(A/N):
Drop a here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
Guys I hope you put more comnts and power stones... Which will encourage ...
....
The atmosphere inside the five-star hotel's private dining hall was cheerful and relaxed.
After the day's training sessions, etings, and promotional activities, the entire Mumbai Indians contingent had gathered for dinner.
Players.
Coaches.
Support staff.
Managent.
Everyone was finally getting a chance to unwind.
The large tables were filled with food from all over India and beyond.
Fresh naan, biryani, grilled ats, seafood, curries, desserts, and countless side dishes covered the buffet counters.
Conversations flowed freely across the room.
So players discussed cricket.
Others talked about family.
A few were already teasing each other about performances during practice.
Amidst the laughter, Saurabh looked down at his plate and suddenly let out a long sigh.
The people sitting nearby imdiately noticed.
Sachin Tendulkar, who was seated a few chairs away, raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Saurabh chuckled worrily.
-Chuckle!
"Nothing."
He glanced toward the buffet.
"I was just thinking Karuppu would have absolutely destroyed this spread."
That instantly earned agreent from everyone nearby.
Several mbers of the managent staff burst into laughter.
One support staff mber shook his head.
"He would have gone for seconds before most of us finished our first plate."
"Seconds?"
Another laughed thinking about Karuppu's appetite.
"You're being generous."
"He'd already be on his third round."
The table erupted in laughter.
Everyone present knew exactly how much Karuppu loved food.
Sachin smiled while looking at the buffet.
"Actually..."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Let's pack so food for him."
That suggestion was imdiately supported.
"Definitely."
"Pack the biryani."
"The kebabs too."
"And the desserts."
"Especially the desserts."
Several players started listing dishes Karuppu would enjoy.
Within minutes, the team was discussing a special takeaway package for him as seriously as they would discuss match strategy.
Watching the discussion, one mber of the support staff suddenly voiced a question that had puzzled many of them for years.
"Can sobody explain sothing to ?"
Everyone looked toward him.
He pointed toward the buffet.
"How does Karuppu eat like this?"
The room imdiately understood the topic.
The staff mber continued.
"I'm serious."
"I've seen him eat enough food for three people."
"Sotis four."
"And yet..."
He gestured helplessly.
"...he still looks like he's following a professional fitness program."
Several heads nodded.
The mystery was well known throughout the team.
One of the trainers laughed.
"Trust ."
"We've all tried to figure it out."
Another mber of the coaching staff added,
"I've worked with athletes who count every calorie."
"I've worked with players who practically live in the gym."
"Then there's Karuppu."
The room laughed again.
A physiotherapist shook his head.
"He eats without fear."
"No diet panic."
"No calorie charts."
"No stress."
"And sohow he still remains match fit."
Sachin smiled knowingly.
"I stopped questioning it once I saw his performance."
That only made everyone laugh harder.
One of the managent staff pointed his spoon dramatically.
"I'm convinced he has a second stomach hidden sowhere."
Another imdiately replied.
"Only one?"
"You're underestimating him."
More laughter spread across the dining hall.
The conversation continued for several minutes, with everyone sharing their own stories about Karuppu's legendary appetite.
Inside the private dining hall, the conversation about Karuppu continued.
Finally, Saurabh Tiwary shook his head.
"Instead of guessing, why don't we just ask him?"
That sounded reasonable enough.
After all, Karuppu had supposedly stayed back at the resort because of food poisoning.
The last thing they wanted was to send him spicy food if he was still unwell.
Reaching into his pocket, Saurabh pulled out his trusty flip phone which is a very old model.
A few players imdiately laughed.
"One day you need to upgrade that thing."
"It still works, doesn't it?"
"That's not the point."
Ignoring them, Saurabh dialed Karuppu's number.
The familiar ringing tone began playing.
Tring...
Tring...
Tring...
As he waited, Saurabh suddenly frowned.
Sothing felt odd.
For a brief mont, he could have sworn he heard another ringing sound nearby.
Very faint.
Almost drowned out by the sounds of the hotel.
He glanced around.
Nothing.
Probably his imagination.
The call continued ringing. Then disconnected.
"No answer."
Saurabh shrugged his shoulder.
"Maybe he's sleeping."
The others nodded.
Food poisoning could do that.
Nobody thought much of it.
anwhile, on the other side of the dining hall, Shikhar Dhawan had gotten up from the table.
"Hitting the restroom."
Nobody paid attention.
Still whistling casually, Shikhar made his way down the corridor.
The hotel's upper floor was quiet compared to the busy dining area.
As he walked, he happened to pass a section where a massive glass wall overlooked one of the hotel's exclusive outdoor dining spaces.
And then—He froze. Mid-step.
"...."
The whistle died in his throat.
His eyes widened in shock.
"What..."
For several seconds, he simply stood there staring.
Then he rubbed his eyes.
Once.... Twice....
Three tis....
The scene remained exactly the sa.
Outside, illuminated by elegant lanterns and soft golden lighting, sat a familiar figure.
Karuppu.
Very much alive. Very much healthy.
And very much not suffering from food poisoning.
The man was dressed in an expensive black suit they had all seen earlier.
He sat comfortably at a private dinner table.
Across from him sat a foreign woman.
Shikhar couldn't see her face because her back was facing the glass wall.
But from her posture alone, she looked stunning.
anwhile Karuppu appeared completely relaxed.
A small flirty smirk rested on his face.
The two seed deeply engaged in conversation.
Though Shikhar couldn't hear a single word through the thick glass, he could tell they were getting along extrely well.
Then sothing clicked inside his head.
Food poisoning.
The sudden disappearance.
Refusing dinner.
Acting weak.
The flowers in his hand when he saw him open his door.
The mysterious behavior earlier.
The puzzle pieces began fitting together one after another.
Shikhar's jaw slowly dropped.
"You sneaky..."
His eyes widened further.
"YOU LIED."
Everything made sense now.
Karuppu hadn't skipped dinner because of food poisoning.
Karuppu had skipped dinner because he had a date.
A date.
The realization hit Shikhar like a cricket ball to the forehead like a deadly bouncer.
And judging by the setup, it wasn't just any date.
This looked serious. Very serious.
Then suddenly Karuppu lifted his head slightly.
"...."
Instinct took over.
Shikhar imdiately ducked behind a nearby pillar.
His heart pounding.
For several seconds he remained perfectly still.
After confirming he hadn't been spotted, he slowly peeked around the corner.
Karuppu was still talking.
Unaware.
A grin slowly spread across Shikhar's face.
-Grin!
The kind of grin that usually appeared monts before sobody got into trouble.
A terrible. Wonderful. Dangerous grin.
Because a plan was beginning to form inside his head.
And it involved returning to the dining hall.
Very quietly.
And informing the rest of the Mumbai Indians squad that their supposedly sick teammate was currently having a romantic candlelight dinner while they were packing recovery food for him.
Shikhar almost felt bad.
Almost.
But not quite.
After all, opportunities like this ca only once in a lifeti.
And teammates existed for many reasons.
One of those reasons was definitely embarrassing each other whenever possible.
Back inside the private dining hall,
Saurabh Tiwary was still staring at his flip phone.
The disconnected call screen remained on display.
He frowned.
"Should I try again?"
A few people around the table nodded.
"If he's awake, he might answer the second ti."
"Yeah, maybe he was in the bathroom."
"Or sleeping."
Just as Saurabh was considering pressing the call button again, a familiar voice suddenly ca from behind him.
"Don't bother."
The voice carried an unusual amount of confidence.
Everyone turned.
Standing there was Shikhar Dhawan.
More specifically...
A Shikhar Dhawan who looked like he had just discovered buried treasure.
The grin on his face was so suspicious that several players imdiately narrowed their eyes.
-Grin!
Saurabh blinked hearing him.
"What do you an don't bother?"
Shikhar folded his arms.
"He won't pick up."
That instantly caught everyone's attention.
"How do you know?"
The grin widened as he was waiting for this question.
"I know."
The room fell silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Even Sachin Tendulkar looked curious now.
Shikhar looked around dramatically.
Then lowered his voice.
"Gentlen..."
He paused for effect.
"I have discovered the location of the traitor."
The entire table stared at him.
"The what?"
"The traitor."
"Which traitor?"
Shikhar pointed toward the empty chair where Karuppu should have been sitting.
"The food poisoning patient."
Several people imdiately burst into laughter.
anwhile, Ajinkya Rahane raised an eyebrow.
"What exactly are you talking about?"
Shikhar simply waved them over.
"Co."
"Trust ."
"You're going to want to see this."
The curiosity was too strong to ignore.
One by one, players, coaches, and managent staff got up from their seats.
Even Sachin followed.
Behind them ca Sanath Jayasuriya and Jean-Paul Duminy.
Within minutes, a surprisingly large group was quietly following Shikhar through the hotel corridors.
Rahane walked beside him.
"Can you at least tell us what's going on?"
"No."
"Saurabh?"
"No."
"Why?"
Shikhar looked over his shoulder.
"Because the reveal is worth it."
That answer sohow made everyone even more curious.
Soon they arrived near the large glass wall overlooking the hotel's private outdoor dining section.
Shikhar carefully motioned for everyone to keep quiet.
Then he pointed.
"There."
Everyone followed his finger.
And froze seeing the scene before them.
"...."
"...."
"...."
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Nobody blinked. Nobody moved.
Because sitting outside beneath elegant lantern light was a perfectly healthy Karuppu.
Not resting. Not recovering.
Not suffering.
Healthy. Very healthy.
In fact, he looked happier than anyone currently standing behind the glass.
The black suit he wore made him stand out imdiately.
Across from him sat a beautiful foreign woman.
The two appeared completely absorbed in conversation.
Then the final piece of evidence arrived.
Karuppu casually picked up a large chicken leg.
Took an enormous bite.
And continued talking happily.
The entire group behind the glass wall stared in disbelief.
A few seconds passed...
Then another.
Finally Saurabh pointed at the scene.
Slowly. Very slowly.
"He..."
Another player finished the sentence.
"...lied."
Rahane looked personally offended.
"He said he had food poisoning."
Shikhar nodded solemnly.
-Nod!
"He did."
Then pointed outside again.
"A severe case."
Everyone looked back at Shikhar then back at Karuppu.
Karuppu was currently demolishing the chicken leg with the enthusiasm of a man who hadn't eaten in days.
The contradiction was impossible to ignore.
Even Sachin looked stunned.
"...."
The legendary cricketer stared through the glass for several monts.
Then shook his head.
"I actually believed him. Hearing you guys reason."
Nearby, Jayasuriya burst out laughing.
"-Haha"
"I can't believe this. He dumped us for a pretty lady. Sure youth..."
JP Duminy was equally shocked.
"That man had us worried."
anwhile Karuppu remained completely unaware.
Outside, he was smiling.
Talking.
Occasionally laughing.
The foreign woman appeared equally engaged in the conversation.
Whatever they were discussing, it was clearly going very well.
Very. Very well.
Back behind the glass wall, Shikhar stood proudly with his arms crossed.
Like a detective who had solved the biggest mystery of the century.
"The evidence speaks for itself."
Saurabh looked down at the takeaway food they had prepared.
"...."
Then back at Karuppu.
Then at the food again.
A look of betrayal crossed his face.
"We packed dessert for him."
The entire group nodded sadly.
They had. They really had.
anwhile Karuppu chose that exact mont to pick up another piece of food from his plate.
The sight nearly broke the remaining trust of the Mumbai Indians contingent.
For a few monts nobody spoke.
Then Sachin finally sighed.
A long. Deep sigh.
-Sigh!
The sigh of a man who had just discovered that the patient he was worried about had skipped dinner to go on a date.
And sohow that made the situation ten tis funnier.
The group continued watching through the glass wall.
Silent.
Stunned.
Waiting.
Because every single one of them had reached the sa conclusion.
Karuppu was going to receive absolutely no rcy once he returned.
*******************************
(Author note:)
I hope you guys give your opinion and idea's.
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