The late evening sun poured into the living room of their cozy home, casting a golden glow over the chaos that was Shubman and Aditi attempting to assemble a new bookshelf. It had been a joint decision to buy it—Shubman needed a place for his ever-growing collection of sports memorabilia, and Aditi wanted a corner for her novels. What neither had anticipated was how terrible they were at following instructions.

"Shubman, this is upside down!" Aditi groaned, holding up a plank of wood with an exasperated sigh.

"No, it's not! This is how it's supposed to go," he argued, crouched on the floor with a screwdriver in one hand and a manual in the other. "Look at the diagram."

"I am looking at the diagram," Aditi shot back, grabbing the manual from him. "And you've completely skipped step four! Now the screws won't align properly!"

Shubman threw his hands up. "Step four is pointless! Who even makes these things? It's like IKEA wants us to suffer."

"Fine, Mr. Engineer," Aditi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do it your way, and when this whole thing collapses, I'll just sit back and say, 'I told you so.'"

"Sounds fair," he quipped, shooting her a grin that made her stomach flip despite her annoyance. "But it won't collapse because I actually know what I'm doing."

Aditi rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. She leaned down to help him secure a plank, their hands brushing briefly. She tried to ignore the tiny flutter in her chest at the contact.

For weeks now, she'd been struggling with feelings she didn't know how to name. Somewhere between their teasing arguments and quiet moments of shared laughter, she'd started seeing Shubman differently. And it terrified her.

Shubman wasn't faring much better. His usual confidence had taken a nosedive every time he caught himself staring at Aditi—whether she was curled up on the couch with a book, or humming off-key in the kitchen while making her infamous "experimental" dishes.

They worked in silence for a while, the air between them charged with unspoken tension. Finally, after what felt like hours, the bookshelf stood upright.

"See?" Shubman said smugly, dusting his hands off. "Perfectly sturdy."

Aditi gave it a skeptical push, and when it didn't wobble, she raised an eyebrow. "Fine. You win this round."

"I always win," he teased, leaning back against the wall.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her smile. "Don't get too cocky, Shub."

Before she could walk away, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. His expression was suddenly serious, catching her off guard. "Aditi," he said quietly.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Yeah?"

He hesitated, his grip on her wrist loosening but not letting go. "There's... something I've been meaning to say."

Aditi tilted her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What is it?"

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a loud crash echoed through the room. The bookshelf, which had seemed perfectly stable moments ago, toppled over, sending books and planks flying in every direction.

"Shubman!" Aditi shrieked, jumping back as the chaos unfolded.

"Okay, maybe step four was important," he admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

Aditi groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe you."

"Hey, it's not my fault the manual was written by lunatics!" he defended, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

She glared at him, but the absurdity of the situation was too much. Before she could stop herself, she burst out laughing, the sound filling the room. Shubman joined in, their laughter echoing amidst the mess.

When the laughter subsided, Shubman stepped closer, his expression softening. "Aditi," he said again, his voice more tentative this time.

She looked up at him, her laughter fading. "What?"

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "I'm terrible at this. But I—" He paused, searching for the right words. "I think I'm falling for you. No, actually—I know I am."

Aditi blinked, completely caught off guard. "You... what?"

He groaned, muttering something under his breath about how bad he was at this. "Look, I know we didn't exactly start off on the best terms. And I know I annoy the hell out of you—"

"True," she interjected, her lips twitching despite her shock.

"But," he continued, stepping closer, "somewhere along the way, you became... everything. The first person I think about when something good happens. The only person who can make me laugh even when I'm in the worst mood. And the one who can drive me absolutely insane but somehow make me want to be better, too."

Aditi's heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure he could hear it. "Shubman, I..."

"It's okay," he said quickly, misinterpreting her silence. "You don't have to say anything. I just—I needed you to know. Even if it ruins everything, I couldn't keep it to myself anymore."

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, without thinking, Aditi stepped forward and cupped his face in her hands. "You're such an idiot," she whispered.

Shubman blinked, confused. "What—"

Before he could finish, she leaned in and kissed him softly. It was tentative at first, as if testing the waters, but when he responded, his arms wrapping around her waist, the kiss deepened. The world around them—the mess, the broken bookshelf, the scattered books—faded into nothing.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless. Shubman stared at her, his cheeks flushed and his eyes wide. "Did you just—"

"Yes," Aditi said quickly, her face burning. "I kissed you. And for the record, you're not the only one who's been falling, okay?"

He blinked again, his lips curving into a slow, incredulous smile. "Really?"

"Yes, really," she said, rolling her eyes. "But don't let it get to your head."

"Too late," he said, grinning like a fool.

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

"And you're amazing," he replied, pulling her into another hug.

As they stood there amidst the chaos of their half-finished project, holding onto each other like anchors, Aditi couldn't help but think that maybe—just maybe—the mess wasn't such a bad thing. After all, it had led them here. And she wouldn't trade this moment for anything.