The sun had barely risen over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the cricket ground. The SRH team was already gathered, going through their morning drills. Amidst the chaos, two players stood out - not for their cricketing skills, but for the secret they shared.
Abhishek Sharma, or Abhi as he was fondly known, walked onto the field, his eyes scanning the area for a familiar face. He spotted Pat Cummins, the team captain, standing tall and imposing, his sharp eyes watching over the team.
What nobody knew was that Abhi and Pat were more than just teammates. They were secretly married, and the weight of that secret was crushing them.
Every night, Abhi would sneak into Pat's room, located on the higher floor of the hotel, reserved exclusively for the captain. The room was a suite, with a separate living area and a balcony overlooking the city.
Abhi would tiptoe into the room, careful not to make a sound, and slip into bed beside Pat. They would spend the night wrapped in each other's arms, stealing kisses and whispers whenever they could.
But come morning, Abhi would have to sneak back to his own room, located on the lower floor with the other players. Pat couldn't risk being seen leaving Abhi's room, not when he was the captain and had to maintain a certain image.
As the days went by, the strain of keeping their secret was beginning to show. Abhi and Pat were struggling to hide their marriage, constantly looking over their shoulders, afraid of being caught.
But for now, they had to keep up the charade. Abhi took a deep breath, pasted a smile on his face, and joined the team for their morning practice.
Little did anyone know, the real practice was happening behind closed doors, in the secret life of Abhi and Pat.
But according to Abhi, their secret marriage was hard to guess or suspect. Pat was known as the most focused and cold person in the team, showing minimalistic emotions to others. He was the captain, after all, and had to maintain a certain image.
As Abhi went through the drills of the day - running, batting practice, and fielding exercises - he couldn't help but think about how well Pat had everyone fooled. Nobody suspected that beneath that tough exterior, Pat had a soft spot for him.
Once practice was over, Abhi sat with his friends, laughing and joking around. He avoided sitting with Pat, not wanting to raise any suspicions. But as he chatted with Mayank, another player from SRH, he could feel Pat's eyes on him.
It wasn't like Pat never looked at him; Abhi was used to catching Pat's gaze during practice or team meetings. But when he was with Mayank, he could feel Pat's eyes boring holes into him. Abhi knew Pat had always been a bit possessive, but he also suspected that Pat harbored a deep-seated mistrust of Mayank.
Abhi had always brushed it off as mere paranoia, but now, as he felt Pat's intense gaze, he wondered if there was more to it. Was Pat really worried that Mayank had feelings for him? Abhi's heart skipped a beat as he met Pat's gaze, his eyes locking onto Pat's piercing stare.
Abhi's thoughts drifted back to Mayank, and he couldn't help but chuckle. He knew Mayank had no ill intentions towards him; they were best friends, after all. They shared their secrets, their fears, and their dreams with each other. But, of course, Abhi had kept his marriage to Pat a secret, even from Mayank.
Abhi thought about Pat's behavior, how protective he was, how he could sense someone's ill intentions towards Abhi from miles away. It had happened a few times before, and Pat hadn't hesitated to step in, to defend Abhi. Abhi rolled his eyes good-naturedly; he knew Pat couldn't help it.
Just then, Mayank and the other guys shook him out of his reverie.
"Kahan khoya hua tha?" Mayank asked, laughing.
