It was barely dawn, and Kundavai Khottigan was already up, lacing her hockey cleats with a practiced speed, ready for another grueling day. Life on the national field hockey team was never dull—especially with her best friends, Maya and Akshara, by her side.

Today was supposed to be a standard training day, but of course, things rarely went as planned with these two around.

First, Akshara stumbled into the locker room with her hair in a lopsided ponytail, dragging her gear behind her. "You will not believe this," she groaned, plopping onto the bench next to Kundavai. "Abhi just DMed me a good morning selfie. He was shirtless." She showed the picture to Kundavai, sighing dreamily, while Kundavai cringed.

"Why does he need to send selfies at six in the morning?" Kundavai muttered, trying not to look too closely at the phone. She had to admit he looked... well, fine. But this was Abhi! The guy who had once hidden a grasshopper in her bag as a prank. "I don't get it, Aksh."

Akshara didn't even hear her, lost in her own little world. Kundavai rolled her eyes, hoping today's session wouldn't be too distracted by Akshara's gushing.

Just then, Maya strutted in, yawning and clearly just as exhausted as the rest of them. She shot Kundavai a tired grin before dropping her stuff on the floor with a loud thud.

"Kundu," Maya said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Guess who was also up at dawn? Mr. Kishan. And by dawn, I mean he was up all night."

Kundavai raised her eyebrows, amused. "Didn't you two agree to just be friends?"

"Friends can hang out until 3 a.m.," Maya shot back, laughing as she grabbed her stick.

"Uh-huh. Friends." Kundavai couldn't help laughing as she led them onto the field. They'd only taken a few steps before she spotted someone she hadn't expected: Shubman Gill, leaning casually against the fence, watching them with that infuriating smirk.

"Ladies," he called, his voice laced with his signature teasing tone. "Looking fierce. Are you ready to lose?"

Kundavai shot him a glare. "What are you doing here, Gill? Waiting to get crushed in a real sport?"

"Actually, I thought I'd stop by to offer some real athlete advice," he said, walking up to them. "You know, if you ever want to join the cricket team."

Maya snorted, nudging Kundavai. "Kundu, maybe you could teach him how to properly grip a stick."

Shubman grinned. "I'd love a few lessons."

Kundavai was about to come up with a snappy reply when she felt her hand close around her stick—only to realize it wasn't there. Shubman twirled it casually in his hand, giving her an exaggerated bow. "Like this?"

"Oh, you did not just steal my stick," she said, lunging for it. Shubman danced out of reach, laughing, and Maya and Akshara doubled over in laughter at the sight.

"Give it back, Gill!" Kundavai shouted, trying to sound serious, but she couldn't help grinning. This was ridiculous, but it was part of her routine by now.

After a few more near-misses, she managed to snatch it back, her heart racing from the chase. "Out. Now," she ordered, pointing at the exit with her stick.

Shubman laughed, raising his hands in surrender as he backed away. "Fine, fine. But you owe me a game someday."

The rest of the morning was full of drills and sprints that left them all breathless. And through it all, Akshara kept sneaking looks at her phone, hoping for more messages from Abhi, while Maya shot Kundavai teasing looks every time Ishan's name came up. By the time they were wrapping up, they were sprawled on the grass, exhausted but exhilarated, laughing over their chaotic morning.

"Same time tomorrow?" Akshara asked, still catching her breath.

"Wouldn't miss it," Kundavai replied, smirking as she saw Shubman waving at them from the edge of the field. She rolled her eyes, but deep down, she couldn't deny that all this—her friends, her team, and even the relentless cricket boys—made her days chaotic, but undeniably fun.

Kundavai had always had a special place in her heart for Ishan and Abhi. They were like the brothers she never had—annoying, protective, and sometimes a bit too nosy, but always looking out for her. Ishan was the type who'd show up with snacks after a hard practice session and listen to her vent about hockey politics with surprising patience. Abhi was her partner-in-pranks, the one who'd crack jokes during team dinners and make sure she was always laughing, even when the days were long and tough. With them, there was an easy camaraderie, a bond that felt solid and familiar.

But Shubman was different.

He'd always been different. From the moment they'd met, there was something in the way he looked at her—intense, playful, and maybe a little challenging. Unlike Ishan and Abhi, who were like brothers, Shubman never fell into that role. There was always an unspoken tension between them, a competitive spark that flared up every time they locked eyes.

She'd hate to admit it, but she noticed things about him that she never noticed about the others. The way his smirk crept onto his face when he teased her as he knew just how much he got under her skin. Or the way he'd stand just a little too close when they argued, pushing her buttons but never quite crossing a line. Sometimes, when they were alone after a practice session or during a quiet moment on the sidelines, she'd catch herself wondering what was going on behind those sharp, focused eyes.

And then there were the little things that stuck with her: the way he'd steal her hockey stick just to see her reaction or how he'd offer her a water bottle after a long run, pretending he wasn't paying attention when she took it. It drove her crazy because, with Shubman, it was never straightforward. He had a way of being infuriating and endearing all at once, something that made her chest tighten and her pulse quicken, even when she wanted to strangle him.

Kundavai tried to brush it off, telling herself it was just a harmless rivalry, a battle between her hockey and his cricket. But as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew something was there that made Shubman different from the rest.

And maybe that was why, no matter how much he got on her nerves, she couldn't stay away.

Every morning, as Kundavai and her teammates walked toward the hockey field, the path took them past the cricket field, where the Bannerghatta Chasers were deep into practice. It was a spot she could easily avoid, but there was something about the ritual that kept pulling her back—partly to see her dad, partly out of unavoidable curiosity.

Kundavai would grumble about it, but secretly she loved watching her dad in his element, coaching the team with his usual intensity. He was focused, sharp, and had a booming voice that could be heard from halfway across the field. He was a tough coach, but he always softened up when it came to Akshara and Maya, which, of course, was another source of irritation.

"Good morning, Coach!" Akshara would call out, giving him a bright smile and a wave as soon as she spotted him.

He'd wave back warmly, shouting, "There's my favorite hockey player! And Maya, too—ready to crush it today?"

Kundavai would roll her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, Appa, don't mind me, your actual daughter," she'd mutter under her breath. Maya would give her a teasing nudge, and Akshara would laugh, both of them enjoying how her dad doted on them.

But it wasn't just her dad who made passing the cricket field an experience. Shubman, Ishan, and Abhi would be there, almost always in the middle of some drill or laughing together, looking annoyingly good at everything they did. Kundavai couldn't count the number of times she'd caught Shubman glancing over, giving her that insufferable smirk that seemed to say, Look who's back for more.

It became a routine. Every morning, as she and her friends made their way to practice, Shubman would find some way to get her attention.

One day, he caught her eye, gave her a little salute, and then promptly went back to batting, swinging his bat with an exaggerated flourish that made Abhi and Ishan break into laughter. Kundavai tried to ignore it, tried to focus on the drills ahead of her, but Shubman had a way of sneaking into her thoughts like an uninvited guest.

"Did you see that, Kundu?" Maya whispered, barely holding back her laughter. "Your boyfriend is putting on quite the show."

"He's not my boyfriend," Kundavai snapped, but her cheeks flushed slightly as she tried to sound unbothered. "And I'm pretty sure he was showing off for you two."

Akshara snorted. "Please, he only has eyes for you, Kundu. I think he might actually enjoy annoying you."

"Probably the highlight of his day," Kundavai muttered, quickening her pace.

But then Shubman called out, "Hey, Kundavai! You missed your stop. It's right here—on the cricket field." He waved her over with that mocking grin.

She stopped, turned around, and narrowed her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Gill. Not even a million rupees could get me on that field."

"Oh, come on," he teased. "I'd even let you borrow my bat. I know you've been dying to try a real sport."

"Oh, real sport, huh?" Kundavai fired back, laughing despite herself. "Cricket's a sport for the lazy. When you're ready for some real action, come and try a hockey drill. I'd love to see you trip over your own feet."

Ishan and Abhi were both howling with laughter, enjoying the exchange as much as she and Shubman seemed to. Shubman just shook his head, laughing under his breath as he turned back to his practice.

As they finally reached the hockey field, Maya elbowed Kundavai with a smirk. "You know, if you spent as much time flirting with him as you do arguing, you two would be dating by now."

Kundavai scoffed, but couldn't hide her grin. "Flirting? Please, the only thing I'm flirting with is the idea of pushing him into the mud."

"Sure, sure," Akshara said with a wink. "But just admit it: you like the attention. And he knows it."

Kundavai rolled her eyes, but as she lined up for drills, she glanced back at the cricket field one last time. The sight of Shubman batting, grinning, and still watching her lingered in her mind long after practice had started. 

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kundavaikhottigan

THE GIRLS ARE BACK FOR THE SEASON!!

nationalfieldhockeyassociation: best of luck for the season girls! 

shubmangill: WAS THIS IN MY BACKYARD?

mayavatiii: eeee new season

neelamsingh: SO FREAKING EXCITED TO SEE MY TEAM!!

tinamodaril: READY FOR A CLEAN SWEEP OF A SZN LOVES!

aksharanijeyakumar: yayayyayayyayyaya