Shuttles And Stars

Sia

As I lay in bed, Vikram's words kept echoing in my mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was overthinking everything. Neeraj hadn't done anything wrong, and the invite wasn't odd. It was just a friendly gesture. A chance to unwind and have some fun.

"I should call him," I muttered to myself, picking up my phone.

Before I could dial his number, a message about duties for the next day buzzed on my screen. Distracted, I pushed the thought of calling Neeraj aside, diving into the flood of work that awaited. Meetings, briefings, and tasks all blurred together, and by the time I returned to my room, it was well past midnight.

Glancing at the clock, I realized I hadn’t called Neeraj back. It was 12:15 a.m. Should I call now? I hesitated but hit dial anyway. Half hoping he wouldn’t answer at this late hour, I was surprised when his voice came through almost instantly.

"Sia?" His voice was a mix of surprise and... happiness?

"Hey... I’m so sorry for calling this late. I didn’t realize how much time had passed. You were probably asleep, right?" I blurted out, suddenly feeling awkward.

He chuckled softly, and I could almost hear him smiling. "Actually, I wasn’t. I was... well, thinking about you."

I felt my cheeks flush at his words. Why am I blushing? Trying to brush it off, I quickly shifted the conversation.

"Uh, so about the party... we’ve decided we’ll come. Me, Netra, Meera, and Vikram. You know, the whole gang."

"Really? That’s awesome!" His voice lit up with excitement. "I was really hoping you'd say yes."

I smiled, feeling his enthusiasm through the phone. "Yeah, it should be fun."

The conversation flowed easily from there, but it didn’t stop at party plans. Soon, we were talking about our personal lives, drifting into topics neither of us had planned to discuss. Neeraj shared stories of his intense training leading up to the Olympics. He spoke about the sacrifices he made, the pressure he felt as he climbed the rankings. I could hear the weight of those experiences in his voice.

"I missed so many family events," he admitted, his tone growing softer. "Weddings, birthdays, even just normal weekends with friends. Everything became about training."

I could relate in a way. "I get that. When I was at the Academy, it felt like life outside just... stopped. It was all about survival. Training, discipline, constant evaluations. And even though it was tough, I sometimes wonder if I missed out on something by dedicating so much time to it."

"Yeah," he replied, his voice thoughtful. "But then, we wouldn’t be where we are now if we hadn’t sacrificed those moments, right?"

"True," I said, nodding, even though he couldn’t see me. "But it still makes you think."

We continued talking, veering from the serious to the lighthearted. Movies came up next. Neeraj confessed his love for action films, particularly Bollywood classics, while I shared my weakness for old comedies.

"Wait, you've never seen Sholay?" he exclaimed.

"I know, I know," I laughed. "It’s embarrassing. But I just... never got around to it."

"Well, that’s it. We’re watching it when we get a chance," he said, almost commanding. "No excuses."

I chuckled. "Fine, deal. But only if you watch Chupke Chupke with me."

"Done," he said. "Though I’m more of a thriller guy."

The conversation flowed so smoothly, it was almost like we had known each other for years. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow, the hours flew by, and before I knew it, the sky outside was turning from black to the pale pinks of dawn.