Chapter 59 : Love

By the time they finally got into Advay's suite, it was already past 8 PM. The day had been long, and both of them were feeling the exhaustion creep in.

After freshening up, they settled on the plush couch, wrapped in the comfort of the air-conditioned room. Ananya had changed into a loose oversized t-shirt and shorts, her hair tied up in a messy bun, while Advay wore a comfortable black t-shirt and joggers.

Not wanting to step out, they decided to order dinner through room service—butter chicken, garlic naan, some tandoori kebabs, and a plate of assorted desserts.

As they waited for the food, Ananya scrolled through the hotel's entertainment system. "Let's watch something new," she said.

Advay, lying back against the couch, smirked. "You pick. Just don't make me sit through anything unbearable."

She gasped dramatically. "Excuse me, I have excellent taste in movies!"

He raised an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."

After a few minutes of scrolling, she settled on "Gully Boy"—one of the biggest Bollywood hits of 2019.

Advay glanced at the screen and nodded. "Alright, fair choice. Haven't seen it yet."

She turned to him, eyes wide in disbelief. "You haven't seen Gully Boy?! What were you doing all year?"

He smirked. "Scoring runs?"

She groaned. "Okay, that's fair. But still, you're gonna love this. It's about an underdog proving himself—basically, your life story."

Advay chuckled. "If Ranveer Singh raps better than I bat, I'm switching it off."

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Just watch."

Just as the movie started, their room service arrived, and they settled onto the couch with their food—plates balanced on their laps as they took bites between conversations.

"Okay, but seriously," Ananya said between mouthfuls of naan, "the writing in this movie is so good. And Ranveer just owns this role."

Advay, chewing on a bite of tandoori chicken, nodded. "Yeah, he's good. But I like Siddhant Chaturvedi's character more—there's something effortless about him."

Ananya gasped. "I knew you'd like MC Sher! He's literally like you—quiet but savage when needed."

Advay smirked, wiping his hands with a napkin. "So you're saying I should start rapping?"

She almost choked on her food laughing. "No, please. Stick to cricket."

They continued watching, discussing scenes, teasing each other, and just enjoying the rare moment of normalcy away from the cameras, the crowds, and the constant pressure of their careers.

By the time the movie ended, it was 11:30 PM. The credits rolled on the screen, the room now filled with a comfortable silence.

Ananya stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn. "That was good," she murmured, looking at Advay, who was still lounging against the couch.

He nodded. "Yeah, not bad. But I'm still not rapping."

She laughed, nudging him playfully before getting up. "Alright, Mr. Superstar, time to call it a day."

They turned off the lights, leaving only the faint glow of the cityscape filtering through the large windows of the suite. The sound of the distant waves crashing against the shore mixed with the low hum of the air conditioning.

Both of them lay down on the large bed, facing opposite directions at first, yet neither able to sleep. There was a strange tension in the air, unspoken yet undeniable. The room was silent, except for the occasional rustling of sheets.

After what felt like forever, Ananya was the first to break the silence.

"Are you asleep?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant.

Advay, staring up at the ceiling, exhaled slowly. "No."

A pause. Then, in the dim light, she shifted closer, her warmth now within reach.

Without another word, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head lightly against his chest.

Advay, caught slightly off guard, hesitated for only a second before pulling her in, holding her tightly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stayed there, listening to each other's breathing, feeling the closeness, the quiet understanding between them.

Then, Advay lifted her chin slightly, looking into her eyes. There was something unspoken in her gaze—something that didn't need words.

And before either of them could think too much about it, he leaned in and kissed her.

It was slow, deliberate—their second kiss after the one at his house. But this time, there was no hesitation, no surprise—just something that had been building up, finally happening.

As the kiss ended, Ananya rested her forehead against Advay's, her breathing still steadying. Neither of them moved for a few seconds, just staying close, their hearts beating in sync.

Then, without a word, she buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him again.

Advay exhaled softly, a small smile on his lips as he held her close, his arms tightening around her. The tension that had lingered in the air before was gone—replaced by something much calmer, much deeper.

There was no need for words.

The warmth of the embrace, the quiet rhythm of their breaths, the comfort of just being there—it was enough.

Slowly, sleep found them, still holding each other, wrapped in the silence of the night.

Advay arrived at the training ground, stepping off the team bus with his kit slung over his shoulder. The Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad was already bathed in morning sunlight, and the players were scattered across the field, getting warmed up.

As he jogged toward the nets, Rishabh Pant spotted him first and smirked. "Oye, superstar! Got time for training, or should we schedule a red carpet entrance for you?"

Advay chuckled, setting down his kit. "Pant, the day you stop talking is the day cricket retires."

KL Rahul, stretching nearby, grinned. "Nah, let him talk. He needs something to do since he spends more time behind the stumps than actually batting."

The group burst into laughter, while Pant dramatically clutched his chest. "Wow. Betrayed by my own team!"

Virat Kohli, already padded up, walked over with his usual smirk. "Alright, enough stand-up comedy. Into the nets, boys."

Advay grabbed his bat and stepped in first. Jasprit Bumrah was at the top of his mark, ball in hand.

Bumrah grinned. "Ready?"

Advay smirked back. "Always."

The first ball—a sharp inswinging yorker at 140 km/h—came searing in. Advay barely managed to jam his bat down in time, digging it out.

Hardik Pandya clapped from the side. "Oh ho, Bumrah bhai, that was a 'Welcome to the Nets' delivery!"

Bumrah ran in again—short ball, head height. Advay was waiting this time, rocking back and pulling it over midwicket. The ball smashed into the side netting with a loud thud.

Pant whistled. "Bhai, nets mein bhi maar raha hai! Take it easy, superstar!"

Bumrah shook his head, grinning. "Okay, let's get serious."

The next five deliveries were a proper battle—Bumrah testing him with slower balls, sharp bouncers, and a wide yorker. Advay adjusted each time, leaving some, blocking others, and driving a half-volley straight past the bowler.

Virat, watching from outside, nodded. "Good. Stay compact."

After a few more minutes, Kuldeep Yadav came on to bowl.

First ball—a loopy leg-spinner outside off. Advay stepped out and lofted it effortlessly over extra cover for six.

Kuldeep groaned. "Bhai, at least let me settle!"

Advay smirked. "Why? Are the batsmen gonna let you settle in the match?"

Hardik Pandya laughed. "Arrey, stop messing with the spinners! Kuldeep bhai will start bowling only googlies now!"

Kuldeep grinned. "Already planned."

The next ball—a quick googly—skidded in fast. Advay misread it and got beaten, the ball hitting his pads.

Pant shouted from behind, "OUT! OUT! Out for a duck!"

Advay rolled his eyes. "Pant, it's the nets. Relax."

Pant grinned. "Sorry, bhai, I have to celebrate something!"

The session continued, with Advay facing different bowlers, sharpening his strokes, playing mind games, and keeping the banter alive. The team was already in high spirits after the first ODI win, but they knew the job wasn't done yet.

Virat clapped his hands. "Alright, wrap it up. We've got fielding drills next."

As Advay stepped out of the nets, Rohit walked up to him, smirking. "You're hitting the ball well, partner. Just don't waste all your runs before the next match."

Advay smirked. "Don't worry, Rohit Bhai. Plenty more where that came from."

By the time Advay got back to his suite, the clock read 5:30 PM. He opened the door, expecting to see Ananya lounging on the couch or raiding room service again, but instead, he was met with a completely different sight.

She was packed and ready to leave.

Her suitcase stood upright near the door, her handbag slung over her shoulder, and she was adjusting her sunglasses when she looked up at him.

Advay frowned slightly, confused. "Wait… you're leaving today?"

Ananya blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. Didn't I tell you?"

He set his kit bag down, shaking his head. "No, you didn't."

She hesitated for a second before sighing. "I thought I did. My flight's in an hour."

For the first time since he'd met her, he didn't have a quick reply. He had assumed she would stay for the rest of the series—not that they had discussed it, but it had just… felt that way.

But now, looking at her, suitcase in hand, reality set in.

Ananya smiled softly. "Will you at least take me to the airport, or are you too famous for that now?"

Advay exhaled, grabbing his car keys. "Let's go."

As they stood near the airport terminal, Ananya adjusted the strap of her bag, looking up at him. "So… I guess this is it for now."

Advay, hands still in his pockets, simply nodded. "Yeah."

She smirked. "That's all? No dramatic last words? No 'I'll miss you terribly, Ananya'?"

He smirked back. "You'd love that, wouldn't you?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

A brief silence settled between them. Then, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him.

Advay hesitated for a second before pulling her in, holding her tightly. Neither of them moved, both knowing that once they let go, she would be gone—for now.

But just before she could pull away, Advay leaned down and kissed her.

It wasn't rushed, not desperate—just a slow, lingering two or three seconds, like an unspoken promise.

When he pulled back, she was visibly flustered, her cheeks slightly pink.

She blinked, then cleared her throat, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she struggled to act normal. "W-What was that for?"

Advay smirked. "Just making sure you don't forget me before your next flight."

She scoffed, but the way her eyes flickered away for a second gave her away. He had caught her off guard.

Still flustered, she grabbed her suitcase handle. "You're annoying."

He grinned. "I know."

She started walking toward the entrance, but just before disappearing inside, she turned back one last time.

"See you soon, Rai."

Advay, still smirking, nodded. "Yeah. See you soon."

And with that, she disappeared into the terminal, leaving Advay standing there, hands in his pockets, watching until she was gone.

The second ODI in Trinidad followed a familiar script—India dominated from start to finish.

West Indies, after opting to bat first, got off to a steady but slow start. However, Advay struck in the middle overs, picking up three crucial wickets, including that of Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer, restricting the hosts to a competitive yet chaseable total.

With a target in front of them, India's chase was smooth, thanks to a solid foundation from the top order. Advay Rai once again delivered with the bat, scoring a fluent 89, filled with crisp drives, effortless pulls, and well-placed boundaries.

By the time India crossed the finish line with 6 wickets in hand, the series was sealed 2-0 with one match still to go.

With the series already secured, India opted to rest several key players for the third ODI, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Advay Rai, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

From the stands, Advay, Chahal, and the others watched as India's slightly inexperienced XI took the field. The West Indies, looking to salvage some pride, put up a strong fight, setting a competitive target.

During the chase, India fought hard, with some impressive contributions from the middle order, but fell just short, losing by 2 runs in a tense finish.

Despite the loss, India still clinched the series 2-1, and from the stands, Advay and Chahal exchanged knowing smirks, already looking ahead to the upcoming Test series.