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Mridula froze and turned around to face Aravind.

"What do you mean?" Mridula frowned, Aravind sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, I have to be honest." Aravind gathered up his courage once more. "I'm attracted to you,"

Mridula nodded and began to wonder about her own feelings. She appreciated Aravind being there for her and supporting her in every argument against Shree, and his looks were a great bonus. Out of the blue, Shreyas's smirking face appeared in her thoughts. Dismissing that odd thought, she bit her lip.

"I'm not sure." She spoke, at last, Aravind nodded with an understanding expression.

"I get it, take your time." He shrugged and threw his empty Starbucks cup into the recycling bin.

"I think Shreyas stay a bit longer than two months." Aravind broke the awkward silence between them.

"Really? Why would you say that?" Mridula was honestly curious, she drained the last bits of her coffee.

"I mean he'll be going through surgery, I assume that there will be an immense amount of pain-" Aravind frowned thoughtfully, Mridula gestured for him to continue. "He'll need professional help to get through that smoothly."

"Well, we can always direct him to painkillers." Mridula countered, Aravind grinned knowing this was going to become a debate.

"Well, his shoulder is a special case." Aravind pointed out the large flaw in Mridula's make-shift plan. "Pain-killers could worsen his condition."

"Would you look at that?" Mridula laughed, Aravind was puzzled. He followed Mridula's gaze and saw the hospital towering over them.

"Well, thanks for the break." A sigh of vexation broke off Mridula's lips, she smiled at Aravind when she added. "I'd have died in there, I really needed that break."

"No problem." Aravind raised his hands in a motion of surrender. "You win the debate."

Mridula let out a laugh before entering the Polio Prevention Wing, which was scattered with guards for Shreyas's security. She frowned when she noticed that a few things were out of place, making a mental note to move it all back, she approached the room Shreyas was staying in.

Mridula caught the end of Shreyas's sentence when she opened the door. "-Shut it, Pant." Shreyas's voice chuckled.

"Just saying dude, I could become the permanent captain." Another male voice replied jokingly, Shreyas let out a bark of laughter.

"Hey," Shreyas nodded an acknowledgment to Mridula, who'd entered with a clipboard. She returned the greeting with a grunt and flipped through the pages of her clipboard.

"Hi," The voice from earlier spoke from behind her, she turned around with a mildly surprised look. She'd assumed that Shreyas was on the phone once more, after all he was on the phone 24/7.

The guy who spoken earlier was fresh-faced. He had chocolate brown eyes, that were startlingly similar to Alia's. There were reminisce of a shaved beard, he was dressed in a blue jacket that gave him away as a fellow cricket player. It had a 'DC Capitals' logo on its right pocket.

"Rishabh," He held his hand out for a shake, and Mridula obliged.

"Mridula, Mridula Sharma." She responded, Shreyas raised his eyebrows in question.

"And here I thought you weren't very social." He snickered, but Rishabh had an apt reply.

"Perhaps, she prefers talking to more mannered people." Rishabh shot back with a look that told Mridula he was trying to control his laughter.

"Or maybe I don't like talking to idiots." Mridula shrugged, Rishabh was surprised with the level of come-back.

"I like her." Rishabh gave her his nod of approval, and Shreyas rolled his eyes.

"Anyone who can shut Shreyas up is on my friend's list." He added with a wide grin, Mridula's phone pinged signaling that she had to check up on the kids in the other room.

"I'll be right back." She excused herself, leaving the two friends alone in comfortable silence.

"So... You're interested in her aren't you?" Rishabh's guess had hit the bullseye, but Shreyas wasn't about it admit it.

"No." He spoke a bit too quickly, Rishabh shrugged.

"Well, would you mind if I get her number?" Rishabh decided not to beat around the bush, he too was interested in Mridula. But he also knew that his friend was romantically interested in her, he could tell easily.

"Nah, man." Shreyas faked a grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "Crushing on her?"

"Dude, come on!" Rishabh sighed and sank deeper into his chair, his ruse to lure Shreyas into admitted that he liked her failed.

"I can tell you like her!' Rishabh scoffed, Shreyas masked his surprise decently but it was not before Rishabh noted it.

"I don't!" Shreyas retorted, it was so believable that Rishabh actually fell for it. Well, if he isn't interested in her, maybe I could get her number, he thought. Rishabh excused himself, leaving Shreyas alone to counting random things to pass the time.

"Hey," Rishabh greeted, Mridula turned around and responded with a slight wave. A little boy gasped with recognition.

"Rishabh Pant!" He looked at him with adoring eyes, Rishabh couldn't help but smile, he knelt to match his height.

"My name's Rishabh, what's yours?" He asked, the smile not fading from his face. Mridula was watching all of this with a smile of her own.

"Manoj," The little boy introduced himself, Rishabh noticed that Manoj's shirt read 'Virat Kohli is the best'. He quickly made the connection that the little boy was one of the many kids who admired the Indian skipper.

"Virat Kohli is definitely the best." Rishabh grinned, Manoj was surprised but nodded his agreement. Rishabh decided to make this the best day ever for Manoj, he pulled out his phone and began to scroll through his contacts.

"Who's your all-time favorite cricketer?" Rishabh questioned Manoj as casually as he can, Manoj responded 'Virat Kohli'. Rishabh pressed the call button on the contact that read: Cheeku Bhai.

Virat picked up the phone on the fifth ring, he was dressed in workout clothes and looked like he was on the cricket ground.

"Hey, Rishabh." Virat flashed him his usual grin, Rishabh titled the phone toward Manoj, which earned a small gasp and squeak from him. Rishabh filled in Virat about how Manoj was affected by Polio and how he needed treatment.

"Oh, hello there." Virat's tone immediately changed, it was softer and more easy-going. Manoj just stared at the phone with a wide-open mouth.

"Say hi." Mridula nudged Manoj, who regained his senses and waved shyly at the camera.

"I'm a huge fan," Manoj blurted out randomly making Virat laugh.

"Well, I'm a fan of you." Virat smiled warmly. "Going through all that treatment so bravely."

"Oi Spiderman!" Another voice came from Virat's end, Rishabh grinned.

"Washing Machine, how are you?" Rishabh chuckled and beamed at his friend.

The two of them chatted for a while, and Manoj watched them awestruck. Manoj ran off to tell all of the kids in the wing that he got to talk to Virat Kohli. When Rishabh cut the call, Mridula smiled at him.

"That was sweet of you," She remarked, and Rishabh's grin grew wider at the complement.

"Yeah, I remember when I used to idolize MSD..." Rishabh laughed and shook his head with disbelief. "Now, I have his phone number and I WhatsApp him every day!"

Shreyas frowned, he'd been listening to the two of them talk for a while. He thought what Rishabh did was great, but he didn't like the way Mridula reacted. They were being a bit too chummy for his liking.

Wait! Why am I jealous, Shreyas's frown deepened.

***

Oof... It looks like someone's jealous~

Guess who blessed all of u with an extra long update >:D

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