𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ( 𝐘𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐯𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥 )

13

The knock at the door echoed through the half empty dressing room, and Yashasvi felt a tense anticipation settle in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. The banter with Dhruv and Riyan had already put him on edge, and the thought of playing along with the charade in front of the team that were all his age which meant more teasing—was not something he was looking forward to.

The door creaked open after one of the teammates said come in, and Jemimah stepped into the dressing room, her eyes immediately locking onto his. She had that familiar determined look on her face, the one that always seemed to challenge him without saying a word. Despite the casual jeans with a bag and the wide smile on her face and determination, he realized with a start—she carried herself with the same confidence she had on the field.

For a moment, the room was partially silent, some players watching with curiosity and varying degrees of amusement while some didn't pay much attention and continued chatting. Yashasvi could feel their eyes on him, the unspoken expectations hanging in the air. He forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace, and went towards her.

For the time, he was grateful that most of the senior players and coaches were waiting in the bus and weren't witnessing the disaster.

Yashasvi took a step closer to Jemimah, the tension in the room palpable as he prepared to play his part in this charade. He opened his arms, and to his surprise, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a quick embrace, the gesture warm yet somehow awkward.

“Hey there, ‘boyfriend,’” she said, pulling back slightly with a teasing glint in her eye.

“Hey,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady as the rest of the dressing room watched intently. He cleared his throat and gestured to his teammates. “Everyone, this is Jemimah Rodrigues.”

The players erupted into a mix of playful cheers and banter, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding before them. Nandre Burger, ever the instigator, leaned forward with a grin. “So, Jemimah, what’s it like dating the most brooding cricketer in the league?”

Yashasvi shot Nandre a glare, but Jemimah simply laughed, brushing off the question with a smirk. “Oh, it’s a challenge, but I’m up for it.” She shot Yashasvi a knowing look, as if they were sharing an inside joke that no one else understood.

As she introduced herself to the others, Yashasvi’s heart raced, his mind swirling with thoughts about how to navigate this situation without giving too much away. He needed to steer clear of any slip-ups, especially in front of Dhruv who was already sceptical about this.

Finally, Yashasvi turned to his friends. “And these two are my closest friends, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag.”

Dhruv raised an eyebrow, eyeing Jemimah with an analytical gaze. “Nice to meet you, Jemimah. So, what do you think of our star player here?” He nodded toward Yashasvi, his tone teasing yet cautious.

Jemimah grinned, clearly catching the underlying tension. “He’s… interesting. Kind of a lone wolf, but I’m working on bringing him out of his shell.”

“Good luck with that,” Riyan chimed in, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. “He hardly shows any emotions, except when he’s losing at FIFA with us.”

Yashasvi huffed in indignation. “That’s not true! I show emotions… sometimes.”

“Right,” Dhruv scoffed, crossing his arms. “Like when you scored that duck last week. The only time I saw you express anything was when you threw your bat down in frustration. Pretty sure it had feelings too.”