•SHUBMAN GILL•

When we return to the hotel and I stand in front of my room, my mood sours as I see Ishan hugging someone tightly. I don't know the person he is hugging. Cousin? Friend? Boyfriend? Real one?

Whatever their relationship might be, the hug they are sharing is not sitting well with me. I am just standing here, waiting for Ishan to acknowledge my presence, which he does when his big, joy-filled eyes shift away from that man and land on me.

"Oh, you are here!" He says, looking toward me as I enter the room, glancing between him and the unknown person.

"Meet Mayank," he gestures towards the unnamed man who now has a name.

With a smile, Mayank extends his hand in my direction for a handshake "Hi"

"Hello" I reciprocate with him.

"He is my childhood best friend," as soon as the words leave Ishan's mouth and register in my brain, I tighten my grip over Mayank's hand, applying a bit too much pressure in the handshake.

He flinches a bit and looks at our joined hands, and I instantly let go of his hand.

Ishan continues providing information about Mayank which I didn't ask for.
"He works in Bangalore."
Then what is he doing here?
"He is here for his office-related work." Do I care?

"And he is......." Ishan gestures towards me, but before he can complete his sentence, I cut him off, "I am his boyfriend," I blurt out and receive an astonished look from him.

"Yeah pretend boyfriend" Mayank's smile turning into a grin.

"Ummm Shubman, actually he knows," Ishan looks at me with a sheepish smile,
"That we aren't boyfriends for real."

"Oh."
Of course he knows, after all, he is Ishan's 'ChiLdHoOd bEsTfRiEnD', how can he not know?

"Actually, he was there with me when the news of our dating broke out; he was the first one who told me."

Oh, so they were together... doing what exactly? And now I remember Ishan's manager telling me about Ishan's short vacation trip when we were at the meeting.

So, Mayank, his 'ChiLdHoOd bEsTfRiEnD' was with him on the vacation. Nice.

I didn't realize that I am staring at Mayank a bit too intensely, so I avert my gaze.

"Mayank, why didn't you tell me that you were coming?" Ishan asks, completely turning his attention towards him.

"I wanted to give you a surprise, Sweetheart."

Sweetheart? No, no, SWEETHEART. He calls him sWeETheArT.
I practically cringe at that word because who on earth uses that word, especially in the 21st century? It's a very cringe-worthy word indeed.

Don't tell me Ishan also uses some cringe-worthy word for his childhood best friend.

Fortunately, he doesn't.

___

In the evening, I find myself sitting with Ishan and Mayank in a nearby cafe. They are both catching up and jumping from one topic to another without any break, and I feel like I am third-wheeling them. I try to fit myself into their conversation, but it feels so forced that I shut up and let them have their talk.

Sipping my drink, I look at Mayank. He has average looks. Well, maybe not average, but certainly not better than mine. He is shorter than me, and I look better than him. Plus, I have dimples. Yeah.

WHY THE FUCK I AM COMPARING MYSELF TO HIM?

When it's time to return, his bEsTiE, as known as Mayank, also comes with us because he left his bag in our room. As we enter the room, Ishan goes to pick up the bag to hand it to Mayank, but in the meanwhile, I accidentally push a flower vase, which is about to shatter on the floor. Before it can reach the ground, both Mayank and I attempt to catch it, but in doing so, a sharp edge of that vase injures both of us.

We both wince in pain as the sharp edge cuts our skin. Ishan comes running towards us and carefully holds the vase from the bottom, putting it aside. "What are you two doing?" he asks, looking towards our hands. "Oh god, there is blood."

I got a cut on my thumb and index finger, and Mayank got one on his palm.

Ishan rushes to get a first aid box. He makes both of us sit on the bed and cleans the blood from our hands. I can see Mayank's injury is bigger than mine.

It's not serious but definitely lengthy. Once the blood stops, Ishan starts putting some medicine over Mayank's cut.

Can't he see I am here too and I am injured too? ("Stop acting like a bitch, Shubman, you can put the medicine on your cut yourself, and you know Mayank's hand is more hurt than yours."-- my sane thoughts speaks)

Of course, he will tend to his childhood best friend. Who am I? A teammate? A friend? I am not a ChiLdHoOd bEsTfRiEnD' after all.

After putting the medicine over his hand, Ishan throws the tube in my direction. I SWEAR TO GOD, THE AUDACITY OF THIS MINION.

MATLAB BC USKO HURT HUA HAIN MUJHE NAHI ? USKO KHUD KE HAATH SE LAGAYA AUR MAI YAHA PAGAL BAITHA HOON

[He got hurt, but didn't I get hurt too? He's applying medicine to him, and am I just sitting here like a fool?]

After he is done with his best friend's sevaa (service), he bids him goodbye with a hug, and I am sitting here with an open cut, with a frown on my face. When Ishan looks back at me and sees me sitting in the same position with the tube lying beside me, he asks"Why didn't you apply it?"

"You applied it to him and not me," I say without letting the disappointment in my voice show, but I guess my face shows it because his eyes soften. "Your cut is small, you can do it without help. His cut was big, that's why I did that"

"Of course," I say curtly but still not moving or doing anything. I just stare at my cut, there is redness around it. I know I shouldn't get hurt over this, but I am hurt over this.

I know I am acting like a bitch, but he is also acting like one. So it's a one-one

He stands in front of me and then lowers his head to my level as I am sitting on the bed, his warm, big, dark brown orbs looking into mine. (Those beautiful eyes.)

He flicks my head. "Ooowww." I rub my forehead with my non-injured hand.

"You are such a drama queen, Gill," he then comes to sit beside me, takes the medicine tube, takes the injured hand in his, and starts applying the medicine. "How are you going to survive alone?" ("Why? aren't you going to be there? always?" - a voice speaks from somewhere deep inside, but I ignore it.)

"No, no. The question is how you survived all these years." He puts a bandage over it. I just keep staring at him.

And then he presses it lightly. "Aaahhh."

I look at him, and with a smile, he says, "This is for acting like a baby, a giant baby."

It's generous of him to call me baby and not a bitch because that's how I am behaving right now.

___

"Come on, focus on the ball," Rohit bhaiya shouts as we practice fielding.

"Tu udhar apne boyfriend ki taraf kya dekh raha hain Kishan? Focus on the ball," shouts Virat bhaiya and I glance towards Ishan, but he looks away.

["Why are you looking over there at your boyfriend, Kishan? Focus on the ball."]

"Aab tu apne boyfriend ko kyu dekh raha hain Gill?" Hardik bhaiya points out "Focus on the practice," Jaddu bhaiya adds, asserting his seniority.

["Why are you looking at your boyfriend now, Gill?"]

After the fielding practice, I start batting in the nets, with Siraj Bhai bowling to me.

A little into the practice and "Aaaaahhhh!" I wince in pain as the ball hits me just above my ankle.

"Shit, sorry, sorry," Siraj Bhai rushes towards me, and everyone else's heads snap in my direction. Ishan doesn't take much time to reach me. "Kya ho gya? [What happened ] Why did you shout?" he asks with panic.

"Ball uske pair pr lag gayi," Siraj Bhai indicates where the ball hit as I sit here holding my leg.
["The ball hit his leg."]

Soon, everyone else gathers around me.

"Tune woh kyu nhi pehna tha" Rohit bhaiya examines the injury.
["Why didn't you wear that?"]

"Pads....pads kyu nhi pehna hua tha?"Virat bhaiya clarifies Rohit bhaiya's 'woh'. ('that')

["Pads...Why didn't you wear pads?]

Ishan hits me on the head and says "Isko bohot hero banna hain."
["He wants to act like a hero"]

I look at him with hurtful puppy eyes. "I'm already hurt, and now you're scolding me."

"Who said to practice without wearing pads?" Virat bhaiya extends his hand. I take it and get up.

"I told him to wear them, but he didn't listen," Siraj bhaiya replies.

In the dressing room, the physio applies an ice pack to the injury, which has now turned purple, to soothe it. He also gives me an ointment to apply. Ishan quickly takes the ointment and puts it in his pocket.

"Jyada dard ho raha hain?" ishan asks as everyone else left to continue the practice.
["Is the pain too much?"]

"Abhi toh nhi ho raha itna , baad me ho sayad"
["It's not hurting that much right now, maybe later it will."]

"Kuch chaiye?"
["You want anything?"]

"Paani"
["Water"]

He retrieves a water bottle, swiftly unscrews the cap, and instead of passing it to me, he gently guides the bottle into my mouth, allowing me to drink from his hand. I show no resistance and begin to drink.

"Arey bhai karwachauth hain kya aaj?" Surya Bhai scoff teasingly leaning on the door. Ishan just rolls his eyes.

["Hey, is it Karwa Chauth today?"]

____

Currently, I sit upright on the bed, leaning comfortably against the headboard with my legs extended before me. Ishan occupies the lower end of the bed, tenderly applying ointment to the bruised area on my leg.

"Only yesterday, you cut your fingers, and today you got hit by the ball."

"What's your point?"

"You're clumsy, Gill."

"Ohhh... but it's okay to be clumsy when you have a boyfriend to take care of you!" I say teasingly.

Ishan pauses his hand and looks towards me with a serious expression.

Did I just offend him?

"I'm just kidding, Ishan. I didn't mean to--ummm..." My heartbeat quickens as I panic to find the words.

He stares at me without saying anything or changing his expression. Oh god, I messed up.

He stands up, but I grab his wrist and glance back at him. "Listen to me... oh god... please don't go. I was just joking with you."

He breaks into fits of laughter. I'm confused for a second, then realize he was messing with me.

"Ishaaaaaaannnnnn," I whine, but relieved to see him laughing.

"You should have seen your face, you looked so funny," he says between his laughs.

"It wasn't funny. Damn, I thought I offended you badly."

"Chill, Gill... see what I did there, 'chill Gill'?" He says, pulling my cheeks, and I protest.

He goes to take a shower, and when he comes out, he's wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans, and layering a black denim jacket over his T-shirt.

"Are we going somewhere?" I ask excitedly.

"Nope, not you, but I am going out........with Mayank."

My smile and heart both drop.

~~~

I don't know much about cricket injuries, I just wrote it aise hi so don't take it seriously!

THIS COMMENT CRACKED ME UP
And the "🎀" 😭.