ephemeral

revealing the game plan

24th may, 2024.

8:57 pm.

the whole day went in packing their suitcases and finaling things up about their journey. as shubman and ishan's stuff was already packed, they helped kasturie pack her bags. kasturie and shubman recieved a package with their travel outfits and other things from bcci.

the day went by a blur. in the evening, as today was their last day to chill, they spent the evening with a lot of fried chicken and a movie marathon. the three of them were all snuggled up together in a large blanket on the sofa which they pulled out and made it into a bed enough for the three of them to fit. as usual, kasturie was in the middle.

the movie played softly in the background, casting flickering shadows on the living room walls. kasturie curled deeper into the plush bed, exhaustion tugging at her eyelids. she'd been busy packing for the journey all day, and the day's events had finally caught up to her.

unintentionally, her head lolled onto shubman's shoulder. he stiffened slightly, but then a smile played on his lips. he shifted closer, his arm brushing against hers. a warmth spread through kasturie, chasing away the lingering chill.

they sat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sound was of the murmur of the movie and the soft sigh that escaped kasturie's lips.

shubman glanced down at her, his gaze lingering on the way her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture so tender it sent a shiver down kasturie's spine.

her eyes fluttered open for a moment, meeting his gaze. a blush bloomed on her cheeks, and she mumbled a drowsy apology. shubman chuckled, the sound warm and inviting.

"koi baat nhi. din bhar bohot kaam kiye tune.," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the movie. "thoda aaram kar le ab." he shuffle a bit to put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

kasturie leaned her head back against his chest, a comfortable sigh escaping her lips. the weight of his arm around her was a comforting presence, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

the movie ended with a soft chime, but kasturie slept on, oblivious to the outside world.

shubman watched her for a moment, a soft smile playing on his lips. he carefully draped a blanket over her, the simple gesture filled with unspoken care.

ishan was too engrossed in the movie to notice them. now that the movie ended, he looked to his right. just to see kasturie cozily snuggled up in shubman's embrace. shubman glanced at ishan, who was looking at them with a questioning look. shubman mouthed a silent explanation, and ishan nodded knowingly.

"lagta hai kisine zara jyada hi movie enjoy karli." ishan whispered, amusement dancing in his eyes.

shubman chuckled, a hint of fondness in his voice. "ha woh toh hai."

they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching her sleeping form on the bed. a sense of contentment settled over shubman, a feeling he couldn't quite explain.

maybe it was the movie, or maybe it was the quiet camaraderie with ishan, but in that moment, everything felt perfect.

🕸️

25th may, 2024.

8:36 am.

the day had arrived. today was the day that the indian cricket team was supposed to leave for usa. kasturie woke up with a jolt, hitting shubman and ishan on the face, in the action. she thought she was late for flight again. with the impact of the hit, shubman and ishan woke up, rubbing their eyes too.