lover [ 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐥 ]

4

Shubman pov

As I caught sight of her standing behind me, a smile involuntarily tugged at my lips, mirrored by hers. She looked stunning, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with nerves at the prospect of getting to know her better. Before I could say anything, her parents called her 

over, and she gracefully made her way to the other couch.

"Do you all want tea or coffee?" she offered, her voice warm and welcoming.

"Coffee is good," her parents replied in unison, to which she nodded. "Give me a few minutes, I'll get them for you," she promised, flashing a smile before heading off to the kitchen.

"Beta, go help her," my mom suggested, prompting me to follow her.

"Hello, Mr. Gill," she greeted me as she busied herself with making the coffee.

"Please, just call me Shubman," I insisted, returning her smile.

"Okay, so Shubman, what brings you here?" she inquired, taking the sugar jar from me.

"I thought I'd lend a hand," I replied, feeling a bit awkward but wanting to make a good impression. "That's really nice of you," she remarked, her eyes meeting mine."

Anyway, Ishan has told me about you," I began, eager to continue our conversation. "Does he still remember me?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"He does," I confirmed with a nod. "Anyway, we can continue this conversation after I serve you your coffee," she suggested, and I readily agreed.

Once the coffee was ready, she returned to the living room and joined us on the couch. "If you two want, you can go and talk in private," our dads offered, sensing the need for privacy. Glancing at Reethu, who nodded in agreement, we both stood up.

"Come on," she smiled, leading the way to her room. As we entered her room, I couldn't help but notice the array of cricket bats, musical instruments, and other personal belongings scattered about. "Please, have a seat," she offered graciously, gesturing towards a chair.

"Okay, before we continue our conversation about Ishan, I have to ask—did they show you a photo or anything of me?" I inquired, feeling a tad nervous.

She chuckled softly. "No, it was all quite sudden. They simply informed me that a boy would be coming to see me regarding marriage," she revealed, prompting a laugh from both of us.

"When I asked for a photo, they didn't show me one. They just told me that I know what you do," she added, and I nodded in understanding. "You definitely didn't expect a cricketer, did you?" I teased gently, brushing away a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her face.

"Well..." she trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Oh my god, you did?" I exclaimed, amused by her admission.

"I had my hopes, though," she admitted with a chuckle.

"So, what do you do?" I asked, genuinely interested in learning more about her.

"Well, I work as a Graphic Designer, sort of like a VFX supervisor for the film industry," she explained.

"That's fascinating. Which films have you worked on?" I inquired, genuinely intrigued.

"I've worked on a few Bollywood and Hollywood productions, including a TV show called Teen Wolf, a film called Ghostbusters, and now I'm working on the upcoming Spider-Man animated movie," she revealed with a proud smile.

"No way!" I exclaimed, thoroughly impressed. "That's incredible!"

"Enough about me. Now, tell me about yourself," she insisted, turning the conversation back to me. "You already know about me," I teased, flashing her a grin.

"Well, guilty as charged," she conceded, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"Do you play cricket?" I asked her, genuinely curious. "Yeah, cricket is my favourite sport," she replied with a smile.

"Good taste," I remarked with a chuckle. "But anyway, going back to our earlier conversation, Ishan does remember you. He told me everything about you and even showed me a few photos. You looked so cute in them," I laughed, recalling the images Ishan had shared.

"You think I was cute in those?" she asked, arching an eyebrow teasingly. "Well..." I trailed off, a playful glint in my eye.

"Well?" she prodded, a hint of anticipation in her voice.

"Well, you look gorgeous now," I admitted, unable to resist the urge to compliment her.

"Thanks, I guess," she mumbled, her cheeks turning a shade of pink.

"We should probably exchange numbers so that we can get to know each other better," I suggested, hoping she would agree.

"Yeah, we should probably do that," she agreed, typing her phone number into my device.

"Nice 500 note," she remarked, glancing at my phone case with a laugh.

"That's my emergency 500 note," I admitted, joining in her laughter.

"Um, before you two start undressing and fuck, both your parents want you downstairs," Venkat's voice interrupted us from outside the door, causing both of us to turn red with embarrassment.

"Sorry about him. He's always like that," she apologized, opening the door. "Thank you very much for giving us clarity, Venkat," she added, her tone laced with sarcasm as she playfully slapped his head.

"I guess we should get going," I suggested, feeling a bit flustered.

"Yeah, we should," she agreed, humming in response. "It was nice meeting you, Shubman," she smiled, and I returned the sentiment.

"It was nice meeting you too."

"By the way, congrats on the Man of the Match award," she added, her words making me smile even wider.

As we made our way downstairs, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement about getting to know Reethu better. Who knew what the future held, but for now, I was content to enjoy the newfound connection between us. Unable to resist the pull any longer, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, savouring the moment before pulling away, leaving her blushing and me with a sense of exhilaration.