Soon after, Ishan's teammates gathered around, their faces etched in concern, he could sense the camaraderie that bound them together. "Are you okay?" Bumrah asked, his voice laced with genuine worry. The atmosphere slightly shifted as Hardik, who had thrown the ball stepped forward, his expression a mix of remorse and anxiety.

"I'm really sorry," he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I didn't mean that to happen." There was sincerity in Hardik's eyes, a deep regret. In that instant, despite the tension, everyone felt warmth of understanding wash over them. It was a reminder that in the world of sports, mistakes happen, but the way they all stood by each other mattered.

Ishan took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside him. "It's okay," he finally replied, a small smile on his face despite the lingering pain. "I know you didn't mean it." His voice was steady but he could feel the adrenaline coursing through him.

As he looked around at his teammates, Ishan felt a surge of appreciation for their support. "Honestly, I'm glad it wasn't worse." He added, trying to lighten up the mood. The tension broke as laughter filled the room.

"Let's focus on the next game," Rohit said, feeling a sense of determination. "We have got this."

With that, they pushed the incident aside, ready to move forward and face the challenges ahead.

—

Aditi's mind wandered, her thoughts consumed by Ishan's injury. She couldn't shake off the image of his battered face, the swollen eye, and the pain etched on his features. Worry gnawed at her, making it impossible to focus on her practice.

As she stood on the stage, rehearsing her lines for the upcoming pageant,  Aditi felt helpless, unable to do anything but wait for Ishan's recovery.

"Aditi, are you okay?" her choreographer asked, concern lacing her voice. "You seem distracted."

She took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. "I'm fine. Just a little preoccupied."

But her choreographer's words barely registered. Aditi was wondering if he was in pain, if he was thinking of her too.

"Why did this have to happen now?  What if he doesn't recover in time? What if...?"

Aditi's practice ended early, the staffs sending her home to clear her head.

—

Ishan entered his hotel room, the exhaustion of the day weighed heavily on him. He decided to freshen up for comfort. However, his mind was still occupied with the event that had happened on the field.

Just as he was settled in for the night, Ishan's phone rang, breaking the silence. Seeing Aditi's name on the screen, he felt a mix of relief and concern. Answering it, he could sense the worry in her voice.

Aditi's voice cut through the silence. "Ishan! How are you?"

Ishan's voice filled the line, "I'm doing good. Just a bit battered."

"You know, i couldn't even focus today because I was too busy worrying about you!" Aditi said, her words laced with hurt.

Before Ishan could say something, Aditi vented out her frustrations. Her voice laced with worry and a bit of anger.

"I can't believe Hardik sir would throw the ball like that! It was reckless." Each of her word filled with exasperation, her concern transforming into a fierce protectiveness felt suffocating.

Ishan could feel the tension rising in his chest, a mixture of irritation and a need to defend Hardik. Silence hung in the air for a moment before Aditi started speaking again.

"I didn't wanted to see you get hurt. It's hard to watch you like that. Do you know?" Aditi said, a bit of hurt in her voice.

Her concern was palpable, but it felt like a storm brewing. "I appreciate that you care, but it's not helping to lash out at him," Ishan said, trying to keep his voice calm. "We all make mistakes, and I need you to trust me."

The line crackled with tension as they exchanged heated words. "You don't get it, do you?" Aditi snapped. "It's not about playing around with a ball, it's about your safety. You could have really gotten hurt."

"And you think yelling at me is going to change things? It was a mistake! Understand," Ishan's words came out sharper than he intended. "He's my senior, someone I respect a lot."

Aditi sighed, hurt etched across her face. "I am trying to look out for you! Why can't you see that?" Her voice cracked slightly, revealing the vulnerability.

It was like a dagger to Ishan's heart, for a moment, he softened, the tension in his body reducing but the exhaustion was still there, gnawing at him, and he felt the weight of the day pressing harder on him.

"And, you didn't wear your helmet! Do you understand how dangerous that is?" Aditi said.

Ishan rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Rohit Bhaiya already lectured me about it. I don't need a second round from you too."

"That's not the point!" Aditi shot back, her voice rising. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

Ishan sighed, realising that beneath her anger was a fear. He ran a had through his hair and explained, "I get that, but I don't need to feel like I am failing."

The words hung, as they both heard each other on the call. Aditi took a deep breath. "I trust you, but I feel you are not taking things seriously."

"Look," he said, his tone shifting, "I am too tired for this right now. Can we just hang up and talk tomorrow? I need to rest properly and prepare for the next match." His plae hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions.

Aditi shook her head, her eyes flashing with anger and concern. Just as she was about to reply, she heard the line go silent. Blankly, she stared at her phone, emotions swirling inside her as their heated exchange replayed in her mind. Both of them lashing out, by the frustrations of their own bad days.

She felt a bit of regret wash over her. The silence on the other end felt suffocating, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that the slight argument had pushed them apart instead of having a conversation, to relax themselves.

Taking a deep breath, Aditi realised they both needed to calm down and communicate better. She just hoped he would understand that was never about not caring, but about their emotions bubbling up.

She held her head in her hands as she couldn't shake off the lingering anger from their conversation. With a sigh, she decided to just let it go.

She got up, turned off the lights and plopped down on bed. As she closed her eyes, she tried to push her thoughts away.

—

After their heated session, Ishan threw his phone onto the bed, letting it bounce against the fabric as he sank down, resting his head on his knees. He let out a deep sigh, filled with frustration and confusion. Aditi's angry voice replayed in his mind, making his chest tighten with a sense of helplessness.

What hurt more was how she had turned her anger towards Hardik. Ishan tried to explain, to make her see that it was just a mistake. But her accusation echoed in his mind. Her inability to see the truth left him feeling misunderstood.

Ishan shrugged it off, muttering to himself, "She wouldn't talk to me anyways." But as the frustration rose, he made a decision. He would focus on his recovery, on getting back to the game.

He pushed himself up and walked to the washbasin. He caught a glimpse of himself and leaned in closer. The sight of his swollen eye made him frown. But trying to keep things light, he  brushed his emotions aside and decided to get back to his game.

—

That night, Aditi tossed and turned in her bed, her mind racing with thoughts. Every time she tried to sleep, a wave of regret wash over her. The anger she had released seemed so stupid now, almost childish. "What was I thinking?" She whispered to herself. All she wanted was to check on him, to see how he was doing but instead she had turned a normal call into a dramatic one, forcing a tiff between them.

Feeling restless, she moved out to the balcony, the cool air wrapping around her, the stars calmly twinkling. As she leaned against the railing, Aditi let out a sigh. With each exhale, she felt a bit of tension melt away.

That moment, in the tranquility of the night, she was beginning to calm down her racing thoughts, and she made a decision. In the morning, she would call Ishan and apologize. It was time to accept her mistake and to respect his perspective.

Aditi finally allowed herself to believe that tomorrow would be full of hopes.

—

The next morning.

Ishan hurriedly freshened up, the cool water splashing on his face woke him up completely. He went downstairs and quickly had a breakfast of toast and a cup of tea. As he checked his phone, he noticed no texts or calls from Aditi and he knew why. Not wanting to dwell on it, he stowed his phone into his bag and rushed out.

When he arrived at the practice ground, his teammates greeted him and asked about his injury. Ishan could see the worry in their eyes but as they noticed a visible improvement, the atmosphere lightened.

After warming up, Ishan grabbed his bat and stepped to the nets. The sounds of laughter and chatter from his teammates became a distant buzz and all that mattered was the game.

With each swing, Ishan gave his all into the practice, pushing aside the thoughts that had bothered him just an hour ago. For a while, everything felt right again.

—

Aditi took a moment to freshen up. She splashed water on her face, feeling the droplets awaken her senses. She reached for her favorite cleanser, letting its scent calm her mind.

After rinsing, she grabbed a towel and patted her face. She then reached for her comb and brushed her hair, styling it back into a ponytail. She took a glance in the mirror and it revealed a natural glow on her face that made her smile.

She then walked to the dining area and joined her fellow contestants for the breakfast. They discussed their schedules and exchanged stories.

She savoured the taste of her toasted bread. The worries of the competition faded into the background, replaced by the lighthearted banter around her. Feeling uplifted, she decided it was time to head to the gym.

As Aditi made her way to the gym, the argument pulled her back to the night before, each word echoing in her mind. She felt a pang of guilt, realising how their frustrations had spilled over into sharp words.

Looking out of the window, Aditi let the city landscapes move by, the bustling life around her a reminder of how alive everything felt. Determined to mend the tiff, she made up her mind to call him as soon as she reach the gym.

After half an hour, she found herself outside the gym, the familiar infrastructure bringing a small smile to her face. She opened the door, the cool air inside wrapped around her. The faint music filled the space as it distracted her from the thoughts about Ishan.

As she stepped inside, Aditi's mind wandered around Ishan again. She quickly placed her bag down on the wooden floor, her fingers slightly trembling with a bit of anticipation. Fishing out her phone, she opened her call log and dialed Ishan's number. Each ring echoed in her ears, an urgency to connect and mend the gap that had formed between them.

But as the rings continued, a sense of fear began to creep in. The line suddenly went silent and she felt disappointed. "Seems like I have to wait, he must be practicing." She thought, trying to acknowledge the situation. She paced a little, glancing at the familiar faces of fellow gym goers, but they felt like shadows in her mind.

The gym, usually a place of strength for her, now felt charged with emotions. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. She realised that she needed to be patient. Perhaps this was a moment to gather her thoughts before reaching out again.

—

After three hours of continuous practice, the coaches finally called for a break. Ishan set his bat down, wiped the sweat from his face and joined his teammates in a discussion about the game. In that moment, Aditi didn't cross his mind. His focus was on the game and the strategies they were discussing.

As they talked about everything, Ishan felt a  sense of contentment wash over him. The adrenaline from practice still coursed through his veins and he was grateful for that. Deep down, though, he knew he had to reach out to Aditi.

For now, he allowed himself to be absorbed in the moment, enjoying the banter. But as the break wore on, he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to talk about what happened between them. It was just a matter of time before he would pick up his phone and reach out.