Author's POV:

Shubman ran to the lakeside with the letter in his hand. He sat near a tree with his back resting on the trunk of the tree. He opened the letter while breathing heavily.

𝑯𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒊! 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖? 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒂𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆! 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆! 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒃 𝒌𝒉𝒖𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒉𝒂 𝒋𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐! 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑼-𝟏𝟔 𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒊! 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍! 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒐. 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐! 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕! 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏! 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒊, 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕!

+𝟗𝟏 𝟗𝟕𝟎** *****

𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆!❤️
𝑵𝒊𝒂!

Shubman looked up as he felt someone's gaze. He saw Abhishek looking at him.

Shubman: Cake kahan hai?

Abhishek: Ghar pe hai! Chal ghar!

They walked to Shubman's home and went directly to their room with knife, spoon and plates.

They had the cake and Shubman felt as if it was the most tastiest cake he ever had. Shubman and Niharika used to talk on calls and sometimes text. Niharika couldn't come back to Punjab, and they never met in the three years.

It was an evening in 2018, when Niharika was sitting in the balcony attached to her bedroom with books on her lap. Shubman and Abhishek both got selected for the U-19 world cup and Shubman was announced as the vice-captain of the team.

Shubman: Niaaa!

Niharika: Kya baat hai bohot excited hai?

Shubman: Nia I got selected for the U-19 world cup!

Niharika: Kyaaa!?... Congratulations Shubi! I'm so happy for you!

Shubman: Aur ek baat batau?

Niharika: Bilkul bata!

Shubman: I'm the vice captain! and Abhay also got selected!

Niharika: Sachhi!?

Shubman: Hn Niu!

Niharika: Kya baat hai skipper Gill and Abhay ko bhi congratulations bolna mere taraf se!

He blushed when he heard her call him skipper. His chest swelled up with pride. They talked for a while and then slept with a smile on their face. 

Shubman was happy that he got selected and Niharika was happy for the same reason. She had been lately thinking a lot about Shubman, since a guy in her college proposed her. She decided on calling Shubman tomorrow again.

Niharika was holding her phone in her hands with call log opened in the screen on tap and her life would change. It's either gonna destroy their friendship or it's gonna be the start of something new, something beautiful.

She dialed his number with a heap of nervousness in her heart.

Shubman: hn niu bol!

Niharika: Shubi tum busy toh nhi ho na?

Shubman: tere liye main always available hun!

Niharika: Shubi I like you!

Shubman: I like u too Niu!

Niharika: Shubi not as a friend!

Shubman: Toh fir kaise!?

Niharika: Shubi I love you!

Shubman: Nia tu janti hai mujhe abhi bohot kuch karna hai! India k liye khelna hai! Main in sab cheezon k baare mein nhi soch sakta abhi!

Niharika: So, you are rejecting me!?

Shubman: Aisa nhi hai Niu, baat ko samajh! Mujhe khelna hai I won't be able to give you that attention!

The line was complete silence.

Niharika: It's ohk Shubi! I get it!

Niharika cut the call saying the last words.

Since that day neither Shubman nor Niharika tried calling each other. It was the day when India won the U-19 world cup defeating Australia in finals. After they celebrated their win all the players were in their respective room to rest.

Shubman decided on calling Niharika. He dialled her number.

Niharika: CONGRATULATIONS SHUBIIII!  PROUD OF YOU! SAB BOHOT KHUSH HAI!

Shubman: I love you Nia!

Niharika: tum thake hoge na!... Rest kro!

Shubman: Niu please ignore mat kar!

Niharika: are you sure about this Shubi?

Shubman: very sure Niu!

Niharika: I love you too Shubi! I waited 4 years for this!

Shubman: I waited too Niu!

Niharika: Shubi mujhe milna hai!

Shubman: Acha main plan krta hun kuch!

Niharika: Ohkkk! Love you!

Shubman: Love you more baby!

And the call ended with a beep.

Shubman got ready for the party, they were going to the club to celebrate their win. He told Abhishek about him and Niharika and Abhishek was on cloud nine knowing his ship sailed and finally his best friends got their love. In the club, while enjoying they noticed a tall male figure approaching them. It was none other than Arjun Tendulkar the son of god of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar. 

Arjun: Hey boys! congratulations on today's win!

Boys: hi thanks!

Prithvi: Arjun tum yahan!?

Arjun: Haan woh I came with my sister! Us k friend ka birthday hai!

Kamlesh: Bhai woh dekho Sara!

All the eyes turned to a female who was looking gorgeous, pretty, stunning and what not. Abhishek noticed Shubman stealing glances of her, he found it unusual but shrugged it off.

After they were done with the little intro session, Sara walked to Shubman. The duo were stealing glances of each other the whole intro session. She forwarded her hand for a shake.

Sara: Congratulations Skipper!

She said with a bright smile, but his mind went to Niharika. At last he shrugged off Niharika's thought and started talking to Sara.

Shubman: Thank you! You look really pretty Sara!

Sara: Thank you!

Abhishek who noticed this interaction, didn't feel right about it. At least no today, Shubman and Niharika confessed to each other a few hour ago. He can't let this happen, he can't see one of his friends being heartbroken bcoz of his one friend. He went to Shubman and excused themselves before taking him towards the bar area.

Shubman: Kya baat karni h Abhay!? I was enjoying Sara's company! She's fun!

Abhishek: Shub are you sure about Nia!?

And all Shubman could say at that moment was I don't know!

Keep voting and comment down your views!
written on: 30-05-24
posted on: 22-08-24