Shubman Gill, the well-known Indian cricketer, was tucked away in a dimly lit corner of a high-end club in Mumbai. The music was loud, the crowd buzzing with energy, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just… there. His best friend KP was too busy cozying up with his girlfriend to really talk, leaving Shubman to sip his drink and scroll idly through his phone.

That’s when he noticed you.

You’d been laughing and dancing with your friends, your energy lighting up the room in a way that tugged his attention more than he expected. For over ten minutes now, he’d found himself stealing glances at you between sips of his drink — the way you threw your head back when you laughed, the way your hands moved when you talked, animated and alive.

And then, like fate had some plans, you started walking toward the bar — toward him. He sat up a little straighter, pretending to casually glance away, but his eyes followed your every move. You were clearly tipsy, cheeks flushed with a mix of alcohol and laughter. You leaned against the counter beside him, grinning to yourself as you waited for the bartender.

But just as you shifted your weight, your heel caught slightly and you stumbled forward. Without even thinking, Shubman reached out, steadying you by the shoulder with a firm but gentle grip.

“Hey— careful, careful,” he said, his voice low but warm, that half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his eyes met yours for the first time up close.