The Prince And The Commoner (Shubman Gill)

~EIGHT~

Since exams are doneee!!! Here's another oneee!!!!!!!!  
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It was halfway through the second innings of the match, Rohit got out after scoring 20 runs in 7 balls on down came Virat who made a significant effect by being a reliable partner as the runs increased steadily. Shubman was on 159 from 80 and Virat was on 56 from 59. They were going great until Shubman faced a 150 km/hr ball on the inside leg and got LBW- according to the umpire.

"Bhai out hai kya?" Shubman asked Virat who himself looked confused.

"Ya toh not out hai ya umpire's call hoga shayad, outside leg hai." Virat explained leaving the decision to Shubman.

"Toh kare kya?" Virat brought his hands up to form a 'T' and the umpire proceeded to go upstairs for the review.

"Toh ab bata kon hai wo ladki?" Shubman shied away while scratching his scalp.

"Ko-kon ladki bhai?" His voice cracked slightly on his second 'kon' which caused Virat to snicker.

"Acche se bahane toh banaya kar." He said as he brought his hand down on Shubman's head. Shubman laughed and looked at the screen displaying the review being played out. The ball had pitched outside off and made contact with Shubman's leg just slightly inside leg. The follow through caused it to very barely hit the leg wickets.

"Shit...umpires call." Shubman muttered before dropping his helmet onto his hands. Virat patted him on the back. Shubman continued looking at the screen, which, as if knowing what he needed, showed Akanksha. She had a downcast expression but when she realised there was no point in crying about it, she just looked up and cheered for India anyway and urged Chitra to do the same. Shubman smiled which, Virat conveniently enough, didn't realise. Well he realised, just didn't think much of it, except.

'Shayad bechara sadme mai hai.' He thought and dropped the topic.

"Koi na bohot accha khela tu. Ab baaki hum pe chod de." Shubman nodded and walked off the ground with his head raised high up and pointing his bat around for everyone to see. He halted for a second where Akanksha sat. She thought he might be able to see her so she raised her hands in thumbs up, congratulating him on his amazing 159 runs at a strike rate of 198. She hoped he understood that everyone was proud of him even if he did get out in the end. However long he played made a huge difference to the team. So she smiled at him, while the others around her cheered (Chitra did as well). He saw her smile and smiled back, appreciating her efforts despite it not being anything special. He sat in the dugout with a huge grin as his friends shifted away from him while saying, "Paagal ashiq."

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India won the match by 12 runs. And the player of the match award was given to Shubman for his amazing 159 runs from 80 balls as well as his outstanding catches.

"Congratulations to you Shubman Gill for such a brilliant innings. I have no doubt that the crowd is proud of you." Harsha Bhogle congratulated the said individual with all the genuineness he was made from. Many people started dispersing, knowing full well they would be stuck in a horrible traffic jam but with people walking. Akanksha did the same, as she walked up the stairs with a sleeping Chitra and a drowsy, Aarav.

"Aaru, tumne kal kya kiya?" Akanksha asked Aarav trying to keep him awake until they at least managed to get out of the building.

"I go to...beach and-and I go to Akku house." Akanksha nodded along to what he said and asked more in interest.

"Bhabhi isse hindi sikhani thi na? English toh school jake sikh lenge." Divya nodded towards Kushal saying it was all his fault.

"Are mujpe gussa karne se pehle yaha se bahar nikle?" Aarav who held Divya's hand moved slightly towards his father, patting him on his leg with pity.

"Ye dekho, mere khud ke bete ko mere pe taras aa rha hai. Meri pyaari mata o kuch toh rehem khao mere pe." He begged. They walked out to see a huge crowd and slowly but surely, they left to find Akanksha's safe haven.

"Kannu, mujhe lagta hai tujhe India wapis jana chaiye. Teri padhai bhi khatam honeko-" Akankha didn't need this reminder in her life about going back again and again. She knew what she needed to do and where she needed to do it. And the one place she knew she didn't want to be was in India. As much as she loved her country, she hated the place, the house she was raised in. She hated the situations she was raised in. She didn't need her daughter to be in the same situation. But somewhere in her heart...she wanted to go back. Australia just didn't feel like home.

"Bhai, mujhe nhi jana hai India. Bas baat khatam." The five- well two of them were almost asleep, but they stayed there until the crowd cleared up a bit. After many rounds of conversations, it went back to India. Divya, not wanting to face the spit fire, took Aarav and went for a walk since he had woken up earlier. She would take Chitra too but the fact that she was in Akanksha's arms made her calm. So she didn't take away her husband's safe guard.

"Are Kannu, zara ek aur baar sochle please." She opened her mouth to intervene but he beat her to it.

"Please na mat kehna. Woh, Antara aunty hume bohot keh rhi thi tujhe manane ko." She remained quiet and listened, despite not wanting to. (Akanksha's mother is Antara.)

"Tu unki ek lauti bacchi hai, unhe bhi tujhe dekhne ka mann karta hoga na? Call toh karti hai, lekin sirf voice. Unhe aapna chehra tak nhi dikhati. Chitra ki photos kabhi kabhi bhejti hai lekin kabhi galti se bhi aapni nhi bhejti. Sirf ek baar India chali ja na." She shook her head softly. "Are kabhi toh meri baat suna kar." She shook her head again. She wanted to go back too...wanted to be with her mother again but she really couldn't. Not when the only reason her mother wants her back is to push her much further. She too missed spending time with her mother whether it be watching TV together or it be cooking together. But she had lost it to the courage and the fear of her mother's hate.  

"Ek baar, please, sirf ek baar." His voice got extremely low but she still shook her head.

"Nhi hoga mujhse. Nhi kar sakti mai...kosish kiya tha maine. Last year mai airport tak pohuch gyi thi, fir nhi hua mere se. Wapis chali aayi." Kushal's jaw dropped. He didn't know what to say. "Uss desh ne mujhe kuch nhi diya, shivaay I don't know, pain maybe?, fir bhi 'vande matram' bolti hu. Fir bhi pure dil se uss desh ka bhala socha hai maine. Uss se zyada nhi hoga mujhse yaar. Mujhe Chitra ko best possible life deni hai, jo India mai nhi milegi." She breathed out her whole statement in fear of waking Chitra. The whole conversation none of them moved, Akanksha needed to be heard and Kushal wanted to listen. But despite all that, Kushal still wanted to say it one more time.

"Agar kabhi bhi janeka mann kare toh mujhe batade, tere shifts mai cover kar dunga." She didn't try to talk back and just nodded. Kushal tried to calm her down by patting her head which seemed to work as she leaned into his touch.

"Uh...am I walking in on something?"

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