Chapter 66 :

After the celebrations wound down, the energy in the house softened into a warm afterglow. The lights still twinkled, the faint scent of cake lingered in the air, and the night outside was calm.

Ananya and Rysa were near the entrance, thanking and sending off the last of the guests.

"Thanks for coming, Su!" Ananya said as she hugged Suhana.

"This was amazing," Suhana replied with a grin. "And, of course, your reaction was priceless."

Shanaya giggled. "Best birthday surprise ever. You better return the favor when it's my turn!"

"Noted!" Ananya laughed as she waved them off.

Meanwhile, inside the house, near the dining area, Advay was standing with Bhavana Panday, talking quietly.

Bhavana smiled, watching her daughters, before turning to Advay. "I have to admit, you pulled this off wonderfully."

Advay shrugged slightly, his tone as calm as ever. "It wasn't just me. Rysa was the mastermind. I just helped."

Bhavana chuckled. "Still, I can see how much effort you put into this. You really care about her."

Advay held her gaze, his emerald-green eyes steady. "I do."

She nodded approvingly. "That's good to know."

For a second, there was a comfortable silence between them.

Then, Bhavana smirked slightly. "Although, I have to say—I've never seen Ananya cry over a gift before. You might be special."

Advay chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Don't tell her that. She'll deny it till the end of time."

Bhavana laughed. "Oh, I know."

Just then, Ananya and Rysa walked back in, having finished sending off the last guests.

Rysa grinned, throwing her arms up. "Mission 'Best Birthday Ever'—success!"

Ananya rolled her eyes but smiled, finally walking over to Advay.

"Alright, Mr. Surprise Planner," she said, folding her arms. "Happy now?"

Advay smirked. "I don't know. Are you happy?"

She huffed but then softened. "Yeah. I really am."

For once, she didn't even try to hide it.

Before Advay could react, Rysa, with the speed of a professional mischief-maker, swiftly navigated to his Instagram.

"Rysa, what are you doing?" Advay asked, his instincts kicking in a second too late.

"Just making the world a better place," she replied sweetly, her fingers flying across the screen.

Ananya's eyes narrowed. "Rysa, don't you dare—"

But it was already too late.

With a satisfied grin, Rysa hit 'Post' and held up the phone triumphantly. "Done!"

Advay immediately grabbed his phone, eyes narrowing. He tapped on the screen and—

Right at the top of his Instagram feed, a brand-new post gleamed.

It was the picture.

Him standing behind Ananya, arms wrapped around her waist, her holding the framed collage he had given her, the soft fairy lights in the background making it look effortlessly cinematic.

And the caption?

❤️

Advay sighed, shaking his head. "Really, Rysa?"

"What?" she grinned. "It's a great picture. It needed to be shared."

Ananya groaned. "You know he's already posted about us before, right?"

"Yeah," Rysa admitted, "but that one wasn't this cute."

Advay refreshed the post, already seeing the wave of notifications flooding in.

— @virat.kohli: You let Rysa near your phone? Rookie mistake. 🤦🏽‍♂️🔥

— @suhanakhan2: OMG, stop. You guys are actually perfect. 😍🔥

— @siddhantchaturvedi: Advay keeps breaking records on and off the field, huh? 😏

— @tigershroff: Good luck dodging all the fan edits now, bro. 🤣

Advay exhaled, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "You know I could've posted it myself, right?"

"Yeah, but you weren't gonna do it with just a heart. That's my touch," Rysa smirked. "Minimal. Classy. Straight to the point."

Ananya shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"I know," Rysa said smugly.

Advay glanced at Ananya, a teasing glint in his emerald-green eyes. "At least she's right about one thing—it's a good picture."

Ananya sighed, shaking her head. "You better not get out for a duck after this."

Advay smirked. "Like that's ever happening."

And with that, Rysa grinned in victory while the rest of the room burst into laughter.

After the long night of celebrations, Advay finally stood up, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He turned to Bhavana and Chunky Panday, giving them a small nod.

"Thank you for having me," he said, his voice calm as always. "It was a great evening."

Bhavana smiled warmly. "You're welcome anytime, Advay. And great job with the surprise."

Chunky chuckled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, good job, kid. But just know, if you ever make her cry for the wrong reasons, I'm coming after you."

Advay smirked slightly, unfazed. "Noted."

Rysa grinned, nudging Ananya. "Go on, go send your boyfriend off."

Ananya rolled her eyes but grabbed Advay's wrist, pulling him toward the door. "Come on, let's go."

They stepped outside, the night air crisp and quiet. The sounds of the city had dimmed, leaving just the two of them standing near his car.

Ananya stuffed her hands into her pockets, tilting her head. "So… did I have the best birthday ever?"

Advay leaned against the car, smirking. "Do you even have to ask?"

She huffed, looking away for a second before glancing back at him. "Fine, fine. It was perfect."

For a moment, they just stood there in comfortable silence, the warmth of the evening still lingering between them.

As Advay opened the car door, about to step in, Ananya suddenly grabbed his wrist.

He paused, turning to her with a questioning look. "What?"

Before he could say anything else, Ananya stepped forward, placed a hand on his collar, and pulled him down slightly.

And then, she kissed him.

Not rushed, not hesitant—just soft, warm, and deliberate.

For a fraction of a second, Advay was caught off guard. His emerald-green eyes widened slightly, but his hands instinctively rested at her waist, holding her in place.

But just as quickly, she pulled away, stuffing her hands into her pockets, her face slightly flushed.

"Good night, Advay," she said, her voice steady despite the heat rising to her cheeks.

Advay, still smirking, leaned back against his car. "That's four times now."

Ananya blinked. "What?"

"You've kissed me four times now," he said casually, tilting his head. "West Indies. After dinner. At your birthday. And now."

Ananya's eyes widened in realization—before narrowing immediately.

"ADVAY!" she shouted, launching a flurry of light punches at his arm. "Why are you COUNTING?!"

Advay chuckled, not even flinching as he took the hits. "Just keeping track."

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Ananya huffed, hitting him one last time before turning away.

"You love it."

"I HATE YOU."

"Sure you do," he said, smirking as he finally got into his car.

Ananya crossed her arms, glaring at him as he rolled down the window.

"Good night, Ananya," he said, his voice holding that infuriating mix of amusement and warmth.

"GO HOME, ADVAY!" she snapped.

She watched his car disappear into the night, her fingers absentmindedly touching the pendant around her neck.

From behind her, a voice broke the silence.

"I SAW THAT!"

Ananya groaned, already knowing who it was.

Rysa stood by the doorway, grinning like she had just won the lottery. "You kissed him! YOU ACTUALLY KISSED HIM!"

Ananya let out a frustrated sigh, turning around. "GO TO SLEEP, RYSA!"

"NOPE, I'M NEVER LETTING YOU LIVE THIS DOWN!"

Rysa's laughter echoed through the house as Ananya stormed inside, her face still burning— but despite that, a small smile never left her lips.

The next day, October 31, 2019, Advay was back where he belonged—at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), practicing in the nets.

The familiar sound of leather meeting willow echoed through the training facility. Advay, clad in his practice gear, stood at the crease, batting with his usual precision and focus.

"Again," he called out, signaling the bowler to deliver another one.

The pacer ran in, hurling a sharp back-of-a-length delivery. Advay rocked back effortlessly, using his strong wrists to guide it past point for a crisp boundary.

From the sidelines, his teammates watched. One of them, standing next to the coach, muttered, "Man's been in insane form. Doesn't even take a break."

Another nodded. "Well, after what happened in the IPL final, he's got unfinished business."

Advay, unaware of the chatter, adjusted his gloves, his mind already on the next ball. The Bangladesh series was approaching fast, and if there was one thing he knew, he'd be ready.

Later that evening, at the team dinner, the atmosphere was relaxed, filled with casual conversation and laughter. Plates clinked, and the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air.

Seated at the table, Advay was quietly eating when Yuzvendra Chahal leaned over, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So… Advay," Chahal started, stretching out his words. "Nice picture you posted yesterday."

Advay didn't even look up. "I didn't post it."

Chahal grinned. "Oh, we know. We saw Rysa's name all over the comments."

The table burst into laughter.

"So, the real question is," Chahal continued, "how does it feel to have your own social media manager now?"

Advay finally looked up, unimpressed. "You want her to handle yours too? I can arrange that."

Chahal immediately put his hands up. "Oh no, I'd like to keep my privacy intact, thank you very much."

Rohit Sharma, seated across from them, chuckled. "Honestly, you're handling it well, Advay. I thought after that post, you'd be dodging questions all day."

Advay shrugged. "It's not like people didn't already know."

Virat smirked. "True, but this time, they got proof."

Chahal leaned in again, wiggling his eyebrows. "So… tell us, what did Ananya say about the post?"

Advay took a sip of water, completely unfazed. "That she hates Rysa."

The team erupted in laughter again.

As the laughter settled down, the conversation at the table shifted naturally.

Rohit Sharma, leaning back in his chair, casually asked, "By the way, what movies are coming out next?"

"Oh yeah!" Chahal perked up, "There are a few big ones lined up. 'Housefull 4' just released, right?"

Shreyas Iyer, who had been scrolling through his phone, nodded. "Yeah, and 'Bala' is coming out next week. Heard it's gonna be good."

KL Rahul, sipping his drink, smirked at Advay. "You should know the movie schedule better than all of us, right? You're the one dating an actress."

Advay, without looking up, calmly replied, "I don't ask Ananya for movie updates the way you ask Athiya for fashion advice."

The table burst into laughter as Rahul coughed, nearly choking on his drink.

"That was uncalled for!" Rahul complained, shaking his head as the others continued laughing.

"Nah, that was a good one," Virat chuckled.

Chahal, still grinning, leaned forward. "But seriously, Advay, have you watched any of Ananya's movies?"

Advay paused for a second before answering. "Yeah, I watched 'Student of the Year 2' when it released."

"Did you watch it for the movie or for her?" Rohit teased.

Advay raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'd sit through it for Tiger Shroff?"

The table erupted in laughter again, the easy banter continuing as dinner carried on.

The evening of November 3, 2019, had arrived, and the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi was packed to the brim. The air was thick with excitement, the floodlights beaming down onto the lush green field as the crowd buzzed with anticipation.

This was India's first T20I against Bangladesh, and the energy inside the stadium was electric. Everywhere you looked, there were Indian flags waving, fans dressed in blue, and banners calling for big hits and records to be broken.

The captains had walked out for the toss, and the decision had been made.

"Bangladesh have won the toss, and they will BOWL first!"

The crowd cheered loudly, ready for the show to begin. As the Bangladesh players took their positions on the field, the massive screens displayed two names flashing up in bold:

ROHIT SHARMA. ADVAY.

The stadium erupted. Chants of "ROHIT! ADVAY!" echoed through the air as the two walked out of the dressing room, bats in hand, their presence alone enough to send a wave of energy through the stands.

"And here come the openers for India!" Harsha Bhogle's voice boomed through the commentary box. "The skipper Rohit Sharma, the hitman himself, and walking alongside him—the Crown Prince of Indian Cricket, Advay!"

Sanjay Manjrekar chimed in, "The crowd is loving this. Advay has been in monstrous form, and he's opening tonight alongside one of the best in the world. Bangladesh know they need early wickets if they want to put India under pressure."

Rohit and Advay took their positions at the crease. The bowler was marking his run-up, the fielders adjusting, but the noise in the stadium refused to die down.

As Advay tapped his bat against the pitch, rolling his shoulders back, he glanced at Rohit, who smirked.

"Let's give them a show, shall we?"

Advay smirked back. "Always."

The bowler charged in, the game was on, and the first ball was about to be delivered.

The first ball of the match was a gentle loosener outside off, but Advay was in no mood for sighters. He leaned forward, perfectly balanced, and drove it through the covers. The timing was exquisite, and the ball raced to the boundary in no time.

"WHAT A WAY TO START!" Harsha Bhogle's voice boomed across the commentary box. "Advay, with his trademark elegance, gets India going with a glorious cover drive!"

The crowd erupted, chanting his name. At the other end, Rohit tapped his bat on the ground, grinning.

INDIA – 4/0 (0.1 overs)

The bowlers tried to adjust their lines, but it didn't matter. Rohit Sharma wasn't one to take it slow either. In the second over, when the bowler pitched it just a fraction short, Rohit rocked back and pulled it effortlessly over deep square leg for six!

The ball disappeared into the sea of blue in the stands.

"AND THAT'S HUGE!" Sanjay Manjrekar exclaimed. "Classic Rohit Sharma—short ball, pulled into the crowd. You cannot bowl there to him!"

The Delhi crowd was electric, roaring with every boundary.

INDIA – 23/0 (2 overs)

The third over saw Advay shift gears. A full delivery outside off—Advay stepped forward, opened the face of the bat, and guided it delicately past backward point. The ball ran away for four.

Next delivery, a short one—he was ready. He rocked back, got into perfect position, and pulled it flat over midwicket for six!

"OH, THAT'S BRUTAL!" Bhogle shouted. "Advay is toying with the field!"

INDIA – 38/0 (3 overs)

The Bangladeshi captain looked concerned. The bowlers were already under pressure, and there was no sign of relief.

In the fifth over, Rohit decided it was his turn to unleash. A slightly slower ball, pitched up—he waited, waited… and then unleashed a monstrous lofted drive over extra cover.

The ball sailed into the upper tiers!

"THAT'S A SHOT AND A HALF!" Manjrekar laughed. "Rohit Sharma makes batting look so easy!"

INDIA – 62/0 (5 overs)

Advay, watching from the other end, smirked. When the bowler came steaming in for the next over and tried a wider length delivery, Advay danced down the track and launched it straight down the ground!

"Advay joins the party! And it's gone ALL THE WAY!"

The fans were on their feet, waving flags, roaring louder with every passing ball.

INDIA – 80/0 (7 overs)

The Bangladeshi bowlers were running out of ideas. Slower balls, yorkers, length deliveries—everything was being dispatched.

In the ninth over, Advay flicked a full delivery off his pads, sending it racing to the deep midwicket boundary.

"That's pure class!" Bhogle said. "No power, just pure timing!"

Rohit, not to be left behind, brought out his famous pick-up shot in the same over— a full-length delivery outside off, and he whipped it over deep square leg, clearing the ropes with ease!

The crowd was in absolute mayhem.

INDIA – 115/0 (9 overs)

The final over of the first ten came, and the bowlers looked defeated. Advay, sensing it, stepped out and lofted one over mid-off for four. Rohit, finishing the over, pulled another one for six.

At the 10-over mark, the scoreboard flashed:

INDIA – 134/0

The stadium erupted once again, chants of "ROHIT! ADVAY!" echoing through the stands.

"This is absolute carnage!" Bhogle exclaimed. "Bangladesh has no answers to this onslaught. Rohit and Advay have completely dismantled them!"

Sanjay Manjrekar chuckled. "And with ten overs still to go, I don't think they're stopping anytime soon."

The dugout was all smiles. The Bangladesh players looked frustrated, the captain having an intense discussion with his bowlers. But on the field, Advay and Rohit were relaxed, exchanging a quick fist bump, knowing that their job was far from over.

The second half of the innings began just as the first had ended—absolute carnage. The Bangladesh bowlers, already battered, tried to slow things down, but Advay and Rohit had other plans.

First ball after the break, a slower delivery outside off. Advay waited for it, let it come to him, and then sliced it over backward point for four. The placement was effortless, the execution—flawless.

"Advay continues from where he left off!" Harsha Bhogle called out. "That's just pure class!"

INDIA – 141/0 (10.1 overs)

At the other end, Rohit Sharma was in full flow. A slightly fuller delivery, and he stepped out, lifting it effortlessly over long-off for six. The ball disappeared into the stands, and the crowd roared once again.

Sanjay Manjrekar chuckled. "At this point, Bangladesh should just start bowling with ten fielders on the boundary!"

INDIA – 157/0 (12 overs)

Advay, now in his zone, pulled out his signature shot. The bowler dug one short, and in an instant, Advay swiveled and pulled it behind square for six. It was quick, clean, and destructive.

"Short ball? Punished!" Bhogle exclaimed. "Advay has no mercy today!"

INDIA – 176/0 (13 overs)

The field spread out, trying to cut off boundaries, but it didn't matter. Rohit took full advantage of it, stepping inside the line and scooping a full delivery over fine leg for four.

Then, in the next over, Advay danced down the track, inside-out over extra cover for six. The elegance, the footwork—it was a masterclass in T20 batting.

INDIA – 198/0 (15 overs)

As the 16th over began, Advay was on 94. The crowd was on its feet, chanting his name.

The bowler ran in, delivered a full ball, and Advay flicked it effortlessly past midwicket.

The ball raced to the boundary.

The crowd erupted. The teammates stood up in applause.

"There it is!" Bhogle's voice boomed. "A hundred for Advay! His dominance continues!"

Advay paused for a moment at the crease, then turned towards the dugout and gave his classic shrugging celebration. No emotions. No over-the-top gestures. Just pure, silent confidence.

INDIA – 213/0 (16 overs)

And then, in the very next over, Rohit joined the party.

A full toss outside off, and he smashed it over midwicket for six.

"THERE IT IS!" Manjrekar shouted. "Rohit Sharma brings up his hundred as well!"

The two batters exchanged a fist bump, smirking at each other. The job wasn't done yet.

INDIA – 229/0 (17 overs)

The bowlers were helpless, and the last few overs saw more destruction.

Advay, now completely fearless, played an outrageous ramp shot over the keeper's head for six. Rohit, not to be left behind, flicked another full toss into the crowd.

"THIS IS BRUTAL!" Bhogle laughed. "The Bangladesh bowlers will be having nightmares after this!"

The final over arrived, and India was already past 250.

Advay slogged one over deep midwicket for six, then followed it up with a delicate late cut for four. Rohit finished the innings in style, flicking the last ball for another boundary.

As the scoreboard flashed:

INDIA – 269/0 (20 overs)

The crowd was on its feet, roaring. The dugout was clapping, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Rohit Sharma – 121 (63)*

Advay – 134 (57)*

Sanjay Manjrekar laughed into the mic. "This is beyond unbelievable! Rohit and Advay have absolutely annihilated Bangladesh!"

Harsha Bhogle, still in awe, added, "This might just go down as one of the greatest T20I opening partnerships ever. What a performance!"

As Advay and Rohit walked off, bats raised, the stadium erupted in chants.

This wasn't just dominance. This was history.

Bangladesh's chase began under immense pressure. Chasing 270 was a monumental task, and they needed a miracle. But from the very first over, it was clear India wasn't going to let that happen.

Deepak Chahar took the new ball and struck immediately. A length ball that nipped back in, Liton Das played all around it, the stumps rattled. The crowd erupted, and the Bangladesh fans in the stands fell silent.

"GONE!" Harsha Bhogle shouted. "That's a dream start for India! Chahar gets the breakthrough in the very first over!"

BANGLADESH – 5/1 (1.3 overs)

The next few overs saw a counterattack from Bangladesh. Soumya Sarkar, looking aggressive, slashed at a wide delivery and sent it racing to the boundary. The next ball, he stepped down and lofted it over covers for another four.

"Well, that's a statement shot!" Sanjay Manjrekar noted. "Bangladesh isn't backing down just yet!"

Advay, standing at mid-off, smirked slightly, watching the intent. "Let's see how long that lasts," he muttered.

Bangladesh continued swinging hard, but the required run rate kept climbing. In the sixth over, Sarkar went for another big shot but mishit it straight into the hands of long-on.

"AND TAKEN!" Bhogle exclaimed. "Bangladesh lose their second, and this chase is getting steeper by the minute!"

BANGLADESH – 53/2 (6.2 overs)

As the innings progressed, the Indian bowlers tightened the screws. The spinners came on, and immediately, Bangladesh struggled to find the gaps. Yuzvendra Chahal tossed one up, drawing Mushfiqur Rahim into the drive—an edge, straight to first slip!

"ANOTHER ONE!" Manjrekar exclaimed. "Rahim falls, and India is running away with this game!"

BANGLADESH – 79/3 (10.4 overs)

In the stands, a group of Indian fans were already celebrating.

"Bhai, why did they even think they could chase 270?" one laughed.

"They should've just played for respect!" another added.

The crowd was in full voice, chanting 'INDIA! INDIA!'

And then, Advay was brought into the attack.

He ran in, eyes focused, his stride smooth and powerful. His first delivery was a fiery length ball, zipping past Mahmudullah's outside edge.

The second ball, fuller, tailing in—Mahmudullah tried to flick it, missed, and the ball crashed into the pads!

A loud appeal erupted.

"THAT LOOKS CLOSE!" Bhogle shouted.

The umpire took his time… AND RAISED HIS FINGER!

Advay walked forward, completely calm, just nodding as his teammates surrounded him. Mahmudullah took a review, but the big screen confirmed it—OUT!

"Plumb in front! Advay strikes!"

The crowd erupted into chants of his name.

BANGLADESH – 103/4 (13.1 overs)

After that wicket, Bangladesh collapsed completely. Wickets kept falling, one after another—run-outs, mistimed shots, soft dismissals.

In the 18th over, a desperate attempt for a big hit saw Mustafizur loft the ball straight to long-off. Rohit Sharma took the catch, turned, and pointed toward the dugout with a grin.

"IT'S OVER!" Manjrekar laughed. "India wins this by a massive margin!"

The final scoreboard flashed:

BANGLADESH – 191/8 (20 overs)

INDIA WINS BY 78 RUNS!

The Indian players walked off the field, high-fiving, smiling. Rohit and Advay, both with centuries earlier, exchanged a small smirk.

"Not bad," Rohit commented as they walked back.

Advay shrugged. "It'll do."

As the fans cheered, waved flags, and chanted, the Indian team knew—this was just the beginning.

India completely dominated Bangladesh in the T20I series, sweeping it 3-0. Advay played a crucial role, scoring 67 runs in the second T20I and bringing up another century in the third, sealing the series for India.

With the white-ball games done and dusted, the team was now shifting focus to the longer format.

At the National Cricket Academy (NCA), the Indian squad was taking a brief break before gearing up for the upcoming Test series. No intense net sessions had started yet, but discussions had already begun about team combinations and strategies for the red-ball challenge ahead.

The first Test was approaching fast, and soon, the real grind would begin again.