f o u r
him-athletic-bo

Sara stood at the door, waiting for her husband as her leg shook.

"Shubman, we need to go today!" She shouted. "Today!" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm here, I'm here," he said, jogging up to her. He opened the door of shoe rack, scanning his pairs before choosing on one of his loafers.

"That was quick," Sara commented, suspiciously looking at him as he didn't waste time choosing a pair of shoes like any other day. "What are you going to delay us in now?" She added, pointing at him.

He rolled his eyes, pushing away her pointer finger.

"So I got a little late once, and I'm not late today. It's not doomsday tomorrow,"

"Boy, you got some nerve casually mentioning the doomsday," she said, her platform heels clicking against the marble floor as they walked out of the house, as the door slammed shut.

"Sara, I know that we aren't married married, but still....I wouldn't like my wife sounding like an American grandma," he said, as they walked down the stairs of their penthouse. Their sedan blinked as he clicked the car keys. She rolled her eyes, flashing a sarcastic smile at him.

"You are what all the girls call a red flag,"

"Well thank you girls," he coyly said, opening the door of the passenger seat for her.

🪷

The car came to a halt at the valet of the venue. Sara checked her face on the selfie camera of the phone, sharply inhaling as the valet boy opened the car door for her. This has to be a good night.

Shubman was already standing in front of the arm. Interlinking their arms, the couple walked in, both nervous due to their own reasons. Sara looked at the dinner party as an opportunity to socialise with the board and apex executives (The CEO, CFO, etc.) of the company. She had to stand out and make sure that her contributions were appreciated by her bosses. It was the perfect setting and she didn't want any slip up tonight.

Shubman, on the other hand was nervous to meet his wife's colleagues. He had met them before, and every meeting was nerve-wracking. They were all the geeks, the smarty-pants people, just like his wife, who was a BITS Pilani alum. It was difficult striking up conversations with them. He still remembered meeting her coworkers at the first office party they went to, together. It was the first place where he couldn't get away making conversations about sports.

The elevator buzzed as it opened. While Shubman was praying for the elevator to be empty, his wish was denied, as the elevator doors opened to quite some people. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sara smiling at them. He mirrored her actions, thinking it was the right thing to do.

As they stepped in the venue, his awkwardness increased. The room seemed busy, the sound of chitter-chatter, loud and noisy. Shubman gulped, but the woman by his side flashed a confident smile, gracefully strutting into the scene. The first person they talked to was the boss Sara reported to- Nalini Shah.

"Nailini, this is my husband- Shubman," Sara politely introduced him. "She's Nalini, my boss,"

"It's good to meet you, Shubman," Nailini held an aura of strength as she spoke. The two shook hands as he smiled at her, trying his best to shove away his jitters.

"The pleasure's all mine,"

While Sara and Nalini chatted about some corporate politics, discussing the rumours about the CEO's resignation, Shubman just lingered there, unsure about what to say or what to do. As Nalini walked away, Sara exhaled sharply.

"I think there's going to be another party soon,"she mumbled and he raised his brow. "A party for my promotion," her smile held a sense of victory and faith and he nodded.

"That's great, Sara. But when will they announce it? Today or what?" She shook her head.

"No, not today. Afterwards, there's still some time. I just have to play my cards right," she mumbled as she ran her finger over his arm, doodling abstract drawings.

"Oh! That's my colleague and his wife- Ajit and Sonali," she whispered as they saw a couple approaching them.

"Sara," Ajit acknowledged her and she nodded, smiling at him.

"Hello Ajit, hi Sonali," she greeted them.

"That's a lovely dress, Sara," Sonali was quick to compliment Sara's black bodycon dress.

"That's really kind of you, thank you. I love the saree," Sara replied.

"Anyway," Ajit breathed out, "Shubman, right?"

"Uh yes," Shubman was surprised at the sudden attention. "You're a cricketer, right?" He said and Shubman nodded, offering a tight lipped smile. Sonali gave a side-eye to her husband while Sara squinted her eyes.

"Really Ajit? You had to confirm? You didn't know him?" Sara pointedly asked. "Do you not use your tv or your phone? Have you isolated yourself from the world?"

"Well, one of my colleagues keeps on travelling the world with her popular husband, so I don't get the time for frolicking, you know? It's been almost a year since I sat down to watch a match," he said and Sara's nostrils flared in anger.

Calm down. Don't slap him.

Shubman was shocked at the bluntness of the man. He glanced at Sara, who chuckled.

"You're funny, Ajit," she commented and Ajit laughed too.

This was a...joke? No, right? No. And how dare he anyway? She's always glued to her laptop, working from wherever we go.

Ajit and Sonali walked and Sara turned to face her husband, her face contorted with anger.

"No time for frolicking my foot," she mumbled to herself. "Nahi, nahi. Mein hi gayi thi Ahmedabad iss saal, meri IPL ki premium tickets flex karke, GT ki jersey pehenke," (No, it was me, who went to Ahmedabad this year, after flexing about my premium IPL tickets and wearing a GT jersey) Sara muttered.

"Why do you hate each other?"

"It's either me or him getting that goddamn promotion, so..." she trailed off, still frowning. "God damn it, I hate him. He's so annoying and incompetent," she faintly said.

"And his wife? God, she's somehow worse," Sara continued. "I used to think she's nice, but she's so not nice. You saw what she said, na?"

Shubman's brows knit in confusion as he looked at Sara.

"...What? She, she...complimented you, didn't she?"

"Oh please, she complimented me, but did you see her eyes? How she scanned me too to bottom with her judgmental look and then talked. So annoying,"

Before Shubman could reply, Sara suddenly straightened her posture, her shoulders tensing.

"Oh, oh. There comes the MD India," she whispered and he nodded.

As Sara began talking to the middle aged man, Shubman slipped away after the greetings, knowing it was a professional conversation. He knew it was time to depart as soon as he heard the words 'AI'.

He made his way to the hors d'oeuvres table, grabbing a plate of appetisers. As he tossed a pineapple with cottage cheese in his mouth with a toothpick, a woman dressed in a slick red dress approached him.

"Hey," she smiled at him, as the waiter handed her a plate of appetisers.

Have I met her before?

"Hello," he politely replied.

"So, how do you like the party?" She asked and he just nodded, smiling uncomfortably. Why do I have to smile so much?

"It's...it's very good," he managed to speak.

"It must be a completely different scene for you," she commented and he laughed.

"I mean, yes. I didn't ever imagine myself partying with all the first benchers," he goofily grinned and the woman cackled loudly, slightly slapping his arm.

"Oh, you're so funny!"

He instantly stepped back a little, surprised at the familiarity the woman was sensing.

I don't even remember her.

From the corner of her eyes, Sara noticed the scene unfolding in front of her.

Why is Shanaya touching MY husband?

Sara maintained her composure, conversing with her boss. As soon as she was done, she approached her husband who was standing across Shanaya.

"Hey," Sara smiled, leaning against him arm. "What you guys talking about?" She asked in a higher voice. Shubman was surprised at the gesture but didn't say anything.

"Oh nothing, just getting to know each other a little," Shanaya flickered her eyes.

"That's nice, but I'd have to steal your new buddy," she straightened herself, "Mahesh wants to meet my husband," she said and Shanaya almost squirmed under Sara's gaze.

"Yeah, I'll leave you to it," Shanaya hastily said, scurrying away. Sara scoffed, turning to face him.

"She was flirting with you," she pointed out and he uncomfortably smiled.

"...Yeah, I...noticed,"

"Why did you let her?"

"I-I did not, I...stepped away and I didn't even really respond to whatever she was talking!" He stuttered, trying to justify himself. "I just..just didn't want to create a scene and ruin things for you,"

"Whatever," she mumbled.

"Sara, I'm married to you. I'm yours," he calmly said. "I'm just really nervous here and I did not know that woman, I thought maybe she could be one of your superiors who could screw you over," he said. "And most importantly, I did not indulge with her. She just kept on talking and talking while I kept on trying to find ways to end the conversation,"

But Sara hadn't listened to his explanation. Her mind remained stuck on his line 'I'm yours'.

He isn't mine.

"I...I'm not jealous or anything," she replied hastily and he noticed how flustered she seemed. "I just don't want people gossiping," she quickly added and he sighed.

"...Alright," he paused. "No one will think that your husband is interested in someone else, I'll take care of that," he said, wrapping his arm around her.

Sara felt her cheeks tint with a pink colour as the two waltzed back into the party. The rest of the evening was smooth as Shubman mingled well with Sara's coworkers and superiors.

The night came to an end. The keys jingled as Shubman opened the door, and a very sleepy Sara walked in sleepily. He tossed the keys in the bowl while Sara plopped onto the couch.

"So tonight was nice," she mumbled and he nodded, sitting beside her.

"It kinda was," he replied.

"Kinda?" She questioned, tilting her head.

"Well, in all honesty, I always feel stupid around your geeky friends," he confessed. "Like a trophy husband or what do they call it?" He paused. "A bimbo! Yeah, I feel like a bimbo,"

"A himbo," Sara said.

"What?"

"Bimbos are girls, himbos are boys," she said.

"...Well can I be a him-athletic-bo?" He wiggled his eyebrows and Sara laughed at his little joke.

"You could, but you aren't a him-athletic-bo, Shubman" she said. "You're smart,"

"I mean, not just about cricket, but you also know so much about every sport. Like, you knew every rule of almost every game while we were watching the Olympics,"

"I like the olympics, yeah," he mumbled.

"You also knew a little about whatever American football is and told me about it when I was curious about Travis Kelce," she said and he nodded.

"You know about the money you earn, invest and spend. What else do you need to know, my trophy husband?" She asked, laughing and he smiled.

"Wow, itni tareef. Sapna hai kya?" (Wow, that's high praise. Am I dreaming?) he asked and she nodded, leaning in closer to him.

"Savour it, won't happen often," she whispered, her face quite close to his. He simply nodded and she got up, skipping away to her room.

As Sara disappeared, he let out the breath he had been holding, exhaling loudly.

"You're going to be the death of me, Gill,"

A/N: POV- when he's not so subtly confessing, but you have to make sure that he doesn't think you're jealous :)

How was the chapter? Next couple of chapters are way too dramatic, just saying.