Neeti and I were roommates in hostel. It was during the second semester that IPL came. Kolkata has its own team. Kolkata, unlike Baroda, gets 7 matches every season.

The very second match of IPL is KKR vs SRH, in Eden. Neeti is over the moon. She has never visited a live cricket stadium, and she's not going to let this opportunity go by.

"I don't want to go," I protested. There are a lot of things I'd rather do. "You go with Anjan and Raj." They were in her Bio department.

"You have to come!" she cried. "Stadium atmosphere, yaar! You'll love it!"

I sniffed.

"There's Bhuvi too. You like him right?" coaxed Neeti.

Well, I think Bhuvi is really sweet. He looks too sweet, anyway. But I don't like him enough to waste an entire evening, and I tell Neeti so.

"Bhuvneshwar Kumar is so ADORABLE!" she shrieked, trying to imitate me. I roll my eyes in disgust.

"Come on, Allie, Abhi also said he'll come. Old friends, right?"

I finally gave in.

We got the tickets, and finally the day arrived. 24th March, 2019.

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Neeti was right, the stadium atmosphere is really electric. It was full of people as mad as Neeti is.

Abhi and I are much more calm. We don't scream and jump as much as everyone around us seem to do.

SRH was batting first.

Every time a KKR fielder came near our block, the crowd around us screams his name.

"RINKU!" "LYNN!" All get good cheers.

"KULDEEP!!" The loudest cheer was reserved for Indian chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.

Then someone with jersey number 77 came.

Neeti was beside herself. "SHUBMAAAAN!" she shrieked so loudly that I covered my ears.

"So this is Shubman Gill," I whispered to Abhi.

All the girls around us started shouting his name.

Shubman turned around for a moment and waved.

I froze.

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. I felt the entire world go silent around me.

What's wrong with me? I don't have any idea...

All I know is that I want Shubman to look back just once more.

What is he, some kind of Greek God?? How could someone look SO DAMN PERFECT? And so appealing...so enchanting...

How could an unknown person make me forget the world around me?

"Alisha? What's wrong?" asked Abhi. See, even he noticed!

"Nothing," I muttered. "Going to bring some food."

"Shall I come with you?" he offered.

"Arey yaar, it's just few steps away. I'll manage," I tell him with a forced smile.

I need to get away.

Near the food stalls, I hastily open my phone and search Shubman Gill in Google.

I have no idea of time and place as I devour everything I can read about him, his city, height, family, birthday (he's only a few months older than me!) and girlfriends.

There's a rumour that SRK's daughter Suhana has it for him.

I feel a boiling rage towards her, which I can't attribute to anything logical.

No, falling for a cricketer when I barely watch cricket is not logical.

Nothing about it is logical.