It was 8 PM on her 21st birthday. Revathi sat cross-legged on her bed in her small but cozy apartment, absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram. 

She wore a sleek black lacy dress—something she had bought a while ago but rarely wore. She had paired it with hoop earrings, her go-to glossy lip look, and her hair thrown into a messy bun that still managed to look effortlessly elegant. 

She had dressed up earlier, hoping for some excitement, but now she was back in her room, wondering why she even bothered.

Her parents had gifted her an Instax camera, which had made her smile genuinely for the first time that day. 

But her plans with Mridhul, Bhavna, and Kira had fallen through, and her lone visit to a party had ended in awkwardness—it hadn't even been for her.

She sighed, running her fingers over the camera on her lap before her phone buzzed on the bed. The screen lit up: Shubman Gill is FaceTiming you.

"Shit," she whispered, quickly adjusting her hair and wiping the faint smudge of gloss from the corner of her lips. 

She hit accept.

"Happy fucking birthday, Reva!" Shubman's bright grin filled the screen, his hair damp, likely fresh from a shower. 

He was wearing a black Henley that clung to his chest, the buttons undone enough to hint at his collarbone, paired with what looked like grey sweatpants. 

Casual, yet maddeningly attractive.

She managed a small smile, waving at him. "Hey, Gill."

He frowned, narrowing his eyes at her. "What's up with that half-assed smile? Where's my birthday girl energy?"

Revathi gave a little shrug, looking away. "It's nothing. Just... it hasn't exactly been a day to celebrate, you know?"

Shubman leaned closer to the camera, his brows furrowing. "Reva, what happened? Talk to me."

She hesitated for a moment but sighed, deciding to let it out. 

"So... someone invited me to a birthday party. I thought it was for me because the timing matched, and I showed up all dressed up like this," she said, gesturing at her outfit. 

"Turns out it wasn't for me at all. It was so awkward, Shubman. I left after five minutes."

He stared at her for a second before running a hand through his hair. "Wait. Are you serious? Who the actual fuck does that? You show up looking like that,"—he gestured to her through the screen—"and someone doesn't make the entire night about you? I don't get it."

She chuckled softly. "It's fine. I didn't expect much anyway."

"No, it's not fine," he snapped lightly, his voice laced with irritation. "Reva, it's your 21st. You're supposed to be spoiled, celebrated, and—hell—worshipped. And you're telling me you spent it at the wrong fucking party?"

Her lips twitched. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty pathetic."

"You're not pathetic, baby," he said, his tone softening. "Whoever didn't make today special for you? They're pathetic."

She blinked, the word baby hanging in the air between them for a second. "You're really laying it on thick, huh?"

"Not even," he said, leaning back against his headboard. "I'm just pissed off for you. Look at you. You're fucking stunning, Reva. That dress... the hoops... that lip gloss." His voice dropped slightly. "I'm actually mad I'm not there to see it in person."

Her cheeks flushed. "Shubman, stop."

"I'm dead serious," he said, his grin turning sly. "But wait. Stand up. I need a proper look."

"What? No!" she said, laughing nervously.

"Reva," he whined. "It's my birthday gift. Let me see how good my girl looks."

"Your girl?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

He didn't flinch. "Yeah. You got a problem with that?"

She felt her heart skip a beat but tried to play it cool. "You're ridiculous."

"And yet, you still haven't stood up," he teased.

With a roll of her eyes, she propped her phone up and stood, giving him a quick twirl. "There. Happy?"

He let out a low whistle, clapping lightly. "Damn, Revathi. You're out here looking like you walked out of a dream. No wonder these people at the party couldn't handle you."

She sat back down, biting back a smile. "Alright, your turn. Let's see your birthday-fit judgment skills in action."

He angled his phone so she could see his entire look. "Sweatpants and a Henley. Sexy enough?"

She snorted. "Oh, absolutely. Very lazy boy chic."

"Careful," he said, smirking. "You might regret teasing me when I actually show up in something tight next time."

"Next time?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah," he said, his voice softening. "Next time I see you, Reva. I'm not letting your next birthday—or anything important—go unnoticed."

Her chest tightened at his words. "You're too good to me, Gill."

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "You just don't realize how easy you make it."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before his tone shifted. "Reva?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday, baby," he said, his voice dropping just enough to send a small shiver down her spine. "You deserve the fucking world."

And for the first time that day, Revathi felt like she truly believed it.

As the FaceTime call with Revathi ended, Shubman sat on his bed, running his hands through his hair. The dull ache in his chest wouldn't go away. 

He couldn't stop thinking about how she had spent her 21st birthday feeling forgotten. That was unacceptable. She deserved so much better.

Opening his laptop, he logged into WhatsApp Web and pulled up the group chat with his teammates: "Boys Only Club 🔥🏏".

Shubman:
yo guys
i need ur help

Ishan:
bro if this is about revathi again
get a grip, u simp

Virat:
lmaoo "get a grip" from the guy who face-timed
his gf 14 times during lunch break yesterday 💀

Ishan:
she's NOT my gf and stfu

Hardik:
@Shubman what happened? what now?

Shubman:
it's her bday
and she had the shittiest day
i'm gonna fix it

KL:
ok? how?

Shubman:
i need her address
so i can surprise her

Rohit:
and how tf are WE supposed
to know her address 💀

Shubman:
use ur connections or smth
ur acting like u don't have half of
India's govt in ur contacts @Hardik

Ishan:
u want US
to stalk a 21 y/o for u??
bro this is so criminal omg

Virat:
not a fan of this plan but
 i'm kinda intrigued ngl 👀

Hardik:
lowkey? same

Shubman:
guys pls stop trolling
i'm being deadass

Rishabh:
ur telling me
big-ass "orange cap" gill
can't pull ONE address
on his own? smh disappointing

Shubman:
first of all, fuck u
secondly, SHE
DESERVES BETTER

Yashasvi:
simp.

Shubman:
ur all useless

Hardik:
nah nah hold up
what's her full name again?

Shubman:
revathi rathnakumar

Hardik:
aight, give me 5

Shubman refreshed the chat obsessively, watching the "typing..." indicator appear and disappear. A few minutes later, a message popped up.

Hardik:
got it. sending u deets privately.

Shubman:
MY GUY 😭
marry me pls

Hardik:
sorry i don't do clingy sims

Ishan:
no bc WHY is he this dedicated
 to a girl he hasn't even dated yet 💀

Virat:
it's giving Wattpad vibes ngl

Shubman:
shut up all of u
im out

He logged off WhatsApp before they could spam him further. His phone buzzed moments later with a message from Hardik containing Revathi's address.

Shubman stared at the address, his heart racing. He grabbed his keys, called his driver, and quickly ordered a cake and flowers for delivery to her place.

"Revathi Rathnakumar," he murmured to himself as he prepared to leave. "You're about to have the birthday you actually deserve."

SOUP RANTS!

welcome to the ninth chapter of this book!

whats shubi up to?

did we like this chapter?

I'll see you guys soon!

yours truly,
soup 🫶