New Delhi: The rumour mill linking cricketer Hardik Pandya and his girlfriend, actress-model Mahieka Sharma, to an engagement has been hilariously shut down by Mahieka herself.

The speculation began after Hardik shared photos from a recent puja ceremony at his home, where Mahieka was spotted wearing a large, sparkling diamond ring on her finger. However, Mahieka took to social media to clarify that the ring meant nothing more than a fashion choice.

On Friday, Mahieka Sharma used a witty Instagram Story to address the trending gossip, making it clear that the internet had jumped the gun.

The image featured a black cat sporting a vibrant pink wig, captioned, "Me watching the Internet decide I'm engaged when I just wear nice jewellery every day."

The post immediately went viral, turning the hot gossip into a moment of lighthearted celebrity humour.

Not one to let the controversy end there, Mahieka followed up with a joke about where the internet might take the speculation next. Sharing a photo of a man driving a toy car, she captioned it with a playful jab at future gossip, “Wyd if I pull up in this to fight the pregnancy rumours?”

The flurry of engagement rumours began a few days ago after Hardik posted a carousel of affectionate photos from a home puja ceremony.

In the pictures, which showed the couple praying together in coordinated traditional outfits and sharing a loving kiss, fans zoomed in on the prominent ring on Mahieka's finger.