It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Shubman had been missing Malini more than he cared to admit. He knew she had the day off, and his schedule was mercifully light. 

So, being the affectionate and spontaneous person he was, he decided to swing by her apartment to surprise her. 

A bouquet of lilies in one hand and a box of macarons in the other, he let himself in with the spare key she'd given him, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

The door creaked open as he strode in confidently. "Hey, darling! Miss me?" he called out, his voice teasing.

But as he turned into the living room, his smile froze mid-flash. Sitting on the couch were two unfamiliar faces—a man and a woman, both with the same warm, intelligent eyes as Malini. 

The man, who was sipping tea, paused mid-sip, while the woman straightened up, clearly surprised. And there, on the armchair, sat Malini, wide-eyed and visibly horrified.

"Oh... fuck me sideways," Shubman muttered under his breath, his eyes darting between them. His grip tightened on the bouquet and the box as he tried to recover. "Uh... hello."

"Hello," Malini's father said, his voice steady and full of authority, his eyebrows slightly raised. Her mother, on the other hand, was smiling softly, her amusement barely hidden.

"Shubman!" Malini squeaked, leaping to her feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh... I thought I'd surprise you," he stammered, his ears burning red. "Didn't realize we had company."

"We?" her father asked, emphasizing the word as his sharp gaze bore into Shubman.

"Uh, no, no, I meant she had company! Not 'we,' like, together... uh... fuck." Shubman inhaled deeply, mentally kicking himself for every word that had just come out of his mouth.

Malini was already at his side, tugging him by the arm and whispering through gritted teeth, "Why didn't you call first, you idiot?"

"Because I wanted to surprise you!" he hissed back. "How was I supposed to know your parents were here?"

"Shubman, darling," her mother interrupted with a smile, her tone light but dripping with curiosity. 

"Would you like to sit down? I'm assuming you're the boyfriend Malini has been avoiding telling us about."

"Mom!" Malini groaned, her cheeks flaming red as she buried her face in her hands.

"Boyfriend?" her father echoed, now setting his cup down deliberately. 

His expression was unreadable, which was far more terrifying than anger.

Shubman, however, seemed to find some of his trademark charm under pressure. Clearing his throat, he set the bouquet and macarons on the coffee table with care, as if making an offering to the gods. 

"Mr and Mrs Jayadev, it's an honour to meet you," he said, extending his hand to Malini's father first. "I'm Shubman Gill."

Her father shook his hand firmly, his expression still stoic. "Shubman Gill, the cricketer?"

"Yes, sir," Shubman replied, standing a little taller now, hoping his professional reputation might save him.

"You're the one who calls my daughter 'darling' in public?" her father pressed, one brow arching.

"Dad!" Malini exclaimed, rushing to sit beside him and grab his arm. "Please don't."

"I didn't think anyone else heard that," Shubman mumbled, glancing at Malini for help, but her mortified expression made it clear he was on his own.

"You'll have to excuse my husband," her mother chimed in, giving her husband a sidelong glance. 

"He's very protective of our Malini. But I think he's secretly impressed that you walked in here so confidently."

"Hardly secret anymore," Malini muttered, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Thank you, ma'am," Shubman said with a small nod. "I can promise you, I care about Malini a lot. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Ever."

Her father's gaze softened, just a touch. "We'll see," he said, leaning back in his seat. "But if you're serious about my daughter, I expect you to respect her, her time, and her dreams. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Shubman said firmly.

Malini's mother clapped her hands lightly. "Well, now that we've settled that, Shubman, have a seat! Would you like some tea? Or coffee? Malini tells me you're not a fan of either."

Shubman grinned, relaxing a little. "Milk, if that's alright, ma'am. I'll never say no to a glass of milk."

Malini groaned audibly. "God, Mom, please stop feeding into his wholesome image."

Her mom laughed and headed to the kitchen, leaving Malini to flop onto the couch next to Shubman. 

She leaned in close and whispered fiercely, "You are never using that key without texting me first. Got it?"

"Got it, darling," he replied with a cheeky grin, slipping his arm around her shoulder. She huffed but didn't push him away.

Her father watched the interaction with quiet amusement. "You've got your hands full with this one, Shubman," he said, and for the first time, his tone was almost approving.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, sir," Shubman said sincerely, earning a quiet smile from Malini, who elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

As they sat there, the initial tension in the room began to ease. Shubman cracked a few jokes, earning laughter from Malini's mom and even a reluctant chuckle from her dad. 

By the time he left, walking out the door with Malini accompanying him, the awkwardness had transformed into a surprisingly warm first meeting.

"I can't believe you," Malini said as they stood by his car. "Barging in like that and calling me 'darling' in front of my parents?"

"What can I say? I'm irresistible," Shubman teased, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Besides, they didn't kill me. I think that's a win."

"Barely," Malini said with a smirk, though her eyes betrayed how much she adored him.

As he drove away, he couldn't help but grin to himself. Meeting the parents? Check.

soup rants!

- hello everyone!

- I hope you guys are having a great day so far, and I also hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

- bro just barged in ahah !!

- also comments on the chapter?

- i hope you guys liked this one!

- with lots of love, supraja 🫶