Keifer's POV
The excitement refused to die.
Even after we left the hospitality lounge.
Even after the final photographs.
Even after security escorted us back through the private corridor.
Keiren was still walking backwards in front of us, clutching his signed PBKS jersey to his chest.
"I shook hands with Shreyas Iyer."
"We know," Keigan replied.
"I talked to Arshdeep Singh."
"We know."
"I stood next to Marcus Stoinis."
"We know."
"I'M NEVER WASHING THIS JERSEY."
Honey burst into laughter.
"Please wash it."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Aries patted his shoulder.
"Frame it instead."
"Exactly!"
The debate continued all the way to the parking area.
The convoy of SUVs was already waiting.
Security opened the doors.
This time, without anyone saying a word, we naturally settled into the same arrangement as before.
Krish drove.
Eces sat in the front passenger seat.
Jay sat beside me in the second row.
Keigan occupied the last seat.
The door closed.
Outside, the stadium lights slowly faded behind us as the vehicles began leaving Mullanpur.
For the first few minutes...
Nobody in our car spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward.
It was the silence of people whose excitement had finally caught up with their exhaustion.
Jay leaned back against the seat, carefully looking at the signed jersey folded across her lap.
A small smile played on her lips.
I smiled to myself.
"Worth supporting Punjab Kings?"
She looked at me.
"Absolutely."
Then she laughed softly.
"And don't worry."
"I wasn't planning to run away with Shreyas."
Keigan immediately looked out of the window to hide his laugh.
Even Krish's shoulders shook slightly.
I sighed dramatically.
"I know."
"You still looked jealous."
"I was."
Jay nudged my shoulder.
"You admitted it so easily."
"I've learned there's no point denying the obvious."
That earned another quiet laugh from everyone.
Even Eces smiled faintly.
A few minutes later...
Jay traced one finger lightly over the captain's signature on her jersey.
"I still can't believe we met them."
"They were all so nice."
Krish nodded.
"They appreciated respectful fans."
"They were normal people."
"Just... famous."
Jay smiled.
"I liked that."
The city lights slowly disappeared behind us.
The highway became quieter.
Dark fields stretched on both sides of the road.
Inside the car, the heater hummed softly.
Keigan finally spoke.
"...You looked really happy today."
Jay turned toward him.
"I was."
"Thank you."
He blinked.
"For what?"
"For being happy for me."
He smiled faintly.
"You don't have to thank me for that."
From the front seat, Eces glanced at us through the rearview mirror.
"You've smiled more today than yesterday."
Jay pretended to think.
"Probably."
"It was a good day."
"It was," Eces agreed quietly.
Krish added,
"And tomorrow will be quieter."
Keigan frowned.
"Meaning?"
"You'll see."
That mysterious answer immediately caught everyone's attention.
Jay narrowed her eyes.
"Why does that sound suspicious?"
"It wasn't meant to."
"It definitely was," I said.
Krish simply kept driving.
"I didn't say anything."
"Exactly," Jay replied.
"That's what makes it suspicious."
Even Eces couldn't argue with that.
About half an hour later, Keiren called from the SUV behind us through the group voice call.
"Emergency!"
Krish accepted the call.
"What happened?"
"We're hungry."
Aries' voice came next.
"He means he wants dessert."
"I always want dessert!"
Honey sighed dramatically.
"It's been thirty-five minutes since we left the stadium."
"I'm growing."
"Into what?"
"A happier person."
Laughter echoed through both vehicles.
Krish shook his head.
"We'll stop if we find a good place."
"YES!"
The call ended immediately.
Jay rested her head lightly against my shoulder.
"You know..."
"Hm?"
"I think today is going into my favorite memories."
I looked down at her.
"Just today?"
She smiled.
"This whole trip."
Jaipur.
Amritsar.
The Golden Temple.
The cricket match.
Meeting the players.
Everything.
I slipped my hand into hers.
"I'm glad."
She intertwined our fingers without hesitation.
Outside, the highway stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.
Inside the car...
The conversation grew quieter.
Keigan had already closed his eyes.
Eces was looking out of the window.
Krish drove steadily through the night.
Jay yawned softly.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Sleep."
"What about you?"
"I'll stay awake."
She didn't argue.
Within minutes, her breathing became slow and even.
I adjusted the light blanket lying beside us over her shoulders before looking out through the window.
Today had been unforgettable.
But somehow...
Watching her fall asleep with a peaceful smile after a day she'd enjoyed so completely...
That became my favorite memory of all.
By the time we reached the house, the clock had already slipped well past nine.
The excitement from the stadium had finally settled into comfortable exhaustion.
Shoes were kicked off near the entrance.
PBKS jerseys were folded carefully.
Signed caps and cricket bats were placed on the living room table like priceless treasures.
Keiren was still staring at his signed jersey.
"I still don't believe this happened."
"You've only said that seventeen times," Keigan replied.
"It deserves an eighteenth."
Everyone laughed.
Dinner was simple.
Light.
Comfortable.
No one had enough energy for another long conversation.
Instead, everyone talked about tomorrow.
"We leave tomorrow evening," Honey reminded everyone.
"Back to the Philippines."
"I already miss India," Mica sighed.
"So do I," Freya agreed.
Aries leaned back in his chair.
"This trip went by too fast."
"It always does," Krish said calmly.
Grace looked down at Grazel, who had fallen asleep after her bottle.
"She'll probably sleep through the flight too."
Denzel smiled.
"I hope so."
Across the table, Eces quietly continued eating.
Jay noticed.
"So..."
She looked at her sister.
"You're coming with us tomorrow?"
Eces shook her head.
"No."
The table became quieter.
"I'll stay here for a while."
Keiren blinked.
"Ate Eces?"
"I still have work to finish in India."
"It shouldn't take too long."
"I'll join all of you in the Philippines afterward."
Jay frowned slightly.
"How long?"
"A few weeks."
Krish answered instead.
"She'll be busy."
Jay nodded slowly.
She understood.
She didn't like it...
But she understood.
After all, Krish lived in India.
There were responsibilities here that couldn't simply be postponed.
The rest of the evening passed peacefully.
People packed their luggage.
Compared photographs from Jaipur, Amritsar and Mullanpur.
Argued over who had taken the best pictures.
By midnight...
The entire house had grown quiet.
Tomorrow...
Most of us would be flying home.
The Next Morning
I woke to sunlight pouring through the curtains.
Our suitcases stood neatly near the bedroom door.
Everything was ready.
Jay stretched beside me before smiling sleepily.
"Home today."
"Mm."
"Finally."
We got ready and headed downstairs together.
Everyone was already gathered in the living room.
Except...
Something felt different.
Krish and Eces were standing near the fireplace.
Almost as though they had been waiting.
The moment Jay walked in, Eces smiled.
"Perfect."
Jay looked confused.
"What?"
Krish folded his arms.
"We have something for both of you."
Keiren's eyes sparkled immediately.
"Another surprise?!"
"You people never stop," Percy laughed.
Eces held out a small wooden box.
"For Ate."
Jay accepted it carefully.
Inside...
Was a leather folder.
She opened it.
The smile on her face slowly disappeared...
Replaced by complete confusion.
She looked at the first page.
Then the second.
Then back at Eces.
"...Why is my name here?"
Krish answered quietly.
"Because it's yours."
Silence.
Jay looked down again.
The property documents.
The address.
The photographs.
It was the house.
The beautiful house in Amritsar where all of us had stayed.
She looked up slowly.
"...What?"
Eces stepped closer.
"Dad bought it years ago."
"He wanted to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday."
Jay stared at her.
"Our dad?"
Eces nodded.
"He designed every part of it himself."
"He wanted you to always have a home in India."
Her voice softened.
"He just never got the chance to give it to you personally."
The room fell completely silent.
Jay gently touched the papers again.
Almost afraid they would disappear.
"I..."
She couldn't finish.
Eces smiled faintly.
"So..."
"Happy belated eighteenth birthday."
Jay's eyes filled immediately.
Without another word...
She hugged her sister tightly.
Eces returned the embrace without hesitation.
"I kept this secret for years," she murmured.
"It was worth the wait."
Even Keiren had become unusually quiet.
Honey wiped her eyes discreetly.
Grace smiled warmly.
Keigan looked away for a moment.
I simply rested my hand gently on Jay's back.
She deserved this.
She deserved every piece of happiness life could finally offer.
After a few minutes...
Krish cleared his throat.
"We're still not finished."
Jay blinked.
"...There's more?"
"There is."
Percy immediately pointed accusingly.
"I knew it!"
Krish reached into his jacket and produced two sealed envelopes.
One...
He handed to me.
The other...
To Jay.
"Open them."
We exchanged confused looks.
Then opened them together.
Inside...
Were two airline tickets.
Not to Manila.
Jay frowned.
"...These aren't for the Philippines."
"They aren't," Eces replied.
Keiren looked between all of us.
"Then where are they for?"
Krish smiled.
"That..."
He closed the folder containing the house documents.
"...is Surprise Number Two."
Jay looked from the tickets...
To Eces...
Then to Krish.
"What is this?"
Eces folded her arms with the smallest smile.
"You're not coming back with everyone tomorrow."
Silence.
"What?"
"You and Kuya Keifer," she continued calmly, "are going somewhere else first."
I blinked.
"...Where?"
Krish only smiled.
"That's classified."
Percy groaned dramatically.
"You people and your secrets!"
Honey laughed.
"So..."
She looked at Jay with a wide grin.
"...You're going on your honeymoon."
Jay's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"My... what?"
"Honeymoon," Keiren repeated proudly.
Jay looked completely speechless.
I wasn't doing much better.
"The destination," Eces said with obvious satisfaction, "will remain a surprise until you reach the airport."
Jay looked at me.
I looked back at her.
Neither of us had expected this.
Not even a little.
And judging by the expressions around the room...
Everyone else, except Krish and Eces...
Had just found out too.
Whatever they had planned...
It clearly wasn't over yet.
Jay's POV
The house felt different that afternoon.
Not because everyone was leaving.
Because everyone was leaving in different directions.
Suitcases stood neatly near the entrance.
Backpacks were zipped.
Passports were checked... then checked again because Honey insisted someone would forget theirs.
"I have mine," Percy said for what felt like the tenth time.
"We're making sure," Honey replied.
Keiren looked around dramatically.
"Roll call complete?"
"Complete," Krish answered calmly.
The convoy pulled out of the driveway soon after.
I sat beside Keifer, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the mysterious envelope that still held our tickets.
I still didn't know where we were going.
Every time I asked, Eces only smiled.
Every time Keifer asked, Krish changed the subject.
It was unfair.
Very unfair.
---
Nearly an hour later, the airport came into view.
The familiar rush of people, luggage trolleys and announcements welcomed us.
The moment we stepped out of the cars, the bodyguards began unloading everyone's luggage.
"Passport?"
Honey asked.
Everyone immediately checked their pockets.
"Boarding passes?"
Another round of checking followed.
Keiren laughed.
"We've become professional travelers."
---
Inside the terminal, the atmosphere buzzed with travelers heading in every direction.
Our group attracted more than a few curious glances simply because there were so many of us together.
Grace carefully carried Grazel while Denzel pushed their luggage trolley.
Aries and Ella compared souvenir bags.
Ci-n and Rakki argued over who had packed more snacks.
Keifer reached for my suitcase before I could.
"I can carry it."
"I know."
He smiled.
"But let me."
I let go of the handle.
Some battles weren't worth fighting.
---
At the airline counter, everyone lined up.
Passports were handed over one by one.
Luggage disappeared onto the conveyor belt.
When it was finally our turn...
The airline staff smiled politely.
"Mr. and Mrs. Watson?"
Keifer nodded.
"Yes."
She typed something into her computer before looking up again.
"Congratulations."
I blinked.
"...For what?"
"Your honeymoon package."
I turned so quickly toward Eces that she actually laughed.
"You knew!"
She nodded.
"I did."
The staff handed us two elegant boarding folders.
"These contain your complete itinerary."
I opened mine immediately.
My eyes moved to the first page.
Then...
Stopped.
"...Switzerland?"
Keifer leaned closer to read.
The next line made both of us look at each other.
Four days.
I turned another page.
Another destination.
"...Paris?"
"Three more days?"
Honey peeked over my shoulder.
She squealed before I could.
"SWITZERLAND AND PARIS?!"
That one sentence echoed through half the terminal.
Every head turned toward us.
Keiren's mouth fell open.
"No way!"
Percy dramatically held his heart.
"I've been betrayed."
Aries laughed.
"They're living in a movie."
Grace smiled warmly.
"That's beautiful."
Even Keigan looked genuinely surprised.
"I wasn't expecting that."
I looked at Eces.
"You planned all this?"
She shook her head.
"Dad planned part of it years ago."
Krish continued.
"I only completed what he couldn't."
My throat tightened.
Dad.
Again.
Even after all these years...
He had somehow found another way to become part of our lives.
---
The airline staff continued explaining.
"Four nights in Switzerland."
"Then a direct flight to Paris."
"Three nights there."
"All transportation, hotels and sightseeing have already been arranged."
I barely heard the last sentence.
I was still staring at the itinerary.
Keifer quietly slipped his hand into mine.
"You okay?"
I nodded slowly.
"I just..."
"This feels unreal."
"It does."
---
After everyone finished checking in, we moved toward the security entrance.
This was where we had to separate.
The flights were different.
Section E, Keiren and Keigan would continue to the Philippines.
Keifer and I would board another flight.
Eces wasn't flying anywhere.
Not today.
She would stay behind in India until her work was finished.
The realization suddenly felt heavier than I expected.
I walked straight to my sister.
Without saying anything...
I hugged her tightly.
She hugged me back just as firmly.
"I'll be fine, Ate," she said softly.
"I know."
"You'll come soon?"
"I promise."
I pulled back just enough to look at her.
"Don't work too much."
She smiled.
"I could say the same to you."
Keifer hugged Krish.
"Take care of her."
Krish nodded once.
"I always do."
"And take care of yourself," Keifer added.
"I will."
---
The final boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.
It was time.
Keiren ran over and hugged me quickly.
"Enjoy your honeymoon!"
Honey laughed.
"Don't embarrass them."
"Too late."
Everyone laughed together.
Even Eces.
Even Krish.
I looked around one last time.
This trip through India had given us memories I knew I'd carry forever.
Jaipur.
Amritsar.
Mullanpur.
The laughter.
The prayers.
The cricket match.
The surprises.
And now...
A brand-new journey was beginning.
Keifer gently intertwined his fingers with mine.
"Ready, Wifey?"
I smiled, looking once more at everyone waiting behind the security line.
Then I looked at him.
"Ready."
Together, we turned toward our boarding gate.
Ahead of us...
Seven days.
Snow-covered mountains.
The streets of Paris.
And a honeymoon neither of us had seen coming.
+++++++++++++++
Next chapter Target : 5 COMMENTS
Well, a work for you guys , what do you think about the 2 places , our Jayfer is going to ??