Dharamshala was a gem tucked away in nature's cradle, with mist-kissed mountains rising majestically against a sea of emerald forests. The air was crisp, filled with the earthy fragrance of pine and the distant echo of running streams. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows over the land. It felt like a world apart, where time slowed and every breath brought a deep sense of peace.

For Noor, watching a Test match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium had always been a dream. Sipping on hot tea, she imagined soaking in the thrill of the test game while often losing herself in the sight of the snowy peaks beyond the field.

For now, Noor sat carefree with the team around a crackling bonfire, enjoying a peaceful evening before the match. The worries of the upcoming game seemed miles away as they shared laughs and stories under the starlit sky. They had decided to take this moment to refresh and bond, savoring the calm before the storm of competition began the following day.

Noor's face was buried in Shubman's shoulder, and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as they laughed together. Ishan had just cracked a joke, sending the entire team into fits of laughter. The night in Dharamshala seemed even more beautiful with the team's cheerful voices blending with the crackling bonfire in the hotel lawn.

Their laughter was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of Noor's phone. She pulled away slightly from shubman smiling and excused herself from the team, stepping away to answer the call. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone, bringing it to her ear. "Hello, who's this?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady from laughter she had.

Noor's breath quickened as she listened to the ominous voice on the other end of the line.

"Tick, tick, tick," the voice repeated, "the clock strikes when it's his innings time. Your boyfriend should play right, or else..."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she asked, "Or else what?"

"Or else you'll see, the price you'll pay,
A cage awaits, if he goes astray.
Watch closely now, every move in the game,
One slip, one miss, and it's you I'll claim."

Noor's hands trembled as she hung up the phone, her mind racing with fear.

Noor felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around, startled. Seeing Shubman, she relaxed a bit as he cupped her face and asked, "What's wrong, Noori? You're sweating."

Noor chuckled nervously, trying to hide her fear. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, forcing a smile. "Just a little overwhelmed by all the excitement tonight. I guess I’m not used to being around so many people."

Shubman looked at her intently, not entirely convinced. "Are you sure that's all it is? You can tell me if something's bothering you."

Noor nodded, trying to reassure him. "Really, it's fine. I just need a moment to breathe. Let’s get back to the others and enjoy the evening, okay?"

Shubman hesitated, then nodded, wrapping an arm around her as they walked back to the group. But the unsettling call lingered in Noor's mind, a shadow that refused to be ignored.

As Noor sat back down with the group, her phone buzzed with a notification. She discreetly glanced at it, her heart sinking as she read the message from an unknown number

"Tell your boyfriend to play properly tomorrow, or else you'll face the consequences. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure he knows just how fragile your happiness is."

She swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure as laughter and chatter filled the air around her. Her mind raced, thinking about what she should do. Should she tell Shubman, despite the threat, or try to handle it herself?

She forced a smile and joined in the conversation, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease and the ominous warning hanging over her.

Noor leaned against Shubman, hugging herself tightly as she tried to blend in with the group’s lively conversation. Despite her efforts to appear engaged, her mind was still preoccupied with the threatening message.

Shubman, noticing her tense posture and the distant look in her eyes, couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. He gently squeezed her shoulder, his concern growing. "Noori, are you sure you’re alright? You seem a bit off tonight."

Noor forced another smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m just a little tired," she replied, hoping to deflect his worry. "It’s been a long day."

Shubman’s gaze remained steady, searching her face for any sign of the truth. "If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

Noor nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of the threat she couldn’t reveal. "I know," she said softly. "I appreciate it. I’ll be okay."

As everyone began retreating to their rooms, Shubman gently held Noor back, sensing that something was wrong. "Noor, wait a second," he said quietly, his concern evident. "I can tell something’s bothering you. Please, tell me what’s going on."

Noor opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, she felt a sudden sharp pain in her back. She gasped and stumbled forward, her eyes wide with shock.

Shubman's expression turned to one of alarm. "Noor! Are you okay? What just happened?"

Noor winced, turning to look around, but the cause of the pain was unclear. "I—I don’t know. It felt like someone hit me."

Shubman's eyes scanned the area, but there was no one in sight. "We need to get you checked out," he said urgently. "Let’s go back to our room and see if you’re alright."

Once they were in the room, Noor hurriedly shut every door and drew the curtains, ensuring they were alone. She then guided Shubman to sit on the edge of the bed, her hands still trembling.

"Sit down, Shubman," Noor said, trying to keep her voice steady. "We need to talk."

Shubman sat down but looked up at her with concern. "Noor, are you sure you're okay? You should get checked out, just to be safe."

Noor shook her head. "It’s probably nothing. I just want to talk about what’s been going on."

Shubman’s worry was evident. "No, Noor, if something hit you, you need to see a doctor. It’s better to be safe."

Noor's frustration bubbled over, and she almost shouted, "For God's sake, listen—" but she caught herself and switched to a quieter tone. Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message. Her heart sank as she read it:

"Saw you closing the curtains. Don’t dare tell him or else... and know I am watching you always."

Her hands shook as she put the phone down. Shubman noticed her reaction and tightened his grip on her hand. "What’s wrong now? Noor, please tell me."

Noor's face was pale, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "We can't trust anyone right now. They're watching us."

Shubman’s frustration was palpable. “What are you saying, Noor? What’s going on?”

Noor shifted her gaze, trying to change the topic. “It’s just... the stupid comments about how I’m a distraction to you. It’s hurting me,” she said, offering an excuse to deflect from the real issue

Shubman’s concern deepened. “Are you sure it’s just the comments?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.

Noor nodded, shutting her eyes tightly to signal that she couldn’t discuss it further at the moment. Shubman took a deep breath, recognizing the unspoken code they had used since childhood for addressing sensitive topics discreetly. He understood there was something she wasn’t ready to talk about right now.

With a resigned nod, he said, “Alright, let’s go to sleep. We’ll deal with everything in the morning.”

As the lights in the room shut off and the room was plunged into darkness, the stalker let out a resigned sigh. He watched the feed from his camera go dark. With a sense of grim satisfaction, he decided it was time to call it a night, confident that he had issued enough warnings to ensure Noor would keep silent. He knew that his threats had made their mark, and he’d be watching closely to see if she dared to reveal anything.

Half an hour later, Noor's eyes fluttered open in the dark. Driven by a surge of determination, she carefully slid out of bed, her movements slow and deliberate. The darkness of the room was her ally as she began to scrutinize every corner, her hands methodically exploring for any hidden cameras or listening devices.

She sighed in frustration as her search turned up nothing. Just as she was about to give up, her eyes fell on the small, innocuous-looking clock on the bedside table. Something about its placement and the way it seemed out of place caught her attention. She moved closer, her heart pounding as she carefully examined the clock, hoping it might hold the answers she was looking for.

With a smirk of grim satisfaction, Noor opened the clock instead of  and carefully removed the tiny camera from inside. She turned around to find her best friend sprawled out on the bed, snoring loudly like a pig. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she watched him drift deeper into sleep, his rhythmic breathing filling the room.  She crushed the device under her foot, cursing the stalker with every grind of her heel "Bhenchod".

The clock had been left untouched, and she had made sure it remained in its original position. The darkness of the room would make it nearly impossible for the stalker to identify who had destroyed the camera when it was discovered the next day, leaving her actions untraceable.

She could easily hand him over to the anti-corruption unit of the board, but where’s the fun in that? No, she wanted him to experience a taste of his own medicine. He had messed with the wrong person—very wrong. She would play dumb and go along with his schemes for now, but when the time was right, she would reveal her true nature and show him exactly who Noor Kuljinder Bajwa really was.

Noor climbed back into bed and gently crawled over to Shubman. She shook him softly, trying not to startle him too much.

“Shubman,” she whispered, “wake up. I need to talk to you.”

Shubman stirred, blinking sleepily. “What’s wrong, Noor?”

Noor took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. “I found something in the clock. There was a hidden camera. We need to figure out what to do next.”

Shubman’s eyes widened in shock as he fully woke up. “A hidden camera? Are you serious?”

Shubman's eyes widened with panic. “Wait, what if they—”

Noor interrupted him, her voice steady but firm. “No, don’t jump to conclusions. We haven’t done anything that sort since we arrived here.” She paused, blushing slightly as she continued, “I think it was planted by someone from room service this evening.”

Her tone shifted to seriousness. “And I need to tell you something else. This isn’t just about the camera. There were threats made against me, and I’ve been receiving ominous messages. We need to handle this carefully.”

Shubman looked at Noor, his concern deepening. “What is it, Noor? Tell me, it’s scaring me.”

Noor took a deep breath, her expression serious. “Earlier, I got a threatening call and a message from an unknown number. They warned me not to tell you or anyone else, and they said they were watching us. They even said there would be consequences if you didn’t perform well in the game.”

Shubman’s eyes were filled with urgency. “We need to report this to the board, Noor. They need to know what’s happening.”

Noor nodded in agreement. “Yes, we will report it. But for now, we have to be careful. If the stalker finds out we’re onto them, it could make things worse.”

Shubman’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Till then, what do we do?”

Noor gave a determined smile and winked at Shubman. “Till then, we play games with him.”

Shubman’s expression grew stern as he growled, “Noor, he’s behind you because if I don’t perform well, you get that, right?”

Noor’s eyes gleamed with determination. “I need to show this person that they’ve messed with the wrong person. Trust me, I won’t harm him. He’ll end up walking right into the trap himself. With all the evidence we have, we can make sure he’s caught red-handed.”

"Be careful, love. I can't afford to lose you again," he whispered softly, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

'You won’t lose me,' she said confidently, her voice strong and sure. 'I promise.'

He searched her face for any trace of doubt, but there was none. For a moment, his fear eased. She had always been fearless, a force to be reckoned with, and in that moment, he believed her completely.

With a sigh, he pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. 'I’ll hold you to that,' he murmured, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth."