Shadows Of The Stumps

Falling back into place

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the pale curtains of Meera’s room, casting soft golden light across the floor. Inside, Rahul was wrapped tight in a comforter, cocooned like a burrito and snoring ever-so-slightly. After the emotional marathon of the previous day, even his subconscious had finally agreed to give him some peace.

Enter: Hardik Pandya.

Bleary-eyed, hair a tousled mess, he tiptoed into the room half-awake, rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his T-shirt. Still recovering from his own sleep-drenched daze, he didn’t give the bed more than a cursory glance. Assuming Meera was under the blankets, he quietly slipped in beside the burrito-shaped figure.

Without hesitation, he threw an arm around what he assumed was his girlfriend and snuggled closer, mumbling, “Uth jao, Meeru... good morning bol do pehle…”

Rahul stirred.

There was a pause.

And then—

“AAAHHHH!”

Rahul SHRIEKED, flailing as he sat bolt upright, the quilt flying off like it had been ejected by a catapult. He turned around and found a very confused, very cozy Hardik lying next to him.

“SAALE! TU KAR KYA RAHA HAI?!” Rahul shouted, dramatically scooting to the edge of the bed like he'd just survived a horror movie.

Hardik blinked, rubbing his face again as he yawned, “Main? Tu kya kar raha hai yahaan Meera ki jagah?”

Rahul looked scandalized. “Kya?! This is my sister’s room!”

“Exactly,” Hardik said, deadpan. “Which is why she should be in it. Not you. What are you doing in place of my girlfriend?”

Rahul narrowed his eyes. “Your girlfriend is my sister first. Tu yeh karta hai uske saath aise? Hug-wug sab?”

Hardik smirked, stretching. “Nahi nahi… aur bhi bohot kuch karta hoon. Karke bataun tere saath?”

“CHEEE!” Rahul swatted him hard with a pillow.

Hardik yelped, laughing. “Abe maar kyun raha hai?!”

“Because I just woke up in a nightmare!” Rahul retorted, but his own laughter was bubbling up now.

Soon, both of them were doubled over in laughter, the sound filling the room with warmth and familiarity.

“Bro,” Rahul said between chuckles, “This is officially the worst morning of my life.”

Hardik grinned. “And for me, best cuddle ever. 10/10. Will repeat.”

“Tu pagal hai,” Rahul said, throwing the pillow at him again.

But the laughter didn’t stop — not for a while.

_______________

Rahul cracked his knuckles lazily, eyes on the sunlit curtain. “You know… watching her hurt like that, all bandaged up… I don't know why it hit so hard this time. Maybe because it reminded me of that surgery phase of mine, when I couldn’t even hold a bat properly.”

Hardik nodded, expression gentling. “Yeah. She looked so… small. And still.”

A silence passed between them, not heavy, but reflective.

Then Hardik added, “It did take me back, though. That whole year after my back surgery. When you all were touring, training, planning next matches — and I was just… home. Watching. Waiting.”

Rahul looked at him. “You never really said much about that.”

Hardik smiled faintly, shoulders lifting in a casual shrug. “Kya hi bolta? Everyone was already saying enough — ‘injury-prone,’ ‘fragile,’ ‘limited overs only’… It got to me. Especially when they’d go ‘test cricket is real cricket’ — like everything else is just a side act.”