Authors POV

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Shubman Gill raised his bat to acknowledge the cheering fans at Lord's Cricket Ground. He had just scored a century, leading his team to a spectacular victory. Cameras flashed, teammates patted his back, and commentators raved about his performance. It was the kind of moment every cricketer dreamed of. But amid the euphoria, Shubman felt a pang of emptiness.

As the post-match celebrations kicked into high gear, Shubman excused himself from the throng of jubilant fans and teammates. The noise of the party faded as he stepped outside into the cool London night. The streets were alive with the buzz of the city, but it felt oddly quiet to him. He pulled out his phone, his fingers hovering over Angel's contact. They hadn't talked properly in weeks, their conversations reduced to sporadic texts and missed calls. But tonight, he wanted to hear her voice.

He dialed her number, his heart racing with anticipation. The phone rang once, twice, and then went to voicemail. Shubman sighed, trying to mask his disappointment. Hey, Angel, it's me. We won today, and I scored a century. I wish you were here to celebrate with me. Call me when you get this."

He ended the call and sent a quick text message, hoping for a response. Shubman lingered outside for a moment, the distant sounds of laughter and music from the club blending with the city's ambient noise. He couldn't shake the feeling of being alone, even in the midst of so many people.

Pacing along the sidewalk, he recalled the days when he and Angel would talk for hours, sharing their dreams and fears. She had always been his biggest supporter, the one who believed in him when no one else did. Now, standing under the neon lights of London, he felt the distance between them more acutely than ever.

_______________________________________

Angel Shekhawat was in the middle of a complex neurosurgery at St. Thomas' Hospital, her focus unbreakable. The operating room was tense but controlled, the beeping of monitors and the soft hum of machinery creating a steady backdrop. She loved this—the precision, the challenge, the knowledge that she was making a difference. Yet, there was a part of her that felt disconnected from everything outside the hospital walls.

"Scalpel, " Angel said calmly, holding out her hand. The nurse placed the instrument in her palm, and Angel continued her meticulous work. Hours passed in a blur, the surgery demanding every ounce of her concentration. When it was finally over, she felt a mix of exhaustion and triumph. Another life saved.

As she stepped out of the operating room, Angel checked her phone for the first time in hours. There were several missed calls and messages, but one stood out—Shubman's. Her heart sank as she listened to his voicemail, hearing the excitement and underlying disappointment in his voice. She read his text and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She wanted to be there for him, to share in his joy, but her duties had kept her away once again.

Angel quickly typed out a response. "Congrats on the win and your century, Shubman! I'm so proud of you. Sorry I missed your call. Just finished a long surgery. Let's talk soon."

She hit send and leaned against the wall, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her. She missed Shubman, missed the easy conversations and the support they used to give each other. But her work was demanding, and she didn't know how to balance it all. As she walked through the hospital corridors, Angel couldn't shake the feeling that she was letting him down, even though she was doing what she loved.

She headed to the on-call room to get a few hours of rest before her next shift. The room was small and sparse, a cot in the corner and a desk piled high with medical journals and patient files. Angel sat on the cot, staring at her phone, hoping for a response from Shubman. She knew he must be feeling neglected, but she didn’t know how to change things. Her career required her full attention, and she couldn't afford to let her personal life interfere with her professional responsibilities.

_______________________________________

The vibration of his phone pulled Shubman out of his reverie. He glanced at the screen and saw Angel's name. He opened the message, his heart lifting slightly as he read her words. But the joy was fleeting, replaced by a lingering sense of frustration. He knew her job was important—life-saving, even—but it didn't make the distance between them any easier to bear.

Shubman typed a quick reply. "Thanks, Angel. I know you're busy saving lives, but I miss you. Let's try to catch up soon."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and took a deep breath. The night was quiet now, the city's hustle winding down. As he walked back toward the club, he couldn't help but wonder how much longer they could keep this up. How long could they continue living in separate worlds, only connecting through brief messages and missed calls?

As he re-entered the club, his teammates greeted him with cheers and pats on the back. They handed him a drink, and he forced a smile, trying to push thoughts of Angel out of his mind. He knew he had to focus on the present, to enjoy the victory with his team. But as the night wore on, he found it harder and harder to pretend that everything was okay.

The party continued, the music growing louder, and the lights flashing more brightly. Shubman moved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and accepting congratulations, but his mind was elsewhere. He kept glancing at his phone, hoping for another message from Angel, but there was nothing. It was as if she were a million miles away, even though they were in the same city

Eventually, Shubman found himself on the rooftop terrace, looking out over the London skyline. The city lights shimmered against the dark sky, and he felt a pang of longing. He wished Angel were there with him, sharing this moment, making memories like they used to. But she was at the hospital, saving lives, and he was here, alone despite the crowd around him.

He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. He had worked hard to get to this point in his career, and he didn't want to let his personal life overshadow his achievements. But the emptiness he felt was undeniable. He needed to find a way to bridge the gap between them, to make her a part of his life again.

_______________________________________

Back at the hospital, Angel lay on the cot, staring at the ceiling. The hum of the fluorescent lights and the distant sounds of hospital activity were the only noises in the room. She felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, but her mind was too restless to sleep. She kept thinking about Shubman, about how proud she was of him, and how much she missed him.

She wanted to be there for him, to celebrate his victories and support him through his challenges. But her work consumed her, leaving little time for anything else. She knew Shubman deserved more than a few hurried texts and missed calls, but she didn't know how to give him what he needed without compromising her career.

Angel sighed, rolling over to check her phone again. She saw Shubman's reply and felt a pang of guilt. He was trying, and she needed to try harder too. She typed out another message, hoping to reassure him. " I miss you too, Bear. Let's make plans to meet up soon. I’ll find time, I promise."

She hit send and closed her eyes, trying to push away the worry and guilt. She needed to rest, to recharge for the next day’s challenges. But sleep was elusive, her mind filled with thoughts of Shubman and the growing distance between them.

_______________________________________

The night dragged on, and the party began to wind down. Shubman said his goodbyes and headed back to his hotel, the weight of the day settling heavily on his shoulders. He felt a mix of pride and sadness, his emotions a tangled mess. As he lay in bed, he checked his phone one last time and saw Angel's message. A small smile tugged at his lips, but it quickly faded.

He typed a response, his fingers moving slowly over the keys. "Let's make it happen, Angel. I don't want us to drift apart."

He hit send and placed his phone on the nightstand, staring at the ceiling. The quiet of the room was a stark contrast to the noise and excitement of the day. Shubman closed his eyes, hoping for sleep but knowing it would be a long time before he could truly rest.

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒚. 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔, 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍, 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.