As the IPL season wrapped up, life had returned to a sort of routine for Shubman and Naima, but neither of them had forgotten the thrill of victory. 

Their shared flat in Bengaluru had become their little sanctuary, a place for stolen moments of happiness away from the world. 

It was an early afternoon, and Naima was in the kitchen, a mess of ingredients scattered across the counter as she tried to put together a quick lunch.

Shubman, on the other hand, had other plans.

He sneaked up behind her, his lips brushing her neck as he kissed her softly. She tried to ignore the heat pooling in her chest and focus on the task at hand, but he wasn't making it easy.

"Shubman," she whispered, trying to stay focused on the chopping board in front of her. "I'm trying to cook, babe. Can you stop distracting me?"

He chuckled, nipping at her ear. "What's wrong, baby? You look like you need a break." His hands slid around her waist, pulling her close, and she felt his breath against her skin.

Naima giggled, squirming, but it was useless. She knew what he was doing — distracting her with kisses, his lips trailing down her neck. 

"You're such a little menace," she teased, still trying to chop some vegetables.

But before she could escape his grip, her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen, expecting some random notification, but it was a news alert: T20I WORLD CUP SQUAD LIST RELEASED.

Naima froze, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly swiped the notification open, and there it was, the squad for the T20I World Cup.

India's Squad for T20I World Cup:

Rohit Sharma (C)
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Virat Kohli
Naima Prushka
Suryakumar Yadav
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Sanju Samson (WK)
Hardik Pandya
Shivam Dube
Ravindra Jadeja
Axar Patel
Kuldeep Yadav
Yuzvendra Chahal
Arshdeep Singh
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj

Reserves:

Shubman Gill
Rinku Singh
Khaleel Ahmed
Avesh Khan

Naima's fingers trembled slightly as she read the list again, her heart racing with excitement. Her name was there. 

Naima Prushka was officially part of the T20I World Cup squad.

"What the fuck!" Naima gasped, turning around to face Shubman, who was already looking over her shoulder. 

His eyes widened as he saw the list, and then he looked at her, disbelief and pride flashing across his face.

"You... you're in, baby," he said, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and excitement. "You made it! You fucking did it!"

Naima laughed, feeling a wave of relief and joy wash over her. "I made it! Oh my god, this is insane!" 

She turned to him, practically jumping into his arms, and he caught her effortlessly, spinning her around. "I'm going to the World Cup, Shubman!"

"Of course, you are," he grinned, his eyes sparkling. "No one fucking deserves it more than you." 

His hands cupped her face as he kissed her passionately, a mixture of celebration and affection in every touch. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Naima."

She pulled back slightly, her breath catching as she looked at him, her heart racing even faster. "You think I'll make it through the tournament?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Make it through?" he repeated, scoffing. "You'll fucking smash it. You're going to be the star of the tournament." 

His hands rested on her waist, and he gazed at her with so much admiration it almost made her melt. "The whole world is going to know your name, baby. I know you're going to kill it."

Naima laughed, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "I hope so. I mean, it's the World Cup! It's insane to think about. But..." 

Her voice trailed off for a second, and she looked up at him. "What about you, baby? You're not in the squad. You should be in that team. You should be playing."

Shubman's face softened, and he sighed, pulling her into a tight hug. "I know, love. But it's all good. This is your moment." 

He paused, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "You've earned it. I'm fucking proud of you."

Naima smiled up at him, her heart full. "You're amazing. I don't deserve someone like you."

"Shut up, Naima," he whispered, grinning. "You deserve the world. And if I can't play in the World Cup, I'm going to be your biggest fucking cheerleader." 

He kissed her forehead, his voice playful yet sincere. "Now, how about you finish cooking this food? I'm starving."

Naima laughed, shaking her head as she moved back to the stove, though she couldn't stop smiling. 

"Alright, alright. You've distracted me enough for one day, Shubman Gill."

He gave her a cheeky grin, leaning against the counter. "Not sorry at all. But hey, can I get a celebratory kiss for making the squad?"

She rolled her eyes but leaned in to kiss him anyway, her lips lingering against his for a moment. "Fine," she muttered against his lips. 

"But you better help me cook after this."

"Deal," he said with a wink. "Now go and make something delicious. You've earned it, baby."

As they shared another moment of quiet celebration, Naima knew that this was only the beginning. 

The T20I World Cup was a dream come true, but it was the journey that mattered most. And with Shubman by her side, she was ready for whatever came next.

Welcome to the twenty-eighth chapter of "The Man"!
she's in !!

what are your thoughts about the next chapter?
anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!
make sure to comment on what you liked!

until then, yours truly
soup 🫶