𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 | Hardik Pandya

8.

TARGET: 15+ votes and comments

VEERA

I was peacefully dreaming of palm trees swaying in the breeze, a cheeseburger in hand, when my slumber was shattered by the piercing voice of Ritika Sajdeh Sharma.

"Veera! Uth jaa kumbhkaran! We're late!"

I groaned, rolling over and pulling the covers up over my head. No way it was morning already. "Five more minutes," I muttered, barely conscious.

"No!" Ritika bhabhi banged open the door, stomping into the room like she meant business. "It's already 10:30! The match starts in two hours, and you're not even ready! Get up!"

I shot up like a rocket. "What?!" I yelped. I had completely lost track of time. Today was the big Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans match, and here I was, still in bed.

Ritika bhabhi stood at the foot of my bed, her arms crossed, looking both annoyed and slightly panicked. Anushka bhabhi was somewhere in the background, her soft voice floating through the hallway as she tried to wrangle Vamika, who was apparently in no mood to cooperate.

"Veera!" She yelled again, snapping her fingers. "Move!"

I shot out of bed, my heart pounding. "I'm up! I'm up!" I scrambled toward the bathroom, grabbing my clothes on the way. The last thing I wanted was to deal with the wrath of Ritika Sajdeh and Anushka Sharma before a match day.

I jumped into the shower, quickly rinsing off. When I stepped out, I wrapped myself in a towel and hurried back into my room. My wardrobe for the day was already decided—a classic Mumbai Indians jersey with my name, denim shorts, and my favorite pair of Nike Air Jordans. Casual, yet cool.

Once dressed, I brushed my light brown hair out, letting it fall naturally. As I tied my shoes, I heard Anushka bhabhi calling from the other room.

"Veera, we're ready to go! Are you almost done?"

"Coming!" I shouted back.

When I made it to the living room, Anushka bhabhi was finishing up getting Vamika ready, trying to get her to wear a cute hat, while Sammy was busy playing with some random toy she'd found, thoroughly entertained.

Ritika bhabhi glanced at her watch and shot me a look. "Let's go! We're already cutting it close."

I grabbed my sunglasses and car keys, grinning mischievously. "Alright, let's roll."

We piled into Virat bhai's car—Anushka bhabhi and Ritika bhabhi sat in the back with the kids, while Devisha bhabhi rushed towards the car from her block, joining me in the front seat. As soon as the engine roared to life, I felt the adrenaline kick in. Driving to Wankhede always felt special—like we were headed to a battlefield.

I navigated through the city streets at a speed that probably would've made Virat bhai lose his mind. Anushka bhabz clutched her seatbelt, her knuckles white, while Ritsy bhabhi nervously checked her phone, probably praying we wouldn't hit any traffic. Devisha bhabhi, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, though I noticed her occasionally glancing at the speedometer.

"Veera, slow down! Hame maarne ke iraade se chala rahi hai kya gaadi?" Ritika bhabhi gasped as I made a sharp turn.

"Ye chodo, agar Virat bhai ki gaadi pe ek scratch bhi pad gaya na he's gonna go haywire." Devisha bhabhi said.

"Arre bhabhis, what do you think I did in London in all these 4 years." I shot back laughing as I eased off the accelerator just a little bit.

"You're gonna get us all killed before we even make it to the match," Anushka said, her voice strained. "And Vamika is watching."