The next day, Shubman arrived at a brand shoot, his phone in hand as he turned to his manager with a questioning look. "Hey, did you ever find out who the actress is for this shoot?"

Before his manager could respond, a voice rang out behind him, far too cheerful for his liking.

"Hi, Gill! Didn't expect to see me so soon, did you?"

Shubman's jaw clenched instinctively at the familiar tone. He took a deep breath, schooling his expression into something resembling indifference before turning around. Naina Sehgal stood there, looking entirely too pleased with herself, her smirk radiating mischief. His manager, sensing the tension, raised an amused eyebrow before slipping away, leaving Shubman to deal with the inevitable.

"Right. What a surprise." he said flatly, stuffing his phone into his pocket with a little more force than necessary.

Naina stifled a laugh at his obvious annoyance and, without warning, threw an arm around his shoulder as if they were the best of friends. "Aw, don't sound so sad. Aren't you excited to see me?"

"Oh, absolutely thrilled." Shubman retorted sarcastically, his tone dry.

Naina's grin widened, clearly enjoying his irritation. "You should work on that enthusiasm, Gill. People might start thinking you don't like me."

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "What's with the over-the-top act?"

She dropped her arm and shrugged nonchalantly, her smirk never wavering. "Paps." she said simply, her eyes glinting. "Thought I'd save you from looking like you'd rather be anywhere else."

Shubman sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Right. We've got an image to maintain."

"Exactly." she said, patting his shoulder with mock sympathy. "And you're welcome, by the way. I just saved your brooding, cricket-loving image."

He rolled his eyes, barely suppressing a groan. "How thoughtful of you."

Before he could say anything more, the director called for everyone to head to hair and makeup. Naina sent him one last smug glance, patting his chest lightly before walking off toward her trailer.

Shubman watched her go, shaking his head in exasperation. "This is going to be a long day."






























After what felt like an eternity of individual shots, it was finally time for Shubman and Naina to face the camera together. They followed the photographer's directions, posing as instructed with the brand's signature headphones in place.

Naina adjusted her position, her expression poised and professional — until she caught herself glancing at Shubman more than she should have. It wasn't intentional, but her gaze kept drifting his way, studying the sharp cut of his jaw, the way his brows furrowed in concentration, and how effortlessly he carried himself.

"Ms. Sehgal." the photographer's voice cut through the air, pulling her out of her daze. "Please look in the direction instructed, not at Mr. Gill. Those shots will come later."

A faint flush crept up Naina's neck as she cleared her throat, quickly looking away. "Right, sorry."

Shubman, who had been mid-pose, turned his head slightly to glance at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Something distracting you, Sehgal?" he muttered under his breath, low enough that only she could hear.

Naina shot him a glare, ignoring the warmth creeping into her cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself, Gill. You just happen to be standing in my line of vision."

He smirked, but before he could respond, the photographer moved on to the next setup — one that required them to stand even closer. Inches apart, their gazes locked for the shot, the air between them suddenly feeling heavier.

This time, it was Shubman who found himself faltering. His breath hitched as Naina's perfume filled his senses, and for the briefest moment, he forgot they were in the middle of a shoot. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could only hope it wasn't as obvious as it felt.

Naina's lips twitched, clearly enjoying his sudden discomfort. "Something distracting you, Gill?" she echoed his earlier words, a playful edge to her voice.

He blinked, quickly recovering with a scoff. "Not even a little."

Before the tension could escalate, the photographer called it a wrap, prompting cheers from the crew. Naina was the first to step back, running a hand through her hair as she turned to leave. Just as she reached the edge of the set, she called over her shoulder, "Date. Tonight. Plan it."

Shubman blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, what?"

Naina turned back, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "We need to have a casual appearance before these pictures come out, or people will start speculating it's a PR stunt. I don't care what we do — just text me the details."

Before he could argue, she disappeared into her trailer, leaving him standing there, still processing what had just happened. He let out a long sigh, running a hand down his face. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Shubman paced around his trailer, his phone in hand, staring at Naina's last words as if they held some hidden meaning. A date. Tonight. Plan it. He could already picture her smug expression, knowing she'd thrown him into this mess without warning.

Dropping onto the couch with a groan, he opened his messages, scrolling through contacts as if someone could magically solve this for him. His manager had conveniently disappeared, probably thrilled to avoid any involvement in this situation. He could almost hear their words: You're on your own, champ.

Running a hand through his hair, Shubman leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "A date," he muttered under his breath. "With Naina Sehgal. What could possibly go wrong?"

A lot, if their history was anything to go by.

Over the years, Naina had made it her personal mission to get under his skin at every opportunity. From snarky comments during interviews to conveniently bumping into him at events, she had an uncanny ability to make his life just a little more chaotic. And now, thanks to their PR team's brilliant matchmaking, they were stuck in this ridiculous fake relationship.

Grabbing a water bottle from the table, he took a long sip before pulling up a map on his phone. Where could they go that was casual enough to seem natural but interesting enough to avoid boredom?

A few restaurants and lounges popped into his head, but he immediately dismissed anything too fancy. If they were going to pull this off, it needed to look effortless. No way was he letting Naina hold it over his head that he "tried too hard."

A knock at his trailer door snapped him out of his thoughts. He stood up, opening it to find his stylist standing there with an amused smile. "You're overthinking it, aren't you?"

Shubman narrowed his eyes. "What gave it away?"

She smirked, holding up a few outfit options for him to choose from. "The fact that you're pacing around like you're planning a proposal instead of a fake date."

He rolled his eyes, grabbing a jacket and throwing it over his shoulder. "Trust me, this feels just as stressful."

His stylist laughed, shaking her head as she left, leaving him alone with his thoughts once again. With a sigh, he finally typed out a message to Naina, hoping she wouldn't find a way to make this even more difficult.




























CHAT

Gill:
Sehgal. It's Gill.

Sehgal:
Duh, we've saved each other's numbers. Are you going to respond, or are you too busy getting lost in thoughts of me?

Gill:
Don't flatter yourself, Sehgal. I was just thinking about how irritating you are.

Sehgal:
So you were thinking about me. Interesting.

Gill:
Don't twist my words. You're the one who made me plan this ridiculous date, remember?

Sehgal:
Aww, you say 'ridiculous,' but deep down, I know you're thrilled.

Gill:
Thrilled? I'd rather be facing a 150 km/h bouncer without a helmet.

Sehgal:
Yikes, Gill. That's the best analogy you could come up with? I expected more creativity from India's golden boy.

Gill:
And I expected less drama from Bollywood's sweetheart, yet here we are.

Sehgal:
Flirting again? You really can't help yourself, can you?

Gill:
We are not flirting, Sehgal. Just be ready by 7:30.

Sehgal:
Ooh, mysterious. Fine, cricket star. I'll play along. But if this date is boring, I'm blaming you in every interview.

Gill:
You always do anyway.

Sehgal:
Touché. See you tonight, loverboy.

Gill:
I hate you.

Sehgal:
Aww, love you too, Gill.

tea with t:

Hi Everyone!!

The second chapter is out. The next one will have their first date. 😈

What do we think?

Any suggestions or plots you would like to see? 

I hope you guys liked it!!

- Love, T. 🎀