Ananya

I woke to the blare of my alarm, the morning just a whisper through the curtains. Stretching lazily, I shuffled over to the balcony and took in the sight of the park below. A few early risers were already jogging, their breaths misting the air under the dim glow of streetlights. It was peaceful—calm enough to tempt me into staying wrapped in my blankets a little longer, but I resisted.

Instead, I pulled myself away from the view, slipping into a simple tee and tracks. My hair, still slightly unruly from sleep, was quickly tied into a low ponytail. I laced up my joggers, grabbed my keycard, and stepped out of the room, the soft click of the door locking behind me as I made my way to the lift.

By the time I reached the garden, the fresh morning air embraced me, cool and crisp against my skin. I popped in my earbuds, let the music fill my senses, and began my jog. The sun had yet to make its grand entrance, leaving behind a cozy world, the dew on the leaves shimmering like tiny diamonds, while birds soared gracefully in the still-grey sky. It was a perfect morning.

I was just settling into my second lap when I noticed a figure keeping pace beside me. I glanced sideways, recognizing Shaurya's familiar silhouette. The corners of my lips tugged into a smile as I turned off my music, and he did the same.

"Good morning," I greeted, my voice soft but cheerful.

"Good morning, Ms. Shergill," he replied, his voice rich with that signature charm, flashing me a quick, easy smile.

"Do you jog daily?" he asked, after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Yeah, it's kind of a requirement. Can't slack off when my job demands us to stay fit," I shrugged, trying to sound casual, but my heart picked up pace when his hand accidentally brushed mine. Why did he have that effect on me?

We jogged in sync, letting the stillness of the morning and the rhythmic pounding of our feet fill the quiet. I could feel him glancing at me occasionally, but I ignored it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I noticed.

It was peaceful. Too peaceful.

Without thinking, I turned my head and blurted, "Do you work out?" My eyes drifted to the men doing stretches on the other side of the park, and Shaurya instantly shifted closer, blocking my view.

I blinked up at him, my eyebrows furrowing. Why was he glaring at me?

"Yes, I do. Want me to show you?" His tone was sharp, but there was something playful in it, and my heart betrayed me by fluttering at his words. Ugh, why did he always manage to fluster me?

"Wh-what?" I stammered, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

"I figured you liked watching workouts, considering the way you were staring over there," he nodded his head towards the men, his lips twitched in distaste. "I can give you a free show anytime."

What. The. Hell.

I should have felt offended by his cheeky remark, but instead, my stomach flipped. His teasing words sparked a wave of embarrassment, but also, annoyingly, a strange excitement. Butterflies. Freaking butterflies.

"I just happened to look there by mistake. I—I don't have any such interests, thank you very much!" I huffed, attempting to sound irritated, but my voice came out more like a whine. God, why was I acting so flustered? And why is it he who always catches me in such embarrassing situations?

"If you say so, Ms. Shergill," he said with a smug grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "But if you ever develop that interest, you know where to find me."

He winked, sending a shiver down my spine. My mouth fell open in disbelief. This guy had no shame! And yet, why did I feel so shy all of a sudden? And how did his mood change suddenly from angry to playful? He is really unpredictable off the field too!

"Okay, now it's getting too much," I growled, pointing a finger at his chest as if to warn him off. He was towering over me, his sheer height making me feel small in comparison. I barely reached his shoulders! I bet I'd only reach his ears if I wore heels.

Wait. Why was I even thinking about that? Snap out of it, Anu!

Shaurya raised his hands in surrender, chuckling. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I was just teasing you."

I scowled, showing him I wasn't entirely convinced. But before I could say anything more, I noticed a group of girls nearby giggling and staring at him—practically drooling. Ugh, their eyes were practically eating him alive.

He followed my gaze, turning back to flash them a friendly wave. Instantly, their smiles brightened, and I rolled my eyes.

"Looks like your fan club is here," I muttered, a little more bitterly than I intended.

"I'm not in the mood to talk to girls right now," he said, turning back to me with a smirk. "Come on, let's go."

Wait, what? "For your information, I am a girl, Mr. Singhania," I huffed, crossing my arms.

He chuckled again, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You're different, Ms. Shergill."

Different? What was that supposed to mean?

"How so?" I asked, following him as he began jogging again, feeling a twinge of curiosity mixed with annoyance.

"You're my fan but you don't like me and run away every chance you get," he said, looking straight ahead as if it were the most normal thing in the world to say.

I blinked, unsure if I should feel insulted or relieved. "Excuse me? I never said I didn't like you. I just said I'm not crazy about you, and I don't try to run away from you either," I clarified, trying to salvage my pride.

He stopped jogging and looked at me, a grin creeping onto his face. "So, you do like me? You like it when we cross paths?"

There was this sudden brightness in his eyes, and I regretted my words instantly. Why did he look so damn happy about that?

"Well, I—" I fumbled, feeling flustered. "I mean, you're a great cricketer and I like watching you play. You are a good company to be around too." I added the last part quickly.

His grin widened like he'd just won some invisible prize, and I turned away with burning cheeks. When did I become such a mess?

"Alright, alright, I'll take that, for now," the last part was just a whisper against my ear before he stepped aside as we reached the elevator. He let me enter the elevator and gave an acknowledging smile to the fans waving at him cheerily.

"You're impossible," I muttered under my breath, though a small smile tugged at my lips. I hated how easy it was for him to mess with my head while acting so good with everyone else. I like it though. It makes me feel special and giddy.

Inside the elevator, the quiet buzz of the hotel filled the space as we waited for our floor. Shaurya glanced at me with that teasing smile still on his face, but this time, I ignored him. No more letting him get under my skin today.

"So, what's your schedule today?" I asked, keeping the conversation neutral.

"Well, it's not just my schedule. You're part of the team now, remember?" he replied, cocking an eyebrow.

I smiled at that. "Fair enough. So what are we doing today then?"

"We've got net practice, and then our first match is tomorrow. You're sticking with us through all of it," he reminded me.

The elevator doors opened just as a few of his teammates entered the corridor, exchanging greetings. As we walked toward our rooms, Akshith stopped us with a pointed look.

"Shaurya, you went jogging with her?" Akshith's tone was incredulous, his eyes darting between us.

Before I could respond, Shaurya stepped in front of me, blocking my view. "We bumped into each other and stop staring at her like that. You look like a creep," he said, deadpan.

Yuvaan, who had joined the conversation, burst out laughing, and soon Siraj joined him, chuckling a little while Akshith turned bright red.

"What's so funny?" Akshith hissed, glaring at his friend. His face now looked like a half-boiled omelette.

I couldn't help it. I giggled.

"And you," Akshith turned to me, narrowing his eyes. "Stop laughing like a dying hyena!"

That did it. "Excuse me? I might sound like a hyena, but you look like a starved hippo!" I shot back, folding my arms.

Akshith stepped forward, a fiery glare in his eyes. "Oh yeah? Get your eyes checked miss. Girls out there are dying to get a glimpse of me!" He exclaimed in self-pride. It is true though. Am I going to agree with him? Never!

"Girls' taste is awful these days. What can we do about it?" I cooly stated making him huff in annoyance.

"You!" Akshith stepped forward with a murderous glare. I stood my ground staring back at him.

Before I could escalate the situation, Shaurya once again stepped in, forming a human wall between us. "Alright, enough. Both of you cut it out." I stared at Shaurya's back wondering whose side he be taking if I and Akshith keep fighting like this.

"Anu! Rakshith is calling you," Shika's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see her standing at the door to her room, a confused look on her face as she took in the scene before her—Yuvaan and Siraj laughing hysterically, while Akshith and I remained grumpy with Shaurya still standing in between us, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Bye," I said with a smile directed at Shaurya. He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I then offered a quick smile to Yuvaan and Siraj, who reciprocated with a wave and grin.

"Stay away from us if possible!" Akshith yelled after me, but I just stuck my tongue out at him as a final, playful gesture. He shook his head in exasperation, while Shaurya and the others chuckled at my antics.

I walked towards Shika, who was still standing by the door, waiting for me. Once inside, we closed the door behind us, and I let out a deep breath, plopping myself down on the couch beside Bhavin. He was busy munching on a pack of Lays chips, and when I reached out to grab one, he snatched the whole pack away from me like it was something precious.

"Seriously, Bhavin?" I rolled my eyes at him, amused by his possessiveness over the snack.

"Not yet, but they're on it," Vikram said, his voice laced with frustration as he entered the room, speaking about the investigation. He turned to us once he cut the call, "We have to keep a close eye on these players until they catch someone. Our favorite all-rounder sneaked out last night to meet his girlfriend." 

I could hear the anger in Vikram's tone, and I understood it, but at the same time, it wasn't completely Siddarth's fault. He probably didn't know about the situation and just wanted to meet his girl.

"We can't really blame him for meeting his lover," I said gently, trying to reason. "But yes, we should definitely be more careful going forward."

Nithin nodded in agreement, placing a calming hand on Vikram's shoulder. "We'll just have to tighten our watch and make sure nothing slips through the cracks," he added. Vikram gave a reluctant nod, accepting the advice as the tension in the room slowly began to ease.

We all sat down to discuss the events of the previous night. Apparently, Vikram had followed Siddarth after calling Nithin to stay in the control room, but there hadn't been any further developments.

"You both rest until afternoon," I suggested, turning to Nithin and Vikram. "The team is going to have net practice, and everyone will be there anyway. The rest of us can handle it for now."

I knew this mission wasn't something that would end quickly. It would take days, maybe even weeks, and we couldn't afford to have anyone burning out too early. That's why we'd established shifts in the first place, to keep an eye on the players without overworking ourselves.

"Alright," Vikram agreed. "Call us if you notice anything suspicious, and take Vipul with you."

Vipul was another officer assigned to the mission, acting as the assistant to the team's doctor. With the plan in place, we all got ready to leave for the net practice.

Later that afternoon, the team gathered for their session. From the sidelines, I kept my eye on them, watching for anything out of the ordinary. But despite my focus on the mission, I couldn't help but notice Shaurya—especially in that sleeveless jersey and shorts. He looked undeniably good, his muscles flexing as he worked through drills with ease.

Stop it, Anu! Focus on the task at hand!

Bhavin, meanwhile, was busy recording some videos of the practice for appearances' sake, so the team wouldn't get suspicious of our true purpose. We managed to keep everything under control, and once the practice was over, we grabbed lunch together outside the hotel before returning to debrief and review our findings.