Destined

Dinner of Dreams

"You were great today, mouse," Sara greeted her younger brother with a warm hug.

"Thanks, but the U-19 team seems so far away. They are on another level."

"Maybe, but you're still included in the top groups of all of India. That's a huge accomplishment."

"I guess so."

Sara always felt bad that her brother never gave himself credit. He always seemed weighed down by his commanding surname. Their father was an anomaly, but that didn't mean Arjun had no skill of his own.

He bowled nicely at the practice match earlier, and even got a wicket against formidable opponents. The U-19 squad were the most talented youngsters in the world of cricket. Many were on the cusp of greatness in the IPL, and for the best, a future in the Indian National Team.

She didn't know most of the players, only some that had played with Arjun in the past. And she knew of Prithvi Shaw, who had been singled out as the shining star of the group.

But someone new caught her attention. He had replaced one of the openers, and was batting frantically. There was an inborn assurance to him, even if his shots went wayward.

Ye he kon? Sara was intrigued. From a distance, she couldn't clearly see what he looked like, until he got out on a bad hit.

The boy lifted his helmet as he walked off the field in frustration.

Sara's eyes widened.

She was quite sure she'd never seen such a striking face in her life.

He was like a painting come alive, with strong eyebrows, cheeks and lips. His almond eyes were dark, glimmering. He was clearly fit, yet his walk was boyish.

She had grown up around celebrities and some of the most beautiful people on the planet. And many cricketers were handsome, but he stirred something in her. She had to know who he was.

That evening

A posh five star restaurant had the occasion of hosting an unusual crowd of young, hungry boys, all still dressed in training gear. The team clamored around the buffet, looking to feast after the long day of practice sessions. There was a delectable offering of cheeses, bread, meats, seafood, pasta, chinese; truly anything one could think of.

As they settled down to eat, one of their coaches stood up.

"Here's to the end of another hard day at work, the last steps before the World Cup. As a token for your dedication, we have a small surprise for you."

He sat down, and in a few minutes a surprise indeed appeared. Sachin Tendulkar stood in front of them, smiling.

All the boys faces lit up, everyone sat up straight with palms folded.

"Great job today team. I was very impressed with what I saw. Keep it up and bring the trophy home."

Sara stood behind Sachin as he spoke, next to her mother. Her eyes scanned the table, skipping over the one boy seared into her mind. She wasn't meek, but she somehow felt hesitant to make eye contact. That face had the possibility to make her cheeks turn bright pink.

Shubman listened to his idol's words in awe. He knew he would never forget this moment, Sachin sir's praise. The man himself.

Only after Sachin sir was done speaking did he let himself sneak a peek at Sara. She looked the same as before, glowing and poised. She had a petite frame, even in heels. He wondered how she would look standing next to him.

Soon the Sachin family left to their table across the room, and the boys resumed eating.

Shubman watched in annoyance as Prithvi got up, beelining after them to have a private chat. He would definitely be emphasizing his role as captain and his "amazing" leadership. He narrowed his eyes as Prithvi gave Sara a fawning smile; her barely acknowledging his existence. How desperate.

Back in their room after dinner, Shubman and Abhishek were relaxing, scrolling through their mobiles.

"Damn, Tripathi said he's already bagged a model. We're behind bro," Abhishek said, showing his screen.

Shubman chuckled.

"Haan, where do we get the chance to meet girls with these back to back sessions? New land, new types, but no time."

Being the good-looking, accomplished teenagers they were, they indulged in such affairs eagerly and as frequently as possible.

It was casual fun to them, a sort of perk to their athlete status. Boys being boys, they would claim.

After some more discussions, the two turned off the lights and settled into bed.

Shubman lay in the dark with his eyes wide open. He replayed the events of the day in his head. One specific thought kept persisting.

"Listen, Abhishek," he said suddenly.

"Yeah dude?"

"What do you think of her?"

"Her? Kon?"

"Sachin ki beti."

"Oh. Tik tak. Why?"

"No reason."

"Hm, so jao yaar Shub. You've started blabbering."

Abhishek turned to sleep, while Shubman pulled out his phone. He replied to one of the girls he'd been flirting with, but his mind kept drifting to Sara.

He went to her Instagram, then clicked on the message icon.

Hey, nice to meet you today.

He stared at the message he'd typed out. They hadn't actually met, had they? He deleted the sentence.

Hi there. Nice to see you today.

He cringed. Now he sounded like a creep. It didn't feel right to send something when they hadn't even spoken. After all, he was one of twenty boys on the team to her.

He deleted the dm again, and instead clicked on Arjun's profile.

Arjun bro, good seeing you today. lmk when ur free, we should hangout sometime.

This story is made up and has no connection to real people or events.