Requested by : Sreeverse I know i'm so late 😭 was swamped with work and wasn't even in the right state of mind to write, hope you don't mind and like the chapter <3

Synopsis : Nitish finally gathers the courage to confess his feelings to Sreeja, breaking the walls of misunderstanding between them.

Sreeja Gill strolled along the sidelines of the Wankhede cricket ground, her eyes scanning the field as the players ran through drills. The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows on the grass, and a cool breeze carried the sounds of laughter and banter from the team. Her brother, Shubman, was in his element, joking with Ishan and Nitish as they prepared for their next big match.

But Sreeja's attention wasn't on Shubman. No, her eyes kept flitting to one player in particular—Nitish Kumar Reddy.

He was easy to spot, towering slightly above the others, with his sharp features softened by a shy smile that seemed to rarely make an appearance. To her, he was an enigma. While Shubman's other teammates had welcomed her warmly into their circle, Nitish always kept his distance. His interactions with her were curt and careful, as if he was walking on eggshells.

She couldn't help but think he didn't like her.

Her stomach twisted every time he avoided her gaze or kept their conversations to polite nods. Was she too much? Did she bother him? She'd asked Shubman about it once, but her older brother had only shrugged and said, "Nitish is just...Nitish. He's like that with everyone."

But he wasn't. Sreeja had seen him laughing with the others, cracking jokes, even pulling pranks. Everyone but her.

Today was no different. She leaned against the railing, watching as the team wrapped up their drills. Nitish jogged toward the water bottles, his face glistening with sweat. He glanced her way for the briefest moment, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but then he turned back, grabbing his bottle and retreating to the shade of a nearby tree.

Sreeja sighed. "Why do I even bother?" she muttered.

"Talking to yourself again?" Ishan's voice startled her.

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

Ishan leaned against the railing beside her, following her gaze to where Nitish stood. A sly grin spread across his face. "Ah, I see."

"What?" she snapped, feeling her cheeks warm.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, though his grin only grew wider. "You know, if you want to talk to him—"

"Ishan!" she hissed, smacking his arm. "Don't you dare."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. But just so you know, you're not as subtle as you think."

Before she could retort, the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of practice. The players began packing up, and Sreeja's heart sank. Another day, another missed opportunity.

Nitish wiped his face with a towel, his mind racing. He'd seen her watching him again today. She always did. But every time he thought about approaching her, his nerves got the better of him.

How could he? She was Shubman's sister. Off-limits. Untouchable.

And yet, he couldn't help but steal glances at her, couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat when she smiled. He'd been smitten from the moment Shubman had introduced them, her laughter ringing in his ears like a melody he couldn't forget.

But what if she didn't feel the same? Or worse—what if she thought he didn't like her?

The thought made his chest tighten. He had to do something.

The moment he looked up, he saw Sreeja lingering by the exit. She stood quite, her thoughts circling in endless loops. It was always the same with Nitish—his quiet, polite nods, the way he never lingered in conversations with her. It hurt more than she cared to admit.

She tugged at the strap of her bag, staring absently at the ground, when she heard someone clear their throat.

"Sreeja?"

She glanced up, startled to see Nitish standing in front of her. He looked different—nervous, but there was something in his eyes that caught her off guard.

"Nitish," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hi."

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his fingers curling into fists at his sides as if bracing himself. "I... I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the ground before returning to her. "About... us."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Us?"

He nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "I need to tell you something. And I should've told you a long time ago, but... I was scared."

Sreeja frowned. "Scared? Of what?"

"Of messing things up," he admitted, his voice soft. He took a small step closer, his eyes searching hers. "You're Shubman's sister, and I didn't want to do anything that could make things awkward. But the truth is... I like y...no— I love you, Sreeja."

Her breath hitched.

"I've liked you for a while," he continued, his voice steady but laced with emotion. "But every time I tried to tell you, I thought about what could go wrong. What if you didn't feel the same? What if it made things weird between you and me—or worse, between me and Shubman? So, I kept quiet. I had to."

Sreeja's chest tightened as she listened, the sincerity in his voice tugging at her heart.

"But keeping quiet hasn't made it any easier," he said, a small, almost nervous smile appearing on his lips. "Because every time I see you, it feels like the rest of the world fades away. And it's gotten to the point where not telling you feels worse than the risk of everything else."

Her eyes widened, her cheeks warming as his words sank in. "Nitish..."

He took another step closer, his voice softening even further. "I know I might not be good at showing it, and I know I've probably given you every reason to think I don't care. But you mean so much to me, Sreeja. I don't want you to ever doubt that."

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him, her heart swelling with emotions she could barely contain.

"You... really mean that?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He nodded without hesitation. "Every word."

A smile broke across her face, and before she could stop herself, she reached out, taking his hand in hers. "You idiot," she said, her voice soft but teasing. "Do you have any idea how long I've been thinking you didn't like me?"

His brows furrowed. "What? Sreeja, no. I've been crazy about you this whole time."

She laughed, a light, melodic sound that made his chest tighten. "Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it."

He squeezed her hand gently, his lips curving into a sheepish smile. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"You'd better," she replied, her eyes sparkling. "Because I like you too, you know."

The relief that washed over his face was instant, and for the first time, she saw his smile in its full, unguarded glory. It was the kind of smile that made her stomach flip, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you," he said softly, his voice full of gratitude. "For giving me a chance."

"You didn't need to thank me," she replied, her tone gentle. "I've been waiting for you to say something for ages."

He chuckled, his eyes never leaving hers. "Guess I have a lot to make up for."

"You do," she teased, squeezing his hand. "But I think you're off to a good start."

Suddenly, Nitish's eyes fell on her lips, pink and inviting him to explore them. He looked up to look at Sreeja's eyes, as if asking for approval, which she immediately gave. He closed his eyes as he tilted his neck, nearing her lips.

Soon enough, he pulled her into a deep, loving kiss. And as they stood there, lips intertwined, it felt like the start of something beautiful. Something they both had been waiting for, even if they hadn't realized it.

From a distance, Ishan watched the exchange, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"About time," he muttered, shaking his head as he looked up at Shubman, who stood with a scowl on his face.

"For you. That's my sister i see kissing my teammate. I'm not enjoying this show." Shubman retorted as Ishan chuckled at his response, dragging him outside with him, leaving Nitish and Sreeja alone.