WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Black Out

"Hey Aryan, are you okay?" Raghav's voice jolted me back to the present.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I replied, trying to shake off the shock. "It's just... this is so sudden."

"I had a feeling something like this might happen," He admitted.

"How did you figure that?" I asked, still trying to process the news flashing on the TV.

"Well, think about it," He explained. "Arjun goes missing right after Sana's accident. That's too coincidental to ignore. My guess is Natasha's behind this. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty."

"Yeah," I replied softly, feeling a pang in my chest at the mention of Natasha, though not out of lingering affection. Those feelings were long gone, replaced by the love I had for Kabir, who was nothing short of an angel. Natasha, on the other hand, had shown her true colors.

"You're okay, though, right?" Raghav's concern brought me back to the conversation.

"Hmm?" I paused, gathering my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just checking," Raghav said. "You seemed to have grown close to her for a while."

"That was then," I clarified. "Not anymore. A criminal is just that—a criminal. No more, no less."

Kabir's voice interrupted the conversation, drawing my attention as he entered the room. He was dressed in his cricket practice attire, the jersey fitting snugly over his athletic frame, a duffle bag casually slung over one shoulder, and a cap adding a sporty flair to his look. He looked absolutely stunning, and I couldn't help but pause the call momentarily to address him.

"Oh my," I remarked, a playful tone in my voice, "who is this sinful man gracing my living room?"

His cheeks flushed slightly, a shy smile playing on his lips. "Stop it," he replied softly, his eyes meeting mine before he turned on his heels and left the room.

I chuckled at his reaction and resumed the call with Raghav. "Sorry about that interruption. Just had to appreciate the view for a moment."

Raghav's teasing tone came through the line. "The view of someone named Kabir, I presume?"

Surprised, I asked, "How did you know?"

"He's all you've been seeing lately," Raghav quipped with a chuckle. "You and Kabir are making me feel damn single, just so you know."

"Well, it's not my fault you can't seem to find a lover," I retorted matter-of-factly. "I mean, look at you, you're a model guy. How is it that you're still flying solo?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"It's not that I haven't had dates," He confessed with a sigh of exhaustion. "It's just that none of them stick around for long. They all seem to want someone adventurous and dominant, and well, I'm just your average, simple guy," he explained. "You know, someone who enjoys travelogues and flips through magazines."

"You're into travelogues?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, ever since I started following your childhood friend, what's her name again?" He paused, recalling. "Ah, yes, Riddhi. I've developed a real interest in this whole travel scene."

"Is it the travelogue that caught your interest, or is it Riddhi herself?" I playfully asked.

After a brief pause, he responded, "I'm not entirely certain. She does intrigue me. She's straightforward and really cool, you know. But I'm still figuring it out."

"Okay, it's totally up to you," I said, "but just so you know, I think you'd make a great match for her. You have my blessing to go for it."

"Blessing? Are you her dad or something?" Raghav joked.