Ananya

I don't know why I end up embarrassing myself in front of him every single time! I should have just moved away from there instead of gawking at him like some creep! I mean, yes, he was handsome, no denying that—but why on earth couldn't I take my eyes off him?

I paced around my room like a restless cat, my mind replaying the scene over and over. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Opening it, I found Shika standing there with a bright smile, her usual energy contagious. I managed a smile in return and stepped aside to let her in.

"The team invited us to join them for dinner," she announced, flopping onto my bed as if it were hers. Without missing a beat, she grabbed the remote and started flicking through channels.

"Wait... I thought they didn't like us being around?" I asked, confused by the sudden invitation. She simply shrugged, still focused on the TV, as if dinner with a group who were clearly annoyed by our presence was the most natural thing in the world. 

I glanced at the clock. It was still a quarter to seven. Letting out a breath, I lay down beside her, momentarily putting aside the strange mix of embarrassment and amusement swirling in my mind. She settled on Shinchan and my focus naturally shifted to the naughty kid on screen.

After a while, Shika got up to head to her room to get ready. We were originally supposed to share a room, but since she'd decided to stay with her boyfriend, I had the entire room to myself. I got dressed in a sleek black strap dress that ended just below my knees. A light coat of lip gloss, heels, and a quick fluff through my hair—done.

 I walked out, heading towards Shika's room. But just as I was about to knock, I heard... that sound. The unmistakable, unholy sound from behind the slightly ajar door. Heat rushed to my neck and ears. My hand was halfway to knocking again when another moan echoed through the air, louder this time. I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration.

In my haste, I bumped into something—or rather someone. I would've fallen if it weren't for the firm hand that steadied me, a familiar warmth wrapping around my waist. I turned, cheeks flushed, to see Shaurya standing there, amusement dancing in his eyes.

And then, as if on cue, another loud thud and a string of curses from inside the room made me cringe harder. "Fuck!" Shika's voice carried through the door, sending me into an even deeper state of panic. Oh god, why?

"Woh...I...I..." I stuttered, pointing helplessly from the door to him as if that would explain my awkward situation. His eyes sparkled with amusement for a moment before he burst out laughing, the sound filling the empty corridor, rich and carefree. His amusement only added to my embarrassment, and I quickly hid my face in my hands.

"Looks like they'll need more time. Care to join me instead?" he asked, his laughter finally subsiding. I nodded silently, too mortified to speak, and he gestured for us to head towards the elevator.

We rode down in silence, but I was still mentally cursing myself. My thoughts kept drifting back to what I had just overheard, my mind replaying Shika's unmistakable moans. God, I knew they were in a relationship but didn't know they were so... into it. The tension in the air seemed to rise as Shaurya leaned in, his proximity making my breath hitch. His scent, a subtle mix of musk and something distinctly him filled the small space between us.

"You look gorgeous in black," he whispered, his warm breath brushing against my ear. The words sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't stop the blush that spread across my cheeks. Did he just say that?

Before I could react, the elevator dinged, and he straightened, stepping out like nothing had happened. Meanwhile, I stood there, rooted to the spot, a flustered mess. What just happened?

"Are you coming?" His voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I hurriedly followed him out of the elevator, trying to calm my racing heart.

We reached the restaurant, where a large, private room had been set up for the team. The table was huge, meant to accommodate everyone, and as I greeted my colleagues, Shaurya naturally gravitated towards his teammates. My eyes swept the room, searching for familiar faces, but I didn't see Shika anywhere.

"Where's Shika?" I asked, turning to Nithin, who casually replied, "She'll be here in five minutes." His tone was so nonchalant, as if they weren't just... well, doing what they were doing upstairs. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the buffet, grabbing a glass of juice.

Vikram, however, seemed to be giving the pasta some serious side-eye. "Anything wrong?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. The pasta seemed perfectly fine to me—maybe a bit stingy on the sauce, but nothing major.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," he muttered, shaking his head. He was clearly lost in thought, but I couldn't quite figure out why. Deciding to ask him later, I kept my attention on the room, scanning the movements of everyone around me. We were all here for the same reason—to protect the players and ensure nothing went wrong.

Our security detail was no joke. Over 15 officers from R&AW had been assigned to this mission. Six of us were tasked with staying close to the team, while the rest handled external security. Though causing harm in a stadium seemed impossible, we were taking no chances. Every precaution was being taken to ensure the safety of the players.

 I couldn't help but notice a pair of eyes watching me. I turned to find Shaurya looking my way, engaged in conversation with Akshith and Dhruv. When our eyes met, I smiled softly. He returned it, giving me one of those smiles that seemed to linger, before turning back to his friends.

Dinner was served, and I found myself sitting between Rakshith and Shika, who had finally arrived—looking entirely too smug. Nithin was next to her, and I tried to ignore the way they kept exchanging knowing glances. Honestly, those two could learn a thing or two about being discreet. I was minding my own business, happily eating my pasta. My peace was short-lived when I noticed Shika wiggling in her seat beside me.

A screeching sound followed as she shifted, and I quickly glanced at Nithin—who wore a smug expression. What the hell is happening now? I felt my cheeks heating up again and tried to focus on my food, but Shika kicked my foot under the table. I glared at her before scooting my chair closer to Rakshith, who gave me a questioning look. I shrugged, feigning innocence, and went back to my meal.

As I was enjoying my dessert—a glorious brownie—my eyes drifted toward Shika and Nithin again. His hand was on her thigh, moving up. I choked on my food. The sudden coughing fit grabbed everyone's attention, and Nithin quickly pulled his hand back.

"Are you okay?" Rakshith asked, immediately handing me some water. His concern was genuine, but my mind was still spinning from what I had just seen. Tears welled up in my eyes from the force of my coughing. With a shaky breath, I wiped my face and shot the duo a death glare. Idiots should learn to be discreet if they're so desperate.

Nithin maintained a stoic face while Shika turned bright red, looking anywhere but at me.

Shaurya leaned over from across the table, his voice soft with concern. "Are you feeling better?"

I nodded, offering a small, reassuring smile, and he turned back to his food, though not before throwing a glance around the table and smirking knowingly. What does that even mean? Huffing, I turned my attention back to the brownie waiting for me.

After dinner, we all started heading back to our rooms. The elevator ride was crowded, with all of us on the 3rd or 4th floors. As we reached our destination, I took the opportunity to tease Shika in a hushed tone, "Either close your doors or your mouth, girl. It was so embarrassing to hear your unholy noises."

Her face flushed red with embarrassment, but honestly, they should have known better. What if I hadn't knocked and just walked in?

Shaurya's chuckle broke the silence. "Stop cursing them in your mind, Ms. Shergill. They already left."

"How did you know?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Your face gave it all away," he replied smoothly, his hands slipping into his pockets.

As we walked towards our rooms, the air between us was light, though I was still feeling a little flushed from the events of the evening. Shaurya suddenly slowed his pace, turning to me with a teasing glint in his eyes. What now? I am already embarrassed enough for the whole week. 

"You know," he began, his smirk making my heart skip a beat, "you have a knack for getting caught up in the most... interesting situations." 

I narrowed my eyes, half-amused, half-embarrassed. "What do you mean by that?" If only he wasn't my favorite player and crush!

"Well..." he shrugged nonchalantly, stepping a little closer. "Standing outside Shika's door, looking all flustered? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to... eavesdrop."

My eyes widened in disbelief and I huffed, crossing my arms. "Excuse me! I wasn't eavesdropping. I just... happened to be there at the wrong time!" Who wants to eavesdrop on such unholy things? Not me.

Shaurya chuckled, clearly enjoying my annoyance. "Mmhmm, and just happened to hear some... interesting noises?"

My face turned a deeper shade of red as the sounds replayed in my mind. Eww!. "It's not like I planned it! I was going to knock, but... well, you heard them too!"

"I did," he admitted with a laugh. "But you looked so guilty like you got caught in the act."

"I was not guilty! Just... embarrassed," I muttered, trying to hide my smile behind the facade of annoyance. He just mockingly nodded his head as if he didn't believe me.

I glared at him, trying to keep my cool, but couldn't help the smile tugging on my lips when I saw him smiling at me. "If you weren't so distracting, maybe I wouldn't be in these situations," I shot back. I wonder if he even heard that.

"Me?" He feigned innocence, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He did hear that. "What did I do?"

I shook my head, knowing he was loving every second of this. "Nothing," I muttered, not looking into his eyes, too embarrassed to say anything further.

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Well, for what it's worth, you're cute when you're flustered." He exclaimed. Did he just call me cute? 

Shaurya tilted his head, studying me for a moment before his smile softened. "Good night, Ms. Shergill," he said, his voice dropping to that warm, low tone that made my stomach flip. "I'll try not to be too distracting tomorrow."

These damn butterflies!

I should give a comeback. I shouldn't let him win this. I bit my lip, holding back a grin. "Good night, Mr. Singhania. Try not to break too many hearts."

With a wink, he turned and disappeared into his room, leaving me both exasperated and amused. Now what does that wink mean? 

As I entered my room, I couldn't help but smile to myself, still feeling the warmth of his presence. I changed into something comfortable and collapsed onto the bed, pulling out my phone and book. I quickly texted the group, "Who's going to take care of the dishes tonight?"

"Dishes" is our code for monitoring the security cameras. Though we had officers handling the control room, the team leader insisted one of us stay on watch overnight—just in case the players got any bright ideas about sneaking out.

"Me," Vikram replied after a few seconds.

"Okay, call me if you need any help," I texted back, receiving a thumbs-up emoji in return.

With that settled, I set my phone aside and curled up with my book, ready to lose myself in another world. But my thoughts kept drifting back to Shaurya, his teasing smile, and the way he had made me feel less stressed in this whirlwind of events.