𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟯. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲

Chapter Three: Secrets of Love

Nehmat wearily scrolled through her laptop, her eyes exhausted from the last-minute arrangements. She was about to officially join the team in New Zealand for the T20Is, ODIs, and test series spanning two whole months. Placing her glasses on her forehead, she rubbed her eyes, contemplating if any crucial details had been overlooked. At that moment, the door opened, and Virat peered through. His presence made her shift her gaze towards the door, and he inquired, "Hope you have arranged everything, including the tickets."

Snapping her fingers, Nehmat swivelled towards her laptop, swiftly locating the airline for their upcoming travel. "Thankfully, you mentioned it. Even though I was going through the to-do list, your concern made it quicker," she remarked, glancing at the booking details.

"Good. I know you can be forgetful when it comes to important things, so yeah," Virat quipped, patting her head as he took a seat beside her.

"Paaji, I am the logistics manager of the team. At least don't tease me now," she whined, prompting a chuckle from him.

"But I've seen you forget things," Virat teased her, despite her protests.

"And when did I do that?" Nehmat asked, narrowing her eyes inquisitively. Virat opened his mouth to respond but couldn't pinpoint any specific situation where she faltered. While she was impeccable at managing tasks, she did have her moments of clumsiness. However, to playfully keep the argument going, he continued, "But you are clumsy."

"I challenge you to find one instance," Nehmat persisted, a playful challenge in her tone.

Virat leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, what about that time during your teen years when you tripped over your own feet while trying to impress that cute guy at the school dance?"

Nehmat's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she recalled the memory. "Okay, okay, you got me there," she admitted, shaking her head with a laugh.

Virat grinned triumphantly, saying, "Do you want to remind me of more instances?"

"No, no, I admit I can be clumsy, but I'll make sure everything is perfect for logistics. Now, go to sleep. I have to book tickets, and you and Bhabhi have a shoot tomorrow," Nehmat insisted, gently pushing Virat out of the room.

"Fine, goodnight. But make sure you sleep and not indulge in late-night binging," he advised, kissing her forehead before leaving. A smile played on her lips as he exited. She had wanted this moment for a long time, almost wishing to freeze time. With a smile, she looked up at him and softly muttered, "Goodnight."

As he left, she closed the door and took a moment to rest her head against it, collecting herself. Glancing at the family frame near her bedside table, she tried to suppress her inner turmoil. After a deep breath, she made her way to the bed, focusing on booking the flights. While going through the process, she came across his name, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks. A mischievous idea struck her, and she couldn't resist implementing it as she continued with the bookings.

Finally done with her work, she set her laptop aside and decided to indulge in some online stalking. Although her eyes were tired, they weren't too fatigued to resist this little guilty pleasure. She quickly logged into her fake account, not wanting to risk getting caught by actually liking his photos. Given her clumsy history, she decided it was best to remain incognito.

As she scrolled through his photos, scrutinizing each one along with its comments, she sought any sign of a girlfriend. Fortunately, no one was in sight, prompting a mental cheer from her. His profile revealed a red circle, indicating a recent story. Intrigued, she opened it to find a picture of him with a dog, its face nestled in his neck, the caption reading, "Furry time before I fly." She couldn't help but mutter a heartfelt "cute," blushing and burying her face in the pillow.

She continued her exploration, scrutinizing his fan edits and delving further into his background through her discreet online investigation.

Sleep enveloped Nehmat as she finished gathering information about Shubman Gill. Her phone remained clutched in her hand, mouth slightly agape, as she drifted into a realm where she sought to be friends with Shubman Gill.

It felt as though she had closed her eyes just a few minutes ago when her alarm abruptly blared, prompting a groan from her. Checking the time, she realized it was 7 AM — time to get up. Wiping away a droplet of saliva that had collected at the corner of her lips, she stretched. However, her attention was drawn to her phone still in her hand, and her eyes widened. In a quick motion, she logged out, wary that Vamika might catch wind of her late-night activity if she grabbed her phone for games. That little mischief-maker wouldn't spare her from a barrage of questions if she found out.

After getting herself ready and preparing breakfast, Nehmat entered Vamika's room to find the little one sleeping so peacefully. Despite not wanting to disturb the tranquil scene, today was her duty as her Bhabhi was busy. Planting a gentle kiss on Vamika's cheek, she softly whispered, "Rise and shine, Vamii, come on."

"Nini, a few minutes more," Vamika groaned, turning towards Nehmat and snaking her tiny hands around Nehmat's neck, inviting her to continue sleeping.

"No, wake up. Come on," Nehmat insisted, picking her up despite Vamika's sleepy protests. It was a challenging task, but Nehmat managed to get the little one ready. She manoeuvred the car smoothly with one hand through the traffic lanes of Mumbai.

"Nini will leave tomorrow for 2 months, so don't trouble Mama too much, okay?" Nehmat advised Vamika, who pouted at the mention of her Nini leaving.

Vamika blinked sleepily, processing Nehmat's words. "Two months? That's so long," she mumbled, her little face scrunching up in a frown.

Nehmat smiled gently, understanding Vamika's apprehension. "I know, sweetheart, but it's for work. I'll miss you a lot, but I'll be back before you know it. And you can talk to Nini on the phone every day, okay?"

Vamika nodded, her pout slowly turning into a thoughtful expression. "Promise you'll call every day and tell me all the fun things you're doing!"

"I promise," Nehmat assured her, holding her tiny fingers. "And guess what? I'll bring you something special from New Zealand!"

Vamika's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? What is it going to be?"

Nehmat winked playfully. "It's a surprise! But only if you're a good girl and help Mama while I'm away, deal?"

Vamika nodded eagerly, her enthusiasm returning. "Deal! But you have to bring me something, Nini!"

"I will, my little sunshine. Now, let's get you to school," Nehmat said, ruffling Vanika's hair.

As Vamika made her way inside the school, Nehmat kneeled, looking into her eyes with a conspiratorial smile. "Today, we'll do whatever you want after school, okay? And maybe, just maybe, we'll sneak in an ice cream treat. But shh... it's our little secret. Nothing should be said at home," she whispered, placing a finger on her lips.

Vamika giggled, playing along and placing her tiny finger over her lips, imitating Nini's gesture. Nehmat chuckled, delighted by Vamika's infectious joy. "It's our special day, alright? Now, go and have a fantastic day at school. I'll be waiting right here to pick you up when it ends."

Vamika beamed, quickly hugging Nehmat before skipping into the school building. Nehmat watched her go love filling her heart. As she stood up, she couldn't help but feel grateful for these precious moments with her little niece. She wished always to be her little Vami's favourite as she watched her figure blend into the sea of children, her eyes turning emotional.