As they sat at their usual table, Arora pushed her nearly empty milkshake glass aside and leaned on her elbows, staring at Shubman with her big, curious eyes.

"Shubby," she said, her tone unusually serious for a seven-year-old.

Shubman raised an eyebrow, amused. "Yes, Arora?"

"From a scale of one to ten," she began dramatically, pausing for effect, "how much do you like Khushi?"

Shubman almost choked on his cold brew. He set the cup down carefully and looked at her, trying to gauge if she was teasing him or genuinely curious.

"Why do you want to know that?" he asked, crossing his arms and leaning back.

Arora shrugged, twirling a strand of her hair. "Because I like her a ten. No, a hundred! She's the best. But you're always smiling when she's around, so I think you like her too."

Shubman smiled, shaking his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

Arora giggled. "Come on, Shubby, be honest! One to ten. How much?"

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, pretending to think. "Hmm... I'd say... a solid eight."

Arora gasped dramatically, her jaw dropping. "Eight?!"

"Yeah, eight," Shubman said with a teasing grin. "She's great, but she does have a habit of sneaking whipped cream into my drinks sometimes."

"That's why you like her! She's funny," Arora countered. "You should've said ten. Or eleven!"

Shubman laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Alright, fine. If you think she deserves a ten, then I'll bump her up to a nine."

Arora pouted, crossing her arms. "Nine is okay, I guess. But you better tell her one day that you like her a ten!"

Shubman froze for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle. "You're way too smart for your age, you know that?"

Arora grinned proudly. "Yup! And I think Khushi likes you a ten too."

Shubman didn't respond, but the slight flush on his cheeks and the small smile playing on his lips said it all.

A few minutes later, as Shubman scrolled through his phone at their table, Arora slid off her chair and marched straight toward the counter. Khushi had just finished handing a chai latte to a customer, her warm smile lighting up the room as always.

"Arora! Back so soon? Did you finish your milkshake already?" Khushi asked, leaning forward to pick up the little girl.

Arora giggled as Khushi lifted her onto her hip. "It was so good! But I have a question for you."

Khushi tilted her head, intrigued. "Oh, a question? What's on your mind, my little detective?"

Arora leaned in close, as if she were about to share a top-secret mission. "From a scale of one to ten, how much do you like Shubby?"

Khushi froze for a split second, the question catching her completely off guard. She glanced over her shoulder at Shubman, who was still at the table, completely unaware of their conversation.

"Arora," Khushi began, trying to suppress her laughter, "where is this coming from?"

Arora shrugged with an innocent grin. "I asked him first. He said nine! But I think he's lying. He likes you a ten. Now it's your turn!"

Khushi's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as she looked down at Arora, whose wide, expectant eyes were locked on her. "You're very sneaky, you know that?"

Arora giggled. "Yup! So, what's your number?"

Khushi glanced at Shubman again to make sure he wasn't paying attention, then leaned in closer to Arora. "Okay, but this is just between us, alright?"

Arora nodded solemnly, crossing her heart with her little hand.

Khushi hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Maybe a nine and a half."

Arora gasped, her excitement barely contained. "Nine and a half?! That's almost ten! You like him so much!"

Khushi laughed, gently shushing her. "Alright, alright! Don't let him hear you, okay? He doesn't need to know that."

Arora gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Don't worry, I won't tell. But I think you should like him a ten too. Shubby's the best!"

Khushi hugged her close, her heart warm from the little girl's enthusiasm. "You're the best, Arora. Now, go back to your table before your cousin wonders where you went."

Arora nodded and hopped down, skipping back to Shubman with a mischievous grin on her face, leaving Khushi shaking her head with a smile as she returned to taking orders.

Little did she know, Arora was already plotting her next move to make sure her two favorite people in the café would like each other a "perfect ten."

Khushi wiped her hands on her apron after finishing up an order and caught sight of Anjali and Kunal walking into the café, their faces lighting up when they spotted her. She smiled, grabbed her break card from under the counter, and slid into the seat next to them in the cozy corner booth.

"Ah, the Disney Princess herself," Anjali teased, propping her chin on her hand. "Finally taking a break from being the perfect barista, huh?"

Kunal smirked. "Or are you just here to eavesdrop on *us* talking about *you-know-who*?"

Khushi rolled her eyes and groaned. "Not you guys too. Arora's already been on my case today."

"Oh, we saw her marching around," Anjali said, barely holding back laughter. "She's a little cupid in training, isn't she?"

Kunal leaned back, crossing his arms. "So, did she ask you how much you like him? Because she's been telling us *her* theories."

Khushi glared at him playfully, a flush creeping up her neck. "I'm not talking about this right now."

"She's avoiding the question!" Anjali gasped dramatically, nudging Kunal. "That's a yes, isn't it? Oh my God, she likes him!"

"I'm going to regret sitting here, aren't I?" Khushi muttered, grabbing the menu and pretending to read it, despite knowing it by heart.

"Come on," Kunal pressed. "Just admit it. He's not bad—"

"He's really not bad," Anjali interrupted with a dreamy sigh.

Khushi groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I hate you both. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for another teasing remark, she slid out of the booth and crossed the café to Arora, who was swinging her legs happily at her table. Khushi dropped into the seat beside her with a dramatic sigh.

"Your favorite barista needs rescuing," Khushi said softly, glancing at Anjali and Kunal, who were still giggling in the corner.

Arora looked up from the crayon drawing she was working on. "What happened?"

"They're teasing me about Shubby," Khushi said, lowering her voice. "And it's all *your* fault for being such a little matchmaker."

Arora grinned, clearly unbothered. "It's because you like him a nine and a half!"

Khushi's jaw dropped. "You *told* them?"

Arora shook her head quickly, her pigtails bouncing. "Nope! But I might've said you like him a lot. Don't be mad!"

Khushi sighed, unable to stay upset at the little girl's innocent grin. She ruffled Arora's hair. "You're too much, you know that?"

"I know," Arora said proudly. She held up her drawing—a colorful picture of Khushi, Shubman, and herself holding hands in front of the café. "See? I drew us all happy! This is after you and Shubby get married."

Khushi gasped, her cheeks burning as she tried not to laugh. "Arora! You're impossible."

From his seat across the café, Shubman looked up from his phone, noticing Khushi and Arora laughing together. He smiled to himself, the sight warming his heart, though he didn't know the reason for their giggles.

The café hummed with its usual afternoon chatter. Khushi was behind the counter, her hands expertly working the espresso machine, when she noticed Shubman walking in. He looked relaxed, dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, but what caught her attention was the bright smile he sent her way.

Arora, meanwhile, was sitting at a table in the corner with Anjali and Kunal. The three were huddled together, whispering and exchanging mischievous grins as they watched Shubman approach the counter.

"Here we go," Anjali whispered, nudging Kunal. "Operation 'Push Shubman and Khushi Together' is officially in motion."

Kunal smirked. "Arora's our secret weapon. She's got more charm than all of us combined."

Arora beamed proudly but stayed quiet as she watched her cousin greet Khushi.

"Hey," Shubman said, leaning slightly against the counter. "Looks like my usual spot's taken." He nodded toward Arora, who was happily giggling with Anjali and Kunal.

Khushi smiled, setting a freshly made latte on the counter for another customer. "Looks like Arora's found herself some new partners in crime."

Shubman chuckled, glancing at the trio. "I think they're plotting something. Should I be worried?"

"Probably," Khushi teased, sliding over to the register. "Your usual today?"

"Actually," Shubman began, his voice soft, "I think I'll take whatever you recommend."

Khushi raised an eyebrow. "Trying something new again, huh? Bold move."

"Only because I trust your taste," he replied smoothly.

She felt a warm flush creep up her neck but kept her composure. As she rang up his drink, she reached under the counter and pulled out a small card.

"What's that?" Shubman asked, intrigued.

Khushi handed it to him, a playful smile on her face. "Your very own stamp card. I figured you'd need one too. Can't let Arora have all the fun."

Shubman looked at the card, which had a clean, minimalist design with a small coffee cup logo and the words: *'Khushi's Café Frequent Flyer Card – Shubman Gill'*.

He grinned, running a thumb over his name. "Custom-made, huh? I feel special."

"You should," she said, her voice light. "But you only get stamps if you behave."

"Define 'behave,'" Shubman quipped, leaning slightly closer.

Khushi laughed, shaking her head. "Just enjoy your coffee, Mr. Gill. I'll bring it to your table."

As she moved to prepare his drink, Shubman glanced back at Arora, Anjali, and Kunal. The three of them immediately looked away, pretending to be deeply invested in their conversation.

By the time Khushi brought his drink over, he was seated near the window, his stamp card neatly tucked into his wallet.

"Here you go," she said, setting the cup down with a smile.

"Thanks," he replied, holding her gaze for a moment longer than necessary.

From across the room, Arora whispered to Anjali, "See? He likes her a ten!"

Anjali and Kunal nodded in agreement, their grins widening as they plotted their next move. For now, though, they were content to let Khushi and Shubman enjoy their moment, knowing that their plan was slowly but surely working.