Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 131

The hotel room was still buzzing with the remnants of the night—the muffled sounds of his teammates celebrating in the hallway, the distant hum of the city beyond the window. Rahul sat on the edge of his bed, damp hair curling at the ends from his post-match shower, fingers hovering over his phone. His heartbeat had finally steadied, but his mind was still catching up.

Tonight had been different.

A win, yes—but also something more. Something that had unraveled the knot in his chest, something that had let him breathe again.

And she had seen it.

Even through the screen, he knew Athiya had seen the way his body had moved lighter, the way his shoulders no longer carried the weight of invisible burdens. She always saw him.

His fingers moved before he could think, tapping on her contact.

Video calling...

It barely rang twice before she answered.

"Look who remembered to call his wife."

Athiya was perched on their bed back home, wrapped in an oversized sweater—his sweater, of course—her hair in a lazy bun, wisps falling over her forehead. A small bowl of caramel custard sat comfortably on her belly, balanced in the most precarious way.

Rahul smirked. "Oh, come on. I just won a Champions Trophy semi-final. Cut me some slack."

Athiya raised an eyebrow, scooping up a bite of her custard. "Fine. But only because you actually look happy."

Rahul tilted his head slightly. "I don't always look happy?"

Athiya didn't answer immediately. She just looked at him for a moment, like she was carefully choosing her words. And then, her voice softened.

"Not in a while, no."

Rahul felt something shift inside him, something tender and aching at the same time. He had been so lost in his own head, his own struggles, that he hadn't fully realized just how much of it she had carried too.

He let out a slow breath. "I am happy," he admitted, voice quieter. "Feels... different."

Athiya's lips twitched. "Good different?"

Rahul nodded, stretching back against the headboard. "Yeah. Good different."

A beat of silence passed between them. Not the awkward kind—never the awkward kind—but the kind where words weren't needed.

Athiya took another slow bite of her dessert, watching him with that knowing gaze.

Rahul huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. "You're not even surprised, are you?"

She smirked. "Nope."

Rahul sighed dramatically. "Of course not. Because my wife is psychic."

Athiya rolled her eyes. "No, because your wife is a woman who knows you better than you know yourself."

Rahul groaned. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

Athiya grinned. "A little bit, yeah."

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "I'm just glad you remembered to call me?"

Rahul smirked, leaning back against the headboard. "Of course. I just had to win a match in the most dramatic way possible first."

Athiya rolled her eyes but grinned. "Yeah, well, at least you finally remembered how to silence your critics."

He chuckled. "I'd rather hear your analysis than theirs."

Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, so now you want to hear me rant about cricket?"