"This is not funny Shubi"

"It was very funny you cannot deny that" Hardik chuckled from beside recalling what just happened.

---

It was morning. The day of finale of ipl, but as shown in the weather news yesterday it was raining really heavily. The match was postponed for tomorrow.

Aditi came to visit Ishan as she got to know he has not gone back to his home and will be staying with Shubman for a while.

In the morning she came to the hotel. Hardik was just coming back from his morning walk when he saw her so he went to her.

Aditi was trying to call someone so she jolted a bit when she heard a deep voice behind her.

"Ah hardik bhai you scared me" she said.

"Sorry sorry" Hardik replied while smiling sheepishly. 

"It's okay, you came at the perfect timing though. Please help me get in, Ishan is not picking up my call and I don't know Shubman's room number." Aditi said.

"Sure, let me take you there" Hardik replied leading her inside.

They entered the elevator.

"How is Ishan now?" Aditi asked.

"He is good now actually, his eye is much better." Hardik replied.

"That's a relief, I wanted to meet him but I was busy yesterday." She hummed.

"Yeah you had a pageant contest right?" Hardik asked and Aditi nodded her head. They exited the elevator and Hardik lead her into the corridor.

"Yep, I qualified for it and will be going to Delhi tomorrow" She hummed.

"Congrats" Hardik said as they walked in front of the room. He rang the bell and waited for them to open it.

Shubman opened the door. His hair were a bit wet displaying he just had a bath a while ago.

"Hey" Shubman hummed getting aside and letting them in.

"Ishan is still sleeping?" She asked looking at the man sleeping soundly on the bed.

"Yeah he had a rough night and we slept a bit late also" Shubman hummed.

"Even if today's not the match a good sleep schedule is still necessary." Hardik   muttered.

"Sorry bhai, I will sleep early tonight" Shubman said.

"He certainly did had a rough night I guess" Aditi said and both Hardik and Shubman looked at her in confusion. 

"Huh?" Shubman asked and she shook her head.

"Nothing, I think I should go." She said looking at them while smiling.

"But you just got here. Wait Ishan will get up in a while." Shubman said but she shook her head.

"No, it's alright. Let him rest" She said and started to walk out.

"What happened Aditi?" Hardik asked and looked at her face which was looking a bit hurt.

"Hnng" Ishan groaned as he woke up due to the noise around him.

"See he is waking up, you can meet him before going" Shubman said and she pursed her lips.

"Uhh?" Isha muttered while rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, rise and shine" Hardik spoke and with blurry eyes Ishan looked at him.

"Mhm good morning bhai" He replied and yawned just after that.

"Atleast wear a shirt we have your friend over here" Hardik chuckled when Ishan stood up only in his sweatpants.

He looked at other direction and immediately went shy after seeing aditi. 

"Oh uhm sorry" He said and immediately wore the t-shirt closest to him. It was a baggy tshirt so slightly big on him and was hanging loosely on his shoulders.

"Hey Adi how are you?" He asked while trying to get his hair in some respectable form.

"Good, how are you?" She asked and he gave her a big smile.

"I am great now, you came to meet me the day before yesterday?  Sorry I was asleep at that time" Ishan said going towards her.

"It's okay, I just wanted to see if you are okay or not" She hummed while trying to not stare at his neck.

Hardik's eyes widened too when he noticed it.

"Uhm Ishan where were you last night?" He raised his eyebrows. 

"In the room only bhai. I didn't left the room since yesterday." Ishan replied.

"Who were you with yesterday in this room?" Hardik asked trying to signal at his neck.

Ishan being Ishan didn't get the hint.

"Only me and Shubi?" He shrugged. Shubman looked at Hardik and raised his eyebrows. Hardik pointed at Ishan's neck.

"Ishu your neck" Shubman groaned out loud.

And that's when Ishan remembered what happened yesterday. He looked at Aditi who was looking at anywhere but him.

"Uh it's nothing like that" He quickly blurted out.

"It's okay" Aditi muttered.

"No really, it's just...it's just a mosquito bite" He said.

"Ishan, I told you it's okay. You don't have to lie" Aditi said and started to walk away. Ishan quickly held her arm.

"Adi, I promise it’s nothing like this. Okay it's not a mosquito bite but I swear I was not with any other girl yesterday." Ishan said and Aditi looked at him.

"Why are you explaining things to me Ishan? We are just friends chill. Infact it's your age and you are a star now." She shrugged.

"But I didn't went out with any woman." Ishan said looking at her with doe eyes.

"Then who was it? A man?" Aditi retorted.

"Yeah it was me" Shubman said suddenly. 

"Huh?" Both Hardik and Aditi swinged their heads toward Shubman.

"You gave Ishan a hickey?" Hardik asked and Ishan looked at Shubman with pleading eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Aditi asked too.

"Ishan and I were just messing around, alright? We're best friends. We've been friends for way longer than you and him have. So, if I happen to feel like giving Ishan a hickey, then I'll give him a hickey. Do you have a problem with that, Aditi?" Shubman nonchalantly shrugged and remarked.

Aditi blinked, taken aback by the intensity. "Uh, sure?"

Ishan let out an exasperated sigh.

"Really? You don't have any problem? " Shubman asked.

"Yeah but I haven't seen two friends giving each other hickey before" Aditi trailed off.

"Oh they are just not that close. You know we have a bond as a team so it's pretty normal here" Shubman spoke and Aditi even believed him.

The man just spoke the whole thing so casually as if it was nothing. Ishan was seriously shocked.

"Okay, I guess" She hummed.

"So if everything is clear now, why don't you and him go out for breakfast." Hardik suggested and Ishan nodded his head.

"Yeah, let's go and have breakfast. We can talk alone for a while" Ishan hummed and Aditi nodded her head.

"But can you wear something with collar and hide your mark atleast" Aditi asked and Ishan smiled sheepishly. 

"Just one second" He squealed and went to open the walk in closet. He changed into a turtle neck and quickly came out.

"Bye bhai I will be back soon" He bid goodbye to both his friends before going downstairs to the cafeteria with Aditi.

"The heck was that?" Hardik asked when they both were gone.

"What?" Shubman asked.

"The explanation of the hickey. Aditi is too innocent to understand that you just tricked her." Hardik retorted.

"Bhai if I told her the truth then Ishan would be choking me to death. He does not want Aditi to know he is still scared of needles" Shubman shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

And Shubman told everything to Hardik. 

---

Back to present

Aditi went back in the evening and the Gujarat Titans were also done preparing for tomorrow's match. Hardik, Shubman and Ishan were chilling in Shubman's room.

"But seriously who bite their friend's neck just because it was there?" Hardik snorted.

"He was biting my arm and shoulder too" Shubman said.

"You both are dumb" Hardik laughed.

"Hey!" They both exasperated at the same time.

"What? It's true and how can readers still read all this?" Hardik shook his head.

"Readers?" Ishan and Shubman looked at him comically. 

---

Author :: Don't break the fourth wall guys

Hardik :: Fine fine. I am tired anyways so I am going to sleep.

Shubman :: Yeah I will also go and join Ishan on bed.

Author :: For what 🌝🌝

Urvashi :: Hey miss unholy, I am 4 years old, don't you dare say any mature stuff here.

Ishan :: Yes go urvashi tell her off, she can't add any mature content when the kids are here.

Shubman :: No way, she needs to add them. I want to do the unholy stuff with you.

Ishan :: Babe we can do that off screen too. No one will know.

Author :: Hey you guys are not a couple yet. You can't say anything like that. You guys are bestfriends remember.

Shubman :: Then it's your fault for being so slow.

Author :: Bro this story is legit going on such a fast pace, you just don't have patience.

Urvashi :: Miss Author sorry to interrupt you in between but weren't you the one complaining about breaking the fourth wall and now you are doing the same thing?

Author :: Ouh yeah shit lemme go back to off screen.

Ishan :: Dumb

Author :: Not more than you

*Shubman punches the author*

Ishan :: Omg are you okay? Are your knuckles fine after hitting shubi?

Author :: Thank you so much for asking about me Ishan

Shubman :: Why are you not gone yet? Need another punch?

*Author yeets outta here*

--

Idk why I just wrote that so please bare with me 🥲

Oh and by the way I am going to the India vs South africa match on 5 November so if anyone else is going there we can meet! ( My sister bought the tickets so basically free for me lmao)

And after that I also got free tickets for Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka on 6 November as well lmao (my family friend had extra ticket) so I am going there as well

I will be travelling from Kolkata to Delhi overnight ( Indigo flight zindabad for the comfiest seats) but who cares when you get to see match for free.

And I am telling all this because if anyone of you is going to watch any of that match we can meet! I like meeting friends in real life and I am not a kidnapper I can assure you all. So tell me okay if any of you is going!