Shubman finally got the much-awaited call after hours of staring at his phone, fingers crossed.

"How was it?" he demanded.

"Well." Ishan didn't sound quite normal. "I don't think our language has words to do justice to how bad it was."

Shubman laughed. "Joking about bad things, I see."

"I'm not joking," said Ishan. "I am actually serious. I can't explain it to you...."

"It's okay, one day was optimistic," said Shubman, hoping he sounded comforting. "Give it a few more days."

"There's no point. I could try till the end of our lives and they would still be the same about it."

Ishan definitely didn't sound normal.

"How are they about it?" asked Shubman, gently.

"I don't want to tell you, Shubi, it's so...."

"Please tell me."

Ishan was quiet, then said, "All right. If that what it takes to convince you, all right. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Shubman frowned.

"All right." Ishan took an audible breath. "The time they first confronted me about that photo, they asked if you drugged me or forced me. Then they thought it was me seeking attention because you'd just become captain. Today, they said...." Ishan recited as if from a memory he couldn't erase. "Shubman knows he has the power over a stupid person like you and he can do anything. He dropped you from the team for one bad series, which was bad also because he had your head turned and messed up...."

Ishan stopped, breathing heavily and tearfully.

Shubman was stunned into silence for a long while.

"I-I always thought they were fond of me," he said.

"That was before they found out, right?"

"But my parents....my parents never said anything like that about you...they just harped on about how we're both a bit mistaken-"

"Your parents are a damn sight nicer than mine!" exploded Ishan. "I would do anything to have parents like yours!"

Shubman was beginning to feel much the same.

He couldn't imagine his mother or father saying things like that.

God, he was lucky.

"I'm...really sorry you have endure all that, Ishu," he said finally. "I'm really, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I wish I could deal with it for you...but I don't wish my parents...."

Shubman trailed off.

"So," said Ishan. "It's no good. We are doomed. And there is only one option left for us."

Somehow Shubman didn't like that tone.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Shut our ears to everything and plod through, whatever it takes-"

"Shubman, I can shut my ears to everything but my parents. And now that I know they're never going to relent...."

"They are being crazy and unreasonable! There is nothing to relent to!"

"You think I don't know that?" asked Ishan. "You think despite knowing that, I have any choice?"

"Choice but what?" Shubman exploded finally. "What's that choice, huh?"

"We have to give up," said Ishan. "We can't continue....we have to...."

"Okay, you're raving," said Shubman, honestly.

"...break up."

"Completely raving," said Shubman, even more convinced. "Breaking up over what people think about us would be stupider than anything even I've done in my life, and you know how many stupid things I have done."

"I care what my parents think!" said Ishan. "They gave up a hell lot for me!"

"We're not asking them to give up anything more! We're just asking them to broaden their narrow state highway perspective a little bit, to a national highway maybe, and accept the truth."

"Which is not possible."

"We'll make it possible!"

"You're delusional, Shubi."

"You need to calm down," said Shubman. He felt like he needed to calm down too. "The choice you're saying-" He couldn't even say it. "-isn't a choice even if you think there's honestly no way your parents are going to, uh, relent."

"Really?"

"Obviously." Shubman wondered how Ishan couldn't see such an obvious thing. "But we can convince everyone we're giving up..."

"And?"

"And we will be together anyway, obviously."

"And how, how exactly is that feasible?"

"We've done it three years," Shubman scoffed. "We're together most of the year when we're playing. Okay, maybe we have to cut down on the inter state travel if we are to convince your parents, but it's fine, we can live with that."

"And when we have stopped playing, Shubman? Do you think we can live together?"

Shubman's heart sank a bit. Just a bit.

But he kept his spirits up.

"No," he admitted. "But we could live in the same city, nearby, we can visit each other all the t-"

"Even if we manage to avert the disaster of us being married off," Ishan said, tiredly. "You think no one would raise an objection to us changing our city with, well, no reason at all except that we're changing to the same city? Do you think everyone around as are fools?"

"No, but I think they're quite mean," said Shubman. "Forcing us to plan all these conspiracy stuff just because they're so narrow-minded, and stupid, and....mean."

"You really need to grow up." Ishan sounded more tired than ever. "Maybe the break up will make you finally grow up."

"Seriously," said Shubman. "Seriously. You can't be serious-"

"You show me the alternative!" Ishan shouted.

"I already did!" Shubman shouted, louder.

"THAT IS NOT A REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE, SHUBMAN."

Shubman found he couldn't shout anymore. "But Ishu, if we break up, it defeats the whole purpose."

"Purpose of what?" asked Ishan.

Purpose of their defamation. Purpose of the fights with their parents. Purpose of....

"Purpose of.... of our lives," Shubman heard himself say.

"Shubi, I love you, I really do," said Ishan. "But maybe I don't love you enough to be okay with being barred to call my father Papa."

Shubman's chin trembled.

"You promised we were going to figure it all out together, Ishu."

"Yeah," said Ishan. "I was delusional, too."

Then, the line clicked off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~