Shubman seethed, clenching his teeth as he spoke. "And, Ghazal, don't you dare try to explain," he said, his voice filled with anger.

On the other end, Ghazal laughed bitterly. "So you finally found out. And what will you do about it?" she challenged, her tone defiant and unrepentant.

Shubman wiped his face and leaned back, a smirk forming on his lips. "Don't forget, Raichandani, to the world, Noor and I are the couple, not you and me," he said, confidently emphasising his words.

Ghazal fell silent on the other end, momentarily at a loss for words. Just as she was about to respond, Shubman cut her off. "Keep all your stupid talk to yourself. Please don't call me or text me. It was not nice meeting you." His voice was cold and resolute as he hung up, feeling a sense of relief washing over him.

Keeping the phone aside, Shubmam switched off the light and looked out at the moon. Its soft glow reminded him of Noor's calm eyes, so much like a tranquil ocean.

His flight was scheduled for the afternoon, and Shubman could hardly wait to be back in his Noori's arms. The thought of holding her close and burying his nose in her neck, inhaling her familiar scent, filled him with a longing that made the hours drag by slowly.

As he stared at the moon, Shubman set aside all his recent memories, both good and bad, and allowed himself to be transported back to their childhood. Cuddling himself in the blanket, he remembered a young Noor clinging to Mumma Bajwa, not wanting to let go, while he laughed and smiled like an idiot, excited for their first day of school.

Little Noor, her face red and her blue eyes filled with tears, cried her heart out, not wanting to leave her parents. Shubman remembered how he had tried to comfort her, holding her tiny hand and promising that school would be fun.

Shubman took Noor's tiny hand, his small fingers gripping hers reassuringly. "Come on, Noor, it's going to be fun!" he said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as he could. He pointed to the large playground visible through the school gates. "Look, there's a big playground over there."

Noor's eyes were still brimming with tears, her lip trembling as she clung to her mother's skirt. "But I don't want to leave Mumma and Daddy," she sobbed. "What if I get lost?"

Shubman crouched down to her level, his smile gentle but determined. "You won't get lost. I'll be right here with you. And you'll make lots of new friends. We're going to have the best time ever!"

Noor's tears continued to fall, her little face red and blotchy. "Promise?" she asked through her sniffles.

Shubman nodded, his voice steady. "I promise. And if you need anything, just look for me. I'll be your best friend."

Noor wiped her eyes with her free hand, her sobs slowly subsiding. "Okay, but can you stay with me for a little while? I'm scared."

Shubman's grip on her hand tightened slightly, a comforting squeeze. "Of course. I'll stay as long as you need me to. Just imagine all the fun we'll have together."

Noor took a deep breath, the fear in her eyes slowly fading. "Alright, but only if you promise not to leave me alone."

Shubman grinned, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Deal. Now, let's go see that playground. I bet there are swings and slides just waiting for us."

Noor's lips curved into a faint smile, her apprehension easing. "Okay, but you have to push me on the swing."

Shubman laughed softly. "You got it! Let's go."

The scene shifted to 9th grade in his mind, Shubman and Noor were seated at the last bench, their laughter stifled by the presence of their teacher. Between classes, they had secretly opened their tiffins, sharing snacks and giggles. Noor nudged Shubman with her elbow as she took a bite of her sandwich, whispering a funny comment that made Shubman snort with laughter.

The teacher, noticing the disturbance, paused mid-sentence and fixed them with a stern glare. "Shubman, Noor, what's so funny that it can't wait until after class?"

Caught in the act, they quickly tried to compose themselves, but Noor couldn't resist a cheeky grin. "Oh, nothing, ma'am. Just discussing the wonders of geometry," she replied, a playful twinkle in her eyes.

Shubman chimed in, "Yeah, like how it's such an acute subject," he said, trying to suppress a laugh.

The teacher crossed her arms, unimpressed by their humour. "Stand up, both of you," she demanded. "Since you find geometry so amusing, perhaps you'd like to teach the class."

Shubman and Noor stood, exchanging mischievous glances. "Well, you see, ma'am," Shubman began, "geometry is like a love triangle: complicated, with many angles."

The class erupted into laughter, but the teacher's patience had worn thin. "Enough! Both of you, out of the classroom," she ordered, pointing to the door.

Still chuckling, Shubman and Noor grabbed their bags and walked out, undeterred by the punishment. As they stepped into the hallway, Shubman turned to Noor, grinning. "Worth it, right?"

Noor nodded, trying to contain her laughter. "Totally. I'd rather be out here with you than in there listening to her drone on."

They settled on a bench outside, still giggling, enjoying their shared rebellion and the freedom of the moment.

As Shubman and Noor sat on the bench, a girl from their class walked by, shooting them a taunting glance. "Uff, romance couldn't wait, huh? Had to get out of class for it," she jeered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Noor, never one to back down, smirked and replied, "Only if you had a boyfriend, you'd understand."

The girl paused, taken aback by Noor's quick comeback. She rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving Shubman and Noor laughing and exchanging high-fives, pleased with their witty banter.

Shubman chuckled as he recalled how Noor, who had been crying on the first day of school, gradually transformed into a confident young lady during their school days. She had become more self-assured and outspoken, often standing up for herself and others in a way that he admired. It made him proud to see how far she had come and made him even more determined to find his way back to her.

Another memory from 10th grade surfaced: a furious Lucky stood in front of the teachers and students, dripping in dirt from head to toe, demanding to know who was responsible.The teacher's voice rang out, "Whoever did this, come forward this instant!"

Shubman's eyes scanned the crowd of students, trying to figure out who it was when they landed on Noor, standing there with a smug smile. Her expression said it all. It was clear she had something to do with it, and she wasn't even trying to hide it.

Shubman remembered the scene vividly: Noor's mischievous grin as Lucky fumed and the other students stifled their laughter.

Shubman's heart started beating faster when Lucky pointed at Noor. He knew he would eventually get into trouble too, because wherever Noor was, Shubman was right there with her in everyone's eyes, even though he wasn't involved this time.

He could almost feel the teacher's disapproving glare turning toward him, even before his name was called. It was an unwritten rule in school: if Noor was caught up in something, Shubman was assumed to be her accomplice.

As Shubman stood there, his mind racing with the potential consequences, Noor boldly spoke up, "Any proof?" Her voice was steady and confident, cutting through the tense silence in the room.

The teacher paused, caught off guard by her defiance. The students around them exchanged glances, some amused, others shocked at Noor's audacity. Shubman felt a surge of admiration for her bravery, even as he prepared himself for whatever might come next.

The teacher, trying to regain control, replied sternly, "We don't need proof when the evidence is clear."

Noor shrugged, unfazed, and retorted, "But unless you can prove it, you can't just blame someone based on assumptions."

Shubman couldn't help but smirk at her quick wit, feeling grateful to have someone like Noor in his life, someone who always stood her ground and refused to be intimidated.

The teacher fumbled, clearly flustered by Noor's confidence.

A few students, who had their grievances with Noor, seemed eager for trouble. But Noor, with a smug grin, added, "Innocent until proven guilty. Let's move on, students. We don't want to catch any germs from this mess."

With that, she turned on her heel, leaving the teacher and the room behind, her head held high.

The memory shifted to his U19 days, a time when he had to leave for matches for a month or two at a stretch. It was always the longest period away from Noor.

Noor had clung to him tightly, burying her face in his neck. Her voice was muffled but filled with emotion as she said, "I will miss you, but I want you to be the best at cricket."

Shubman hugged her back, his own heart aching at the thought of being away.

Shubman pulled back, gently wiping the tears from Noor's face. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and said, "Don't cry. I hate seeing you like this." His voice was tender.

Noor looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Promise me you'll stay focused and come back with winning news," she said, her voice trembling slightly but filled with hope.

Shubman nodded, pulling her into another tight embrace. "I promise. I'll do my best, and I'll come back as soon as I can."

He could feel her grip tighten around him as if she was trying to hold onto the moment for as long as possible. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, he gently released her and gave her one last, lingering look before turning to board the car that would take him away.

As he took his seat, he glanced back to see Noor standing there, her figure growing smaller as the distance increased.

True to his word, Shubman won the World Cup. As he celebrated with his team, the first person to rush to him after his family was Noor. She embraced him tightly, her joy and pride radiating from her. Pressing a long, affectionate kiss on his cheek, she exclaimed, "So, so proud of you, Kaake! My boy is already making waves in world cricket!"

Shubman pressed his forehead against Noor's, his voice tender as he said, "Of course, I had to do it for my family and my Noori." Noor giggled, holding him close and letting herself be cocooned in his arms. It was her safe place after home. She sighed contentedly as she whispered, "I love you." Shubman smiled, thinking it was just a way of expressing love in friendship, never realizing how deep it meant to her and how invested she was.

As he turned on his stomach, he lay face down on the pillow, tears streaming silently, he reached for his wallet. Opening it, he pulled out two pictures. The first was from their first day of school: both of them in their school uniforms, Noor with pigtails and a red, tear-streaked face, clinging to him. He looked excited and eager, a contrast to her teary-eyed distress.

The second picture was from after winning the U19 World Cup. Shubman's arms were wrapped around Noor's waist, and their foreheads were pressed together as they giggled, lost in their world.

Shubman caressed the picture gently and pressed a kiss to it. He couldn't remember exactly when he'd placed the picture in his wallet, but he hadn't removed it after the accident, even while he was with Ghazal. His heart had never allowed him to part with it.

Jutting his lower lip out, he whispered to the picture, "I love you, Noori, so, so much. I deny every destiny that doesn't include you because, even though I've lost my memories, you were, are, and will always be in my heart."