Chapter 55 : A Dinner

Ananya tilted her head, intrigued. "Oh? So you do have a plan?"

Advay leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. His emerald-green eyes locked onto hers, the candlelight flickering between them. "Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well? Don't keep me waiting, Rai."

For a moment, he said nothing, just watching her, as if weighing whether to say it out loud. Then, his voice dropped slightly, quieter but steady.

"Five years from now… off the field… I see myself with you."

Ananya's breath hitched slightly. Her fingers, which had been absently tracing the rim of her wine glass, froze mid-motion.

She blinked. "Wait… what?"

Advay smirked, but this time, it wasn't his usual teasing one. It was softer, more certain. "You heard me."

Ananya opened her mouth, then closed it, clearly caught off guard. "You—Advay, are you serious right now?"

He leaned back in his chair, still holding her gaze. "Completely."

Her heart pounded in her chest. Of all the things she had expected him to say, this wasn't one of them.

"You actually think that far ahead?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

"Only when it comes to things that matter," he replied smoothly.

Ananya let out a small breath, shaking her head with a disbelieving smile. "Wow."

"Wow, what?"

She looked at him, still processing. "You just—said that. So casually. Like it's the simplest thing in the world."

He shrugged. "It is. At least for me."

Ananya stared at him for a moment before laughing softly, running a hand through her hair. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Advay smirked. "And yet, here you are, still sitting across from me."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, yeah."

As the night air wrapped around them, the moment settled between them—unspoken yet understood.

Neither of them needed to say anything else.

Because in that instant, they both knew—this wasn't just a fleeting romance.

It was something much more.

After finishing their meal, Advay and Ananya walked toward the edge of the rooftop, their fingers naturally intertwining as they stood side by side. The night was calm, the city lights of Bangalore stretching endlessly before them, twinkling like scattered stars. Above them, the moon hung high in the sky, its silver glow casting a soft light over everything.

Ananya sighed, resting her free hand on the railing. "It's beautiful."

Advay glanced at her, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. "Just like you."

She froze for a second before turning to him, eyes wide. "Advay!"

His smirk deepened. "What?"

She groaned, cheeks tinged pink, and started hitting his arm lightly, flustered. "Don't say things like that!"

Advay chuckled, effortlessly dodging her weak attempts to hit him. "What? I'm just telling the truth."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "You're so annoying."

He leaned slightly toward her, amusement dancing in his emerald-green eyes. "And yet, you're blushing."

Ananya gasped, covering her face with her hands. "I hate you."

Advay chuckled, gently prying her hands away. "No, you don't."

She pouted but didn't move away. Instead, she looked back at the skyline, the blush still faint on her cheeks. "You really know how to ruin a moment."

He smirked. "Or make it better."

She sighed dramatically but couldn't stop the small smile that played on her lips.

And as they stood there, fingers still intertwined, watching the moon and the endless Bangalore skyline, the world around them faded into quiet comfort.

Because in that moment, nothing else mattered.

As they stood side by side, soaking in the breathtaking view, Advay glanced at Ananya, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You said something earlier," he began casually.

Ananya turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"You said that even though we made it official on the show, I still haven't posted a picture of us together."

She folded her arms, pretending to be unimpressed. "Yeah, because you haven't."

Advay pulled out his phone. "Let's take one now. I'll post it."

Ananya blinked, caught off guard. "Wait—what? Just like that?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Why not?"

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "You told me you only post pictures of yourself holding trophies on Instagram."

Advay turned toward her, his emerald-green eyes glinting under the moonlight. "Well… you're the best thing I've won."

Ananya's jaw dropped, and before she could stop herself, she started punching his arm, her face turning bright red. "ADVAY! I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY STUFF LIKE THAT!"

Advay burst into laughter, effortlessly dodging her weak punches, but he didn't let go of her hand. "What? I'm just being honest."

"Stop it!" she whined, covering her burning face with her hands.

He gently pulled her hands down, smirking. "Come on, let's take the picture."

Still flustered, Ananya glared at him but finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. But if you make that caption something cheesy, I swear I'll block you."

Advay chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close as he raised his phone. "No promises."

And just like that, under the moonlit Bangalore skyline, he took the picture that would break the internet.

As Advay was about to type the caption, Ananya snatched the phone from his hand.

"Hey!" he protested, but she held it out of his reach, grinning.

"Nope," she said smugly. "I know you. You'll put something ridiculously cheesy, and I am not letting that happen."

Advay smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh? And what do you plan on writing instead?"

She ignored him, scrolling through his Instagram before tapping on the 'Post' button.

"First, let's pick the best picture," she murmured, going through the ones they had taken.

She finally settled on one where Advay was hugging her from behind, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. They were both laughing, caught in a moment of pure joy. The Bangalore skyline stretched behind them, the candlelight giving the image a warm, intimate glow.

Ananya smiled at the photo before clicking on the caption field.

She typed:

"About time."

Short. Simple. Perfect.

She hit 'Post' and handed the phone back to him. "There. No unnecessary drama, no cringy lines. Just a normal caption."

Advay glanced at the post, then at her, his smirk deepening. "'About time'? That's all?"

Ananya raised an eyebrow. "What? It says everything it needs to."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You just didn't want me to write something like 'My biggest win yet,' huh?"

Ananya groaned and started punching his arm again, her face heating up. "ADVAY! I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY STUFF LIKE THAT!"

Laughing, he caught her wrists easily, pulling her close. "What? I was just thinking out loud."

She huffed, still blushing furiously. "You're the worst."

Advay leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough for only her to hear. "And yet, you're still in my arms."

Ananya gasped, her blush deepening. "UGH!" She turned away, covering her face with her hands.

Advay just smirked, letting her go. He glanced at his phone as the likes and comments started flooding in within seconds.

As expected, the internet was already losing its mind.

And for the first time, Advay didn't mind sharing a spotlight that wasn't just about cricket.

Because this moment?

This was just about them.

As Ananya scrolled through the comments flooding in under their picture, she suddenly set the phone aside and looked up at Advay.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Advay raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She smiled, her brown eyes shimmering under the candlelight. "For… everything. For dating me. For tonight. For just… being you."

Advay held her gaze for a long moment before exhaling lightly. "I think I should be the one thanking you."

Ananya tilted her head, confused. "Me? Why?"

He stepped closer, his voice calm but filled with sincerity. "Seriously, before you came into my life… I wasn't laughing as much as I do now. I wasn't having this much fun. Everything was just… cricket, pressure, expectations. But with you, it's different."

Ananya's breath caught as he continued.

"I really think you're the best thing that happened to me."

The moment the words left his lips, Ananya felt her eyes welling up. She tried to blink away the tears, but they slipped down her cheeks anyway.

"Advay…" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Without another word, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"I love you. A lot," she murmured against his shoulder, her voice trembling slightly.

Advay closed his eyes for a second, his arms wrapping around her securely. He didn't say anything right away—he just held her, letting her feel every unspoken word in the warmth of his embrace.

After a moment, he whispered, "I love you too, Ananya."

She sniffled, laughing softly. "I can't believe I'm crying. You're turning me into an emotional mess, Rai."

He smirked slightly, pressing his lips against her hair. "Good. Now we're even. You've been messing with me since the day we met."

She pulled back slightly, her face still damp with tears, but her smile was radiant. "And I'm never going to stop."

Advay chuckled, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. "I'd be disappointed if you did."

Ananya pulled back just enough to look up at him, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. The warmth of his touch lingered on her cheek, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The world around them—the flickering candlelight, the endless Bangalore skyline, the quiet hum of the night—seemed to fade into the background.

Then, without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him.

It was soft at first—tentative, lingering—like she was pouring every unsaid emotion into the moment. But the second Advay responded, pulling her closer, the kiss deepened.

His hands rested gently on her waist, steady and sure, as if anchoring her in place. Ananya's fingers curled around the collar of his sweater, holding onto him like she never wanted to let go.

Time slowed.

The world disappeared.

It was just them.

When they finally broke apart, their foreheads rested against each other, their breaths mingling in the cool night air.

Ananya let out a small, breathless laugh. "You know… you really do say the most ridiculous things."

Advay smirked, his emerald-green eyes locked onto hers. "And yet, here you are—kissing me anyway."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips. "Shut up, Rai."

He chuckled, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "Make me."

Ananya gasped, eyes widening slightly. Then, with a playful glare, she smacked his chest lightly. "You're impossible."

Advay smirked, tightening his hold on her waist. "And yet, you're still in my arms."

She sighed dramatically, resting her head against his chest. "Unfortunately."

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. "Too late, Pandey. You're stuck with me now."

And as they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the city glowing beneath them, Ananya knew there was nowhere else she'd rather be.