Vritika stepped out into the chilly night. The roads were deserted as she walked briskly toward the team offices. When she reached the gates, the sleepy guard squinted at her ID and waved her in without much fuss.

"Medical wing is to the left," he muttered, pointing vaguely down the corridor.

"Thank you," Vritika murmured.

Her heart thudded loudly as she navigated the halls. She felt like an intruder here.Finally, she reached the medical wing.

There he was on the bed in the corner

Rohit.

He was deeply asleep.Her eyes drifted to his injured ankle. It looked painfully swollen, and she winced at the thought of how much it must hurt.

"You idiot," she whispered under her breath. "Why do you always push yourself so hard?"

Her gaze traveled to his face. Dark circles hung heavy under his eyes. His face, looked drawn and pale. Her heart clenched at how vulnerable he appeared-so different from the confident and mischievous man she had fallen for.

Without thinking, she pulled a chair closer to his bedside and sat down. She rested her hands in her lap, resisting the urge to reach out and smooth the lines on his forehead.

She didn't know how long she sat there, just watching him and letting her thoughts run wild. Her gaze fell to his hand, resting limply on the blanket. It was the same hand that had held hers so many times before,the very same hand that had once wiped her tears, held hers tightly on crowded streets, and playfully ruffled her hair when he thought she wasn't paying attention. She balled her own hands into fists. She couldn't touch him...

She closed her eyes. You shouldn't have come here, she scolded herself.

Minutes turned into moments of stillness, and soon her eyes began to flutter shut. Her head lolled to the side, her breathing slowing as sleep began to pull her under.

But suddenly, she jerked awake. There was a faint shuffle. She looked at Rohit and froze. His eyes were fluttering open, his brows knitting together in confusion.

Oh no, no, no!

Panic seized her, and she shot up from the chair. She darted toward the divider near the entrance and pressed her back against it, holding her breath.

Why did you come here, Vritika? Why?!

She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands balled into fists against her sides. Her mind raced, berating her at every turn. He broke your heart, and here you are, like some lovesick fool, running after him. How pathetic can you be? Pa. The. Tic.

Frustration bubbled up, and she hit the back of her head lightly against the divider. This was a mistake. A huge mistake. You need to leave. Now. 

She turned to leave when a warm hand wrapped around her wrist.

******

Rohit woke up groggily. Pain was throbbing in his ankle. He couldn't even move it properly. Blinking through the haze of sleep, his gaze wandered across the room. Something caught his attention—a shadow on the divider. He squinted, struggling to make sense of the blurry figure beyond the frosted glass.

Hair. It was unmistakably hair, cascading in the way he had memorized a thousand times. That color, that silhouette... It was her. It was Vritika.

Before he could think, his body reacted. Swinging his legs off the bed, his bare feet met the cold floor. Pain shot up his leg as his injured ankle buckled under him, but he gritted his teeth and limped forward, 

He reached the divider and saw her clearly now, her back turned to him. She was leaving. No. Not again.

Without thinking, his hand shot out, grabbing hers before she could slip away.

She turned around and their eyes met. God there was so much pain in her eyes that it almost brought him to his knees. She tried to get her hand out of his grip.

"I am sorry I disturbed you. I promise I had no intention to interfere." she said 

It was a slap on his face.

"Ritz..." he breathed, "Please don't say that."

"Why not? You made it very clear that there's no place for me in your life anymore."

"That's not true," he said hoarsely. "Vritika, you're the only one who's ever mattered to me."

She let out a bitter laugh, tears glistening in her eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it, then."

His chest tightened, guilt crashing over him like a tidal wave. "I know I messed up," he admitted. "I know I hurt you, and I'll regret that for the rest of my life. But I...I am very sorry for it."

She shook her head, stepping back and pulling her hand free from his grasp. "It's too late, Rohit," she said. "You don't get to waltz back into my life and pretend like nothing happened."

Her words left him speechless. She turned to leave, and panic seized him. He couldn't let her walk away-not like this.

"Ritz, wait...!" His voice cracked, but before he could move his body betrayed him. The pain in his ankle was too much. With a strangled cry, he collapsed onto his knees.

Vritika froze as she heard him fall. She spun around in horror.

"Rohit, shit-why the hell are you out of bed? Get up!" She rushed toward him with her hands reaching out to help him, but Rohit stopped her, his grip firm on her wrists. He remained on his knees.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "I'm not moving until you hear me out, Ritz. Please."

"Please Rohit get up."

He wouldn't budge. His grip on her hands tightened, and his eyes locked onto hers. His dark eyes were pleading as he knelt before her.

"Rohit, get up!" Vritika hissed."You're injured, for God's sake. Don't do this!"

But he shook his head stubbornly "No," he said firmly.

Her heart twisted at the raw emotion in his voice. "Rohit, this isn't the time-"

"It's now or never, Ritz," he interrupted, his voice breaking. "I can't keep pretending like I'm fine when I'm not. Not when I know I've pushed away the one person who made everything in my life worth it."

"You're hurt, and this isn't helping."

"I don't care about the pain," Rohit said stubbornly. "Not if it means losing you again."

She froze.

"I know I've hurt you," he continued. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I can't let you walk away again without telling you how sorry I am. For everything."

Her eyes filled with tears despite herself, and she tried to pull her hands free, but his grip tightened.

"Rohit," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"You were always there for me," he said, "Through every high and low. And I let my anger, my fears, ruin the best thing in my life. I can't change the past, Vritika, but if you give me a chance... just one chance to explain, I swear I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at him. "Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?" she said. "How many nights I cried myself to sleep because of you?"

His shoulders slumped, and he nodded. "I know," he said softly. "And that's what kills me, Vritika. Knowing that I caused you so much pain. Please, please give me a chance to explain, I beg you....and then after that if you want to still go, I will not stop you. After that if you don't want to see my face again, I promise I will never come in front of you."

Silence stretched between them.

"Okay fine I will hear you out. But first, you need to get to the bed. You're hurt and your ankle is swollen like a balloon."

Vritika helped him up supporting him by his waist. When they reached near the bed, she propped up the pillows to make the bed more comfortable for him.Rohit winced slightly as he lowered himself onto the bed.

"Better?" she asked, avoiding his gaze as she pulled the blanket over him.

"Much," he murmured, his eyes never leaving her. "Thank you."

She crossed her arms, standing at the foot of the bed. "Alright, you wanted a chance to explain. So talk."

"I don't even know where to start," he admitted, his voice low and shaky.

"Start from the beginning."

"Right. So my parents had been forcing me to come and look at girls for marriage. You remember the calls and messages you saw? They were all for that. So went I went home that Saturday, they straight up took me to see that girl. And to my very surprise, it was Aanya."

"Why didn't you tell me all this?"

"I was going to eventually. But I didn't want you to doubt my love and loyalty towards you. But I messed by not telling you and I am really sorry for that. My parents were forcing me to marry her. Then they told me my brother had suffered a huge loss and was in severe dept. They tried to blackmail me into that marriage for money but I couldn't marry her Ritz because I loved you! But I needed money and when Aanya told me you had rejected the deal, I lost myself in anger nad spouted everything she said to me. I am sorry, I am so very sorry....I didn't mean any of it. I promise."

Vritika's resolve wavered. The anger that had fueled her for so long began to unravel but she tried to hold on. "You let Aanya manipulate you, Rohit. You let her drive a wedge between us."

He looked up at her, his eyes dark with pain "I know. And I hate myself for it. But please believe me when I say I never meant any of those things I said that night. I was angry, frustrated, and so damn lost, but none of it was your fault. I took it out on you, and that was the worst mistake of my life."

Vritika blinked back tears. "Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?" she whispered. "How many nights I spent wondering what I did wrong? Why I wasn't enough?"

Rohit reached out as if to comfort her but stopped himself. "You were always enough, Ritz. You were more than enough. I was the one who wasn't. I would give anything to take back what I said, what I did."

"You broke my trust, Rohit. You broke me."

Rohit summoned his courage and took her hand in his, praying and hoping she wouldn't jerk it off. She didn't.

"I am so very sorry...."

Vritika's walls began to crumble. She wanted to hold on to her anger, to the pain he'd caused, but it was slipping through her fingers with every word he spoke.

"She said she was your fiancée," she finally said, needing to understand, to make sense of it all.

"That's a lie," Rohit said firmly. "She never was. She promised me she'd get me the deal back if I acted as her fiancé in front of her father for a month. I needed the money, Ritz. For my family. For my mother, my father... I thought I had no choice, and I was desperate. But Ritz, it was you who paid my competition fee, not her. You gave me your entire savings. Why?" His voice cracked as he pulled her a step closer.

Her throat tightened, and she looked away. "Because... because it was my fault and..," she whispered.

"And?"

"And... I loved you too much," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

The words hung in the air, and Rohit pulled her into a gentle embrace. For a moment, she let herself rest against him.

"So, is the money issue resolved now that you got the deal back?" she asked, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Rohit pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression pained. "It was all a lie, Ritz. Bhaiya lied to me. He'd already paid off his debt. I didn't need that deal at all. I canceled it. And your money, you'll have it back soon, I promise."

Her eyes widened. "Why would you cancel it? After everything?"

"Because I understand now," he said, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. "These apps, this deal-it's not worth it. Anu told me the truth about Bhaiya's gambling. He was a good man once, successful, and kind. But gambling destroyed him. And I almost let it destroy us. I should have seen it sooner, Ritz. I should have trusted you, and confided in you, instead of letting everything spiral out of control. I let my fear and pride blind me, and I hurt the one person who stood by me through everything. I don't deserve your forgiveness, I know that, but please forgive me, I-"

"Rohit," she interrupted

"-I promise, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'll prove to you that I can be better, that I can-"

"Rohit," she repeated, louder this time. Her voice cracked slightly, but it was enough to make him stop.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry too," she whispered.

He stared at her with disbelief. "What? Why would you be sorry?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor. "Because I let my anger consume me. I shut you out completely instead of trying to understand what you were going through. It did not even came in my mind that there could be a reason behind all of this.

"Ritz, no," Rohit said.

She shook her head, cutting him off. "Let me finish. You messed up, Rohit. You hurt me, deeply. But I've made mistakes too. I am sorry."

"You had every right to feel hurt. I was the one-"

"No more blame," she said firmly, meeting his gaze. "Not on me. Not on you. If we're going to try to move forward, we have to let go of the blame. It's the only way."

He nodded, his voice catching. "Okay. No more blame."

Rohit held her gaze with hope. "So... are we good?" he asked nervously.

Vritika tilted her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Hmm... I'll decide in a few seconds," she said cryptically.

He blinked, confused. "Why a few seconds?"

Before she could answer, the clock on the wall chimed marking the arrival of midnight. Rohit glanced at it, then back at her, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Happy Birthday, Ritz," he said, his voice warm and full of affection.

Vritika's eyes widened in surprise "You... you remembered?" she whispered. She couldn't believe it

"Of course, I remembered," he replied. "I always remember the important things in my life."He gently took her hand in his, his thumb brushing against her knuckles. "I'm sorry I can't do more for you right now."

Vritika's gaze softenedy. "You can actually," she said

His brow furrowed in confusion. "I can?"

"You can promise me that you'll hide nothing from me," her voice was laced with vulnerability.

Rohit froze and he looked down. "I... I can't."

Her heart sank and Vritiika stood abruptly and pulled her hand away. "What?" she asked, her voice sharp with disbelief.

"What if..." Rohit looked up at her.  "What if I plan a surprise for you? What then?" he asked with mischief.

"Rohit!" she exclaimed, half-annoyed, half-relieved as she realized he was teasing her.

He grinned. "Okay, okay! I promise you, Ritz, I will hide nothing from you. No secrets, no lies—this is a promise for this lifetime."

She crossed her arms. "You better keep that promise, Rohit."

"I will," he said in the most sincere tone he could muster. "I swear, Ritz. You'll never have to doubt me again."

And for the first time, she believed him. Her gaze fell on his swollen ankle. "Is it hurting?"

Rohit followed her gaze, wincing slightly as he shifted his foot. "A little," he admitted

"A little?" she repeated. "Rohit, your ankle looks like a balloon! What were you thinking, running around like that in this condition?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off, pacing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Do you ever think about yourself? Or do you just enjoy making everyone around you worry? What if it gets worse? What if you've torn something?"

"I didn't—"

"You didn't think, obviously," she interrupted, glaring at him. "You're always so reckless! You act like you're invincible, but newsflash, Rohit—you're not. And now look at you!"

He couldn't help but smile at her tirade, which only seemed to infuriate her more.

"Why are you smiling? This isn't funny!" she snapped, crossing her arms.

"I'm smiling because you're cute when you're mad," he teased her and pulled her in his lap.

"Rohit! I am serious. Are you...are you out of the squad?"

The playful glint in his eyes vanished, and he swallowed hard looking down. Then he nodded. "Probably yes."

Vritika gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly as tears welled in her eyes. 

"I'm so sorry, Ro. I'm so, so sorry..."

Rohit cupped the back of her head with one hand, his other gently brushing through her hair as he held her close. "Why are you sorry, Ritz? I am okay I promise"

She pulled back slightly, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What? How can you say that, Ro? The World Cup—it was your dream! How can you be okay with this? "

Rohit smiled softly with a bittersweet expression that tugged at her heart. "I'm not okay that I'm out, Ritz. I won't pretend that it doesn't hurt. But I am thankful for this injury."

"What?" she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're thankful? Ro, how can you say that? This is your career, your dream—"

"Because it brought you back to me, Ritz." His gaze met hers, filled with so much love that it made her breath catch.

"Ro..." she murmured.

"Without you," he said softly, "any trophy I win, any dream I achieve... it's meaningless. I didn't realize that until I lost you. Ritz, you're my home. What's the point of reaching the top if you're not there with me to celebrate it?"

Her heart melted at his words, and she felt tears spill down her cheeks. "You're such an idiot, Ro," she said as she laughed softly through her tears.

"Maybe," he admitted with a crooked smile, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "But I'm your idiot. And if I have to choose between the World Cup and you, Ritz... I'll choose you. Every single time."

Her arms tightened around him as she pressed her forehead to his. "You don't have to choose, Ro. I'll be with you, no matter what." She smoothed the blanket over Rohit and brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "You need to sleep, Ro," she said softly "You need to rest. I'll just be outside if you need anything."

Rohit shook his head. Without a word, he reached for her hand, tugging her firmly onto the bed beside him.

"Rohit," she protested, her cheeks warming as she tried to sit up. "No, I can't—"

"You can, and you will. Stay here, Ritz. Please."

"Rohit, you're injured. You need space to—"

"I need you," he interrupted, his gaze was too intense and it made her heart skip. "Don't go. Just stay. I'll rest better knowing you're here with me."

Her resolve faltered as she saw the exhaustion in his face, the vulnerability in his voice. She hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Fine, but just for a little while."

"Not a little while," Rohit murmured, already pulling the blanket over her as she lay beside him. "The whole night, Ritz."

She opened her mouth to argue, but his arm snaked around her waist, holding her close. "No more arguing. Just sleep," he whispered. 

She slipped her arm across his back. "Happy now?" she murmured, her cheeks warm.

"Very." She buried her nose into the crooks of his neck, feeling the familiar feeling of safety and comfort. Rohit breathed in the familiar sweet scent of her hair and sighed in relief.

Sleep quickly claimed her. But Rohit remained awake. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, marveling at how peaceful she looked, how much he had missed this—missed her. For so long, he had convinced himself he'd lost her forever. But now, with her nestled in his arms, it felt like the universe was giving him a second chance.His fingers gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek.

 She was really here, in his arms again.  "Thank you, God... for bringing her back to me."

Just as he began to drift into his own thoughts, the silence was broken by the faint buzz of Vritika's phone vibrating on the bed beside them. Startled, Rohit carefully picked it up, making sure not to wake her. The screen lit up, showing Veer calling. He picked up.

"Toh Vri! Kaisa laga birthday surprise? Maine sab plan kiya tha! Accha tha na? Balloons, decoration, cake—sab?Sorry main jaldi pahuch nahi paya lekin bas aa hi raha hu. Woh chod tu ye bataa gift kaisi lagi?? Maine pehle kitna socha kaha rakhu, kaha rakhu....lekin phir teri bed par chod diya, arey tu kuch bol kyu nhi rahi. Mujhe birthday abhi takh wish nahi kiya..kaisi hai yaar tu..."

"Oh hero, thand rakh...."

"Rohit? Tu? Phone kyun utha raha hai? Aur... yeh toh matlab hai ki—tTU VRI KE SAATH HAI?!...nahi tujhe toh chot aayi hai., iska matlab hai ki..VRI TERE SAATH TEAM HEADQUARTERS PAR HAI?!"

"Hmmm."

"Hmm kya hymm? Tu uske saath kaise hai saale...ruk main abhi aa raha hoon, tu dekh bas." Virat hung up. 

Rohit stared at the phone and just rolled his eyes."Drama king," he muttered under his breath. Just as he set the phone down, the door creaked open and Anushka peeked inside.

"Bhai," she began, stepping in quietly, "main jaa rahi thi bas yeh bolne—"

Rohit immediately pressed a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Shhh," he whispered, nodding towards Vritika, who was still nestled against him, fast asleep.

Anushka's eyes widened in surprise before she broke into a wide grin. She gave him a big thumbs-up, mouthing, "So cute!"

Rohit motioned for her to come closer. Leaning in, he whispered, "Sun, mere liye ek favor karna."

She raised an eyebrow, curious. "Kya?" she mouthed silently.

"Abhi Virat yahan aayega. Bas use yaha mat aane dena." He glanced down at Vritika. "Woh agar aaya toh surprise ke chakkar mein Ritz ko utha ke sidha ghar le jayega. Main yeh moment spoil nahi hone de sakta. Usko yaha se lekar jaa please. Kahin bhi le ja, coffee, dinner, kahin bhi."

Anushka raised her eyebrows higher, incredulous. "MAIN?!" she mouthed back.

"Shhhh!" Rohit hissed, shooting a quick glance at Vritika to ensure she hadn't stirred. "Haan, tu. Jaa, kisi bhi bahane se leja usko. Aaj birthday bhi hai uska."

"Tum mujhe uss Cheeku se deal karne bol rahe ho? Tumhe pata hai na, woh maanega nahi?" she whispered.

"Tu manage kar legi. Itni smart hai tu," Rohit whispered back, giving her a pleading look.

She rolled her eyes. "Theek hai, le jaati hoon. Par kal ek solid treat chahiye mujhe, Rohit Sharma."

"Done," he whispered immediately.

As she turned to leave, she muttered under her breath, "Tum logon ki love stories ke chakkar mein mujhe babysitter banaya jaa raha hai. Wah, kya din hai."

So when Virat entered the building, his babysitter for the day was ready for him. 

Virat stormed into the building, looking determined and slightly annoyed, Anushka was ready, leaning casually against the wall near the entrance as if she'd been waiting for him. She plastered on her brightest smile and called out, "Arre wah, birthday boy aa gaya!"

Virat stopped mid-stride, narrowing his eyes. "Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?"

"Main yahan tumhare liye aayi hoon.  Mujhe laga tumhare liye bhi kuch special karna chahiye," she said, pushing off the wall and walking up to him with an overly cheerful demeanor.

Virat looked skeptical. "Special?Bhala tum mere liye kyu kuch special karne lagi Anushka? mujhe Vri ko dekhna hai. Woh kahan hai? Phone kyun nahi utha rahi thi? Aur—"

She stepped directly in his path, cutting him off. "Woh rest kar rahi hai, Virat. Tumhe disturb karna hai kya Vritika ko? Tumhe pata hai, injury ke chakkar mein woh kitni thak gayi thi?"

Virat frowned. "Injury? Kiski?"

"Arre, Rohit ki! Vritika toh uski care karte karte thak gayi hogi na." She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the exit. "Chalo, main tumhe coffee pe le jaati hoon. Tumhare liye ek birthday treat ready hai."

Virat dug his heels in. "Mujhe Vri se milna hai, Anu. Surprise toh uske liye tha—"

"Aur woh mil jaayega, patience, Mr. Kohli," she said, flashing him a wink. "Ab chalo, warna main coffee cancel kar dungi."

"Mujhe coffee nahi chahiye." 

Virat proceeded to storm into the medical wing but stopped when he saw Vritika and Rohit, soundly asleep in each other's arms. 

Anushka caught up with him and immediately grabbed his arm. "Kohli! Kya kar rahe ho? Maine bola na—" Her voice trailed off as she followed his gaze.

"Yeh sab kya hai?" Virat finally whispered, his tone laced with disbelief.

"Dekh, kitno dino baad shanti se so rahe hai dono. Disturb mat kar. Chalo mere saath." Anushka whispered.

"Arey but mera surprise..."

"Kal de dena, who kaha bhag rahi hai....ab chalo mere saath."

Virat let Anushka drag him out but not before taking a photo of the adorable couple.

"Kohli!" Anushka hissed, swatting at his arm. "Yeh kya kar rahe ho? Unka private moment hai!"

"Ye blackmail material hai" he defended, slipping the phone back into his pocket with a cheeky grin. "Main disturb thodi kar raha hoon."

Anushka groaned but decided not to argue further. "Tumse toh baat karna bekaar hai. Chalo, aur koi nautanki mat karna."

Virat glanced back one last time as they exited. "Fine, kal main Vri se milkar thanks aur surprise ka hisaab maang lunga," he muttered to himself.

"Tumhara drama kabhi khatam nahi hoga, hai na?" 

"Drama nahi, concern hai," Virat corrected, smirking. "Main toh bas ek achha bhai hoon."

Anushka rolled her eyes. "Haan, haan...ab chalo"

"Kaha? Main nahi aa raha tumhare saath kahi?"

Anushka glared at him. "Tum hi to puch rahe the uss din, Rohit ko kya hua hai..Abhi bataa rahi hoon toh tumhe sunna nahi hai. JAO!"

"Arey nahi...batao na kya hua"

"Toh sun......"

******

Mahi bhai was worried. He didn't know how Rohit was going to react to the news. Already there was some problem going on in his life, then the injury and now this.

When Mahi bhai entered Rohit's room in the medical wing, the first thing he saw was Rohit, propped up against the pillows, his arm protectively wrapped around Vritika, who was curled up against his side.

He paused at the doorway, looking at them with a smile. He stepped further into the room, careful not to make any noise, and placed the small bag of fruits and snacks he had brought on the table nearby. As he turned back, Rohit stirred.

"Mahi bhai," Rohit whispered, trying not to wake Vritika. "Aap yaha?"

"Bas dekhne aaya tha ki mera chhota bhai kaisa hai," Mahi replied. His gaze flicked to Vritika. "Aur lagta hai,sab think ho gaya hai finally."

Rohit chuckled softly. "Haa bhai. Iske bina toh..." He trailed off, a flicker of emotion crossing his face.

Mahi bhai nodded understanding without needing words. "Aur kaise feel kar rahe ho?"

"Better," Rohit said, his voice sincere. "Lekin yeh injury..."

Mahi placed a reassuring hand on Rohit's shoulder. "Yeh toh game ka hissa hai, Rohit. Tere jaise experience aur talent wale player ko ek injury rok nahi sakti. Don't worry, committee jo bhi decide kare, tera comeback toh hokar rahega."

Rohit's smile grew. "Aapke muh mein ghee-shakkar, bhai."

 "Tum rest karo. Main abhi baahar wait kar raha hoon. Tumhe kuch chahiye toh bas awaaz dena."

Rohit nodded. "Thanks, bhai."

Mahi gave him a knowing smile and left the room quietly. Just as he exit, Mahi bhai saw Aanya making her way towards the wing. Ye abhi andar gayi toh hungama khada kar degi...

Mahi bhai went and stood in front of her just as she was about to enter. "Miss Aanya," he said smoothly, folding his arms. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To see Rohit, obviously," she replied, arching an eyebrow. "Now, if you'll excuse me—"

"No, you can't," Mahi said firmly, not budging an inch.

Her eyes narrowed. "And why not?"

Mahi hesitated for half a second. "Umm... because only team personnel are allowed inside."

She crossed her arms, not buying it for a second. "I'm his fiancée."

"Fiancée, my foot," Mahi muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

"I mean," Mahi recovered quickly, "you're still not allowed in there."

"And why, exactly, is that?" she challenged, glaring at him.

"Because..." Mahi looked around, stalling. "Because... Rohit is... um..."

"Is what?" she pressed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Rohit is... NAKED. Inside."

"Wasn't his ankle hurt? Why on earth would he be naked for that?" Aanya raised an eyebrow.

"Physiotherapy," Mahi said with a completely straight face. "Sometimes... uh... it requires the whole body to relax. Doctor's orders."

Aanya stared at him. "Physiotherapy for an ankle injury requires full... exposure?"

Mahi bhai cleared his throat. "It's a full body massage. Advanced recovery techniques. You wouldn't understand. He's in good hands, trust me."

"Good hands? Whose hands?"

"The medical team's hands, obviously. And besides, didn't you have a meeting or something to get to? I'm pretty sure you mentioned something earlier."

She frowned. "I... did, but it's not urgent—"

"Perfect!" Mahi bhai said, cutting her off and steering her away from the door. "Go take care of that, and by the time you're done, Rohit will probably be ready to see you."

"But—"

"No buts," Mahi said firmly. "You'll thank me later."

With that, he managed to guide her out of the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief once she was out of sight. 

"Iska jaldi se transfer ho jaye toh accha hai." Mahi bhai sat down and took out his phone for a while. He was scrolling on Instagram when he came across the recent post by Rohit.

rohitsharma45: "To the woman who makes my world brighter every day, who stands by me through thick and thin. You're my light, my strength, and the reason I smile even when things get tough. Happy birthday, my love. Can't imagine my life without you.❤️✨✨"

Mahi bhai couldn't help but smile. Rohit had always been the carefree, fun-loving guy on the field, but when it came to Vritika, he was all heart. He scrolled down, his eyes caught the second part of the post.

rohitsharma45: "Happy birthday to my second favorite person—my best friend, and my partner-in-crime, the ever-annoying Virat Kohli .My brother from another mother, your passion and energy are unmatched.😜❤️🎂🎉. 

rohitsharma45:You both light up my life in very different ways (Ritz more than you Virat, sorry not sorry 😂). Hope you both have the best day! #BirthdayTwins  #DoubleTrouble#Blessed #MyPeople" 🙌😍

@virat.kohli: "Annoying? Sahi hai, Ro. Mil ke baat karte hain is post ke baare mein. 😂 #RevengePending

@anushka: "Best post of the day! Happy birthday, twins! 🥳🎂

@fanpage_vrikaroh: "Can't handle this cuteness overload! 😍 Happy birthday, Vritika and Virat!"

@official_cricbuzz: "Captain Sharma being sweet...with a side of sass. Classic."

@cricketfanatic_101: "Wait, hold on. What about Aanya? Wasn't she supposed to be his fiancée?!"

@teamsharmaforever: "Y'all believe anything the media says. Rohit NEVER confirmed that!"

@gossipguru_in: "Guys, media wale kuch bhi bolte hain. Rohit has always been private about his personal life. If he's posting about Vritika like this, it says everything, doesn't it? 😏"

@twintalks: "Can we focus on the fact that Vritika and Virat are twins and BOTH share a special bond with Rohit? This isn't about Aanya."

@memeking_555: "Bhai, cricket ke drama ke saath yeh personal life ka TRP toh Bigg Boss ko bhi hara dega. 😂👏"

Dhoni rolled his eyes reading the comments. He didn't usually read the comments but today, he was because he was so happy. These three have finally solved everything! Suddenly Aanya strode past him right into the medical wing, fuming. 

Dhoni sighed. Somebody bring him some popcorn.

******

A/n

Did you like and enjoy this chapter? Tell me your favorite moment in the comments and don't forget to vote. ❤️❤️✨