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The early rays of the sun filtered through the glass panels of Aarav's hotel suite, painting golden streaks across his desk where a thick binder labeled "Business Studies" lay open. His laptop humd quietly beside a half-empty coffee cup, the remnants of an all-nighter still evident in his sleepy eyes. Despite the ntal fatigue from the drawn Test match just the day before, Aarav's mind was alert. Cricket may have paused for the mont, but his other responsibilities waited for no one.
By noon, he had completed the research segnt and prepared slides for his college Project. But that was just the start of the day.
The next few hours flew by in a blur of video conferences. First was Astra's bi-monthly product sync, where the team discussed the upcoming release and investnts and there leadership in the AI Industry in the world. Then ca the big one—a board eting with Pathak Entertainnt.
Aarav leaned back in his chair as the final presentation ended. On-screen was the title slide: "Project RedX: ₹600 Crore Series"
The team buzzed with excitent. Though casting and filming were still distant realities, pre-production would soon begin—set design, location scouting, script polishing. It was ambitious, it was extravagant, and it had a long planning of the priduction house. A world-class series ant to rival anything Netflix or HBO could produce, deeply rooted in Indian heritage but globally packaged.
By the ti dinner ended—a simple dal and vegetable with herb rice from the hotel kitchen—he finally exhaled. The day had been productive but exhausting. Yet, one thing was still missing.
With a smile tugging at his lips, Aarav picked up his phone and tapped the call icon beside the na he had saved as "My Shradhu ❤️".
The phone rang.
"Hey babe!" Aarav said warmly, his voice imdiately softer.
"Hi love!" Shradha's voice, sweet and familiar, flooded his ear like a calming wave.
"What're you up to, jaan?" {Nickna suggested by my favorite companion ChatGPT}
"Nothing much," she said, a soft chuckle in her voice. "Just finished family chai ti with everyone. It's peaceful today."
"Ahh, evening tea. Must be around 5:40 there, right?"
"Yep! You're getting good at these tizone guesses."
He laughed. "Well, I have to keep track. After all, how else would I know the perfect ti to hear my girl's voice?"
Shradha giggled, and Aarav could practically see her blushing on the other side. He loved that about her—how genuine her reactions were, how simply her heart shone through in every interaction.
"Guess what," he said suddenly, leaning forward.
"What?"
"Virat bhaiya just beca a dad! He had a baby girl!"
"Yeah! I saw that online just before! That's amazing!"
"Yeah! I called him right after the press conference. He was absolutely glowing. So full of joy."
"Of course he was! Becoming a father... and to a daughter. That's sothing else."
Aarav's voice softened. "Yeah. Daughters are sothing special, aren't they? I want one soday too."
"Aww, that's sweet," Shradha replied, her voice lowering into a warr, more intimate tone.
Aarav chuckled playfully. "Maybe you'll be the one to give her to , hmm?"
There was silence for a split second, then an audible gasp.
"Aarav! What are you saying?!" Shradha was flustered, tripping over her words. "I—I an—you—we're—oh my god, you're so embarrassing!"
He laughed again, his heart swelling at the sound of her bashfulness. "You're adorable when you get all flustered, you know that?"
"Ugh, moohhh! You always tease like this."
"Only because you look so cute when you blush, my love."
She sighed, trying to hide her smile through the phone. "You're impossible."
"So, tell about your day, sweetheart."
"Nothing much. College assignnts mostly. Then dinner prep. Mom made help, and now this is my free ti."
"You need more free ti," Aarav said gently. "You deserve to chill more. Maybe a spa day? I'll plan one next ti we et."
"What about you? How was your day, Mr. Star Cricketer slash CEO slash entertainnt mogul?"
He laughed. "Hectic! I finished my project this morning, then had two long etings. One of them was about a ₹600 crore high-def series under Pathak Entertainnt. Huge stuff."
"Wow! That's crazy! Your day was way more hectic than mine."
"True. But hearing your voice now makes it all feel worth it."
Shradha yawned on the other end. "I'm getting sleepy and hungry now."
"Go eat, jaan. Didn't your mom cook?"
"She's fasting today. Told to either cook myself or order sothing."
"Hmm," Aarav said thoughtfully. "Then let order sothing for you."
"Nooo, I'll do it myself!"
"Babe, c'mon. Let . One coffee and a brownie... maybe so snack packs too?"
There was a pause.
"Wait. How did you know exactly what I wanted?!"
"Because I know everything about my Shradhu. I know what makes her smile, what she craves when she's tired, and the exact mont she starts yawning."
She blushed. "You're becoming cheesier every day."
"And you're still falling for every day."
She sighed dreamily. "Yeah. I think I am."
He laughed softly. "Okay, order placed. ETA fifteen minutes."
"You're crazy, you know that?"
"Crazy for you, yeah. You're the best thing that ever happened to , love."
From the background, a faint voice called out. Her sister.
"Oh no, I have to go now! She's calling ."
"Alright, my love. Eat well. Sleep well. Dream of ."
"Always do. Bye muah!"
"Bye jaan. Take care."
The call ended.
Fifteen minutes later, Aarav's phone buzzed. It was a photo—Shradha with her coffee, a warm brownie, and a couple of snack packets arranged neatly. Her face glowed with a tired but happy smile, and her eyes carried the quiet warmth of being loved.
The ssage below it read:
"You're the best. Thank you, my love ❤️"
Aarav stared at the photo, his heart warm. The madness of his day faded into the background. Cricket, etings, million-rupee investnts—they were important, yes. But this? This was happiness. A quiet mont of love shared across ti zones. A heartbeat in the chaos. A pause filled with warmth.
He turned off his lamp, settled into bed, and smiled to himself.
As he drifted off to sleep, one thought stayed with him:
Soday, soday soon, I want to co ho to her smile every night.
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The sun rose lazily over the Brisbane skyline on January 13, casting a golden hue over the Indian cricket team's hotel. After the hard-fought draw in Sydney and a brief respite to recharge minds and muscles, Team India arrived in Brisbane with a calm sense of purpose. The energy was quieter now—not nervous, but resolute. They had already secured the series, leading 2-0. But the dream of a historic clean sweep on Australian soil lingered like a silent challenge. No Asian team had ever done it. England is the only team to do it in Australia. Others had co close. But India stood one match away from doing the impossible.
The day before the final Test match, most of the team kept things light. After a short, relaxed training session, players drifted between team strategy chats and individual rest. Aarav found himself staring out of his balcony window, overlooking the Brisbane River, headphones in, head lost in a ntal rehearsal of his bowling lines. He had played at the Gabba in age-group cricket, but this—this was the fortress. Australia hadn't lost a match at the Gabba in 32 years. The weight of history wasn't lost on him.
In the afternoon, a eting was called. Coach Ravi Shastri stood near the projector screen, his energy calm yet commanding. Beside him sat Ajinkya Rahane, ever composed, and Rohit Sharma, the man with experience. Aarav, along with the rest of the team, filtered into the room.
"Right, boys," Shastri began, his gravelly voice cutting through the hum of the air conditioner. "Tomorrow's the final Test. And yes, we've got a few setbacks."
He gestured to a slide listing injuries: Ravichandran Ashwin (back), Ravindra Jadeja (thumb fracture), Jasprit Bumrah (muscle strain).
There was a beat of silence. Even though everyone had suspected it, seeing the list laid bare like that sobered the mood.
"But we don't crumble. That's not who we are," Shastri said, his eyes sweeping across the room. "This is an opportunity."
Rahane took over. "We trust in every one of you. And we're going in with a young, hungry attack. Our pace battery? Aarav, Siraj, Navdeep. Shardul and Washington will back you."
Aarav looked up, nodded.
Rahane smiled. "Aarav you would be leading our pace attack. You've earned it."
Aarav nodded.
Shastri added, "History's watching. This is our chance to beco the first Asian team to clean sweep Australia in their backyard. Forget the crowd. Forget their fortress. We write our story tomorrow."
A tactical discussion followed—field placents, batting orders, how to handle Smith and Labuschagne.
That night, Aarav lay in bed, unable to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, replaying possible scenarios. His phone buzzed—a ssage from Shradha.
"Don't overthink, champ. Just play your heart out. I believe in you ❤️"
He smiled, typing back a simple: "Thanks love."
The next morning, Gabba was bathed in sunlight. The pitch, hard and tinged with a grass sheen, promised bounce and pace. Perfect for fast bowlers. The Indian team bus pulled up to the stadium amid scattered cheers from fans. Inside the dressing room, the boys strapped on their gear while the atmosphere remained calm but alert.
Rahane, padded up in his jersey, walked out for the toss. Aarav watched from the tunnel. Monts later, Rahane returned with a neutral expression.
"They've chosen to bat," he announced. "Get ready, lads."
The final playing XI:
Rohit Sharma
Shubman Gill
Aarav Pathak
Ajinkya Rahane (C)
Mayank Aggarwal
Rishabh Pant
Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha (WK)
Washington Sundar
Shardul Thakur
Navdeep Saini
Md. Siraj
In the corner, a small eting was held. Rohit, Rahane, and Shastri laid out the bowling plan for the day. Short bursts, aggressive lines, no freebies. The new ball would be critical.
Captain Rahne led the team onto the field as the national anthem played. The mont was overwhelming. Gabba, once an impenetrable fortress for visitors, now felt like a battlefield waiting for heroes.
The sun bore down as he took the new ball, kissed it lightly, and marked his run-up.
Rahane clapped from slip. "Co on, Aarav. Let's start the match!"
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Author's Note: - 1800 Words
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