Shobhana's POV 

The sunlight sliced through my curtains like a personal attack, dragging me from the bliss of sleep. My eyes shot open as panic flooded my brain. Oh god, practice at 8:30! I bolted upright like someone had hit me with a taser, only to glance at my phone and see the time—6:30 a.m.

I groaned, flopping back onto the bed. Crisis averted. Sort of. Then I saw a message from Kriti.

KIT KAT:

I have a different location, and you have a different location, so they've given us separate vehicles.
Gotta go.
Love you.

"Cool, just abandon me to my fate," I muttered, throwing my phone onto the charger and shuffling into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, I emerged, fresh but grumbling, wrapped in a towel like I was starring in a shampoo ad no one asked for. 

I slipped into a crisp white button-up shirt tucked into tailored navy trousers, throwing a maroon blazer over it for that "I'm a serious professional who has her life together" look. 

Lies. All lies. 

My trusty black sneakers completed the ensemble because there was no way I was suffering through heels.

I glanced at my watch: 7:00 a.m. Still on schedule. After tying my hair into a low ponytail and triple-checking my bag to make sure I hadn't forgotten my camera or sanity, I grabbed my key card and headed out.

By 7:30, I was in the elevator, hands stuffed in my pockets, headphones in my ears, vibing to something edgy that made me feel cooler than I was. 

Downstairs, I approached the receptionist.

"Hi, my group assigned me a vehicle. Any idea where it is?" I asked, trying to sound more organized than I felt.

"Ah, Shobhana, right?" she asked with a cheerful smile. I nodded. 

She tapped on her computer before handing me a key.

"Here you go! Have a great day!" she chirped.

"You too," I replied, walking outside. I pressed the key, and somewhere, a car beeped. Turning, my jaw hit the pavement.

"Holy—are you kidding me?" A sleek black Mercedes Benz gleamed in the sunlight like it had been delivered by angels. 

"This is mine? Sweet!" I gasped, half-expecting someone to come running out and yell "just kidding!"

At 8:15, I pulled up to the practice ground, my Mercedes making me feel like a budget Bollywood diva. First things first: coffee. I made a beeline for the café, grabbed a cup, and took a blissful sip. Life was good. For about five seconds.

Before I knew it, something whizzed past me, and my coffee flew out of my hand, landing perfectly in a trash can like it was auditioning for the NBA. 

"What the—" I looked down and saw a rogue cricket ball at my feet. Thank god it didn't hit my face because my insurance definitely didn't cover 'Death by Cricket Ball.'

I turned, ready to glare at the culprit, when I saw him. The golden boy. The jawline that could cut glass. The reason cricket fans lose their minds.

Shubman. Freaking. Gill.

"Oh," I muttered, staring like a total idiot.

"Sorry!" he yelled with a sheepish grin that could've powered a small city.

"It's okay!" I yelled back, forcing myself to act normal. Normal, Shobhana. Don't fangirl.

"Shobhana?" a familiar voice called out. I turned and nearly jumped.

"Dinesh Anna!" I beamed, running up to give Dinesh Karthik a hug. Family friend privileges, check.

"Whoa, look at you, all professional!" he teased, pulling back to look at my blazer. "So, you're our photographer?"

"Yep," I said, grinning like a proud kid on their first day of school.

He led me toward the team, clapping his hands. "Alright, team, gather around! This is Shobhana, our photographer. Shobhana, meet the team," he introduced.

"Hey, everyone!" I smiled, doing my best to look chill while internally combusting. 

Virat Kohli wasn't here, but the rest of KKR? Yeah, they were intimidatingly cool.

As they scattered back to practice, Shubman popped up again, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Uh, sorry about the coffee," he said, looking like a guilty puppy.

"It's fine, totally fine," I said, chuckling awkwardly, trying not to stare at his perfectly tousled hair and impossibly sharp jawline.

"I'll get you another one after practice. You know, as an apology," he said earnestly.

"Really, it's no big deal, Shubman," I said, shaking my head.

"I insist!" he said, grinning before sprinting off to the nets.

I stood there for a second, shaking my head. "Well, this is going to be an interesting day," I muttered, pulling out my camera to start shooting.