Shubman Gill, a rising star in Indian cricket, finds himself drawn to Sriya Shetty, a talented physiotherapist through an unexpected connection-KL Rahul, Shubman's teammate and Sriya's cousin. Fate brings both of them face-to-face.
Despite a growing...
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1: Midnight Encounter.
Sriya Shetty stumbled along the narrow lane, heels clicking unevenly against the pavement as she held onto her friend Mira, both of them barely suppressing their giggles.
The streets were dimly lit, but the late-night energy of Mumbai surrounded them, alive with distant honks, chattering pedestrians, and the unmistakable scent of street food.
"I’m telling you, Mira," Sriya slurred, clutching Mira’s arm tighter, "the guys back in America? They think they're all so charming, like every guy’s a Tom Cruise or something."
Mira burst out laughing, leaning into Sriya as if the statement was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
Sriya raised her own imaginary glass. "To the best friend who stuck by me when I decided to make a grand return!" She emphasized the words with a flourish, nearly tipping over as they stumbled forward.
"Can we just talk about how you’re now staying with KL Rahul?" Mira waggled her brows, nudging Sriya playfully. "The cricketer!! How did I not know about this VIP cousin connection?"
"Ugh, don't even start," Sriya groaned, but a fond smile crept onto her face.
"Rahul’s great, but he’s all like, 'Sriya, be careful,' 'Sriya, don’t go out late,' 'Sriya, do you have any idea how weird it’ll be if my teammates find out my cousin is a drunk NRI?' Honestly, the guy has the spirit of a grandpa sometimes."
Mira snorted, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Sounds like someone's ready to play the responsible big brother card."
"He acts like he’s been training for it his whole life!" Sriya threw her hands up in exasperation.
"I swear, I can’t even eat a second helping without him giving me this look like, 'Sriya, Diet.' I mean, come on, Rahul I am not a cricketer to follow some stupid diet!"
"Well, look at you—still a rebel!" Mira laughed, poking her friend’s shoulder. "Let’s just say, if the cricket star can handle his YOU crashing with him, he can handle anything."
They shared a conspiratorial smile, walking on as they joked and teased each other.
In the midst of their laughter, Sriya paused, suddenly sober, and looked up at the starlit sky. "It’s weird, you know?" she said softly. "Coming back here after so long. India feels like… I don’t know, like home, but also… not." She shrugged, struggling to put the feeling into words.
Mira squeezed her arm. "It’ll come back to you," she said reassuringly. "India’s like that. A little chaotic at first, but it doesn’t take long to fall back in love."
Sriya nodded, a thoughtful smile spreading across her face. "Yeah. And maybe Rahul’s right. Maybe I do need a bit of… guidance."
