Chapter 79 :

Back at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, Advay and Ananya sat next to each other on the couch, the glow of his phone screen lighting up their faces.

Ananya scrolled through Twitter while Advay checked Instagram. The reactions were exploding.

@RCBForever: "164 in a playoff match. Advay Rai is not real. This man is a MACHINE! #RCB #IPL2020"*

@OfficialIPL: "We've run out of adjectives for Advay Rai. UNSTOPPABLE. ICONIC. A LEGEND IN THE MAKING! 👏🔥"

Ananya smirked, nudging him. "Trending worldwide again. Must be tiring, being this famous."

Advay, scrolling casually, shrugged. "Not really."

She rolled her eyes. "You are so annoying."

Just then, she came across a meme—a side-by-side image of Bumrah looking exhausted and Advay walking off after his innings, captioned:

"Bumrah trying everything vs. Advay Rai just existing."

She burst out laughing, showing him the screen. "Look at this."

Advay chuckled, shaking his head. "They really don't let up, do they?"

Ananya leaned her head against his shoulder. "Nope. But then again, you kind of deserve it."

He glanced at her, a small smirk forming. "Oh? And why's that?"

She looked up, eyes playful. "Because you are ridiculous. 164*? Really?"

Advay simply smirked. "Told you. They bowled in my zone."

She sighed dramatically. "Unbelievable."

The notifications kept rolling in, but at that moment, none of it mattered.

As Advay lay down, arms resting behind his head, he exhaled, finally allowing himself to relax after the long day. Just as his eyes began to close, Ananya moved suddenly, shifting on top of him.

Before he could say anything, her lips crashed onto his, soft yet urgent. Advay tensed for a brief second, but then his hands instinctively found her waist, pulling her in as he deepened the kiss.

Her fingers trailed down his chest, slow, deliberate, teasing. Advay exhaled against her lips, flipping her onto her back for a moment, only for her to pull him back on top of her.

Their breaths were uneven now, the air between them thick with heat.

Ananya's hands tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head, fingers tracing the toned muscles underneath. Advay, in return, ran his hands up her sides, slipping beneath the fabric of her top, pushing it up, then off.

Their lips met again, hungry, slow, full of longing, as they tangled deeper into each other, bodies pressed close, their warmth consuming the space around them.

Piece by piece, their clothes fell away, discarded carelessly onto the floor.

There was no rush, no hesitation—only them, wrapped up in each other, lost in the moment.

As the morning light filtered through the curtains, Advay slowly opened his eyes, feeling warmth pressed against him. Ananya was still asleep, hugging him tightly, her face nestled against his chest.

For a moment, he just watched her—the soft rise and fall of her breathing, the peaceful expression on her face.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, careful not to wake her.

Slowly, he untangled himself from her grip, moving with precision so she wouldn't stir. She shifted slightly but stayed asleep, her arms unconsciously reaching for him even in slumber.

He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed to the bathroom, letting the warm water wake him up as he took a quick shower.

After stepping out, he grabbed a pen and a notepad from the desk and scribbled a quick message:

"Went out for a bit. Be back soon." — A.

Placing the note beside her, he took one last glance at her sleeping peacefully, then quietly stepped out of the room.

As Advay stepped into the hotel lobby, he spotted Virat and Anushka near the lounge area, deep in conversation. Anushka laughed at something Virat said, her eyes crinkling with amusement, while Virat smirked, shaking his head.

Advay walked over, hands in his pockets. "Am I interrupting some romantic wisdom?"

Virat glanced up. "Depends. Are you here to learn or ruin the moment?"

Anushka smirked. "Let me guess. Cricket talk?"

Advay exhaled. "Actually… no."

Virat and Anushka exchanged a glance. That was new.

Advay ran a hand through his hair, then looked at them. "I need help."

Anushka raised an eyebrow. "With?"

He sighed. "Buying a ring."

There was a brief silence before Anushka's expression turned into one of pure excitement. "Wait. You mean the ring?"

Virat's smirk widened. "So, it's happening."

Advay nodded. "Yeah. But I don't know much about this stuff. I figured you two might."

Anushka clapped her hands together. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Virat chuckled, clapping a hand on Advay's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you get it right."

Anushka grinned. "Let's go find the perfect one."

They spent hours going from one luxury store to another, scanning through countless designs. Anushka was the most invested, examining every detail, while Virat occasionally smirked, amused at Advay's cluelessness.

At one store, the jeweler presented a platinum band with a single, elegantly cut diamond—simple yet stunning.

Anushka's eyes lit up. "This one. It's perfect."

Advay picked it up, rolling it between his fingers. It wasn't flashy or over-the-top—it was timeless, effortlessly beautiful, just like her.

Virat nodded. "Yeah, this suits her."

Anushka grinned. "So? What do you think?"

Advay studied the ring for a second longer before smirking. "She's going to love it."

And with that, he bought the ring—the one he'd soon be slipping onto Ananya's finger.

After picking the ring, the three of them headed to a high-end restaurant in Dubai for breakfast. The atmosphere was relaxed, the city still waking up as they settled into their seats.

As the waiter poured coffee, Anushka leaned forward, smirking. "You two better win that final."

Virat raised an eyebrow. "Well, obviously. But why the extra pressure?"

She crossed her arms. "Because if you lose, I'll miss the moment—the one where Advay proposes live on TV in front of millions of people!"

Advay, stirring his coffee, glanced up, completely unfazed. "That's your priority?"

Anushka grinned. "Absolutely."

Virat chuckled. "Forget the trophy, the real stakes are Anushka's entertainment."

Advay smirked. "Guess I have no choice, then."

Anushka pointed at him. "Exactly. So go win that final, Rai."

Back at the hotel, as they walked through the lobby, Advay pulled Virat and Anushka aside.

"Listen, I need you guys to keep the ring safe," he said, lowering his voice.

Anushka blinked. "Why? You don't trust yourself?"

Advay sighed. "No, I know myself. Ananya will definitely find it. I'm horrible at hiding things."

Virat smirked. "Smart decision. If she even gets a hint, you're done for."

Anushka chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll guard it with our lives."

Advay handed over the small box, exhaling. "Good. Because if she finds it, I'll never hear the end of it."

As Advay headed back to his room, Anushka and Virat stayed behind in the lobby, watching him go.

Anushka smirked, turning to Virat. "I never thought I'd see Advay Rai nervous about something."

Virat chuckled, crossing his arms. "He won't admit it, but he's feeling it. This isn't just another match for him."

She nodded, glancing at the small box in her hand. "You think she has any idea?"

Virat shook his head. "Not a clue. But knowing Ananya, she's already suspicious."

Anushka laughed. "Oh, absolutely. She's not going to stop until she figures out what's going on."

Virat smirked. "Well, let's see if Advay can actually keep his cool this time."

They exchanged a knowing look before heading up to their room, knowing that the biggest moment of Advay's life was just a few days away.

As Advay entered the room around noon, he found Ananya sitting on the bed, washed up, casually flipping through TV channels.

She barely looked away from the screen as she asked, "Where were you?"

Advay, keeping his voice casual, walked over and set his phone down. "Just had breakfast with Virat and Anushka."

Ananya turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "For that long?"

He shrugged. "We got caught up talking."

She narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't push further. "Hmm."

Advay smirked. "Why? Missed me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not even a little."

He chuckled, sitting next to her as she continued watching TV.

Around 5 PM, as the golden hues of the Dubai sunset filtered through the window, Advay stretched and glanced at Ananya, who was still lounging on the bed, scrolling through her phone.

He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Wanna go out?"

Ananya looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Where?"

He smirked. "Anywhere but here."

She pretended to think for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine. But you're driving."

Advay chuckled. "Like I'd let you drive anyway."

She grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him, but he dodged effortlessly, smirking as she got up. "Let's go, Rai."

As they drove back to the hotel, Ananya scrolled through the comments on her Instagram post, laughing.

"Oh my God, you need to see these," she said, turning her phone toward Advay.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, he glanced at the screen.

@ChahalTV: "Bhai still carrying the team on and off the field 😂🔥"

@virat.kohli: "At this point, she should just permanently sit on your shoulders. Less effort. 🤣"

@anushkasharma: "Now THIS is a power couple moment! Love it. 💖"

@iambhumipednekar: "Cutest post of the day! But Advay, your back okay? 😂"

Advay smirked. "Everyone's a comedian now."

Ananya laughed. "They're not wrong, though. Hope your back's fine, old man."

He scoffed. "You weigh nothing. Try harder."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, keep pretending you're all strong."

He smirked, eyes still on the road. "I don't pretend, Ananya. I am."

Back at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, Advay and Ananya entered their room, the exhaustion of the day finally settling in.

Ananya stretched, yawning. "That was fun."

Advay smirked, tossing his phone onto the nightstand. "Tired already?"

She rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who's about to pass out in five minutes."

Without another word, she climbed onto the bed, pulling the blanket over herself. Advay slid in next to her, and just as he was about to settle, she shifted closer, wrapping her arms around him.

He smirked. "Needy today, huh?"

"Shut up," she murmured, already half-asleep.

Advay chuckled, pulling her in tighter, his arms wrapped securely around her.

Within minutes, they both drifted off to sleep—warm, close, and exactly where they belonged.

The evening lights of Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, shone brightly as Advay and Ananya sat in the stands, watching Qualifier 2 unfold.

The match was intense, with the stakes sky-high—whoever won would face RCB in the final.

Ananya leaned in slightly. "Who do you think is going to win?"

Advay smirked, eyes locked on the field. "Doesn't matter. We're beating whoever it is."

She chuckled. "Confident, aren't you?"

He glanced at her. "Always."

The game continued, the tension rising with every ball, but Advay was calm.

Because no matter who won tonight, only one team was lifting the trophy in three days.

The Qualifier 2 match was held at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on November 11, 2020. Mumbai Indians (MI) faced off against Delhi Capitals (DC), who had won the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Delhi won the toss and chose to bat first.

Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan opened for DC, but Trent Boult struck early, removing Shaw for a first-ball duck. Bumrah followed up with a searing yorker to dismiss Rahane in the third over, leaving DC at 22/2 in 3 overs.

Dhawan tried to stabilize the innings, playing some crisp cover drives and sweeps, but in the 7th over, Krunal Pandya trapped him LBW for 29, putting MI in firm control.

At 10 overs, DC was struggling at 64/3.

Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis counterattacked, taking on Rahul Chahar and Pollard. Iyer lofted Chahar over extra cover for a six, while Stoinis pulled Pollard over midwicket for another big one.

However, Bumrah returned in the 15th over and broke the partnership, dismissing Iyer for 41 off 34 balls.

Despite a late surge from Stoinis (56 off 37) and Rishabh Pant (30 off 18), DC could only manage 157/7 in 20 overs.

MI's chase began aggressively.

Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock attacked from the start, with de Kock smashing Rabada for two back-to-back sixes over long-on.

At 6 overs (Powerplay), MI was 68/0, completely dominating.

Delhi finally found a breakthrough in the 9th over, as Ashwin dismissed de Kock for 44 (27) with a sharp off-break.

Rohit continued, playing his signature pull shots off Nortje and Axar Patel. He reached his fifty in 33 balls, keeping MI ahead.

At 15 overs, MI was cruising at 132/2, needing just 26 off 30 balls.

Despite Rabada dismissing Rohit (68 off 49) and Bumrah falling cheaply, Hardik Pandya (20 off 9) finished the chase in the 18th over with a massive six over long-on.*

Final Score:

DC 157/7 (20 overs)

MI 158/4 (18.2 overs)

Mumbai Indians won by 6 wickets and advanced to the IPL 2020 final against RCB.

Up in the stands, Advay and Ananya watched as MI players celebrated.

Ananya glanced at Advay. "Looks like it's a rematch."

Advay smirked, eyes locked on the Mumbai squad. "Good. Let's finish what we started."