WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Until Next Time

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening in disbelief.

He grinned like a Cheshire cat, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Surprised?"

"Naturally," I retorted, shooting him a glare. "You should be arrested for this shit. Why the hell did you kill him? We had information we needed from him. I thought you were on our side."

He looked at me incredulously. "Did I ever claim to be on your side? No, I didn't. I've always been Agastya's man. I offed the guy because she told me to."

"So basically, Natasha indirectly killed him," I deduced.

He pondered for a moment, a twisted grin forming on his lips. "Hmm, yeah, you could say that. But isn't it all just a delightful mess?"

"Delightful mess, my ass," I scoffed, letting out a heavy sigh. "Just answer me this: is she still gunning for Sana?"

He pouted theatrically, a touch of madness flickering in his eyes. "I don't fucking know, man. She vanished after I did her dirty work with Arjun Das. No clue who or what she's got in her crosshairs now. You better keep your guard up."

"Why should I be worried?" I pressed, my nerves tingling with unease.

"Who knows who she'll target next, she's practically a ghost now. Vanished, faded, off the radar. Could be me next for all I know. But hey, wouldn't it be thrilling to be taken out by someone as ruthless as her?" He chuckled darkly, tracing imaginary lines on the floor with his fingers.

"Keep your masochistic fantasies in check around me," I warned sharply.

"Ah, your hatred towards me is almost charming," he muttered with a twisted grin. "So, where's my ice prince? He's usually glued to your side."

I shot him a glare. "Keep Kabir out of your mouth."

"Feeling a bit jealous, shortcake?" he taunted. "Is there finally something brewing between you two?"

"That's none of your damn business," I snapped back, my tone laced with irritation.

He chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, touchy, aren't we? But don't worry, I won't pry too much into your little secrets. After all, everyone has their own skeletons, don't they?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, a sense of unease creeping over me. "Just stay out of my personal life, Aditya. You don't want to mess with things you don't understand."

He leaned back, still grinning. "Oh, I love a good mystery. And your secrets seem particularly intriguing. But fine, I'll play nice... for now."

Frustration etched my face as I scanned the room, searching for the remote to turn on the television and catch Kabir's match. "Hey, turn the TV on," I instructed him.

He hummed nonchalantly. "I didn't realize I signed up to be your servant. When did that happen again?"

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Flipping a switch doesn't make you a servant, dude. But since I can't get up right now, a little help would be appreciated."

"Why the urgency to watch TV anyway?" He questioned, a smirk playing on his lips. "It's all garbage these days—fake news, poorly written dramas, and lazy movies."

"Just find the sports channel already," I snapped, watching as he casually flicked through channels until landing on the sports network.

The channel showed India batting first, with Kabir as one of the opening batsmen. His focused and determined expression caught my attention immediately.