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It was already late night when the team gathered outside the dorm, luggage lined up near the bus, everyone yawning and shivering slightly in the cool air. The match location was far, so they had to travel overnight. Vivaan looked half-asleep with his hoodie pulled over his head, Harsh was dragging his suitcase like it weighed a hundred kilos, while Kashvi kept rubbing her eyes. Aarav and Haniya came out together, walking close but careful, both looking more awake than the others—something that immediately caught everyone's attention.
Harsh narrowed his eyes dramatically. "Good evening, lovebirds."
Haniya frowned. "It's night, idiot."
"Exactly. Perfect time for suspicious glowing," Harsh teased.
Aarav smirked. "Maybe we just slept well."
"Yeah, sure," Kashvi said, raising an eyebrow. "Both of you? At the same time? Interesting."
Haniya rolled her eyes. "I'm naturally glowing. You all are just jealous."
The team burst into sleepy laughter as they loaded their bags into the bus and climbed inside.
The rest of the chapter continues exactly as before:
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Once the bags were loaded, they filed inside the bus. The moment they sat down, the teasing started again. Harsh turned in his seat, pointing dramatically at them. "Coach said no public romance, okay? Don't start doing heart-eyes the whole way."
Haniya made a face. "I don't do heart-eyes."
"Right," Vivaan said. "You only do soft-sweet-I-am-secretly-in-love eyes."
Aarav leaned back in his seat. "Guys, relax. We're literally just sitting."
"And glowing," Harsh pointed out.
Haniya lightly smacked him with a packet of chips. "Eat this and stop talking."
The bus finally started moving, and the noise slowly softened as everyone settled in. The atmosphere grew calmer, teammates talking among themselves, some putting on headphones, some immediately falling asleep. Within half an hour, Kashvi was out cold on her window seat, Vivaan was snoring lightly, Harsh had slouched down with his jacket over his face, and the bus was peacefully quiet, rolling through long stretches of highway.
Aarav and Haniya sat together near the back. He looked at her the moment the last person drifted into sleep, his expression shifting subtly—half playful, half tender. Haniya turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Because," he whispered, "I finally can."
Her breath caught for a second. "They'll wake up."
"No, they won't. Harsh snores like a truck. He's not getting up till morning."
Haniya giggled quietly. "True."
Aarav's voice softened more. "You look really happy today."
"Why wouldn't I be?" she murmured. "We're winning matches, traveling together… and you're here."
He shifted slightly closer, keeping his voice low. "Last night… I'm still thinking about it."
Her cheeks warmed instantly. "Aarav…"
"I'm not saying anything inappropriate," he said, teasing. "Just that… I liked being close to you."
She looked down at her hands, smiling despite herself. "Me too."
He nudged her shoulder gently. "Only 'me too'? That's it?"
"What else do you want me to say?" she whispered.
"That you missed me already," he said, pretending to be offended.
Haniya rolled her eyes. "Fine. I missed you already."
"That's better," he murmured, his fingers brushing hers under the seat in the tiniest, most discreet touch.
She intertwined their fingers slowly, making his breath hitch almost silently. No one around them stirred. The bus hummed softly. Outside, the wind rushed past the windows, trees blurring into streaks of darkness.
Aarav tilted his head slightly toward her. "You know… I really like this. Just us. Quiet. Without teasing."
"Peaceful," she added.
"And dangerous," he whispered, leaning just a little closer.
Her heartbeat stuttered. "Dangerous?"
He smiled the kind of smile that made her stomach flip. "Because I want to kiss you so badly right now."
Haniya's eyes widened, and she gently rested her forehead against his shoulder instead. "Aarav, stop tempting me."
"I'm not tempting," he said innocently. "I'm just being honest."
She nudged him lightly. "If someone wakes up—"
"They won't."
"Aarav—"
"What? You don't want to?"
Haniya bit her lip. "I do. But we can't."
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll wait."
She chuckled silently. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," he replied.
She didn't deny it.
For the next hour, they whispered little things—jokes, memories from practice, predictions for the match, and random thoughts that only made sense when shared between two people who understood each other perfectly. Every now and then, their hands brushed again, maybe by accident, maybe not.
When the bus finally slowed near the hotel, everyone woke up groggily. Vivaan stretched loudly. "We're here?"
"Thankfully," Harsh said, rubbing his eyes. "These two were suspiciously quiet."
Haniya raised an eyebrow. "So we can't talk, we can't be quiet… what exactly do you want from us?"
"Answers," Harsh replied immediately. "Full confession."
"Not happening," Aarav said, grabbing his bag.
Vivaan pointed at them dramatically. "One day we'll catch you both."
Haniya shot back, "Then keep trying. You'll fail."
Everyone laughed as they stepped out of the bus.
Inside the hotel lobby, the team checked in. Rooms were assigned, keycards distributed. Aarav and Haniya exchanged a quick glance—soft, secret, warm—before heading toward the elevator with everyone.
Vivaan whispered to Harsh, loud enough for Haniya to hear, "Look at them. Their eyes are literally having a conversation."
Haniya turned. "Vivaan, if you don't stop, I'll throw your shoes off the balcony tonight."
He clutched his chest dramatically. "Violence! See, Aarav, this is the real her."
Aarav smirked. "And I love it."
Haniya's cheeks flamed, and she nudged Aarav sharply, whispering, "Stop saying things like that in front of them!"
He whispered back, "Then stop being so cute."
The elevator arrived, and the teasing continued all the way to the fourth floor until they finally reached their rooms. One by one, everyone disappeared inside, still laughing, still talking.
Aarav turned slightly toward Haniya before she stepped into her room. "See you in a bit?"
She nodded softly. "Yeah."
He smiled as the door closed behind her.
The hallway fell quiet.
And both of them felt the same thought:
This journey—this night—this feeling…
They wouldn't trade it for anything.
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