Tara Arora's morning was a complete mess. Her alarm hadn't gone off, and she was running late for what might be the biggest day of her career. She grabbed her folder of jersey designs and rushed out the door, skipping breakfast and barely managing to lock her apartment.

The streets of Mumbai were buzzing with activity as usual, and Tara darted through the crowd, her heels clicking against the pavement. She glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes late already. Great.

Finally, the towering building of the BCCI headquarters came into view. This was her chance to present her designs for the ict's new jerseys, and she couldn't afford to screw it up.

But fate had other plans.

Just as she stepped toward the entrance, she collided with someone. Hard.

Her folder slipped from her hands, scattering her carefully drawn sketches across the sidewalk.

"Watch where-" she started but stopped when she saw the man she'd bumped into. He was tall, dressed in a black hoodie and sunglasses. Despite her frustration, there was something oddly familiar about him.

"I'm so sorry," he said quickly, crouching to help pick up her papers.

Tara muttered a curt, "It's fine," and began gathering her sketches. She was in too much of a rush to bother with pleasantries.

The man handed her a paper, a small smile playing on his lips. "Nice designs."

"Thanks," Tara said quickly, not even glancing at him before rushing through the glass doors.

The man stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the building. A sketch she'd left behind was still in his hand. He looked at it closely, impressed by the artistry.

Then his eyes drifted to something else-a glint of gold on her ring finger. She was engaged.

"Interesting," he murmured to himself before tucking the sketch into his pocket and walking away.

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The doors of the elevator slid open with a soft chime, and Tara stepped out onto the 11th floor, her pulse quickening as she walked toward the large, imposing conference room.

With each step, she mentally rehearsed her pitch, making sure she appeared confident and calm.

As she entered the room, her eyes scanned the faces of the committee members seated at the long table, all eyes now on her. At the head of the table sat a distinguished man, the chair of the committee-his presence commanding and authoritative.

Tara didn't waste any time; she offered them a bright, welcoming smile, her nerves melting away in an instant as she took in their expectant gazes.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted them, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "Thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm Tara Arora, and I'm absolutely thrilled to present my designs for the ICT jerseys today."

She turned her focus to the head of the committee, offering a warm, confident smile that didn't quite mask the nervous flutter in her chest. "It's a real honor to be here, sir. I hope you'll find my vision for the jerseys as exciting as I do."

As she spoke, her confidence grew. She explained every detail of her designs-the colors, the patterns, the inspiration behind them. She wanted the jerseys to reflect not just the team's spirit but also India's rich heritage.

When she finished, there was a pause. Then the chairman spoke.

"These are excellent, Miss Arora. We'd like to move forward with your designs."

Tara's heart skipped a beat. She'd done it. She smiled brightly, thanking the committee before walking out of the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she let out a deep breath. Relief and excitement washed over her.

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As she stepped out of the building, she pulled out her phone and opened her group chat.

lovelies

tara:
GUYS, I GOT THE PROJECT!!!

kash:
OMG OMG OMG!!! THIS IS HUGE!!!

vrits:
I KNEW IT!!! YOU'RE AMAZING!!!

kash:
THIS CALLS FOR A PARTY. LIKE, IMMEDIATELY.

tara:
donee! my treat tonightt

Smiling at their enthusiastic replies, Tara tucked her phone back into her bag and headed to her car.

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taraarora has posted!!

taraarora let me introduce y'all to my new professional life!!

Liked by kashishkaur, vritikapoor, hardikpandya and 3.8k others

Comments

kashishkaur I'm so so proud of you!!!
⤷taraarora ilysm

vritikapoor im still jumping on my bed it's such a great news!!

hardikpandya OMG WTF CALL ME RN

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Shubman Gill walked down the street, his mind still on the brief interaction he'd had with the woman earlier. The one who had bumped into him at the BCCI headquarters. There was something about her that had lingered in his thoughts. The way she rushed through the entrance without a second glance at him, but her presence had stayed with him.

He shook his head, brushing it off as nothing more than a fleeting encounter. Still, as he recalled the moment, his eyes couldn't help but fall on the small sketch she'd dropped. There was something so... honest in her designs, raw and full of potential.

The glint of gold on her ring finger had caught his attention, though. The engagement ring. It was strange, how something so simple could suddenly create so many questions. Who was she? And more importantly, why had she left an impression on him when she hadn't even noticed him?

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his curiosity had been piqued. He couldn't let go of the thought of her-of the woman who had been so focused on her task, so unaware of his presence. And yet, somehow, it felt like she was more than just a random person to him.

Shubman sighed as he climbed into his car, his mind still on the strange encounter. Maybe it was just the excitement of the day or maybe it was something else entirely. But he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time he'd think about her.

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Later that evening, Tara sat on her couch, her laptop open as she worked on finalizing her design files. Her phone buzzed with notifications from her group chat, her friends still celebrating her big news. A smile played on her lips as she reread their overexcited messages.

Her gaze flickered to the clock on her screen. It was getting late, but she couldn't resist sharing her achievement with someone she knew would be equally thrilled, her family friend. Picking up her phone, she scrolled through her contacts and tapped on a familiar name, Hardik Pandya.

The call connected after a few rings.

"Hey, Tara! What's up?" Hardik's cheerful voice filled her ears, a hint of amusement laced in his tone.

"Hardik! Guess what?" Tara said, unable to hide the excitement bubbling in her voice.

"You finally managed to beat me at badminton?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "No, idiot. I got selected as the new designer for the ICT jerseys!"

There was a moment of silence before Hardik let out a loud whoop. "WHAT?! That's amazing, Tara! I'm so proud of you!"

Tara couldn't stop grinning. "Thank you! Honestly, I was a nervous wreck this morning, but it all worked out."

"I knew you'd nail it," Hardik said confidently. "You're the best designer I know. And hey, now I get to brag that my jerseys are designed by my super-talented friend."

Tara chuckled. "Please don't go around embarrassing me, Hardik."

"No promises," he replied with a laugh. Then his tone softened, turning sincere. "On a serious note, this is huge, Tara. You've worked so hard for this, and you totally deserve it. Let's celebrate soon!"

"Absolutely," Tara agreed. "Actually I might come over during y'all's practice session to take measurements."

"Oh, so now you're invading our turf?" Hardik teased. "Be warned-cricketers can be divas when it comes to fittings."

"Noted," Tara said, laughing. "I'm sure you'll be the biggest diva of them all."

"Hey! I'm just looking out for my comfort," Hardik shot back, feigning offense. "But seriously, swing by anytime. I'll make sure everyone cooperates. Well...most of them."

Tara chuckled, appreciating his easygoing support. "Thanks, Hardik. I'll need all the help I can get."

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They exchanged a few more words before saying their goodbyes, and Tara ended the call feeling a little lighter. Hardik's unwavering support always reminded her that she wasn't alone, even when doubts about Matt crept in.

She glanced at her engagement ring again, the excitement of her conversation with Hardik fading slightly as her thoughts shifted back to her fiancé. Tara picked up her phone, staring at Matt's chat window, her earlier message still unread. Why couldn't he be just as excited for her?

She opened their last conversation. "Good luck with your match today! Call me when you're free!" was her message from the morning. No reply. The silence was beginning to feel like an echo in her chest. She knew he was busy-he was a professional cricketer, after all-but it was unlike him to leave her hanging for so long.

Their chats had been getting shorter lately. Texts that once flowed easily between them now felt stilted and infrequent. Calls had turned into brief exchanges, and she found herself overthinking every silence. She glanced at the phone again, a wave of frustration washing over her.

She wasn't used to waiting for a response from him, but it was becoming a regular thing. She typed another message: "Hey, just checking in. Hope your match went well." But then, she hesitated. Was it too much? Was she being needy? She deleted the message with a sigh, frustrated by her own uncertainty.

Tara turned her gaze to the engagement ring on her finger. The diamond caught the light, gleaming softly as she twisted it nervously. She wanted to believe everything would be fine.

That Matt was just busy and that this distance between them was just a phase. But in her heart, she couldn't help feeling like something had changed. That the promises they had made were beginning to feel less certain.

She stared at the ring for a moment longer, fighting the quiet doubts creeping in. She didn't want to face them, not yet. But the silence was becoming too loud to ignore.

With a sigh, she set her phone aside and refocused on her designs, determined not to let her doubts overshadow her accomplishments.