Shuttles And Stars

Neeraj

The music from the party was still echoing in my head when we stepped out into the cool night air. Fairy lights flickered behind us, soft and golden, fading as Abhimanyu and I made our way to the parking lot.

He was busy talking about tomorrow — something about a last-minute sponsorship meeting that just got fixed, and how he’d managed to squeeze in an early badminton practice session for me before that.

Typical Abhi — always thinking two moves ahead, like a coach who never switches off.

I nodded, half-listening, but my mind was still inside the hall.
With her.

Sia.

I swear, that girl is impossible to figure out.
One second, she’s laughing at my lame jokes, eyes sparkling like she actually wants to be there — close, comfortable, like something real is building between us.
And the next, she turns distant. Cold, even. Like she suddenly remembers she shouldn’t be letting me in.

And every time she does that, it leaves me completely… lost.

“Neeraj, you listening?” Abhimanyu’s voice broke my thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah — sponsorship, practice, I got it,” I muttered, trying to sound normal.

He gave me that look — half amusement, half concern.
I know he notices when my head’s somewhere else.
I just wish I knew how to explain where “somewhere else” even is.

Because even now, standing by the car, I could still see her across the dance floor — that one look she gave me before I left.
It wasn’t just a glance. It was something deeper. Like she wanted to say something, but her lips refused to move.

And when I smiled — just a small, stupid smile — she looked away instantly.
Laughed at something Vikram said, pretending I wasn’t even there.

Why?
Why does she do that?

It’s like she wants me close but doesn’t trust herself to let me in.
Like she’s fighting some invisible battle I can’t see.

I sighed, sliding into the passenger seat. “I don’t get her,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

Abhi turned on the ignition. “Who?”

“No one,” I said quickly.

We drove in silence. The city lights flashed past us, soft and blurry through the window, but my mind stayed stuck on her — the way she looked at me, then looked away.

I’ve faced tougher opponents on court, but whatever game Sia is playing… I’m not sure of the rules.

All I know is, she’s in my head — and no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake her off.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll focus. Maybe I’ll shut her out.
But right now?

It feels like I’m already losing — and somehow, I don’t even mind.