Fixing the forward

The buzzing of my alarm felt like a personal attack .

I groaned , burying my face deeper into the thick , warm sanctuary of my winter blankets. " Oh God , i hate waking up early . especially in this weather." the chilly sydney winter air waiting outside my duvet was freezing , making the urge to stay bundled up and sleep forever incredibly tempting

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A fist pounded violently against my bedroom door , completely shattering the morning quiet .

"Wake up , siya! I have a match today" my older brother Arjun's voice boomed through the wood. "If you don't come downstairs in half an hour, we are leaving without you!"

My eyes snapped wide open , oh , shit . The match!

I had totally forgotten about Arjun's big game. Panicking, i threw off the covers, instantly Shivering as the cold air hit my skin, and bolted towards the closet. It was a whirlwind of flying sweaters, misplaced soacks, chaotic energy. somehow through sheer adrenaline, i managed to pull myself together in record time.

Exactly twenty-five minutes later, i practically flew down the stairs, breathless but fully dressed.

"I'm here!" I gasped, skidding into the kitchen. "So sorry, Arjun! But look , i got ready in just twenty-five minutes, so let's go!"

Mom looked up from the stove, a spatula in hand and an amused smile on her face. "And what about breakfast, young lady ?"

"Come on, mom, we are getting late," i insisted already reaching for the front door key's. "I'll just grab a toast or something on the way."

Arjun was leaning casually against the kitchen counter, sipping a warm mug of coffee with a massive, victorious smirk on his face. He checked his watch, "we are not getting late. You can have your breakfast."

I blinked, staring at him . "What ?"

"You're never on time." He shrugged, entirely unbothered by my brewing anger, "so i just woke u up early and told you We were late. Works every time."

I gaped at him, feeling utterly betrayed. " Wow . Unbelievable. I rushed for nothing ?"

Before i could grab kitchen towel to throw at his head , chachu walked into the room, his car keys jingling. "Everybody ready ?"

"Yeah !" The whole house echoed back.

Mom pointed a finger at the dining table. "Okay , sit down and have some breakfast then, siya."

"Okay , mom ," i muttered, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table.

Just then, dad walked into the dining room, smelling faintly of clean linen and coffee. He smiled warmly, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Good morning, princess."

"Morning, Dad." I beamed

He walked over to mom, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind to plant a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Morning, beutiful."

Right on cue, the front door clicked open, and a familiar voice called out before the door even closed.

"Look at them , all lovey dovey at this age!" veer stepped into the dining room, a teasing grin plastered across his face. He pointed a finger at arjun. "And look at you mate, all alone without a girlfriend at your age."

I immediately fired back, raising a eyebrow at veer. "You're the one to talk . look at you . Totally single."

Mom turned around from the stove , swatting my shoulder gently, "you're misunderstanding him, siya. Veer could get any girl he wants. Just look at how handsome and charming he is!"

My jaw dropped. "I literally just took your side, mom!"

I glared at veer, who was practically glowing under mom's praise. He leaned against the doorframe crossing his arms. "Wow. How are you actually on time today, siya ? Did the sun rise from the north or what ?"

I stared at him blankly. "Was that supposed to be joke ?"

"Yes actually. It was ," veer smriked

"Ha.ha.ha ." I gave him the driest, most sarcastic laugh i could muster." Very bad joke"

Arjun chuckled, looking up from his plat . "Did you have your breakfast yet . Veer ?"

"Nah, not yet ," veer replied

" Come join us then, son," chachu offered gesturing to the empty chair right next to mine .

Of course, out of all the seats at the table , veer chose that one . He slid into the chair , leaning in just a fraction closer to me. "You're looking amazing today, siya ," he murmed with the a playful smrik.

"Hey, don't flirt with my sister, bro ," Arjun warned , pointing a fork threateningly at him from across the table.

Veer rolled his eyes , completely unfazed . "I'm not flirting with your sister, I'm flirting with my bestfriend." He leaned in closer toward me , casually draping his hand over back of my chair , and threw me a playful wink.

"Then don't flirt with her in front of me." Arjun grumbled.

I couldn't help but giggle, nudging Arjun's arm. "Aw, look, someone is being a protective big brother."

"Shut up , siya ," Arjun muttered, through a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I turned my attention back to the boy sitting next to me . "For the record, you look amazingly pathetic Today, veer."

"Well , thank you, bestie ," Veer winked

We exchanged matching, sugary - sweert fake smiles , holding the stare for a second before we both broke out laughing and finally dug into our breakfast.

Once breakfast was over the house fell into its familiar , well coordinated rhythem . Mom and dad took over the kitchen, chatting quietly they had to head out for their own long shifts at Sydney central private.

Meanwhile , the boys were already in full game mode . Chachu who wasn't just my uncle but also the head coach of their team , was already lecturing Arjun and veer about their defensive strategy as they grabbed their gear bags .

"We are Heading out , siya !" Arjun called out ,, tossing his heavy duffed bag over his shoulder."Don't be late to the arena !"

"I won't !" I promised

They piled into chachu's car , leaving the driveway with the faint sound of pre-game rock music drifting from their Open window.

Instead of joining them , i grabbed my own car keys from the hook by the door . Because i had a hospital posting at Sydney central private immediately after the match, i had to drive myself. there was no room for error today. I have to be at the hospital the exact minute my shift starts , largely because i was currently the assistant of the most terrifyingly punctual doctor on the planet : Dr.marcus holt .

As i unlocked my car and tossed my bag into the passenger seat , i let out a heavy, dramatic sigh.

Uff it wasn't this hard during my BPT , i thought, gripping the steering wheel as i backed out of the driveway. Why does DPT have to be so brutal?

During my bachelor's,things had felt so much more relaxed. Now , studying for my doctorate of physical therapy felt like a never ending cycle of high pressure exams , strict supervisors , and exhausting clinical hours . But as i turned onto the main road towards the ice arena , i shook the stress out of my shoulders

Today is about arjun and veer , i have a match to watch , a opposite team to help cheer down , and a brother & bestfriend to support. The hospital stress can wait for a few hours.

I pulled into the crowded parking lot of the arena , grabed my bag, and hurried inside . The blast of freezing air from the ice rinks hit Me immediately, a sharp contrast to the humid sydney morning

Normally i have to fight the massive crowd for a decent seat , however my chachu is the head coach , i have a vip pass that let me bypass the stands entirely. I can stand right at the rinkside barrier next to him. But as i made my way down the winding concrete corridors towards the rink , i stopped. I should probably wish Arjun and veer good luck first , I thought. A smile tugging at my lips .

Instead of heading straight to chachu , i took a sharp turn to the locker room.

That was my absolute, colossal, life- altering mistake.

Distracted by the loud , thumping music echoing through the hallways, i grabbed the handle of the nearest heavly metal door and swang it wide open , stepping right inside.

"Hey , good luck--"

The words died in my throat.

Time literally froze .

Instead of arjun and veer sitting in their usual home jerseys, i was greeted by a sea of tall, heavily buit men in the middle of the changing, and by changing, i mean completely undressed .

My eyes widened in sheer , unadulterated horror. I saw chest hair , thigh muscle, and ...... So many penises

"OH MY GOD !" i shrieked , instantly slamming my eyes shut and spinning around on my heel so fast that i almost tripped over my own sneakers.

The entire locker room erupted into a mix of startled curses, rough laughter, and rustling fabric. My face felt hot enough to melt the ice on the rink outside.

"I'm sorry! I am so, so sorry !" I forgot to check the team name plate on the door! I'm leaving, I'm so sorry !"

I fumble blindly for the doorknob, desperate to escape before i died of embarrassment.

"Are you lost ?"

A firm heavy, incredibly deep voice sliced through the chaotic noise of the room. It came from somewhere near the back corner, sounding utterly calm , completely guarded , and undeniably dominant.

I kept my back turned, refusing to open my eyes or face the room , "i... I'm Arjun's sister." I stammered , my voice sounding way higher than usual .

A brief , heavy silence fell over the room .

" Our rivals sister " the deep voice murmured. There was a dangerous, cynical edge to it now .

I rolled my eyes my embarrassment briefly giving way to annoyance at his attitude. "Rival ? It's just a game " i retorted to the wall .

"You should go ." The voice replied, cold and dismissive.

"Gladly !" I snapped

I finally found the handle , threw the door open , and practically sprinted down the corridor . My cheeks were burning , a bright, furious red as i rushed towards the ice rink to find chachu .

"Ugh, how incredibly rude !" I muttered to myself