A few days later, Shubman was at the training grounds with his teammates, gearing up for an intense practice session. 

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the cricket pitch, and the air was thick with the sounds of the boys getting ready—ball against bat, the thud of shoes hitting the ground, and the banter flying back and forth.

Ishan, Virat, Hardik, KL Rahul, Rohit, Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant were all there, ready for the day ahead. 

But today, there was a new buzz in the air, something different about the way they all carried themselves. 

The topic was clear—Shubman and Revathi.

"Yo, Gilly!" Ishan shouted as he jogged over, a grin plastered on his face. "So, how's it going with your birthday girl, huh?"

Shubman rolled his eyes and groaned, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I swear to God, if you guys don't shut the fuck up, I'll have you running laps till sundown."

Virat, who had been quietly listening from a distance, couldn't help but laugh. "Bro, no need to get defensive. We know you're smitten. You've been obsessed since the damn phone incident."

Rohit, always the sharp one, raised an eyebrow. "I mean, who wouldn't be? She's smart, she's got that whole 'quirky girl next door' vibe going, and let's not forget—she's hot. Not my words, my wife's."

Ishan snorted. "Hot? Man, she's way more than that. She's like... the whole damn firehouse, and you've just gotten the first kiss! We need details, bro. How did it happen? Was she shy? Did she pull away like a lil' princess?"

Shubman's face flushed a bit, but he couldn't help the smug grin that spread across his face. "Fuck off. I'm not sharing any details. It was just... it was great. And that's all you need to know."

Hardik snickered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"Nah, man, don't leave us hanging. You don't get to drop that bomb and walk away like nothing happened. We all saw you looking like a love-struck idiot the other day. Like, bro, who are you fooling? You're in deep, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Hardik," Shubman muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't exactly the type to be an open book, especially about something so personal. 

But the guys weren't letting him off easy.

KL Rahul, always cool-headed, raised an eyebrow. 

"Wait, so we're talking about Revathi, right? The girl with the cracked phone? The one who's been living rent-free in your head since the moment you dropped that damn phone?"

Shubman sighed, crossing his arms as he shot a look toward KL. "You guys are acting like it's some big fucking deal. It was a mistake, okay? She wasn't even mad. We laughed about it. End of story."

Rishabh, who had been eerily quiet until now, finally broke in, his voice teasing. "Bro, don't even try to act like you're not whipped. We all know what's up. You're not fooling anyone." 

He grinned wide, throwing his arm around Shubman's shoulder. 

"Seriously, Gilly, tell us. What's her vibe like? You were really blushing when you told us about her the other day."

Jaiswal, who'd been overhearing the whole conversation while getting his kit ready, couldn't hold back. 

"Man, don't try to pretend like you're not head over heels. We heard you talking about her, like, what—five hours after the date? You were like, 'She's smart, she's funny, she's got that... fuck, that vibe. That cool vibe.'"

"Bro, you just want me to say it, don't you?" Shubman shot back, but his grin betrayed him. 

"Alright, alright, fine. She's amazing. She's... she's real, you know? Like, we just clicked. It wasn't like the fake shit most people do when they start dating. It was real. She's different from everyone I've met."

Virat, as usual, took things up a notch. "Bro, you're talking about her like she's the damn Dalai Lama or something. Chill. What's it like with her? Does she get you? Or are you just too busy staring at her to figure out what's happening?" He snickered, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Bro, I'm telling you," Hardik cut in, "if she really gets you, then maybe—just maybe—she can teach us all how to deal with your sappy ass."

The teasing continued for a while longer, the boys giving Shubman shit as he tried his best to act like he wasn't secretly loving every second of the attention. 

Sure, he wasn't used to this much attention when it came to something personal, but for some reason, he didn't mind it with them. These were his boys, after all. They could push his buttons all they wanted.

At some point, the conversation shifted back to cricket, and the practice began. But no matter how hard Shubman tried to focus, he couldn't shake the memory of Revathi. 

The way she smiled when he kissed her. 

The way she laughed when he made a stupid joke. How she had that perfect mix of innocence and confidence that made him feel like he wanted to protect her while also falling for her more with every passing moment.

Ishan, noticing his distracted expression, smirked. "Man, you're so gone. We might need to put a 'Revathi' lock on you. No more cricket for you, just her and your phone. Might as well put up an 'occupied' sign on your brain."

Shubman threw him a half-smile but didn't respond.

Virat added, "Better not get too deep into this, man. You know how things can get. But, you know, I'm happy for you. It's good to see you not just existing for once. Just don't forget who taught you how to play cricket, alright?"

The boys erupted in laughter, but Shubman couldn't help but chuckle along with them. Sure, his teammates were relentless, but in their own way, they had his back. 

They were all family.

As the practice session got underway, Shubman found himself feeling lighter than usual. The banter, the teasing—it was a welcome distraction from the chaos that had been swirling in his head lately. 

For the first time, he felt like he was living—not just playing cricket, not just going through the motions. 

He was genuinely enjoying everything that came with this crazy, chaotic life, especially the part where Revathi was involved.

And as for the phone incident... Well, that was a funny memory now, one of those moments that might have started with disaster but ended up being the thing that led him to something that actually felt real.

SOUP RANTS!

welcome to the sixteenth chapter of this book!

we love a chaotic friend group
did we like this chapter?
I'll see you guys soon!
yours truly,

soup 🫶