It was 10 p.m. at a private lounge near Marine Drive, where the cricketers had gathered for what was supposed to be a low-key hangout. Instead, it had turned into an impromptu brainstorming session about Shubman's first wedding anniversary, which was-unbelievably-tomorrow.

"Bro, ekdum solid idea sun," Hardik said, leaning in with an exaggerated whisper. "Ek helicopter rent kar, usme Aditi ko ghuma, aur phir skywriting wala stunt karwa. She'll go crazy!"

"Bhai, helicopter?" Shubman looked at him incredulously. "Itna over-the-top karna zaroori hai?"

"Of course!" Hardik said with a smug grin, crossing his arms like he had just solved world peace. "High flying romance, bro! You're a cricketer, think big!"

Before Shubman could reply, Rahul chimed in. "Nahi, nahi, helicopter ka chakkar mat lena. Trust me, I know. Ek candlelight dinner plan kar in some quiet spot, aur flowers-roses-bahut zaroori hain. Simple and klassy, that's the way."

Hardik rolled his eyes. "Rahul, simple tere liye hota hoga. Shubhi, go bold ya phir mat karna!"

"Abey, bold ka matlab yeh thodi hota hai ki sky diving karao?" Rahul fired back, leaning closer toward Hardik.

"Toh tu apne phool leke baith jaa, phir... boring! Romance ka concept hi nahi samajhte tum."

"Romance ka guru tu hai na?" Rahul scoffed, the debate quickly escalating.

"Bro, main toh born romantic hoon."

"Phir Shubman kyun meri advice le raha hai?"

"Because..."

And just like that, Hardik and Rahul were in full argument mode, each defending their own ridiculous ideas while Shubman sat there, rubbing his temples. Virat and Rohit, on the other hand, were watching like it was a reality TV show.

Ishan leaned over to Shubman, barely holding back a grin. "Bhai, listen to me. Just do what you want. Yeh log, trust me, they are no help. Hardik bhai ka idea tujhe bankrupt kar dega, aur Rahul bhai ka follow kiya toh tujhe thodi der mein neend aa jayegi."

Rohit immediately protested. "Arre, Ishan, tujhe kya pata planning ka? Main expert hoon surprises ka! Shubman, sun meri advice. Ek secret getaway plan kar. Ritika hamesha impress hoti thi."

Virat burst out laughing at that. "Oh please, Rohit. Remember that time you forgot your own anniversary with Ritika?"

Rohit looked startled for a second. "Woh toh ek baar ka accident tha!"

"Accident?" Virat laughed harder. "Ritika kicked you out of the house and you showed up at my place at 2 in the morning with a suitcase!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Rohit glared at Virat. "Yeh sab batane ki zaroorat thi kya?"

Shubman, half-exasperated, half-amused, shook his head. "Guys, this isn't helping. I'm more confused than when we started."

Virat grinned, slapping Shubman on the back. "Bas tension mat le, yaar. At the end of the day, it's the thought that counts. Aur tu apne dil se kuch kar, Aditi ko definitely pasand aayega."

Shubman looked around at the chaos-Hardik and Rahul still bickering, Rohit defending his questionable planning skills, and Ishan shrugging like none of it was his fault. With a sigh, he stood up.

"Main nikal raha hoon. Kuch karna padega warna kal main bhi Virat bhai ke ghar par suitcase leke jaane wala hoon."

The group burst into laughter again as Shubman waved them off and headed out into the Mumbai night, dialing up a cake shop to place an order for a midnight delivery. He arranged for a chocolate truffle cake-Aditi's favorite-and also stopped by a florist to pick up some lilies, knowing she loved them more than the clichéd roses.

By the time he reached their penthouse, it was 11 pm, almost midnight. He used the spare key to enter quietly, hoping to set everything up. The house was dark and eerily quiet, which made him think that Aditi had either fallen asleep, was angry about something, or had completely forgotten about their anniversary.

He tiptoed toward their bedroom, feeling a little guilty for not planning something bigger. Maybe he should've gone with the helicopter idea after all. As he pushed open the bedroom door, he was greeted by an explosion of confetti and a loud "POP!"

"What the-" Shubman nearly jumped out of his skin as colorful party poppers went off in his face.

The lights flicked on, and there stood Aditi, grinning from ear to ear, wearing a party hat and holding a smaller one in her hand. "SURPRISE! Happy anniversary, Mr. Forgetful Husband!"

Shubman stood there, stunned. "Wait... what?"

Aditi sauntered over, still grinning. "You thought I'd forget? Tumhare anniversary ka plan main chhodne wali thi?" She placed the tiny party hat on his head. "Tumhe laga tum surprise karoge, but guess what? Main tumhe pehle surprise kar diya!"

He blinked, still processing the scene in front of him. "Yeh sab kab kiya?"

"Tumhare jaane ke baad. Tumhari planning skills pe mujhe thoda shak tha, toh I thought... why not take matters into my own hands?"

Shubman let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Mujhe laga tu ya toh so rahi hogi ya phir gusse mein hogi. Lekin yeh toh poora party ka scene hai!"

Aditi winked. "Aur tumne socha main bhol gayi? Anniversary kaise bhulti main?"

He smiled, pulling her closer. "You really got me this time."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Toh ab tumhari surprise planning ka kya hua? Helicopter ka idea toh pakka chhupa ke rakha hoga?"

Shubman laughed, leaning in. "Hardik Pandya ki kasam, agar main helicopter ka plan banata toh aaj hum dono jail mein hote."

Aditi burst out laughing. "Accha, toh Rahul bhai ke "clichéd, boring" ideas bhi reject kardiye?"

"Nahi yaar, phool toh laaye hoon." Shubman gestured to the lilies he had placed on the table. "Mujhe pata hai tumhe yehi pasand hai."

Aditi smiled, her eyes softening. "You remembered. That's all I wanted. Tumhe jitna bhi simple lagta ho, I just wanted this. You and me, and a heartfelt celebration."

He kissed her forehead, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this whirlwind of a life he now shared with her. "Toh, happy anniversary, Mrs. Gill."

She grinned mischievously. "Tum bhi party hat pehne ho, Mr. Gill. Tumhara gift kaha hai?"

Shubman chuckled, pulling out a small velvet box from his pocket. "Tumhe laga surprise khatam ho gaya?"

Aditi's eyes widened as she opened the box to find a delicate bracelet with a tiny diamond charm. "Shubman... it's beautiful!"

He smiled. "It's as chaotic as this past year has been, but yeah, it's our reminder. We survived one year of madness."

Aditi laughed softly, hugging him tighter. "Aur aage kitne saal yehi madness hone wali hai."

They both chuckled as they settled onto the bed, talking and teasing each other about all the crazy memories from their first year together.

As the night wound down and silence settled over the room, Shubman looked over at Aditi, fast asleep beside him. The madness, the surprises, the chaos-it all made sense now. It wasn't about planning the perfect surprise or having things go according to a script. It was about them. Their own little world where the unexpected was the best part.

And as the clock struck midnight, he smiled, knowing that this was just the beginning of their wonderfully chaotic journey together.

fin.