The Rhythms Of Her Dreams✨️

7. In the Shadow of the Stands✨️

Kaira spent most of her morning in a bit of a daze, still replaying Shubman's message over and over in her mind. Every few minutes, her fingers would itch to pick up her phone and reread it, as if she needed reassurance that he'd really invited her to visit. Part of her couldn't help but think he was probably just being nice, but another part felt that this was a chance-one she might regret passing up.

After pacing around her room, Kaira finally sat down and picked up her phone again. She took a deep breath and sent a quick message back to him, keeping her tone light but direct.

"I might just take you up on that tour someday... if you're serious 😉"

She hit send and instantly felt the flood of nerves return. What if he responded right away? What would she say? She wasn't even sure she'd be allowed to be there, but the chance to see him again, even just for a little while, filled her with excitement.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated, and her heart leapt as she saw his reply.

"I'm serious! If you're around, I could show you the behind-the-scenes after practice."

Kaira's eyes widened, and her fingers started typing automatically.

"Are you sure? I mean, wouldn't it be strange to have a fan hanging around?"

Almost immediately, his next message came through: "Not strange at all. Besides, you're not just any fan, right? 😊"

Kaira felt her face grow warm at his words. Not just any fan. The way he said it made her feel like she really had his attention, as if he was genuinely interested in knowing her. She took a deep breath, feeling the thrill of anticipation. This was it-a real chance to see his world up close and maybe even talk to him again, without the noise of the crowd.

With a mixture of nerves and excitement, she typed back: "Okay then, I'll be there after your practice!"

As she hit send, her heart raced. She couldn't believe it-she was about to get a private glimpse into the world of her favorite team, led by Shubman himself.

Now, all she had to do was wait and hope she didn't wake up from this dream before the afternoon arrived.

------------------------

That afternoon, Kaira joined her family in the living room, still carrying the glow of everything that had happened. She could barely contain her excitement, and the moment she sat down, her mother noticed the smile she was trying (and failing) to hide.

"Kaira, you look like you have something to tell us," her mother teased, raising an eyebrow. Her younger brother looked up from his phone, intrigued.

"Well..." Kaira started, feeling a small rush of nerves as all eyes turned to her. She hadn't planned on making a big deal out of it, but the words spilled out anyway. "I... I met Shubman Gill yesterday. At the stadium."

Her brother's jaw dropped. "No way! You met the Shubman Gill?"

Kaira nodded, biting her lip to keep from grinning too much. "Yeah! After the match, I actually got to talk to him for a minute. It was just... it was unbelievable."

Her father looked up from his newspaper, impressed. "You're serious? That's amazing, Kaira. He's one of the top players now, isn't he?"

"He is!" she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "He was really kind, and... I don't know, he seemed so down-to-earth. I couldn't believe he'd even stop to talk to a random fan like me."

Her mother smiled warmly, seeing the happiness radiating from her daughter. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. You've always been such a fan, and now you got to meet him. It must feel like a dream."