✨

The Pandya house had felt unusually quiet after Hardik left for the airport. It wasn’t just the absence of his lively energy, but something deeper—a feeling that something was missing. Avni had returned to her flat with that emptiness weighing on her, her mind preoccupied with the thought that Hardik was now thousands of miles away, on his way to the USA.

The night stretched on, long and quiet. Even though Avni tried to distract herself—she had spent an hour flipping through her latest manuscript, reorganized her bookshelf twice, and half-watched a TV show she didn’t care about—it all seemed pointless. The quietness of the flat was more unsettling than comforting, and without Hardik’s presence, even the night air outside felt different.

Eventually, she gave up trying to busy herself and retreated to her favorite spot—the balcony. It had become her sanctuary over the past few months, a place where she could unwind, think, and of course, have those late-night chats with Hardik. Tonight, though, his balcony sat empty. It was strange to look over and not see him leaning on the railing, flashing her that familiar grin or teasing her about something random.

She sighed, resting her arms on the cool railing and gazing out over the quiet Mumbai streets. For the first time in a while, she felt truly alone. She missed him already—their banter, his way of making her laugh no matter how she was feeling. It hadn’t even been 24 hours, and yet she felt his absence so keenly.

Glancing down at her phone, Avni opened her messages and scrolled through their conversation from earlier. She smiled at the string of emojis Hardik had sent her as they waited for his flight to board—a mix of cricket bats, airplanes, and sunglasses. She typed a quick message, her fingers hesitating for a second before she hit send.

Avni: “Made it back home. Missing our usual balcony hangout already.”

She wasn’t expecting an immediate reply—it had only been a few hours since he’d taken off, and he was still somewhere up in the sky, mid-flight. But just typing the message and sending it made her feel a little better, like she was still connected to him in some small way.

Avni sighed, tucking her phone back into her pocket and gazing up at the night sky. The stars were barely visible through the haze of the city lights, but she found herself wishing that Hardik could see the same sky wherever he was. The distance between them felt enormous now—almost too much to bear.

The breeze picked up, gently playing with her hair as she stood lost in thought. As the minutes ticked by, the silence became even more noticeable. It was the kind of silence that felt heavy, pressing in from all sides. Usually, Hardik’s voice or laugh would fill the space, making everything feel lighter, but tonight, there was just... nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, Avni couldn’t stand it any longer. She glanced over at Hardik’s balcony, her feet shuffling as a small idea formed in her mind. Normally, they’d meet halfway between their two balconies—always him teasing her about how she was scared to make the jump. But tonight, with him gone, she needed the comfort that his side of the world had always offered.

Without a second thought, she climbed over the railing of her balcony and made the small leap over to Hardik’s. Her heart raced—not because of the jump itself, but because it felt like she was trespassing into a space that had become so intertwined with him. But once she was there, standing on his balcony, it felt oddly comforting.

Avni leaned against his railing, staring into the quiet night. She could almost hear his voice in her head, mocking her for missing him this much after just a few hours. She chuckled at the thought, shaking her head at how ridiculous it was to feel this way. It was just one night, and he’d be back before she knew it.

Still, the loneliness settled back in like a weight on her chest. She stared down at the darkened streets, her thoughts spinning in circles. The thought of facing the coming weeks without his familiar presence nagged at her, and she wondered how she’d get through the nights like this, without their routine to keep her grounded.

She pulled out her phone once more, typing another message, even though she knew he wouldn’t see it until he landed.

Avni: “Don’t let the mutant seagulls get you. The balcony isn’t the same without you.”

After sending it, she sat on the cold concrete floor of Hardik’s balcony, wrapping her arms around her knees. The night breeze was chilly, but it felt good against her skin— grounding, in a way. She tried to imagine what Hardik was doing right now, thousands of feet up in the air, probably fast asleep on his long flight.

The silence lingered, and despite her attempts to shake it off, the sense of isolation crept back in. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees, her thoughts drifting aimlessly. Even though she knew Hardik would be back soon enough, it didn’t change the fact that tonight, she was alone.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she stood up and dusted herself off. With one last glance over the edge of the balcony, she climbed back over to her side and stepped inside her apartment. It was late, and she knew she should try to get some sleep, but the thought of going to bed without their usual goodnight chat left her restless.

As she crawled into bed, she glanced at her phone one last time. No new messages. Hardik was still somewhere high above the clouds, probably dreaming about cricket or teasing her in his sleep. With a small smile tugging at her lips, she curled up under her blanket, the soft hum of the city outside lulling her to sleep.

Tonight, she’d have to face the silence alone—but soon enough, Hardik would be back, and everything would fall back into place again. Until then, she’d just have to get used to the quiet.

✨

The sunlight filtering through the curtains felt harsher than usual as Avni slowly blinked awake. Her body ached from tossing and turning most of the night, and her mind was still hazy from the restless sleep. She stretched, letting out a low groan, and glanced over at the empty space beside her bed. It was funny how she never used to notice it before, but ever since Hardik left, that void had started to gnaw at her.

With a sigh, she sat up, brushing her tangled hair out of her face. She reached for her phone instinctively, her heart skipping a beat as she opened the messages. No new texts. She knew it was still too early for Hardik’s flight to land, but a part of her had hoped for something—a quick message, a funny meme, anything that felt like a connection. But the screen remained stubbornly blank.

“Get a grip, Avni,” she muttered to herself, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “It’s only been one night.”

She stood up, padding across the cool floor to the window. The early morning Mumbai sun was bright, making everything outside look so alive and bustling. Life was moving on, as it always did. But she felt frozen, still stuck in the emptiness Hardik’s departure had left behind.

Dragging herself into the bathroom, Avni splashed cold water on her face, the refreshing chill waking her up more than her restless night ever could. She brushed her teeth, trying to shake off the lingering heaviness. As she ran a comb through her messy hair, her thoughts kept wandering back to Hardik. He’d be landing soon, ready to start his World Cup journey. The excitement of the tournament, the adrenaline of leading the team—all of it would be filling his mind right now.

Forcing a smile, she whispered to herself, “He’ll be fine. He’s Hardik Pandya, for God’s sake.”

After finishing her morning routine, she walked back into her bedroom and threw on a comfortable outfit—loose track pants and an oversized t-shirt. She wasn’t going anywhere today, but she didn’t want to wallow in the loneliness either. There were things to do, distractions to seek, anything to stop her from obsessing over how quiet everything felt without him around.

As she headed to the kitchen to make her usual morning coffee, a soft knock on the door startled her. She paused mid-step, frowning in confusion. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and it wasn’t like Hardik could have magically teleported back overnight. With a sigh, she went to the door, pulling it open.

To her surprise, Pankhuri stood on the other side, holding Kavir, while Krunal was next to her with little Vayu in his arms. Both children looked wide awake, unlike Avni, whose morning grogginess still lingered.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Pankhuri greeted with a grin. “Mind if we crash your place for a while?”

Avni blinked in surprise, then smiled. “Of course not! Come in.”

Kavir, still sleepy, clung to Pankhuri’s neck, while Vayu seemed more interested in babbling nonsensically in his father’s arms. The little boy was growing so fast—already starting to form words that made sense, though his version of language was still very much his own.

“Thought you might need some company,” Krunal said as he stepped inside. “You know, with Hardik gone and all.”

Avni laughed lightly. “Did Pankhuri send you to check up on me?”

“Nope,” Pankhuri answered, stepping inside and placing Kavir down. “We just thought you’d appreciate the noise. It’s way too quiet without Hardik around, right?”

Avni nodded, feeling her shoulders relax a little. It was nice not to be alone, especially when her thoughts kept circling back to how empty her flat felt. “Yeah, it’s weird,” she admitted. “The quiet... it’s too much.”

Krunal chuckled. “Well, you won’t get quiet with these two around.”

As if on cue, Kavir, the ever-energetic two-year-old, started running in circles around the living room, pretending to be an airplane. Vayu, not wanting to be left out, began wiggling in Krunal’s arms, reaching out toward the toys scattered around the room.

Pankhuri looked over at Avni with a knowing smile. “So, how’re you holding up?”

Avni shrugged, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I’m okay. Just... trying to get used to him not being around.”

Pankhuri raised an eyebrow. “It’s just one day, Avni. He’ll be back soon.”

“I know,” Avni said, taking a sip of her coffee. “It’s just weird how quiet everything is without him here.”

Krunal and Pankhuri exchanged a look, and Avni could tell they were silently amused. She didn’t mind, though. She knew they understood, especially Pankhuri, who had been through this so many times before with Krunal.

“You know,” Krunal began, sitting down on the couch with Vayu bouncing on his lap, “Hardik told me he had a dream about seagulls before his flight.”

Avni’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?”

Krunal grinned. “Yeah, he said he dreamed about mutant seagulls chasing you on the beach or something. Weirdest thing.”

Avni groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Oh my god, how did he know? I didn’t even tell him!”

Pankhuri burst out laughing. “Wait, wait—you really dreamed about seagulls?”

Avni nodded, still covering her face. “Yeah! I had this ridiculous dream that these giant seagulls were attacking me, and Hardik was there, wearing those stupid red sunglasses he always wears to make Agastya laugh.”

Krunal laughed harder, shaking his head. “Oh, man. He’s never going to let you forget that.”

“I know,” Avni mumbled, feeling both embarrassed and amused.

Pankhuri gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Well, at least you’re keeping each other entertained, even when he’s halfway across the world.”

Avni smiled, the embarrassment fading as she realized how silly it all was. “Yeah, I guess so.” She couldn’t wait to give Hardik a piece of her mind when he landed.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of laughter and chaos, with Kavir dragging Avni into his pretend airplane game and Vayu babbling at everyone who would listen. For a few hours, the emptiness she had felt earlier was replaced with warmth, noise, and the comforting presence of family.

✨

As the evening breeze cooled the balcony where Avni sat, she scrolled through her phone, waiting for Hardik’s call. Pankhuri, Krunal and the kids just left her apartment leaving it empty and silent once again. She glanced at the time—Hardik had texted a while ago, mentioning he would Skype her after dinner with the team. When the familiar Skype ringtone echoed, she quickly picked up, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of Hardik’s face filling the screen.

“Hey, you,” he greeted with a wide smile, his hair still slightly wet from what must have been a post-training shower. “How’s everything there?”

“Quiet,” Avni replied, grinning back. “Too quiet without you.”

Before Hardik could respond, she heard some muffled laughter in the background, followed by a familiar voice chiming in, “Who’s that? Oh, is this Avni?” The voice belonged to Rishabh Pant, who suddenly appeared on the screen, leaning over Hardik’s shoulder.

Avni couldn’t help but laugh. “Hi, Rishabh.”

“Hi!” Rishabh replied with a broad grin. “So, Avni, tell us, how are you managing without Hardik’s bad jokes and terrible singing?”

Hardik rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. He’s the one who keeps the whole team awake with his bad jokes.”

Rishabh nudged Hardik playfully. “Hey, I add flavor to this team. Anyway, Avni, if you need real entertainment, let me know. I’ve got loads of stories about this guy.”

Avni chuckled, watching the easy camaraderie between the two. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The camera shifted again, and suddenly, Rohit Sharma’s calm face appeared on screen. He waved with a slight smile, his casual air of confidence unmistakable. “Hey, Avni,” Rohit greeted. “I see you’ve already met the team’s official chatterbox.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” Rishabh interjected, still hovering in the background. “Rohit bhai is the one with all the gossip.”

Avni smiled at the light teasing. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Rohit bhai. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Rohit raised an eyebrow, shooting a playful glance at Hardik. “All good things, I hope?”

Hardik gave an exaggerated nod. “Only the best.”

Next to appear was Virat Kohli, who sat with a protein shake in hand. “Hey, Avni,” Virat said with his trademark intensity, though there was a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Hope Hardik hasn’t been complaining too much about the training. He’ll deny it, but we all know he secretly loves it.”

Avni laughed softly. “Oh, trust me, he’s all about the training... when he’s not whining about missing his cheat days.”

Virat chuckled, shaking his head. “That sounds about right.”

Suryakumar Yadav, or SKY, waved from the background, his usual energetic grin lighting up the screen. “Hi, Avni! Don’t let these guys scare you with all their cricket talk. I’ll make sure Hardik’s eating proper meals and not just living off protein bars.”

Avni smiled, feeling at ease with the group. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Then, from the corner of the room, Jasprit Bumrah chimed in. He had been quiet until now, his calm demeanor noticeable even on camera. “Avni, welcome to the madness,” he said with a small smile. “And don’t worry, Hardik’s in good hands.”

Avni appreciated Bumrah’s quiet assurance. She knew from Hardik how much respect he had for Bumrah, and it was clear why. The man’s composure was like a rock amidst the constant whirlwind of energy around him.

Hardik leaned closer to the camera, taking control of the conversation again. “See, bola tha maine, you’d get along with them,” he said, his voice warm and teasing.

Avni laughed softly. “It’s not hard to see why you enjoy being around them so much.”

The conversation flowed naturally after that, with the team members jumping in and out of the frame, teasing each other and keeping Avni entertained. They shared stories from their past tours, Rishabh and Surya cracking jokes at every opportunity, while Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah occasionally stepped in to keep things somewhat grounded.

At one point, the topic shifted to the upcoming World Cup, and Avni listened as the players discussed strategies and past matches with the kind of passion and focus she had only ever seen in Hardik. She could see how much they loved the game and how deeply invested they were in each other’s success.

As the evening wore on, the conversation eventually started winding down, and Hardik turned the camera back fully on himself. “Thanks for putting up with the craziness,” he said softly, the energy in his voice calming as he focused back on Avni.

“I liked it,” Avni replied, her heart feeling a bit fuller after meeting his second family. “It was nice to see this side of you with them.”

Hardik’s expression softened. “I’m glad you got to meet them. They’re a big part of my life.”

“I can see that,” Avni said, her smile gentle. “It’s... kind of like being there with you, in a way.”

Hardik’s gaze held hers for a moment, his voice quieter now. “Yeah. That’s what I wanted.”

✨