Aurora - An Abhishek Sharma Fanfiction

27.

The sweltering sun beat down on the cricket ground as Myra watched the players train. Shubman and his team, the Gujarat Titans, were in the midst of a grueling practice session. Myra had only planned to stay for a while, but the intensity of Shubman’s practice caught her attention.

Her eyes scanned the field and settled on Sai Sudarshan, a young player who had become a good friend over the last few seasons. He jogged over to her, his face etched with concern.

" Myra," Sai greeted her in between his breathes. "I’m glad you’re here. Tell your brother something. Shubman’s been practicing like a man possessed for the past two hours."

Myra frowned. "Kyu? Why is he pushing himself so hard? Use mana Kiya tha na physio ne. Hasn't he been advised to take it easy because of his injury."

Sai sighed. "He’s very frustrated. He didn’t perform well in the last two matches, and as the captain, he feels responsible. Kisi ki baat nahi sunn raha hai."

Myra’s heart sank. She knew how much Shubman took his role seriously, but she couldn’t let him jeopardize his health. "Thanks for letting me know, Sai. Mai dekhti hu."

She made her way across the field towards where Shubman was batting. His shirt was soaked with sweat, his face set in a determined scowl. Myra felt a pang of worry as she approached him.

"O Bhai! Shub!" she called out, but he didn’t seem to hear her. She walked right up to the net and repeated, louder this time, "Shubman!"

He paused mid-swing and turned to her, irritation flashing in his eyes. "What is it, Myra? Kuch kar Raha hu na main."

"You need to take a break," she said firmly. "You’ve been at it for two hours, and you’re not supposed to be pushing yourself this hard with your injury."

He shook his head. " I can’t afford to take breaks, Myra. I need to get back in form. I'm the captain of this team"

"And I’m your sister," she shot back, crossing her arms. "And a doctor. You need to listen to me. Overexerting yourself is only going to make things worse."

He glared at her for a moment before his expression softened slightly. "I can’t, Myra. The team needs me at my best."

She stepped closer, her voice gentler but still firm. "And they need you healthy. Pushing through an injury isn’t going to help anyone. Koi faayda nahi hoga isse. Besides, you’re one of the best players out there. A couple of bad matches doesn’t change that."

He looked down, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I just feel like I’m letting everyone down."

Myra reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You’re not letting anyone down, Shubman. Everyone has off days. What’s important is that you recover properly and come back stronger. Agar tumhari injury badh gayi toh? Phir kya karoge?"

He sighed, finally nodding.He knew he wouldn't be able to say not her."Tu mujhe nahi khelne degi na?"

"Bilkul nahi," Myra said, smiling. "Now, how about you join me for some water and a little rest? You look like you could use it."

As they walked towards the sidelines, Myra couldn’t resist lightening the mood. "By the way, you looked like you were trying to kill the ball out there. Maybe tone it down a bit next time, or they’ll have to get you a new set of bats every game."

Shubman chuckled. "Ha, Shayad thoda zyada ho gaya."

"Thoda?" Myra teased. "I was starting to think you were auditioning for a superhero movie. Captain Cricket, perhaps?"

He rolled his eyes but smiled. "Alright, Doc, point taken."

They reached the cooler, and Myra handed him a bottle of water. "Seriously, Shub, aaram se khelo. Please be less hard on yourself , Ok? You’ve got a long season ahead, and we need you in one piece."

"Thik hai, ma'am" he said as he proceeded to give a mock salute. "Kya hota Mera tere bina?" He adds, sarcastically.

"You’d probably be in a lot more trouble, that’s for sure," she quipped, giving him a playful nudge.
"Also, you're important to me, you piece of shit. Better be careful." She added as she got up to leave.

" Haww, is that how you talk to your elder brother?" Said Shubman dramatically putting a hand on his heart.

" Chal, drama queen. You're just a year older than me." Replied Myra with a triumphant smile on her face.

As she was leaving, her eyes caught Sai doing Shubman's trademark bow, mouthing a little Thank you. Earned him a smile, though.

*****

There are going to be a lot of time gaps in the chapter coming up. Hope you understand :)