“HAPPYBIRTHDAY, MAANAV!”
Nick came charging in like a tiny rocket on sugar, arms outstretched, eyes bright, cheeks flushed with excitement.
I bent down instinctively, catching him mid-launch. He wrapped his arms around my neck with zero hesitation and maximum chaos.
“Thanks, champ,” I said, tickling his sides as his giggles erupted, loud and infectious.
Lina, Kartik, Meeta, Myra, Nick, and a smattering of people I’d only met occasionally over the past six months wereallthere.
And they were all staring at me. My face, shirt, and hands? Still covered in flour.
“What are you guys doing here?” I finally managed to ask as Nick landed a playful punch on my stomach, his tiny fists barely registering.
“We’re here to party…” Meeta announced as she popped open a bottle of wine and made herself comfortable on a stool.
Kiara had shifted her attention to Nick, now fully immersed in a lively game of ‘Stone, Paper, Scissors, Blah Blah—or whatever chaotic version they had just invented.
17 ♥? Kiara
“Manav… Manav… Manav…” The room erupted in cheers and laughter as everyone joined in, egging him on while he took on the dare like a champ.
A hundred push-ups?Easy.
But shirtless—with little Nick sitting on his back, giggling like he was on the world’s best amusement ride?
Every push-up felt like a personal attack on my sanity. His muscles flexed with every movement, his shoulders and back rippling in ways that had my brain firing on all cylinders. The sweat glistened on his skin. And then he flashed Nick that ridiculously charming smile, the kind that could make even the most cynical person believe in fairytales.
I might need a very cold shower after seeing this.
Meeta leaned in, clearly enjoying my obvious distraction. “You okay there, sweetie?”
“I’m fine,” I muttered, forcing my gaze away from theGreek god in motionjust a few feet away.
I am not fine.
There’s no way I’m not dreaming about this tonight.
Myra leaned in closer, “He’s so, so hot… Don’t you ever get those dreams about him? You know… in bed?”
I nearly choked on my wine. “What?”
How is this woman even allowed to roam freely in society?
“Sweaty and sexy Manav, doing push-ups, holding you… and kissing…” she continued.
And then, without realizing just how crazed I sounded, I half-shouted, “I DON’T…”I do.But before I could internalize my mistake, the room went silent.
Every single head turned in my direction. Nick froze mid-giggle. Kartik raised an eyebrow, Meeta looked like she was on the verge of bursting into laughter, and worst of all,Manav stopped mid-push-upand looked directly at me.
“Sorry… Myra was talking… nonsense,” I stammered, trying—and failing miserably—to play it cool.
Kartik and Meeta, the certified chaos team, exchanged glances before jumping in, “Talk, Myra… we sure want to hear this!”
“No!” The word burst out of me far louder than I intended, like an emergency alarm gone rogue.
And my face? Oh, my dear face… It was now a perfect match for the red wine swirling in Meeta’s glass.
Myra, of course, was having thetime of her life,practically doubling over with laughter.
