2024

As the sound of his phone vibrating on the seat next to them interrupted the peaceful silence, Shubman groaned and pulled his face away from Navya's hair with a soft sigh. 

Her head was still nestled in the crook of his neck, her legs draped across his lap, and she was so comfortable, so close to him, that he didn't want to move an inch. 

But the damn phone kept vibrating, making it impossible to ignore.

"Ugh, I swear to God, I'm gonna throw this thing out the window," he muttered under his breath, reaching over to pick up his phone. 

He didn't even have to look at the screen to know who it was—Hardik, Ishan, KL Rahul, and Virat. They always called him at the most inconvenient times.

"Let me guess," Navya said with a chuckle, her voice muffled against his neck as she squeezed him just a little tighter. 

"The boys are back at it again?"

"Yeah..." he sighed, swiping the screen to answer. "What's up, guys?"

As soon as he picked up, the voices on the other end came at him all at once, and he had to hold the phone a little farther from his ear to avoid the shouting.

"Shubman! Bro, where the hell are you?" Hardik's voice boomed.

"Yeah, we've been calling you for the past ten minutes!" Ishan added, clearly not even attempting to hide his annoyance.

"Come on, man. We're all waiting for you to join us," Virat piped up, his voice warm but firm.

Shubman rolled his eyes and glanced down at Navya, who was still snuggled against him, her fingers idly tracing circles on his chest. 

He couldn't help but smile. She was so completely relaxed, so comfortable, and it made his heart swell.

"Alright, alright, I'm here," Shubman said into the phone, trying to keep his voice calm as he gently tried to pull himself away from Navya's arms. 

"I'll be there in a minute, just give me some space."

But of course, they didn't let him off that easily.

"You're with someone, aren't you?" KL Rahul asked, his tone full of suspicion and teasing. 

"We can hear it in your voice. Who is it, bro? Finally found someone to cuddle up with?"

Shubman's face immediately turned a deep shade of red, and he glanced down at Navya, who was now looking up at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Guys, stop," Shubman muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just... chilling. I'll be there soon."

"Chilling?" Virat teased. "You sure you're not chilling with someone? Don't make us call you out on your nonsense, Shubman."

At that, Shubman glanced down at Navya again, who was still very much lying on top of him, resting her head comfortably on his chest as if nothing had changed. 

Her lips curled into a knowing smirk as she lifted her head slightly.

"Tell them, Shubman," she whispered playfully, her breath warm against his neck. "Tell them who's here."

Shubman's heart skipped a beat. He felt both nervous and excited about the prospect of finally admitting the truth to his friends. 

His hand slid down to gently brush through Navya's hair, the motion soft and full of affection. It was a side of him no one saw, except for her.

He cleared his throat before speaking into the phone again. "Okay, fine. Yeah, I'm with someone. But I'm not telling you guys who just yet."

"What?!" Hardik yelled. "You can't leave us hanging like this, man!"

"C'mon, who is it?" Ishan chimed in. "We want details. Right now."

Shubman chuckled softly, feeling the weight of years of tension finally lifting. "I'll tell you all when I'm ready. You guys just chill."

Navya, still resting against him, lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his jaw, her lips warm and sweet. She gave him a soft smile, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

"Alright, alright. We'll let you off the hook for now," Virat finally said with a laugh. "But don't take too long, Shubman. We're all waiting for you."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Just need a few minutes."

Shubman ended the call, throwing the phone to the side. He let out a long breath and turned back to Navya, who was now propped up on her elbows, looking at him with a teasing smile.

"Now they know we're together," she said softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

He smiled back at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, but that's just the beginning, jaan. You ready for them to know everything?"

Her gaze softened, and she nodded, her hand slipping into his. "Whenever you're ready, Shubman. I'm right here."

He smiled at her, his heart swelling with warmth and affection. "I've got nothing to hide anymore."

The two of them sat there in the quiet of the car for a while longer, hands intertwined, hearts finally open to each other. 

They knew there was still a long way to go, but for the first time in years, they felt like they were moving in the right direction.

soup rants!!!

the twenty first chapter is here!
did we like it?
do comment your favorite part
what do you think will happen in the next chapter?
until then
yours lovingly,

soup <3