Queen

Ch 4 : Unexpected Meetings

The sun hung low in the sky as Smriti Mandhana stepped onto the nets, her mind focused on perfecting her technique and honing her skills. It was a routine practice session like any other, or so she thought.

As Smriti took her stance at the crease, ready to face the bowler's delivery, a sudden twinge of pain shot through her side. Ignoring the discomfort, she pressed on, determined to push through the discomfort and continue her training.

But fate had other plans. With one ill-timed movement, Smriti felt a sharp stab of agony shoot through her leg, forcing her to collapse to the ground in agony. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks—she had injured herself, and it was serious.

With the help of her teammates, Smriti was ushered off the field and into the care of the team physio, who confirmed her worst fears—a torn ligament that would require weeks of rehabilitation to heal. That crosses the New Zealand tour out of the list.

It was hard for Smriti to keep up, but as days turned into weeks, she embarked on her journey of recovery, each step a painful reminder of the injury that had sidelined her from the game she loved. It was during one of her sessions in the rehab facility's dining hall that she had her first encounter with Harleen Deol.

As the grueling practice session came to an end, Harleen Deol felt a familiar pang of hunger gnawing at her stomach. With a weary sigh, she made her way to the mess hall, her mind already conjuring images of the hearty stew that awaited her.

The aroma of the stew filled the air, tantalizing her senses as she approached the counter. With a grateful smile, she scooped a generous portion onto her plate, savoring the warmth and comfort it promised.

Balancing her laden plate precariously, Harleen navigated her way through the bustling mess hall, her eyes scanning the crowded room for an empty table. But before she could reach her destination, fate intervened in the form of a collision.

She collided with someone, the impact jolting her out of her thoughts and sending a wave of confusion and embarrassment washing over her. As she regained her bearings, her eyes fell upon the other girl—Smriti Mandhana.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still as Harleen found herself captivated by the sight before her. Despite the chaos of the collision, she couldn't tear her gaze away from Smriti, her heart skipping a beat at the mere sight of her. Not that she hasn't seen the person before but seeing her face to face, it was surreal!

As the initial shock wore off, Harleen noticed a subtle wince of pain flicker across Smriti's features, her irritation palpable amidst the chaos of the mess hall. It was then that Harleen regained her senses, her natural instinct for empathy kicking in.

With a lighthearted smile and a playful quip, she sought to diffuse the tension and offer a helping hand to the injured party. "Looks like we've stew-pidly collided, haven't we?" she joked, extending a hand to assist Smriti to her feet.

Smriti on the other hand covered in a mess of stew and embarrassment glanced up, her eyes met those of the other girl. Despite the chaos of the moment, Smriti couldn't help but notice the playful glint in her eyes.

Before Smriti could even utter a word, Harleen broke the tension with another joke about the spilled stew, now Harleen was a bit sceptical about the situation. The name Smriti Mandhana held a huge gravity in her world. And here Harleen was meeting her for the first time in such a messy way! But anyhow hearing a surprised laugh from Smriti, took all her worries away.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Smriti found herself smiling at Harleen's unexpected humor. As she looked down at the mess on the floor, Smriti realized with a pang of guilt that it was Harleen's food that lay scattered at her feet. With a sheepish grin, she offered a quick apology for the collision, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

But before she could dwell on her embarrassment any longer, Smriti saw Harleen's world winning smile of reassurance, offering her solace. Grateful for the gesture, she accepted Harleen's helping hand, feeling a surge of warmth and connection amidst the chaos of the mess hall.

And in that moment, as they stood side by side amidst the spilled stew and shared laughter, Smriti couldn't help but feel the long forgotten peace that she once craved for!