Graphic Credits: oh_nakhrewaali
This is one of my entries for the Love-O-Rama #1: Pyar ka Trope-fest
Trope:
Set A: Fake Dating
Set B: Neighbours
Pairing: Major Vihaan Shergill from Uri & Naina Talwar from YJHD
Vihaan Shergill had spent years navigating war zones, but nothing... absolutely nothing could prepare him for the battlefield at home.
“Maa, please stop it,” he groaned, leaning back in his chair.
His mother ignored him, stirring sugar into his chai with the determination of a general strategizing war. “Just hear me out. Sharma ji’s daughter is so lovely, or maybe—”
“Mumma,” he interrupted, shaking his head. “I just need two weeks of peace. Can we talk about this later?”
“Your ‘later’ never comes, Vihaan!” She sighed, exasperated. “One day, you’ll come home, and no one will be waiting for you.”
Vihaan rolled his eyes. “Maa, stop being dramatic.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. He got up, relieved at the distraction, and opened the door.
And almost forgot to breathe.
“Talwar?”
His childhood friend stood there, slightly out of breath, a small smile playing on her lips. “Shergill.”
His mother beamed. “Come in, beta! I was just telling Vihaan how he never sits at home. It’s good that you’re here.”
Vihaan stepped inside, his gaze shifting between his mother and Naina. "You live here?"
Naina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "For a few months now. Didn’t expect to run into you like this."
His mother smiled. "Oh, I thought you knew. Naina moved in next door a while back. She’s been a great help."
Vihaan shook his head, still processing. "I was deployed. No idea."
His mother scoffed. “You’d know if you weren’t always off on missions.”
"I don't really get a choice Maa!" He retorted. His mother shook her head and walked away to the kitchen, leaving them alone.
Vihaan turned to Naina, surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you in Delhi. You were always a Mumbai girl.”
She shrugged. “Delhi has been treating me well, and when I found out Suhasini Aunty was my neighbor, it felt like fate.” She smirked. “So, how many battles have you won since we last met?”
Vihaan chuckled. “Enough to know that family drama is worse than any battlefield.”
They shared a look—one filled with unspoken history, teasing jabs, and something softer that neither acknowledged.
The next evening, Vihaan had just finished his run when Naina caught up with him outside.
“You need to do something for me,” she announced.
Vihaan raised an eyebrow. “Orders?”
She huffed. “Request!”
“It didn't sound like one and I didn’t hear a ‘please!’” He smirked.
She sighed. “Fine. Please. Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a weekend?”
Vihaan almost tripped. “Excuse me?”
Naina exhaled. “My parents are visiting, and they think I’m too focused on work. So, a while ago, I may have exaggerated and told them I was seeing someone.”
He folded his arms. “And that ‘someone’ is me?”
She grinned. “You’re the only option I’ve got on short notice. Army officer, disciplined, loves his family—perfect boyfriend material.”
Vihaan smirked. “Flattery, Talwar? Didn’t expect that from you.”
“Will you do it?” She pleaded with hopeful eyes.
He sighed. “Fine. This might even get my mom off my back about marriage. Deal?”
She held out her hand. “Deal.”
The weekend arrived, and Naina’s parents greeted Vihaan warmly.
“Vihaan beta! It’s been years!” Her mother patted his arm approvingly.
Vihaan instinctively slipped an arm around Naina’s waist. She stiffened for a second before relaxing. “Naina is a handful, but I’m managing,” he teased.
Her father chuckled. “That sounds about right.”
The evening went smoother than expected. They fell into old rhythms—bickering, teasing, and laughing—so naturally that, for a while, Vihaan forgot they were pretending.
Later that night, as Naina walked him to the door she looked up at him. “You’re a surprisingly good actor.”
He smirked, leaning in. “Maybe I wasn’t acting.”
Her breath hitched. “Vihaan…”
“Bolo Naina,” he said softly, watching her closely.
She hesitated, but then smiled, shaking her head. “Kuch nahi.”
He cleared his throat. “I should apologize.”
“For what?”
“For getting too close earlier,” he admitted. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
She looked at him, surprised. Then, to his astonishment, she blushed. “You didn’t. It was… natural.”
Vihaan raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
She crossed her arms, “I don’t get flustered easily. But I guess… I just didn’t expect it.”
He smirked. “Didn’t expect me to be the perfect fake boyfriend?”
“More like I didn’t expect you to actually be charming.”
He laughed. “Guess spending my life surrounded by women had its perks.”
She tilted her head and raised her eyebrow.
“I mean my mother, and my sister. I was raised by strong women, and they made sure I learned how to treat one right.” He confessed.
Her gaze softened. “That explains a lot.”
By the time the weekend ended, Naina’s parents left with satisfied smiles, but something lingered between her and Vihaan—something unspoken yet undeniable.
That evening, she knocked on his door, hesitating before he opened it.
“What are we doing, Vihaan?” she asked softly.
He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “You tell me. Is this still pretend? Doesn't feel like it, for me at least”
She swallowed, looking up at him. “And if it’s not?”
His gaze softened as he stepped closer, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Then we stop pretending.”
Her breath caught in her throat. His touch was light but sent warmth spreading through her. “And now?”
Vihaan studied her for a long moment before exhaling. “Now, there’s only one thing left to say.”
“What?” she whispered.
His fingers traced her jawline, his touch deliberate, reverent. “Will you marry me?”
Naina blinked, lips parting in shock. “Vihaan…”
He gave her a small, knowing smile. “Surprised?”
She let out a breathless laugh. “Ye kuch zyada jaldi nahi ho gaya?”
He smirked. “Army training ka asar hai. Need to complete the mission on time.”
She shook her head, but her fingers curled around his wrist, holding him close. “And if I need time before declaring the mission accomplished?”
His thumb brushed against her cheek. “Then I’ll wait… but one thing’s for sure.”
“What?”
He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. “The fake dating mission? Complete failure… because I’ve totally fallen in love with you.”
Her breath hitched. He wasn’t teasing or joking. His dark eyes held nothing but sincerity.
For once, Naina had no words. She didn’t need them. Instead, she stepped closer, her fingers pressing lightly against his chest. Vihaan’s breath stuttered for half a second before his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist.
When she finally tilted her chin up and kissed him, it was slow, unhurried. He responded just as softly, his lips moving over hers with a certainty that left no room for doubt.
When they finally pulled apart, she smiled against his lips. “So, does this mean you’re still my boyfriend?”
Vihaan grinned. “Nahi… not just boyfriend, future husband material.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Always this confident?”
His grip tightened, pulling her closer. “When it comes to you? Always.”
She sighed, resting her forehead against his. “You know, you’re officially the biggest surprise of my life!”
Vihaan chuckled, his fingers playing with a loose strand of her hair. “And you’re mine. But you know the best part?”
“What?”
“Yeh mission ab lifetime tak chalega.”
And as he kissed her again, slow and deep, she knew there was no more pretending—only a forever she never saw coming.
CID
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