Morning at the Sharma house was always lively.

The dining table was already set, the smell of fresh parathas and chai filling the air. Everyone had gathered for breakfast.

Abhishek Sharma came downstairs with Shubman Gill, while Shubman lazily scrolled through his phone.

They both pulled their chairs and sat down.

Soon, light chatter started as everyone began eating together.

After a few minutes, Rajkumar looked at Manju.

Rajkumar:
"Manju, invitation de ditte si na sab nu?"
(Manju, you gave the invitations to everyone, right?)

Manju:
"Haan ji, de ditte. Mere bachpan de dost taan ajj subah hi nikal gaye ne. Unna di train si."
(Yes, I gave them. My childhood friends have already left this morning. They had an early train.)

Abhishek looked up, curious.

Abhishek:
"Aapke bachpan ke dost?"
(Your childhood friends?)

Manju:
"Haan puttar. College ch assi chaar si — main, Revati, Aisha te Keerat. Assi hamesha saath hi rehnde si. Phir shaadi ton baad sab alag ho gaye. Main te Keerat Punjab aa gaye, te oh dono Mumbai ch ne."
(Yes, son. In college there were four of us — me, Revati, Aisha and Keerat. We were always together. After marriage, we separated. Me and Keerat came to Punjab, and those two are in Mumbai.)

Abhishek:
"Achhaaa... nice."

Shubman suddenly leaned forward, interested for a totally different reason.

Shubman:
"Aunty... unna de bachche vi ne? Koi daughters-shaughters?"
(Aunty... do they have kids too? Any daughters?)

Komal rolled her eyes at his excitement.

Manju:
"Haan haan, ne na. Revati di ek beti te ek beta hai. Aisha di ek beti hai."
(Yes, of course. Revati has a daughter and a son. Aisha has a daughter.)

Komal:
"Mumma, tussi sab ton zyada close kis naal si?"
(Mom, who were you closest to?)

Manju smiled softly, lost in old memories.

Manju:
"Main Revati naal zyada close si... te Keerat te Aisha ik-duje naal. Par assi hamesha ikathe hi rahe haan."
(I was closest to Revati... and Keerat and Aisha were closer to each other. But we were always together.)

Komal:
"Waah mumma, that's so sweet."

Shubman asked again, way too excited.

Shubman:
"Aunty, ohna diyaan betiyan vi aa rahi ne?"
(Aunty, are their daughters coming too?)

Abhishek looked at him with a tired expression.

Abhishek:
"Hey bhagwan... iska kuch nahi ho sakta."
(Oh God... there's no cure for this guy.)

Everyone laughed.

Manju:
"Haan haan, aa rahi ne sab."
(Yes, yes, they're all coming.)

Then suddenly she remembered something.

Manju:
"Oye laddu, kal teri bua vi aa rahi hai. Tenu station ton lene jaana pavega."
(Hey laddu, your aunt is coming tomorrow. You'll have to go pick her up from the station.)

Abhishek immediately made a face.

Abhishek:
"Aree yaar mumma, mainu mat bhejo please."
(Oh mom, please don't send me.)

Manju:
"Jaana hi pavega. Naale Shubman nu vi naal le ja."
(You have to go. And take Shubman with you.)

Shubman almost choked.

Shubman:
"Kyaaa?! Mainu kyu bhej rahe ho? Bua aa rahi matlab ohna di chipku beti vi hogi!"
(What?! Why are you sending me? If aunt is coming, that clingy daughter of hers will come too!)

He looked genuinely horrified.

Abhishek smirked.

Abhishek:
"Sahi hai. Main isse bhi le jaaunga. Main akela kyu jhelu usse?"
(Good. I'm taking him too. Why should I suffer alone?)

Shubman:
"Kutta kahika!"
(You idiot/dog!)

Everyone burst out laughing again.

Finally, Manju clapped her hands.

Manju:
"Bas bas, hun sab jao. Kal bohot mehmaan aane wale ne."
(Enough now, everyone go. Many guests are coming tomorrow.)

Then she turned to Shubman.

Manju:
"Shubhi, Keerat kadon aa rahi hai?"
(Shubhi, when is Keerat coming?)

Shubman:
"Woh do din baad aa jayegi."
(She'll come after two days.)

Manju:
"Theek hai."
(Alright.)

And just like that, breakfast ended with laughter, teasing, and the house already buzzing with wedding energy.

Little did they know...

Guests weren't the only ones arriving soon.

Fate was too. ✨

______________________________________________________________

After finishing breakfast, everyone got busy with their own routines.

Rajkumar left for work.
Manju went to check the wedding preparations.
Komal headed to her room.

And as usual...

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill disappeared upstairs.

They walked into Abhishek's room.

Abhishek sat down on his bed, leaning back against the headboard, scrolling lazily through his phone.

Meanwhile, Shubman kept pacing around the room like a detective solving some serious mystery.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Abhishek noticed and sighed.

Abhishek:
"Kya soch raha hai tu itna?"
(What are you thinking about so much?)

Shubman stopped dramatically and turned toward him.

Shubman:
"Bhai... kya lagta hai tujhe... kaisi hongi woh dono ladkiyan?"
(Bro... what do you think... how will those two girls be?)

Abhishek blinked.

Then stared.

Then facepalmed.

Of course.

This guy.

Abhishek:
"Abe tere dimaag mein yehi chalta rehta hai kya, gadhe?"
(Does only this run in your mind all the time, idiot?)

Abhishek (continuing):
"Woh kaisi bhi ho, hume kya? Kaunsa hum unse shaadi karne wale hain, pagal."
(However they are, why do we care? It's not like we're going to marry them, crazy.)

Little did they know... fate had very different plans. 😉

Shubman scratched his head sheepishly.

Shubman:
"Haan woh bhi hai... chhod na. Hume kya karna hai."
(Yeah, that's true... forget it. Why should we care.)

Then he suddenly pointed at Abhishek.

Shubman:
"Par tu itna kyu soch raha hai abhi?"
(But why are YOU thinking so much about it, huh?)

Abhishek slowly raised his head...

...and glared at him.

A deadly glare.

The kind that says one more word and you're dead.

Shubman immediately raised both hands in surrender.

"Okay okay, sorry!"

The room fell silent for a second.

And then—

Abhishek threw a pillow straight at his face.

"Get out."

Their usual chaos continued.

Neither of them had any idea...

that the girls they were casually talking about...

were already on their way to Punjab.

And their lives were about to change forever.

___________________________________________________

On the other side, the train slowly pulled out of the station with a long, loud horn. The metal wheels screeched softly against the tracks as the platform began to slide away. 

People waved goodbye to their families, vendors shouted "chai, chai!", and the golden morning sunlight streamed through the windows, making everything glow warmly.

The moment they entered the compartment, Sayali rushed forward and grabbed the window seat before anyone else could.

"Yeh meri seat hai, koi nahi hilega!" she declared dramatically.
(This is my seat. Nobody is moving!)

Meher rolled her eyes and dropped her bag beside her.
"Haan haan, jaise private train ho teri."
(Yeah yeah, as if this is your private train.)

Sayali simply stuck her tongue out like a child.

Outside, trees, buildings, and open fields began rushing past. A cool breeze slipped through the slightly open window and brushed against her face. She closed her eyes for a second and smiled softly.

She loved journeys.

Especially train journeys.

They always felt like the beginning of something special.

But peace?

Yeah... that lasted exactly two minutes.

"Chips khayegi?" Meher asked, already tearing open a packet.
(Want chips?)

"De na!" Sayali replied instantly, stretching her hand.
(Give!)

Within seconds, both of them were munching loudly like they hadn't eaten for days.

First chips.
Then sandwiches.
Then biscuits.
Then chocolates.

Meher stared at the growing pile of wrappers and laughed.
"Hum log picnic pe jaa rahe hai kya?"
(Are we going on a picnic or what?)

Sayali shrugged casually. "Travel = food. Basic rule."

Both burst out laughing.

A little later, their phone cameras came out.

Selfies started.

Weird angles.
Funny faces.
Half-blurred pictures.

"Arre ruk ruk, mera baal kharab lag raha hai!" Sayali complained.
(Wait wait, my hair looks bad!)

"Tu har photo mein hi kharab lagti hai," Meher teased.
(You look bad in every photo anyway.)

"Meher!"

A pillow hit her face.

Then fake fighting.

Then loud laughter that made half the compartment stare at them.

Their moms watched the drama and simply shook their heads.

"Bachiyan kab badi hongi pata nahi," Revati muttered with a fond smile.
(God knows when these girls will ever grow up.)

After all the chaos, Sayali finally leaned back against the window, slightly tired. The cool glass touched her cheek as the rhythmic movement of the train relaxed her.

Absentmindedly, her fingers began scrolling through her gallery.

Match clips.

Cricket edits.

One video of Abhishek hitting a six.

His century celebration.

That smile.

She paused.

Her thumb stopped moving.

She just stared at the screen.

A soft, unconscious smile appeared on her lips.

Meher noticed immediately.

"Ohoooo... phir se?" she whispered teasingly.
(Ohhh... again?)

"Chup reh," Sayali muttered quickly, hiding her phone.
(Shut up.)

But her ears had already turned pink.

She turned back toward the window, watching the endless green fields pass by.

Amritsar.

The city where he lives.

Same sky.

Same air.

Same place.

Her heart did a tiny, nervous flip.

"What if..." she thought.

"What if I actually see him once?"

The very next second, she shook her head.

"Pagal mat ban, Sayali," she muttered to herself.
(Don't be crazy, Sayali.)

But still...

Somewhere deep inside...

A small, stubborn hope quietly existed.

And the train kept moving forward—

carrying her closer to a city...

and unknowingly,

closer to destiny.

___________________________________________

Evening settled softly over the Sharma house.

The sky outside had turned orange and pink, and the house felt warm and cozy. The lights in the living room were on, and everyone was gathered together after a long day.

Manju was knitting something while Komal scrolled through her phone. Rajkumar was reading the newspaper, and Abhishek  was lazily leaning back on the sofa, half listening to everyone's conversation.

The house was calm.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

And then—

"MAMUUUUU!"

A tiny, excited voice echoed through the house.

Before anyone could react, a little girl came running inside at full speed.

Abhishek's face instantly lit up.

"Arey meri gudiya aa gayi!" he laughed, quickly bending down and lifting her straight into his arms.

He spun her around once while she giggled loudly.

"Mamuu, main aa gayiii!"
(Uncle, I'm here!)

"Haan ji, mainu dikh reha hai," he teased.
(Yes, I can see that.)

She cupped his cheeks dramatically.

"Mujhe miss kiya?"
(Did you miss me?)

"Bohot zyada, meri princess."
(Very much, my princess.)

Just then, Sania di walked in carrying little Aviraj, while jijuu followed behind with bags.

Manju immediately stood up happily.

"Oye hoye, aa gaye tussi log!"
(Oh wow, you all have come!)

Sania smiled and hugged her.
"Haan mummy, socha surprise de dete hain."
(Yes mom, we thought we'd give you a surprise.)

Komal rushed forward to take Aviraj.

"Mera chotu hero idhar de!"
(Give me my little hero!)

Meanwhile, Amayra was still clinging to Abhishek's neck.

"Mamuu, tussi mere naal kheloge na?"
(Uncle, you'll play with me, right?)

"Bilkul, poora din tere naal hi rehna."
(Of course, I'm staying with you the whole day.)

Shubhman, who had just entered the room, chuckled.
"Bas ji, ab Abhi gaya kaam se. Match practice cancel."
(That's it, Abhi is done for. Practice cancelled now.)

Abhishek glared at him.
"Chup kar, jealous mat ho."
(Shut up, don't be jealous.)

Everyone laughed.

Aviraj suddenly stretched his hands toward Abhishek too.

"Ohooo, ek aur fan aa gaya mera," Abhishek joked while taking him carefully.
(Oh wow, another fan of mine has arrived.)

Sania shook her head.
"Fan nahi, chocolate chahiye isko."
(Not a fan, he just wants chocolate.)

The whole room burst into laughter again.

Soon the calm house turned lively—

Kids running around.

Toys scattered.

Manju scolding lightly.

Komal clicking pictures.

Shubhman teasing everyone.

And Abhishek sitting on the floor with both kids in his lap, laughing like a child himself.

Moments like these...

This chaos...

This noise...

This family warmth...

This was his real peace.

Because no matter how big the stadiums got...

Home would always be his favorite place.

_________________________________________________________

The next morning, the train journey felt calmer.

Soft sunlight streamed in through the window, falling gently on Sayali's face as she sat quietly by the window seat. Outside, endless green fields stretched far and wide, the grass swaying with the wind like waves in a sea. The cool breeze brushed against her cheeks, and for once, she wasn't talking or laughing.

She was just... thinking.

Her chin rested on her palm as a small, unconscious smile curved on her lips.

What if I see him?

What if, by some miracle, I actually see Abhishek once?

What will I even do? Smile? Freeze? Run away? Or faint?

The thought alone made her heart race.

She was so lost in her imagination that she didn't even notice Meher coming closer.

Suddenly—

Tap!

Meher lightly hit her shoulder.

"Kya soch rahi hai?"
(What are you thinking about?)

Sayali quickly blinked and snapped out of her daydream. To change the topic, she straightened up and said casually,

"Kuch nahi... nayi story soch rahi thi likhne ki."
(Nothing... I was thinking about a new story to write.)

Meher raised an eyebrow.
"Accha? Kaisi story?"
(Oh really? What kind of story?)

Sayali's eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief.

"Usme main aur Abhishek... aur..." she paused dramatically, then smirked, "tu aur Shubhman ek couple! Kitni mast story banegi ye, wowww!"
(In it, me and Abhishek... and you and Shubhman as a couple! What an amazing story that would be!)

Meher's jaw dropped.

"Tu pagal hai kyaaa? Mujhe Shubhman ke saath jod rahi hai, yedi!"
(Are you crazy? You're pairing me with Shubhman, idiot!)

Sayali burst out laughing.

"Haan toh bura kya hai usme? Tu itni bhi buri nahi hai ki tujhe Shubhman ke saath nahi jod sakti!"
(What's bad about that? You're not that bad that I can't pair you with Shubhman!)

Meher glared at her.

Sayali immediately stopped laughing.

Two seconds of silence.

Then—

Both of them burst into loud laughter together.

Their mothers looked at them in disbelief, especially when a few co-passengers turned to stare.

Their expressions clearly said — "Yeh humari betiyaan nahi ho sakti."
(These can't be our daughters.)

By afternoon, the train finally slowed down.

The announcement echoed.

Amritsar.

They had reached.

Sayali's heart skipped a beat.

This was it.

This city.

His city.

As they got down with their luggage, Aisha turned to Revati.

"Revati, call Manju. Tell her we reached."

"Haan haan."
(Yes, yes.)

Revati quickly called Manju and informed her they had arrived.

After a short conversation, she hung up and said,

"She said she's sending her son to pick us up. Thoda wait karna padega."
(She said she's sending her son to pick us up. We'll have to wait a bit.)

Sayali and Meher exchanged a look.

Her son?

They didn't think much of it.

A few minutes passed.

Crowds moved around them. Porters shouted. Suitcases rolled. Trains whistled.

And then—

From a distance, a young boy started walking toward them.

Tall.

Cap pulled low.

Mask covering half his face.

Hands casually in his pockets.

Walking confidently.

There was something oddly familiar about him.

Sayali squinted her eyes.

"Kaun hai ye...?" she murmured.

For a second, her heart started beating faster.

Wait...

Is he—?

But wasn't Abhishek supposed to go pick up his bua today?

Did the plan change?

Or...

Is this someone else?

The boy kept walking closer.

Closer.

Closer.

And before Sayali could figure anything out—

Her heart forgot how to beat.

Who was he?

For that...

You'll have to wait. 😉

to be continue.......

________________________________________

End Note:

Sometimes the best moments start with the most unexpected journeys.
From silly laughs to a new city... Sayali's story is slowly heading toward something special.

If you liked this chapter, don't forget to vote, comment, and follow for more 🤍

With love,
Your Author 💌