly at their banter, walking beside Shubman. Every now and then, their shoulders brush. Her heart still skips at every accidental touch.

Shubman steals glances at her — the curve of her smile, the way her hair dances in the light wind. How does she do that… look like peace even after chaos?

Abhishek glances back at them and smirks. “You two walking slow like it’s some romantic film?”

Vanya instantly blushes. “Shut up, Abhi!”

Shubman shakes his head, grinning. “Jealous much?”

“Of what?” Abhi teases. “You two looking like a couple from a Yash Raj poster?”

“Exactly,” Hardik laughs, joining in. “Someone get background music!”

Everyone bursts into laughter as they walk toward the parking lot, still teasing and joking — completely unaware of the storm that’s about to begin.

---

Jasleen’s POV

From the corner table of the same café — unseen, unnoticed — Jasleen watches them leave.
Her eyes follow the sight of Vanya and Shubman walking side by side, laughing softly, like nothing could touch them.

Her jaw tightens.

“You really think you can just walk away happy after what you did?” she mutters, unlocking her phone.

The picture she took — the hug in the stadium, perfectly captured — sits in her gallery, glowing like a weapon waiting to be used.
But one picture isn’t enough.

She scrolls through her old photos — the ones from years ago when she and Shubman used to hang out after therapy sessions, when she was still part of the physio team.
A few smiles, a few casual poses — harmless at the time.
Now, they’re ammunition.

“Let’s make it look… convincing,” she whispers.

She sends them all — the stadium hug and a few old ones — to one of her contacts in a gossip media house, along with a message that sounds sweet on the surface, but drips with venom underneath:

> “Just thought you’d like to know — our star boy might not be as single as everyone believes 😉.”

She adds a careful note:

> “Don’t mention me by name. Keep it speculative — ‘mystery girl’, ‘rumoured girlfriend’ — you know how to play it.”

The man replies within seconds:

> “Got it. Will be viral in an hour.”

Jasleen leans back, smirking, her reflection dark in the café window.
“They won’t even know what hit them.”

---

Back at the Hotel

By the time the group returns, the easy laughter continues. They walk through the lobby, greeting a few fans on the way.
Everything feels normal — warm, peaceful — the kind of peace that comes right before a storm.

Upstairs, everyone heads to their rooms to rest before evening practice.

In her room, Vanya sits by the window, laptop open, going through logistics for the next day’s training session. Her phone lies beside her, screen lighting up with notifications she doesn’t notice yet.