Virat furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed Shubman's prolonged absence. "It's been too long that he's in the restroom. Hope he's okay," he thought to himself.

"Guys, wait! Don't start—Shubman's not here yet!" he shouted over the chaotic group, who were bickering about who would be on which team. Ishan glanced around, his face momentarily showing concern, but he quickly masked it when he noticed Virat watching him, hoping he would be the one to check on Shubman.

Virat sighed at Ishan's stubbornness and reluctantly got up, heading upstairs. He was about to turn right toward the restroom when something caught his eye. From the corner of his vision, he saw her room door slightly ajar. Panic surged through him, and he quickly ran toward the door, momentarily forgetting about Shubman.

Virat quietly pushed the door open, the soft noise of the latch clicking behind it barely audible. What he saw stunned him to his core. The room, which no one was ever allowed to enter, held a scene he hadn't expected. There, on her bed, was Shubman, sitting calmly, just watching his baby sister as she gazed up at the white ceiling.

The peaceful sight of Shubman sitting there lost in a trance with his sister, wasn't anything Virat could have imagined for the night. Yet here he stood, watching them in silent awe, unsure whether to interrupt the quiet connection or let it be.

Virat stood frozen, tears welling in his eyes as he heard his baby sister's voice for the first time in three years.

The bustling noise downstairs seemed to vanish, and for the three of them in the room, only the sound of breathing and her fragile voice filled the air. "What's your name?" she asked softly, her voice croaking and hoarse from years of silence. Yet, despite its frailty, there was a quiet confidence in her tone—an echo of the way she had always spoken before the incident that had changed everything.

Shubman, swallowing hard, looked at her as she continued to stare at the ceiling. Despite being struck by her beauty and now settling calmness, he managed to respond. "Shubman," he whispered.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling near the corners. "Wait, did she smile?" Virat held the door tight, asking himself in disbelief. Yes, she did. His thoughts were quickly cut off as she spoke again, after a moment of smiling, "Just Shubman, young man? I mean the full name."

Shubman gripped the edges of the bed, feeling embarrassed, and bit his tongue. "Um, I'm sorry, I'm Shubman Gill, a cricketer," he stammered. He even mentioned being a cricketer, hoping it would prevent her from asking more questions, fearing that his confidence might falter and he would make a fool of himself again.

"Ah, a cricketer. Nice one. My paaji is too, and he's the greatest," she said, folding her hands and rocking back and forth in the chair, never once shifting her gaze from the white ceiling. Virat bit his lip, feeling a different kind of happiness in his heart as he heard his baby sister speak so highly of him. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he listened to the interaction, unable to contain his emotions.

Shubman, shifting his position, looked at her, unable to tear his eyes away since he entered the room. "Before you ask more questions, what's your name?" he asked.

She laughed at his impatience, arching her back from sitting in the chair for so long. Her laugh, which Virat had longed to hear, was a balm to his distressed heart. Virat leaned back, trying to stop the tears, but found himself unable to do so. He shook his head, letting the tears fall as he simply wanted to listen to his sister. He had been standing there for so long that neither of them had noticed his presence. He made sure to remain quiet so as not to interrupt their moment.

She smiled wider, rubbing the bottom of her nose with her index finger—a sign she always made when she was comfortable with someone. This gesture confirmed her comfort with Shubman. She turned towards him, her perfect black eyes meeting his. "I'm Pashmina Kohli, but you can call me Mina," she said, extending her hand. Her aura exuded a confidence that could rival Virat's, but he didn't mind as long as Mina was simply being herself.

Despite countless professional moments and his usual confidence, Shubman felt it slipping away in front of Pashmina Kohli. He extended his hand, though it trembled as it reached hers. Pashmina scrunched her nose, trying to contain a smile, and took his hand firmly. The softness and firmness of her grip steadied him, and as he saw her lips turn upward, he swore he had never seen a smile as wide or genuine as that.

As Pashmina was about to ask Shubman if he was okay, noticing his stillness, a voice interrupted their moment. "Bhaiya, come on, everyone's waiting downstairs. I didn't want to come, but Rohit bhai sent me here," Ishan's loud voice broke their handshake.

Pashmina's eyes flicked toward the door to see Virat standing there, but her attention quickly shifted when Ishan came into view. Her eyes turned red, and she quickly turned away, hugging her knees to her chest and mumbling something incoherent.

As Ishan's voice broke the trance, Shubman turned around, looking at both Ishan and Virat. He then glanced back at Pashmina, who was shuddering. Shubman watched his hand, still trembling from their handshake, and felt a surge of confusion and guilt. What had just happened? Why was he here, and what was he doing with her?

His thoughts crashed down as Pashmina's sobs escalated into violent cries. She started to shout and cry uncontrollably. Shubman looked up to see Virat struggling to hold Pashmina in place, preparing to administer her medication. Virat's eyes met Shubman's, silently pleading, "Please, hold her and don't ask any questions. Just help."

Shubman couldn't move from his spot; he was paralyzed by Pashmina's state and her violent cries, which made him flinch. "Just help!" Virat shouted at Shubman, tears streaming down his face.

Pashmina, breathing heavily, cried and shook her head. "Don't shout, don't shout," she pleaded, her words coming out incoherently as she was clearly not fully aware of her surroundings.

Shubman, still in shock, slowly approached Pashmina, nodding hastily. He could see the desperation in Virat's eyes and the chaos around them. Despite his trembling hands, he gently took Pashmina's shoulders, trying to offer some semblance of calm.

"Calm down, Pashmina," he said in a trembling voice, trying to reassure her. "Calm down," he repeated.

"Pashmina, please," he said softly, striving to steady his voice. "I'm here to help."

Pashmina's eyes were wild with fear as she continued to shake her head.

"Just hold her still," Virat urged, between laboured breaths, as he struggled to keep Pashmina calm enough to administer the medicine.

Virat took a deep breath and injected Pashmina with the medication. As the medicine began to take effect, her body continued to shake from anxiety, but gradually, her eyes started to close. Before she completely lost consciousness, she saw Shubman's blurred, scared face, and then everything turned black as she drifted off to sleep.

Shubman looked at Pashmina's tear-stricken face as she slept, his mind racing with regret and fear. "What have I landed myself into?" he thought. He glanced up at Virat, who looked at him with pity, and then at the entire team and Virat's family gathered at the door, likely alerted by the commotion.

Turning back to Virat and then to Pashmina, Shubman finally spoke, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have entered here without permission." With that, he stormed out in a single breath, ignoring the looks and concerned calls from those around him. He was not ready to handle the situation and vowed that this would be the first and last time he set foot in this home.