Shubman and Ishan returned to their room with flushed cheeks. What was Aleya thinking? Who taught her all those things? Meanwhile the little culprit seemed very happy having embarrassed them in front of Abhiyank. Well, after the heartfelt talk from last night, their relationship was a lot better than it had been, as they were learning a very important tool called healthy communication. Neither of them were mind readers, so this was surely going to help them, if their therapists were to be believed. After having a family bath time, Ishan ordered some evening snacks for the three of them. While munching on biscuits and cookies, Shubi dropped the bomb. "Ish..." "Hmm." "Do you think we should shift to my flat in Mumbai?" The older cricketer surely hadn't expected this. "Shubman, I think that would be too much to ask from you, right now."

They both glanced at Aleya, who was busy reading her picture story book, a present her aunties got her the previous day, too occupied to pay attention to them. The younger took his still 'best friend's hands in his own as he begged, "Maine already 5 years kho diye hai Ishu. I really want to be a part of her life. Please let me..." "Shubi, it is not my decision to make, bachcha. Aleya! Come here, jaan." Her ears prickled like a golden retriever at her papa's voice. She jumped in his lap, "What papa?" "Baby, would you like to live with me in my flat?" Shubman asked cautiously. Aleya did not look very convinced, "Papa no ja lahe?" "Nahi, nahi. Hum teeno." "So, ShuShu, me and papa?" "Ji, beta." The little girl made a show of tapping her forehead while thinking before she finally said, "Thlee conditions manoge?" "Anything ma'am!" The twenty-nine year old nodded like a student eager to please his teacher.

Aleya counted them very carefully on her fingers. "No making papa cry. Ba-bat ka gip nital te ma-malungi!" The opener promised to follow, "Kabhi nahi!" while Ishan was scandalised, "Princess, yeh aapko kisne sikhaya?" "Aga bhaiya." She shrugged. "Make papa happy." "Of course, baby. I'll do everything to make you and papa happy." "Punish le BC!" Aleya gave her third condition while fuming in ager while Ishan and Shubman shared a look with the latter trying to stop the former from screaming! 

"Ishu take deep breaths, she's a child! She does not know what she said!" "Shubman Gill! My daughter learnt cursing at the age of four! Hey bhagwaan! Kyu bheja maine usse sleepover pe!" Ishan was eroding the marbled floor of the balcony, walking to and fro like a madman when Aleya suddenly knocked on the glass door that separated her from the elders. Shubman opened it a little, crouching to get to the same level with her. "ShuShu", she whispered, "why is papa angry?" "Oh, beta, it is nothing!" Shubi had the exact same expression as Nobita when he tried to explain to his mom why he failed the test. "Aapko kuchh chahiye?" 

"No, pehle galat bola. Thlee condition modifi!" This caught Ishan's attention, "Kya modification hai jaan?" "Punish B...C...C....I! Nam bohot bala tha, toh bhul gayi," she giggled, not knowing how much relief it gave Ishan, but why was she talking about those assholes? Luckily it was Shubman that voiced his question to receive the answer, "Sammy didi and Vami didi said they hurt Papa, Shreya uncle and Yuzi uncle, so pulish!" There was no doubt that she was Shubman's. Just four and already so possessive of her papa! He brought her into a hug. "Princess, do you like going to school?" "No." Aleya looked down, sniffling, "Frienls are baddy. They say bad words to me and papa. But I like to read!" She was very close to crying. Ishan came to her side, cuddling her from the back, "Jaan, would you like to try homeschooling?" "Huh?" "Teachers will teach you online, on the laptop. You will learn with them, and answer all questions, like the brilliant child you are. Later, we will come home, do homework and play?" "Treats?" Shubman quickly added, "Yes, lots of treats too!" "No frienls hulting me?" "No one will hurt you, bubba. I will protect you and your papa from now." The younger batsman assured, making Ishan glance at him gratefully. "Pawtect? Plomiss?" Aleya extended her pinky to the taller adult. Shubman wrapped his own around it, solemnizing his oath, "Forever, bubba." He sealed the promise with a soft kiss on her head, his other hand snaking around to intertwine his fingers with the elder. 

The next few days were hectic with both of them handling practice and searching for a good school to enroll Aleya in for homeschooling. After much research, they had narrowed down to three options, but Ishan was still skeptical. Well, his salary from the BCCI should be just enough to pay for his and Aleya's expenses. His own self-respect did not allow him to freeload much on Shubman, though they had moved in his Mumbai apartment in the dead of the night. The younger player was busy with teaching Aleya some nursery rhymes, when Ishan's phone rang.

"Hello, Ro bhaiya, kaise hai?"

"Main thik hun? Tu thik hai? Meri Aleya rani kaisi hai?" 

"Woh thik hai bhaiya, Shubi ke saath rhymes ki practice kar rahi hai. Sammy aur Ritika bhabi kaise hai?"

"Woh sab thik hai. Achha sun! Main tujhe woh batane ko phone kiya."

"Kya bhaiya?" Ishan's confusion did not abate in the slightest. "Rohit bhai aur unki bhulne ki bimari", he sighed.

"Arre pagal! Woh......" Someone prompted him from the side, probably Ritika bhabi, before he continued, "IPL agle mahine start hone waala hai."

"Ji bhaiya, pata hai mujhe."

"Tu MI ke liye khelega?"

"Bha-bhaiya" Ishan's voice broke, "Bhaiya, main bas abhi khelna start kiya, ab itni badi responsibility..."

"Hume tujhpe bharosa hai Ishan. Tu aaj ki raat sochle, kal mujhe bata dena." The call disconnected with three beeps, leaving a shell shocked Kishan.

Shubman noticed the change, coming to stand with him, leaving Aleya with Laddoo. "Ishu, kya hua?" "Rohit bhai, mujhe MI ke liye khelne ko bol rahe the." The GT captain shook him by his shoulders, "Pagal tujhe toh khush hona chahiye, aise mayus kyu hai?" "Shubi, I am terribly out of form!" "Toh abhi ek mahina hai na, aur tu practice bhi toh humse zyaada kar raha hai na?" "But..." Shubman craddled Ishan's face with his hands, "Ish, mujhe tujhpe bharosa hai, Rohit bhaiya ko bharosa hai, Hardik bhaiya ko bharosa hai, puri ICT ko bharosa hai, iss desh main tere jitne fans hai, unn sabko bharosa hai! Ab baari aa gayi hai ki tu khud apne pe bharosa rakhkhe." "Kya bakwas kar raha hai? Mere fans?" Ishan could not believe his ears. The younger pulled up an Instagram page on his phone, it had the photo the paps had taken of the both of them with Aleya, but with a different title, "Humara sher wapas aa gaya hai!" There were thousands of comment and millions of likes, all for him, he realised.

"Sabko tujhe khelte hue dekhna hai, Babu." "I don't know if I deserve this attention, Shub." Ishan lowered his eyes as the hatred from five years back flashed in his mind. "Meri taraf dekh." He followed the order like a man possessed. "The Ishan Kishan from five years ago and the Ishan Kishan of today are completely different people, and I know it. Tu bohot strong hai Ishu, aur tujhe yeh baat saabit karne ki zaroorat nahi hai, par jaanta hai mujhe Pat Cummins ka ek dialogue bohot pasand hai." "Kaunsa?" "Woh waala jo hamare WC 2023 haarne par bola tha, 'There is nothing more satisfying that watching a big crowd go silent.' and now is the perfect time to silence those people who undermined you." Shubman startled when he found himself engulfed in the warmth of the embrace he had longed for years. Ishan's reply was muffled by his chest, his lips directly over his heart, "Thanks Shubi. You don't know how much I needed this pep talk." Shubman hid his own face in the crook of Ishan's neck, bathing in the warm love when there was a furry attack against his legs. "Hugs!" Aleya squealed and Laddoo woofed. Well, who were the elders to deny them?

The next day, Ishan had a rigorous discussion with Kungfu Pandya about his position in the team after the practice. When they exited after nearly two hours, the wicket-keeper batsman was surprised to find Shubman still waiting for him. "Tu ghar nahi gaya?" "Hello Hardik bhai, hello to you too Shorty!" Shubman smiled at him showing all his 32 teeth while the MI captain inconspicuously started recording their interaction on his phone, pretending to keep it in the chest pocket of his floral patterned overshirt. Ishan slapped the back of the giraffe's head, "Saale, tu Aleya ko akela chhodke, idhar kyu khada hai!" Shubman caught his hand before he could deliver the second one, "Kaka, aapki memory toh thik hai na? DB aaj baby sitting duty pe hai!" "Par Tilak ko bhi toh uske saiyyan ke saath time chahiye!" "Do ghante usse duur rahega toh kya marr jayega?" Shubman made an irritated face, only to be slapped with the other hand, but he caught that too before it could do some irreversible damage, "Abbe laude, tu mera boyfriend bhi nahi hai abhi tak, aur terese mere bina raha nahi jaata! Mera baby AB Tillu ko propose karne waala hai toh woh bhala duur kaise reh payenge?" 

Hardik snickered unable to control anymore, this was far more interesting than he had thought. All those expenses of the party now seemed to be worth it! Shubman pulled Ishan closer by his hands, "Toh main bad student hun Miss Aleya ka?" "Lagta toh wahi hai..." Ishan blushed so prettily, that the Junior Pandya could not help but coo in his mind. "Koi nahi, late hi sahi, par homework submit zaroor karunga main darling!" Shubi winked at his Ishu. "This is quickly escalating, there are cameras here for fuck's sake!" thought Hardik as he cleared his throat, to make the not-yet-couple realise than he wasn't air. "Oh! Harry bhai, aap abhi bhi yahi hai?" Ishan scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Ji haan, mahashay. Aage ka karyakram aapne khud ke flat ke char diwaron ke andar continue karke, meherbani kijiye humpe." Shubman gave him a mock salute, and left, pulling a tomato faced Ishan with him. Hardik finally took out his phone from his pocket to stop the recording.

Oh, fuck! He forgot to ask about what was going on between Tilak and his saiyyan! "Yeh bhulne ki bimari kya MI ka captain banne se hoti hai?" he thought in horror! While going home, he edited the video in his car, carefully removing the portion of DB and Tilak (it was for future uses) before sending the newly edited video in the group-chat.

#ISHMAN-FOREVER🧿

Junior Pandya:

Kripya karke aapne seat ki peti baandh lijiye. Yeh video aapke hosh udane waala hai.

*video sent*

Pant:

😱😱😱😱😱😱

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

😵😵😵😵😵😵

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

KL:

Abbe yaar, emojis kyu spam kar raha hai?!

Pant:

Harry bhai ka bheja hua video dekho!!!!!!!!!

KL:

Yeh kab hua? Kaise hua? Kaha hua?

SKY:

Yeh saare achhe moments iss bhosdike ko hi kyu dekhne ko milte hai!

😭😭😭

Pant:

😭😭😭😭

Main abhi bhi Shrey ke saath samundar main fasa hun aur inn bitches ne aate hi maamla suljha liya!!

😭😭😭

KL:

Pant, tu apna randi rona band kar. 

Harry jaldi bata, saale! Tune yeh edit toh nahi kiya?!

Junior Pandya:

100% real video hai! Practice ground ke CCTV footage check karle tu! 

Pant, tu chinta maat kar! Tera yeh bhai hai na, tereko bhi banda mil jayega. 

Par pehle inse nipat loon. Saala case pichle 8 saalon se chal raha hai!

SKY:

8 years???? 

What The Fuck Do You Mean!

KL:

*photo sent*

Yeh dekho OG Ishman shippers from 2019!

SKY:

Par jo bhi bolo, ICT ka OG Ishman shipper Shardul hai!

*khi khi*

Pant:

IshKish IPL khel raha hai na?

Junior Pandya:

Mere wicket-keeper batsman se apni gandi nazaar hata le! 

Tere DoorDarshan main nahi jaa raha mera bhai!

Pant:

DD ki maa chhod na band kar! 

IPL main dekh lunga!

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

KL:

Harry, iss bachche se pange lena band kar! Nats bhabi aur Agastya tera wait kar rahe hai!

SKY: 

Arre Rishu! Tujhe aapni prem ki nayya abhi dubani hai! Chup kar yaar, yeh jadu tona kar diya toh!

*Pant has gone offline...*

*Junior Pandya has gone offline...*

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Maine aaj phir prove kar diya ki main gadha hun. 

Mere pyaare readers, meri aapse ek vinti hai...

Mere kuch writer didis ko bohot saare hate comments aaye hai. Main grateful hun ki mujhe yeh face nahi karna padha. But let's follow Madhur Virli's rule in my story and all other stories that you may read, "Let me grow as an artist, and you too grow as an audience."

Yeh wattpad hamare sapno ki duniya hai, aur hum yeh zaroor nahi chahte ki hamare sapne nightmares main badal jaaye, right?

Oh! One more thing! From now on, this story will only focus on Ishman. Aur 4 chapters and the end for this one.... Because I want to end the story with 32 written parts. Aur agar mere readers chahe toh main apni behuda drawings bh post karunga, toh total seven drawing updates, aur 32 written updates honge iss story main.

Aur iske completion ke baad iss story ka sequel bhi release karne ka plan hai. Sab kuch abhi planning stage main hai, execution ki koi guarantee nahi hai. 

Dusre couples ko exclude karne ke liye, sorry but not sorry!

Enjoy, Adiraj!