It was a lazy afternoon, and the sun was streaming in through the big windows of Shubman's apartment, casting a warm golden glow across the room. 

The quiet hum of the city outside faded into the background as Kamari sat comfortably on the couch, a soft blanket draped over her legs. 

She was scrolling through her phone, mindlessly flicking through social media as Shubman relaxed next to her, his legs stretched out and his arm thrown casually across the back of the couch.

He glanced over at her, watching as she absently ran a finger through her hair, her face relaxed and peaceful. 

There was something about the way she looked in the sunlight—so effortlessly beautiful like she belonged in the quiet moments of his life.

He had been thinking about it for a while. About how much he loved her. About how much he wanted to do something for her, something simple, something that would show her just how much she meant to him.

"Kamari," he said suddenly, causing her to glance up at him.

She raised an eyebrow, still not quite sure what he was getting at. "Hmm?"

"I want to do something for you," Shubman said, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "Something... sweet. Something I think you'll like."

Kamari smiled, intrigued by his sudden seriousness. "What are you planning, Mr. Romantic?" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes. 

She always enjoyed his occasional bursts of charm, but there was something in his tone now that made her curious.

Shubman hesitated for a moment, then sat up, his gaze shifting from her to her hands. "I want to paint your nails," he said, his words coming out a little sheepishly.

Kamari blinked, caught off guard. "Wait—what?" she asked, laughing lightly. "You want to paint my nails?"

He nodded, his eyes full of sincerity. "Yeah. I've seen you do it so many times. I thought... maybe I could give it a try. Just to show you how much I love you."

Kamari's eyes softened as she looked at him. It wasn't about the nail polish; it was the gesture, the fact that he was offering to do something she normally did for herself, simply because he wanted to do something nice for her. Her heart melted a little.

"You really want to paint my nails?" she asked again, a playful smile creeping onto her face. "You're not just going to make a mess of it?"

Shubman chuckled nervously. "Well... I can't promise perfection, but I'll try."

"Okay, okay," Kamari said, giving him a teasing look. "I'll let you do it. But if you mess it up, I'm holding it against you for the rest of our lives."

Shubman grinned, his heart swelling with affection. "Deal," he said, standing up and heading over to the little coffee table where Kamari had left her nail polish. 

She had a whole little collection of colours—shades of pink, red, and even a few sparkly ones.

He picked up a light pink bottle, holding it up with a confident grin. "This one looks nice, right?" he asked, sitting back down next to her.

Kamari nodded, still amused by how seriously he was taking this. "Yeah, that's perfect. Just make sure you don't spill it on anything."

He laughed, then turned his focus back to her hands, gently taking one of her hands in his. The way he looked at her—so soft and focused—made Kamari feel like she was the most important person in the world.

He uncapped the bottle of polish and hesitated for a second, looking at her hand like he was about to perform some sort of delicate procedure. "Alright, here goes nothing," he muttered to himself, his hand shaking slightly as he dipped the brush into the bottle.

Kamari suppressed a giggle, watching as he carefully applied the first stroke of polish to her nails. 

Shubman was concentrating so hard that his brows were furrowed in concentration, and she couldn't help but feel a wave of affection. 

This was so unlike him—he was used to being on the cricket field, where precision was about hitting the ball, not painting nails.

The first stroke went a little outside the lines, but Kamari didn't mind. In fact, she found it adorable. She kept her eyes on him, her heartwarming as she noticed how careful he was being.

"Not bad for a beginner," she teased, her voice soft.

He looked up at her, a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm trying, okay? You're the one who has all the experience here," he replied, his voice full of endearment.

"Don't worry, you're doing great," Kamari said, smiling warmly at him.

As he continued painting her nails, the room filled with a comfortable silence. Shubman's concentration was so intense, his eyes fixed on her hands as though he were preparing for his next big match. 

Kamari couldn't help but admire him—the way he gave his all to whatever he did, even when it was something as simple as painting her nails.

When he finished the first hand, he looked up at her with a proud grin. "Done. How's it look?"

Kamari held her hand up, inspecting the nails. There were a few small smudges here and there, but the overall effort was cute. 

"You know, for a first-timer, it's not bad at all. You could use a little practice, but you're getting there."

Shubman beamed. "I'm just happy you like it. And hey, it's a gesture, right? I wanted to do something special for you."

Kamari laughed softly, brushing her fingers through his hair. "You already do plenty of special things, Shubman. This just made my day."

He smiled, his heart full. "Good. I just want you to know that no matter how small the gesture, I'll always do whatever I can to make you happy."

Kamari leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, her heart swelling with love. "I know, babe. And I love you for it."

As they sat together, Shubman finished painting her nails, making sure to do his best on the second hand as well.

 When he was done, Kamari looked at her hands with a smile. "You know, I think I might just keep this look for a while. It's kind of perfect."

Shubman grinned, his love for her shining through his eyes. "I'm glad. Maybe I'll even do it again next time."

Kamari raised an eyebrow, teasing him. "Only if you promise not to make a mess of it. But I think you're getting the hang of it."

"I promise," Shubman said, chuckling as he kissed her forehead. "Anything for you."

And for the rest of the day, Kamari kept catching herself glancing at her nails, a small smile tugging at her lips every time she thought about how lucky she was to have someone like Shubman in her life—someone who loved her so much that he was willing to paint her nails just to make her feel special.

soup rants!

so we have our seventeenth chapter!

ugh, cutest couple, I've ever written

so do comment if you liked this chapter!

- love soup!