Shuttles And Stars

Sia

The next morning, as we were finishing our training drills, Meera jogged up beside me, looking unusually excited. Her face was practically glowing, and I immediately knew something was up.

“Sia, guess what!” she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

I raised an eyebrow. “What now, Meera? Did you meet another Olympic athlete in your dreams?”

She waved me off. “No, no. But seriously, I’ve been thinking about Neeraj Dixit. You know, after meeting him at the event, I really want to see him again. And I need you to come with me.”

I almost choked on my water. “Wait, what? You want to meet him again? Meera, come on, we have night duty tonight. We don’t have time to go chasing after badminton stars.”

Netra, who had overheard us, walked over, shaking her head with a grin. “Meera, are you serious? You’re still stuck on Neeraj? Stop blurting stupid things and focus. We have patrol duty tonight, remember? Not everything is about your celebrity crush.”

Meera huffed, crossing her arms. “It’s not just a crush, Netra. There was something... different about the way he looked at us—especially at Sia.”

Both Netra and I stopped in our tracks, and I shot Meera a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

Meera stepped closer, lowering her voice dramatically as if sharing a huge secret. “I swear, Sia. Neeraj was lost in your eyes before he greeted you at the event. I could feel it. He might actually like you!”

I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “Meera, you’ve completely lost it. I think you’ve been watching too many Bollywood movies. You’re just imagining things.”

Netra joined in, laughing as well. “Exactly. Neeraj is an Olympic champion! Do you really think he’s going to be ‘lost in Sia’s eyes’? Come on, Meera.”

But Meera wasn’t letting this go. She leaned in closer, whispering urgently, “I’m serious, Sia. Didn’t you notice how he looked at you? Right before he shook your hand, he was totally staring. I’m telling you, there was something there.”

I rolled my eyes, still smiling. “There’s nothing there, Meera. He probably didn’t even notice me, and besides, do you really think someone like Neeraj Dixit, with all those beautiful girls constantly surrounding him, would be interested in me?”

Meera gave me a dramatic sigh. “Oh please, Sia. You’re beautiful and smart, and don’t act like you didn’t feel something. Even if you didn’t, he did. I could see it!”

Netra was shaking her head, trying to hold back her laughter. “Meera, I think you need to stop reading into things so much. Poor Sia is just trying to survive her first posting, and here you are, trying to set her up with an Olympic champion.”

I couldn’t help but laugh along with Netra. “Exactly! I’ve got more important things to worry about—like our night patrol duty tonight. So please, Meera, stop blurting nonsense and focus on what’s actually important.”

Meera, however, wasn’t ready to give up. She shot me a playful look. “Fine, I’ll drop it... for now. But don’t think I didn’t see what I saw. Neeraj Dixit was definitely interested in you, whether you believe it or not.”

I gave her a light shove. “You’re impossible, Meera. Now stop daydreaming and get back to work.”

We continued walking toward the barracks, and as we entered, Netra gave me a sly smile. “You know, she might be onto something, Sia. Maybe Neeraj really was lost in your eyes.”

I rolled my eyes again, laughing. “Not you too, Netra. Come on, I don’t need both of you turning this into some ridiculous love story.”

Netra chuckled. “Hey, I’m just saying. Meera has a good eye for these things.”

We both burst out laughing as Meera pouted dramatically, clearly not ready to let the idea go.

That evening, as we prepared for our night patrol, Meera kept sneaking glances at me, as if expecting me to suddenly confess some secret crush on Neeraj. I just kept shaking my head, trying to ignore her teasing.

As we stepped outside into the cool night air, I felt the usual calm that came with patrol duty. The stars twinkled overhead, and the base was quiet, save for the occasional sound of footsteps or distant chatter.

Netra, ever the sensible one, broke the silence with a grin. “So, Sia, any big plans to meet Neeraj after patrol?”

I groaned. “Oh, not you too. Are you both seriously going to keep this up?”

Meera grinned mischievously. “Hey, if Neeraj comes knocking on our door, don’t blame me!”

I rolled my eyes, adjusting my rifle strap. “If he does, I’ll let you answer it, Meera. I’m sure you’ll be happy to talk to him.”

Meera gave a dramatic sigh, her eyes twinkling. “Oh, Sia. If only you knew the power of your eyes.”

Netra snorted, trying to contain her laughter. “She’s right, Sia. Watch out—those eyes could win gold medals too!”

We all burst into laughter, our playful teasing echoing through the quiet night. Despite the jokes, I knew that I could always count on Meera and Netra. They were my teammates, my friends, and my support system here at Rajputana Rifles. Even if Meera’s imagination was running wild, I appreciated the lighthearted moments she brought into our days.

As the night wore on and our patrol continued, I found myself smiling. Whether or not there was any truth to Meera’s ridiculous theory, it didn’t really matter. What mattered was the bond we were forming—one built on trust, humor, and shared responsibility. And that, to me, was more valuable than anything else.

“Alright, enough about Neeraj,” I said, smirking as we continued walking through the base. “Let’s focus on what we’re actually here to do, shall we?”

Netra grinned. “Right, back to being serious soldiers.”

Meera gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. But don’t think I’m done with this Neeraj topic. There’s more to this story, I can feel it.”

I shook my head, chuckling. “Sure, Meera. Whatever you say.”

And with that, we continued our patrol.

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