Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The elevator dinged, and Virat stepped out, carrying Akaay, Anushka right beside him, holding Vamika's hand as she excitedly trotted towards her favourite person's place. As they reached Mahira's apartment door, which was two floors below their penthouse, Virat rang the bell, still half-thinking about the exhausting day at practice. His fingers drummed impatiently on the doorframe.
The door swung open to reveal Raghav Sharma, often called "papa ka para" by others. He was grinning like he'd just won a lottery. "Hey, Virat! Anushka! And hi Miss. Vamika! Great to see you," he said, as if he was greeting close friends, not people elder to him.
Virat's eye twitched. Why is this guy here? He forced a tight nod. "Raghav." he muttered, his voice making it clear that this was not a friendly exchange.
"Oh, come in, come in!" Raghav said, waving them in as if it was his own house, with an air of someone far too comfortable for Virat's liking.
As soon as they stepped inside, Mahira appeared from the kitchen, wearing an apron that read, Queen of the kitchen. "Guys! Perfect timing," she declared, wiping her hands on the apron. "I made aloo parantha today." Her smile turned mischievous. "Figured you could use some carbs after running behind the ball all day."
"Bua, what is this boy doing here?" Vamika interjected, her eyebrows curled in distaste.
"Hey! I'm a man." Raghav said, lifting up his right arm and pointing at his bicep,making the young girl roll her eyes, her father copying her action.
Virat's brows shot up. "Yes Mahi, why is he—"
Before he could finish, she swept past him, heading for the dining table. "Sit, sit! Dinner's getting cold." she commanded, already pulling out a chair for Raghav.
Raghav grinned and took the seat with a flourish, while Virat reluctantly sat across from him. He glanced at Anushka, who gave a barely concealed chuckle and sat next to him.
Mahira plopped down next to Raghav, taking a huge bite of parantha. "So, bhaiya." she said, barely pausing to chew, "I've been meaning to tell you something." Her eyes sparkled, a sign Virat recognized from years of sibling pranks and surprises—it was usually not a good sign.
He narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"We're dating." she said casually, jerking her thumb at Raghav. "Raghav and I. Boyfriend-girlfriend. The whole 'relationship' thing." She took another bite, as if she'd just mentioned she'd bought a plant, even though Virat would've been delighted if she had gotten a real one instead of this palm tree like looking guy.
Virat froze, a piece of parantha half-chewed in his mouth. "What?" he sputtered, his voice coming out an octave higher than usual.
