Rhea's fingers hovered over her keyboard, the cursor blinking like a heartbeat she hadn't yet caught up with.
"Proposal: Project Kinetic - Mental Health & Mindfulness"
Her coffee had gone cold. Her cereal soggy. She didn't care.
Below the subject line, an outline was slowly taking shape - clinics, workshops, partnerships, outreach.
She chewed the edge of her pen. It felt... too big. Too bold.
But wasn't that the point?
---
Flashback - Two Days Earlier, Gujarat Titans Training Facility
Ashish had leaned against the locker, a towel slung over his shoulder, skimming one of her post-match debrief sheets. "This is brilliant work, you know?"
Rhea tilted her head. "You say that every time I make you journal."
"Yeah, because you've tricked the toughest boys in Indian cricket into opening up about feelings." He grinned. "Now that's psychology."
She laughed, but he sobered slightly.
"Don't keep this small, Rhea. You've got something here. Something bigger than just one team."
That sentence had echoed ever since. Every night. Every time she doubted.
---
Shubman strolled out of the bedroom, shirtless and damp from a shower, rubbing his towel into his hair. "You're staring at that screen like it owes you money."
Rhea didn't look away. "Do you think it's too soon to start something of my own?"
He blinked. "No. I think it's exactly on time."
She finally turned. "I want to build a sports-focused mental health collective. Not just elite cricket. Schools, women's leagues, under-19 circuits, coaches, even parents. Real psychological intervention - not just motivational posters in locker rooms."
He dropped the towel and walked to her, kneeling beside her chair.
"Rhea, if anyone can change how India thinks about athlete wellness, it's you. You don't wait for a green signal. You are the signal."
Her throat caught. "I'm scared."
"Then do it scared. I'll be beside you."
---
Later That Day - Therapy Journal, Entry #17
"This isn't about fixing anyone. It's about giving athletes a language for what their bodies have always known - pressure hurts. Grief hides. Nerves speak. But no one listens. Project Kinetic isn't a clinic. It's a compass."
---
The air smelled like rain and basil. Rhea sat cross-legged with her journal, scribbling under the title:
Project Kinetic: Movement for the Mind
She whispered her thoughts aloud, letting the wind carry them.
Mumbai HQ - launch center
One-on-one + group therapy formats
Weekly coach-parent workshops
Emergency response helpline for injured or benched players
Online archive of multilingual resources
Behind her, Shubman emerged with two steaming mugs. "You're building an army of resilience."
She smiled. "I'm just hoping one scared kid sees this and doesn't feel alone."
He gently handed her his steel tumbler. "You're not alone either."
---
Instagram Soft Launch - Posted by @rheamerchant
📸: A sepia-toned photo of a handwritten project plan with words underlined:
"What if the mind got a locker room too?"
💬 Caption: Mental health belongs in every dugout, locker room, and training field.
Coming soon. #ProjectKinetic
---
Cut to - The DMs Blow Up
@ishan_kishan: Okay this is fire. Can I sponsor snacks for your workshops tho? Asking for scientific reasons.
@abhishekh29: Sign me up. My sister's college team could really use something like this.
@virat.kohli: Much needed. If you need guest speakers, you've got me and Anushka.
@shahneel_gill: So proud of you Riri. Can I volunteer? I make decent tea and better playlists.
@shubmangill (private DM):
Can I be the first client? I hear the founder's really cute.
---
Rhea lay curled into Shubman's side, his arm draped lazily over her waist, his breathing steady.
She whispered, "I think... I finally believe in something again. In myself."
He pressed his lips to her forehead.
"Good. Because I've never stopped."
YOU ARE READING
almost, Always.
FanfictionA Shubman Gill fanfiction There are some people you never really get over. Not because you still love them-sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But because what happened between you and them carved something so deep, even time walks around it car...
