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The café buzzed with the team's excitement, their rowdy energy a magnet for stares from the other patrons.
Shubman, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him, couldn't help but steal another glance at Naima as she laughed with Shreyas and Rohit.
Her carefree smile and the way she effortlessly blended into their chaos had his mind spinning, but he kept himself in check. No confessions today.
The barista, clearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of coffee orders, hurried to prepare their drinks. Meanwhile, the teasing between teammates only escalated.
"I'm telling you, man, Hardik's gonna get wrecked by Aussie food," Ishan grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets and bouncing on his feet like a kid.
"You're gonna miss your mom's cooking, dude. Don't pretend like you're not a total softie!"
"Keep talking, Kishan, and I'll make sure you spend the entire flight back sitting in the luggage compartment," Hardik shot back with a wink, but the devilish grin on his face made it clear he wasn't exactly joking.
"And don't come crying to me when you're begging for mercy in the nets."
"I'll save my tears for Pat Cummins," Ishan retorted, leaning back against the counter.
"Shubman, back me up here!"
Shubman smirked, glancing up from his phone. "I'm busy preparing my victory speech. You guys can cry together after I hit the winning runs."
"Oh-ho! Big talk from the guy who trips over his own ego," Shreyas chimed in, playfully jabbing Shubman in the ribs.
"Let's see you keep your cool when Naima's watching."
Shubman stiffened, his cheeks flushing just slightly, but he tried to play it off with a shrug.
"I always keep my cool," he said, but the teasing glint in Shreyas's eyes told him that no one was buying it.
"Bro, you can't keep your cool for shit when Naima's around," Hardik laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
"You look like a kid on Christmas whenever she walks in the room."
"Oh, he's absolutely fucked," Ishan added, barely holding back his laughter.
"Shut up," Shubman groaned, rubbing his temples. "Why is this always about Naima?"
