Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 128

The hotel room was buzzing with energy despite the exhaustion settling in. India had won a thrilling match against Pakistan, and everyone was still reeling from the madness of it—especially the last over.

At the center of the chaos, Rohit was laughing uncontrollably while Virat sat across from him, glaring.

"You were laughing, Rohit! What kind of a friend are you?" Virat groaned, tossing a cushion at him.

Rohit easily dodged it, winking. "The best kind."

Axar, sitting cross-legged on the floor, smirked. "You gotta admit, Virat bhai, the wides were hilarious. That poor bowler lost all sense of direction."

Shreyas chuckled. "I mean, it was tense for all of us, but watching you fume at the crease while they kept bowling extras was premium entertainment."

Virat rolled his eyes. "Glad to know my suffering is a joke to you all."

Just then, the door opened, and Arjun and Meera walked in, both looking completely drained. Security duty during an India-Pakistan match was nothing short of a battlefield.

Meera slumped down next to Rahul, her head falling against his shoulder.

Rahul immediately softened, his voice gentle. "You okay, bacha?"

Meera nodded, eyes half-closed. "Tired, Anna."

Rahul hummed, running his fingers softly over her forehead, brushing her hair back.

Arjun, meanwhile, groaned as he flopped onto the nearest chair, craning his stiff neck.

Hardik, noticing his discomfort, stretched his hands out. "Come here, I'll press your shoulders."

Arjun, without missing a beat, shot back. "No, no, it's okay!"

Rohit burst out laughing. "Arey, let him! He needs to impress you first before he can impress Meera."

The room erupted in laughter as Hardik shook his head dramatically. "Unbelievable. I take wickets, I play my heart out, and now I have to woo security officers too?"

Jadeja smirked. "Don't forget, you also got out at 4. Theek hai, we'll excuse you today."

Hardik groaned. "Oh, come on! We won, didn't we?"

Virat grinned, finally relaxing. "Yeah, we did. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

The laughter and teasing continued, but as the night wore on, the exhaustion started creeping in. The room was still buzzing with excitement, but there was an underlying haze of weariness from the intense match. 

 Meera, nestled against Rahul's shoulder, felt her eyelids growing heavier with every passing second. His familiar warmth, the low murmur of conversation, and the exhaustion of the day combined into a lullaby she couldn't resist. 

 Rahul noticed the way her breathing evened out, the slight weight of her head pressing more into him. With a small smile, he adjusted his posture, letting her rest more comfortably. His protective instincts kicked in as he ran his fingers lightly over her hair. 

 Meanwhile, Arjun, still massaging the tension out of his own neck, caught sight of her and sighed. "She'll sleep anywhere if she's tired enough." 

 Hardik smirked. "Good thing she's knocked out now, or she'd have something to say about all this teasing."

 Axar grinned. "Or she'd be throwing pillows at us by now." 

 Shubman, who had been sitting on the floor munching on a protein bar, chuckled. "You guys are all brave when she's sleeping."