Chapter 39

Naina sat at her dining table, lazily picking at the last pieces of her toast as the sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains. Her mind wandered to her endless list of assignments. The plan for the day was simple: study. The quiet morning was interrupted by the sudden buzz of her phone, which she picked up without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"

"Good morning," Ayaan's deep, teasing voice filled the line.

Her brows furrowed. "What do you want?"

"Wow, no 'good morning' back? That's rude, even for you," he replied, feigning offense.

"Ayaan, I have work to do," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Do you have class today?" he asked casually, ignoring her tone.

"No, but I have studying to—"

"Perfect," he cut her off cheerfully. "Be ready in fifteen minutes."

"What?" Her voice rose with confusion. "Ayaan, I just told you I need to study—"

"No, you don't," he said firmly. "Now stop arguing. Be ready in fifteen. I'll text you when I'm downstairs."

"Ayaan, I'm not going anywhere!" she snapped.

"You are," he said with maddening confidence. "Fifteen minutes, Naina."

And just like that, he hung up.

She stared at her phone, dumbfounded. "Unbelievable."

Reluctantly, she got up, pulling on her favorite cargo pants and a simple white top. She glanced at herself in the mirror, wondering if she should try harder with her look, then shook her head. It didn't matter.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, her phone buzzed with a text: Downstairs.

Grumbling under her breath, she grabbed her bag and headed down. Ayaan was leaning casually against his car, looking effortlessly handsome in a black hoodie and jeans.

"Finally," he said as she approached, flashing his trademark smirk.

"What's going on? Where are we going?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"We're going out," he said simply, opening the passenger door for her.

"I have studying to do," she protested weakly, though she slid into the car.

"No, you don't," he said with a chuckle as he got into the driver's seat. "You need a break, and I'm making sure you take one."

She sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue.

~•~

Their first stop was a small chai stall near the campus, where they sat on plastic stools under the shade of a large tree.

"So, how's med going?" Ayaan asked, stirring his chai with a spoon.

"It's... intense," Naina admitted. "But I think I've finally decided."

"Decided what?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

"I'm going to switch to biomedical engineering," she said, smiling softly.

His face lit up. "No way! Seriously?"

She nodded.

"That's amazing!" he exclaimed. "You'll be an engineer too. Finally, someone in this group who'll understand my rants about circuits and algorithms."

She laughed, the sound surprising even herself. "We'll see if I survive first."

"You will," he said confidently. "You're brilliant. And stubborn enough to make it happen."

She blushed slightly at his words, quickly sipping her chai to hide her smile.

After chai, he drove them through the bustling streets of Mumbai.

"Close your eyes," he said suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it," he insisted, grinning.

She gave him a wary look but complied.

"Where are we going?" she asked as the car slowed down.

"You'll see."

When he told her to open her eyes, she gasped loudly. "No way!"

Right in front of her stood Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan's iconic house.

"Ayaan!" she squealed, jumping out of the car. "You brought me to Mannat?"

He leaned against the car, watching her with amusement. "You're obsessed with SRK, so I thought, why not?"

She stood there, staring at the house in awe, her hands clasped together like an excited child. "This is... this is amazing!"

He chuckled, pulling out his phone to take a picture of her. "You're cute when you're this excited."

She didn't even hear him, too absorbed in the view.

After a few minutes of fangirling, he led her to a nearby stall at Bandstand for pav bhaji. They sat on a low bench, the salty sea breeze ruffling their hair.

"So," he began, watching her savor the food, "what's your favorite SRK movie?"

"*Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,* obviously," she replied, her eyes lighting up. "Raj is the perfect hero."

Ayaan smirked. "What about me? Don't I fit the hero role?"

She gave him a deadpan look. "You're more of the annoying sidekick."

He feigned offense, clutching his chest dramatically. "Wow. That hurts."

She laughed, shaking her head, while he looked at her in awe. She was the only one who has called him something like that—without any hesitation. And this fresh energy was what he craved for such a while.

"Come, let's walk." He said, taking her hand.

The two of them walked alongside the beach. It wasn't loud. They weren't talking much, but it was nice and peaceful—and they liked it this way.

After walking along the beach for a while, Ayaan's phone buzzed. He frowned as he read the message.

"Everything okay?" Naina asked.

"Football meeting," he groaned. "In an hour."

"Oh," she said. "You should go. I'll be fine."

He hesitated, clearly torn. "You sure?"

"Positive," she said with a reassuring smile.

Reluctantly, he drove her back to her building.

As she unbuckled her seatbelt, he leaned closer, his hand gently cradling her jaw.

Her breath hitched. "What are you doing?"

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered, his eyes searching hers.

She blinked, stunned into silence.

He smiled softly. "Your eyes are saying yes," he murmured and smirked, leaning in to press a slow, tender kiss to her lips.

Her heart raced, but she smiled as she pulled away, whispering, "Bye, Ayaan," before slipping out of the car.

He watched her go, a small smile tugging at his lips.

~•~

Back in her apartment, Naina found Ananya and Meera sprawled on her couch.

"Where have you been?" Ananya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"With Ayaan," Naina admitted, sinking into a chair.

"Oh my god," Meera gasped. "What's going on with you two?"

Naina hesitated, then sighed. "I like him. I really like him. But... I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Ananya asked gently.

"Of letting my guard down," Naina admitted. "What if he's not serious? What if it's just... a phase for him?"

Meera placed a hand on her shoulder. "Naina, if it was just a phase, it would be over by now. I am telling you he's crazy about you. Anyone can see that."

"Yeah," Ananya added. "And you're crazy about him too. So stop overthinking and go for it."

Meanwhile, Ayaan sat in the locker room after his football match, looking distracted.

"What's up with you?" Rohan asked, sitting beside him.

"Yeah, you've been weird all day," Arjun added.

Ayaan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I want to ask her out. But I don't know how. And I don't know if she'll say yes."

"Bro," Rohan said, clapping him on the back, "you've got to take a chance."

"Yeah," Arjun agreed. "She's into you. We can all see it."

Ayaan leaned back, thinking about Naina's smile as she got out of his car. He didn't just like her. He was falling hard.

And he was ready to take the chance.

🩵