Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 51

The morning sun peeked through the clouds, but a chilly breeze swept across the ground. Meera was back at the ground wrapped in her pastel-colored sweatshirt, the fabric soft against her skin, shielding her from both the breeze and the remnants of the fever that still clung to her.

 At the practice nets, players bustled around with energy. Despite her grogginess, Meera stood animatedly in conversation with Dinesh Karthik, her voice light but assertive, waving her hands in the air to emphasize whatever point she was making. DK chuckled along, clearly entertained. 

 "Still feverish, and you haven't shut up," DK teased, shaking his head with a grin."Some things are more important than the flu, DK!" Meera quipped, tucking her hands inside her sweatshirt pockets for warmth. 

 Just as they shared a laugh, an official approached her, his face set with bureaucratic seriousness. "Miss Meera, I must remind you—your ID card should be around your neck, not your wrist." 

 Meera looked down at her ID card, which dangled lazily from her wrist like a rebellious accessory. She exhaled in mild frustration and adjusted her specs on the bridge of her nose, the way she always did when something—or someone—annoyed her. 

Under her breath, she muttered curses in Tamil, her voice just low enough to fly under the radar. And then she grumbled, glaring at the card before grudgingly slipping it over her head. 

 The official gave a curt nod and walked away, oblivious to the ripple of amusement building nearby. 

 DK burst out laughing, clutching his side. "That's the spirit, Meeru!" Nearby, Ashwin, Rishabh, Rahul, Rohit, and Virat, mid-practice, couldn't help overhearing the exchange. 

They paused in their drills, glancing at each other, and struggled—but failed—to contain their laughter. 

 Ashwin leaned on his bat, his lips twitching in amusement. "I was not prepared for this Tamil sass before breakfast." 

 Rishabh doubled over, his gloves clapping together as he laughed uncontrollably. "Yaar, Meera is the real entertainment here!" 

 Rohit, shaking his head with a grin, added, "Why do we even need DK behind the mic when we have Meera?" 

 Rahul, usually reserved, chuckled softly, his face brightened by the rare display of humor. "I feel sorry for that official. Poor man didn't stand a chance." 

 Even Virat, usually the epitome of intensity during practice, cracked a rare smile. "Meera 1, Bureaucracy 0," he murmured, twirling his bat with an amused smirk, added, "Meera's running circles around him without even trying. She's more unpredictable than DK's commentary." 

 DK threw his hands up in mock protest. "Oi, leave me out of this!"Meera adjusted her specs again and shot DK a playful glare. "You started this, Karthik." 

 Before DK could respond, Meera sneezed into her handkerchief. 

Virat raised his eyebrows, giving her an exaggeratedly stern look. "I told you—no ice cream! But no one listens to me!" 

 Meera pouted dramatically, her specs sliding slightly down her nose. "Sorry, na..." she said in her most innocent voice, blinking up at him like a guilty child. 

 Rahul burst out laughing, clapping his hands. "Virat, just accept it—she's got you wrapped around her little finger." 

 "Shut up, Rahuliya," Virat shot back, glaring at Rahul. 

 "Don't call me that," Rahul replied with a smirk. 

 DK cut in with a laugh. "Okay, okay, time out! Meera, let's get you a good cup of coffee before these guys gang up on you."