Chapter 25

Ayaan drove to his football session, with a teasing smile on his face. This interaction with Naina's parents was unexpected but it was a pleasant surprise. They liked him. He smiled.

"Hey bro!" Ayaan said as he reached.

Ayaan was known to come here often, but he had stopped for a while because of university and his third year. He wanted to spend time on his studies rather than football.

"Where were you? You left long back?" Rohan asked Ayaan as he approached him.

"I was at Naina's house." He replied.

Rohan's face changed into a shock and then a smirk, "Oh Wow. What were you doing there?"

"Nothing that you are thinking." Ayaan smirked back, "I dropped her. She lives nearby. Then her parents called me in, so I went."

"Have you impressed your in-laws yet?"

Ayaan chuckled, "In-laws is too soon, but yes, I have. I'm taking her home and I got an offer for dinner at her place."

"Are you gonna go?"

"I'm not sure. I thought I'll spend time with all the gang here. It's been a while." Ayaan said, "I think we should head to pitch. Let's play."

Rohan smirked, as if indicating that we will talk about this later, then the guys went to play. Ayaan was known for his football. He had played for his school and his university before he took a step back last year to focus on his cricket, since he always liked cricket more than football.

Ayaan played like a natural, not really surprising anyone. They were just glad to see the man on the field again - they missed it. Ayaan played 3 games, in which he scored, and won all.

As they got ready for another game, Ayaan chose to sit this one out due to fatigue. He settled himself on the bench, ready to be a sub if needed, when his friend came and sat next to him. "Hey bro," Manav, his friend said.

"Manav, hey. Whatsup?" Ayaan said, taking a sip of his water.

"I must say, we missed your aggression on the field. Needed that a bit more." He chuckled.

Ayaan chuckled, "I've been busy with cricket. I didn't wanna take too much on my plate. It's my third year, I have to start focusing on school."

"I think you can do both. Why don't you? Or are you saving yourself for some other things on the side?" Manav smirked.

Ayaan, understanding, smiled, "Nothing like that."

"Oh come on. Don't tell me there's no one. The Ayaan Malhotra can't be single."

"Well he has been for over 3 years now."

"You know," Ayaan said reclining a little, "I didn't actually date anyone since I became, as you all say, the Ayaan Malhotra. It's always been casual flirting and a few dates. Nothing serious than that."

"Why so?"

"I don't know yaar. I don't want casual. When I fall, I fall deeply. And maybe I'm afraid that girls nowadays might not be able to handle that kind of possessiveness or security. I don't know."

"Don't girls like that nowadays?"

"I don't think so. I don't know honestly. Maybe they do, but I wouldn't know."

"Is your mind on someone now?" Manav asked.

Ayaan's mind instantly went to Naina. Before he could even think about it, his brain had given him an answer. Of course there's someone, he thought. He smiled and nodded, "There is."

"Ooh! Tell me more." Manav teased.

"She's really quiet. Doesn't talk much and we actually weren't even friends until recently and then she suddenly kissed me at this party, and since then things have changed. I assumed it would be a regular kiss which somehow just happens, but.... It wasn't. I asked her about it and she said it was casual but I can read her like an open book. It's not casual. But she's not ready to accept what's going on between us."

Manav listened quietly, "Damn. That's intense. Maybe it's you. Your aura and her aura is very different. That would repel someone."

"I agree. I tried to talk to her about it but she pretends nothing happened." Ayaan chuckled helplessly, "Can't do anything about it."

"Actually," Manav retorted, "You can. You just gotta be clear on what you want. A guy being clear is the only thing a girl needs."

"I told her very clearly I want her."

"Don't tell her. Show her. Actions speak louder than words, you know." Manav replied, "Show her everyday that you want her and only her and you're ready to fight for it. She'll have no option but to give in and join you."

"You think so?"

"I know so. How do you think my girlfriend and I got together?" He chuckled.

"Thanks man." Ayaan replied, "Big help."

~•~

It was around 8:45pm when Ayaan was back in front of her house. The house was lit up and everything was clean and shiny. What was the occasion?, he wondered. He honked but didn't get a reply, so he took out his phone and messaged her.

A: I'm outside. Come.

Within 2 minutes, she had read the message and replied with an okay.

Then, he heard loud noises coming from the door. The family was here, he smiled. He came closer, getting out of the car. Then he smiled at the family in front of him.

"Hi Aunty. Hi Uncle." Ayaan smiled.

"Beta, you were supposed to join us for dinner. What happened?" Naina's mom said.

"Sorry Aunty, I got caught up with my team. We had dinner together, but next time for sure." He smiled.

"You have to. One dinner is due." She smiled.

He spoke to Alok Mehra as well and then bid them a goodbye as he allowed Naina to talk to her parents. Soon, she came and sat in the car and nodded at him, indicating him to start. He waved them a goodbye, along with Naina, and they started to drive.

"How was your day?" He asked her once he had touched the main highway.

"It was good. How was yours?"

"It was nice. Kinda tired." He replied, honestly.

"I can see that." Then she looked at him and hesitated a little. "S...Should I—"

"Why are you stammering around me?" He said, looking at her at they were stopped at a signal, "You didn't hesitate this much when you kissed me." He smirked.

She looked at him, her mouth sealed. "I.... You didn't need to... bring that up."

"I know," he said, "but I wanted to. Can't let you forget na, I know some people have the habit of forgetting." He teased, looking right at her.

She looked away. He chuckled, then continued, "Acha anyway, what were you going to say?"

Then she looked back at me, "I was saying that I can drive if you are tired."

"You can drive?" He asked her, curiously.

"Yes. Why is that a shock?"

"It's not a shock. I didn't think you'd drive. I don't know why. Didn't think you were the type to drive." He teased.

"I can drive really well, Ayaan." She crossed her arms over her chest.

He chuckled, "I don't doubt that. Why don't you drive to University then? Or bring your car there?"

"Mom Dad needed their cars. I don't have my own car. Never needed one."

"But don't your Mom and Dad both work?"

Naina nodded, "Yes, but they're in the same office area. So they usually go and come back together. Just sometimes Mom stays at home."

"What kind of field are they in?"

"Dad works at IBM and Mom is into finance."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah..." she said settling back, "They wanted me to become an engineer too. But I never liked numbers as much."

"I'm the complete opposite. Never liked biology that much either. I don't know how you all memorize those parts of the body constantly."

Naina chuckled, "Well, I... I think you get used to it. But, between you and me, I don't plan on being a doctor for too long."

"Wait? What?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah," she said, "I'll work for a few years. Then get an MBA. I'm not doing pure medicine. I'm doing biomedical engineering."

Ayaan looked at her shock. Then, he pulled over into an open parking area parallel to the road and parked his car. Then looked at her, "I can't drive with the shock you just hit me. What do you mean you are doing engineering?"

Naina looked at me, "I... I'm studying biomedicine now. But, in my final year, we have the option to continue into the science stream or we can get into the engineering field."

"What's the difference?"

"A biomedical scientist would focus more on how the research for treating diseases and studying the human body more. A biomedical engineer would focus more on using technology to make a biomedical scientist's job easier."

"And you are going to pick engineering?"

Naina nodded, "I'm assuming. I'm not entirely sure. We have a seminar next week to help us decide our options, giving an overview of which's path goes where. But I think I am going to select engineering because it covers R&D. I like R&D."

Ayaan looked at her, confused. "Wow."

"What kind of engineering are you doing?" She asked him.

"Software." He replied.

"I see. Interesting. But too much maths."

"Won't you have maths too, if you choose to take the engineering path?" He teased.

"I will, but it's not a lot. It's more about the product lifecycle and system designing. I guess."

"You know everything already. You might as well give the seminar next week." He chuckled.

"I had to know. Dad wanted me to choose. I didn't know what to choose. I got confused and that leads to overthinking and—"

"Naina," he said holding her hand, "pick what you want to do. Not what your Dad says. He's not the one who will spend the next 40 years working in that field. You need to be happy with what you pick. Everyone else will understand."

She nodded, "I know, but, Dad really wanted me to do engineering."

"So?" He chuckled, "My Mom Dad are doctors. They wanted me to become the next Malhotra surgeon. But I hated biology and loved numbers and engineering." He came closer and continued, "And besides, I can't force myself to dislike something, when I clear like it."

His eyes pierced into hers. She gulped, after realizing what he meant. "W...we should drive. It's getting late."

He looked at her hesitate and chuckled, then started to drive again. They had a little more conversations about their career paths and they both felt a sense of warmth, as if someone was willing to listen.

When they reached their accommodation area, after parking the car, she was about to leave when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, holding her waist. He looked at her and gently tucked a bit of her hair behind her ears, "Hey. Thanks for having me over today."

She gulped at their proximity, "It's okay."

He pressed his lips gently against her cheeks, making the heat around them flush into her body, turning her cheeks red, "Goodnight darling." He said, his face very close to hers, "I'll see you soon."

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