"Nandini!" Sakshi said, a bright smile lighting up her face. She pulled me into a quick hug. "It's so good to see you here. Manik's been talking nonstop about how you might come."

"Really?" I asked, my cheeks heating up.

"Of course," Sakshi said, grinning. "Ziva, look who's here!"

Ziva ran up to me with a huge smile on her face. "Uncle Manik said you're super smart because you're a doctor." She said, her big brown eyes wide with curiosity.

I crouched down to her level. "That's a lovely thing to say."

"Can you fix my doll's arm? It's broken." She said with a pout.

I laughed, my heart warming at her innocence. "I think I can manage that. Bring it to me next time, okay?"

Sakshi chuckled. "You're already earning brownie points with her."

The roar of the crowd was deafening as I looked around the stadium. The sea of yellow jerseys, the relentless chanting, and the energy of thousands of fans created an atmosphere so electric that I could feel it in my chest.

I wasn't sure why I was so nervous. It wasn't like I was the one playing. But my heart raced anyway, my hands gripping my scarf tightly as I scanned the field for one face—Manik's.

I spotted him warming up near the boundary line, his movements purposeful, his focus unwavering. In the bright yellow of his CSK jersey, he looked confident, almost invincible. My stomach fluttered. It was surreal, seeing him like this, so far from the person I knew as my Manik.

The match began, and the pressure was immediate. MI's batsmen came out strong, their boundaries slicing through the tension like a knife. CSK struggled to find their rhythm, and I could see the frustration on Manik's face. He was at mid-off, gesturing animatedly to the bowler.

And then it happened. Manik leapt for a catch near the boundary, his fingers wrapping around the ball at the very last second. Rohit Sharma, the power house, had been caught out. The crowd erupted, and my heart swelled with pride. Before I knew it, his eyes found mine in the stands. He smiled, a quick, private moment in the midst of the chaos. I waved back, feeling a little silly but unable to stop myself. We had to be careful, the media are too sly!

The game dragged on, and MI's score continued to increase. By the end, they set a target of 190,  and I was starting to doubt whether I could handle the stress of watching cricket live.

When Manik walked out to bat, the stadium's noise became a dull roar in my ears. I barely registered the first cautious balls; all I could focus on was him, the determination etched into his face.

Then he struck. A six that had the crowd on its feet, and suddenly, the tension lifted. For a while, anyway. Wickets kept falling, and soon, it was down to the last over.

CSK needed 15 runs. Manik was on strike. Bumrah was bowling.

The first ball went for six, and I screamed along with the crowd. A six on Bumrah's ball is no joke! The next two balls brought four more runs. Five needed from three balls. I was gripping my scarf so tightly that I thought it might tear. The fourth and fifth ball brought no runs. There was silence in the crowd. 1 ball and 6 runs needed for CSK to win. Bumrah, one of MI's best, threw a full toss. Manik swung, and the ball soared. SIX!!!!

When Manik hit the final six, the entire stadium erupted, but I couldn't move. For a split second, I just stood there, staring at him as he raised his bat to the crowd. And then, he looked at me again, and my heart melted.

I didn't know how long I stood there, cheering, clapping, beaming. By the time the players were calling their families onto the field, I hesitated, unsure if I should go.

"Come on," Sakshi said, looping her arm through mine. "Manik's waiting!" She led me onto the field.

Zoya bhabhi was standing near the sidelines with Manik's mother and his niece, Amayra. Zoya was the first to spot me.

Just then, Manik's mother stepped forward. Her presence was calm and grounding, her smile kind. "Nandini, beta," she said, reaching for my hand. "We're all so happy you came."

"I'm happy I could be here," I said sincerely.

"Good! He plays better when he knows you're watching." She said with a knowing smile, making my cheeks warm.

Before I could respond, Manik appeared, his face lighting up when he saw us. "There you all are." He said, his eyes fixed on me.

"Amayra's already accepted her as her chachi, you need to make it official now!" Zoya teased.

Manik laughed. "Well, she's good with kids."

Amayra tugged on his jersey. "Manik Chachu, are you going to marry her?"

The question hung in the air for a moment before everyone burst into laughter. I felt my cheeks burn, but Manik just grinned and ruffled her hair. "We'll see, kiddo," he said, his tone playful but warm.

As the celebrations continued, I found myself falling into easy conversations with his family, laughing at Amayra's antics, and feeling more at home than I ever thought possible. I made sure to not spend too much time with them to avoid the media gaze. I wanted to keep it as much of a secret as I possibly could.

Later, as the crowd began to decrease, Manik and I slipped away from the celebrations. We found a quiet corner near the edge of the stadium, away from the cameras and noise. The night air was cool, and the distant hum of the crowd made the moment feel surreal.

"You were incredible today." I said softly, looking up at him.

Manik leaned against the railing, his hands in his pockets, but his eyes never left mine. "I had a good reason to play my best." He said, his voice low but warm.

I tilted my head. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You," He said simply, stepping closer.

My breath caught. "Manik..."

He smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you were here tonight. I kept looking up at the stands, just to make sure you were still watching."

"I wasn't going anywhere," I whispered.

"I know," he said, his voice soft. "But seeing you there... it made me feel like I could take on anything."

I shook my head, laughing lightly. "You give me too much credit. You were amazing all on your own."

"Maybe," he said, his lips twitching into a grin. "But I like having you as my lucky charm."

We stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the night wrapping around us like a cocoon. Then he reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine.

"I don't say this enough, but... you're everything to me, Nandini," he said, his voice raw and unguarded. "I don't think I've ever been this sure about anything in my life."

Tears pricked my eyes at his words. I squeezed his hand, trying to find my voice. "Manik, you mean so much to me too. I'm so proud of you—on and off the field."

He smiled, pulling me into a gentle hug. His arms around me felt like home, and for a moment, the rest of the world faded away.

When we finally pulled back, his eyes sparkled with a teasing glint. "So, Amayra asked if I was going to marry you," he said, his lips twitching into a grin.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I'm going to hide the next time I see her."

He laughed, pulling my hands away from my face. "Don't. I told her we'll see."

I stared at him, my cheeks heating up. "Manik..."

He grinned, leaning closer. "Relax. We've got time."

But as we walked back toward the others, hand in hand, my thoughts were already racing ahead.

The finals were next week. And as we joined his family and the team for more celebrations, I found myself thinking about how much Manik meant to me, how he made every moment brighter.

He'd said we had time, but maybe we didn't need it.

A quiet smile played on my lips as the idea formed in my mind.

The finals weren't just going to be about cricket.

I was going to propose to him!

A/N: Chapter 43 updated. I hope you're all well. I'm sorry this is so late but adulting is hard. I'm going to try and wrap this story up soon, I don't want to leave it incomplete like this as it's a story close to my heart. A huge thank you to all those who have still saved my story and eagerly wait for an update. Your support means so much!!!! Hope you guys enjoyed this update! 😊💕