Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 95

The breakfast hall was alive with the sounds of laughter, clinking cutlery, and lively banter as the team gathered around the large table. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a spread of Indian and continental dishes filled the air. It was a morning where cricket took a backseat, replaced by a shared sense of family and togetherness.

Sanjana sat beside Jasprit, coaxing little Angad to eat as he stubbornly turned his face away. “Come on, Angad,” Sanjana urged gently, holding out a spoonful of food. Jasprit chuckled beside her. “He gets that stubbornness from you, not me.”

Anushka sat beside Virat, helping Akaay with his cereal. The toddler gleefully made more of a mess than a meal. “No, Akaay, that’s not how we eat,” she said with a laugh, her patience unshaken. Virat leaned in, sneaking a spoonful of Akaay’s cereal into his own mouth. Anushka gave him a playful glare. “You’re the one setting the bad example!”

At the other end of the table, little Vami had wandered over to her Rah Cha. She climbed onto his lap, giggling as he tried to feed her a small piece of pancake. “You want to grow strong like Cha, right?” he asked, holding the piece near her mouth.

Vami responded by giggling and pretending to feed Rahul instead. “Rah Cha eats too!” she exclaimed, sending the entire table into laughter.

On a video call propped up nearby, Harry chimed in with his usual mischief. “Vami, let me show you how to really prank Rah Cha,” he said, proceeding to demonstrate a dramatic syrup-spreading motion.

Rahul groaned. “You’re a born troublemaker, Harry!”

Jasprit laughed along. “I’m just glad he’s not teaching Angad the same thing.”

Right on cue, Angad spilled a glass of juice all over Jasprit’s tracksuit. Harry, still on the screen, burst out laughing. “Named it, Jas!” he exclaimed.

Rahul gave Jasprit an exaggerated look. “This guy is pure evil, Booms.”

Rohit, fully engrossed in his plate of parathas, teased Rishabh and Shubman about the latter’s choice of avocado toast. “Bhai, what is this fancy food? Aaj kal ki generation,” Rohit joked, earning an eye roll from Shubman.

Rishabh jumped in. “Arey, Shubman is just trying to impress someone. Who? That’s the real question!”

The table erupted in laughter, while Shubman grinned, shaking his head.

Further down the table, Jadeja and Ashwin were recounting a hilarious practice incident, with Yashasvi, Siraj, Nitish, and Harshit joining in occasionally, their laughter rising above the rest.

In the middle of the cheerful chaos, Meera and Maithili entered, deep in discussion about the day’s logistics. Meera’s sharp gaze swept the room as they walked in, her stride confident and purposeful.

Virat spotted them first and called out, “Look who’s here—the boss ladies!”

Rishabh, never one to miss an opportunity, grinned. “Good morning, Ma’am! What’s on the agenda today? Or should we pretend to listen and do our own thing?”

Meera smirked. “Good morning, gentlemen.” Her tone was firm but carried an undertone of amusement. She walked up to Rahul, greeted him with a soft “Good morning, Anna,” and gently tugged Vami’s nose, earning a delighted giggle from the child.

From the video call, Harry shouted, “Arey, what about me? You’re supposed to say good morning to me too! Not good manners, Meera.”

Meera laughed, shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah. Good morning, Harry. And congratulations on climbing to rank one in T20Is.”