The Prince And The Commoner (Shubman Gill)

~Forty Two~

HAPPY NEW YEARR!!!!!! 🥳🥳🎉🎉🎉🎉 (Ye lo present now enjoy the sadness 🙂)
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As she opened the door, she found the hotel in a mess. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she stepped into the darkness of the room. Her eyes searched past the darkness for Shubman.

"Shub?" Her voice trembled, "Shub?"

Her hand raised to turn the lights on with her trembling hands but she struggled to find the switch.

"Shub..." She called once more, finally finding the switch, she barely pressed the lights when her eyes landed on Shubman. He sat in a corner, his head on his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs as his whole body shook. She shut the door immediately and rushed to him.

"Shub?" She fell to the floor wrapping her arms around him to calm him down. "Shub?" She didn't get a response.

"Shubman!?" He finally looked up with a tear stricken face. Akanksha couldn't even process what she saw when Shubman held her tight against her waist, his head on the crook of her neck. His tears wetted her t-shirt. His sobs filled her ears. Her heart ached for Shubman. She held him close against her. She could tell what might've happened...she ran her fingers through his scalp as he continued to cry.

"Shub-" "I'm- I'm sorry." His voice broke.

"Shh...kuch nhi hua. Sab thik hai-" "Kuch thik nhi hai." He sniffled, "Tumne kaha tha, ye troll karenge, tumne bola tha it would be bad. Phir bhi mai kehta gaya, everything will be alright, I'm here." He mocked himself with more tears wetting her T-shirt.

"Kya khag kiya maine tumahre sath hoke?" His cries got louder and more painful. He had promised her he'd be with her, they'd deal with it together but she was dealing with it herself when he was peacefully asleep unaware of everything going on. He felt disappointed that she didn't tell him what was going on.

"Shub, you're going through a lot right now. Di ke sath bhi logo ne aisa hi kiya tha. Kal tumhara match bhi hai na?" He understood where she was coming from but he just didn't like the idea of her having to deal with it alone. He felt useless.

"But still Akanksha, I should've at least been there for you." She placed her finger against his lips.

"Shh...bass, Shubman, you don't need to do anything. Tum mere saath ho, that's enough for me..." His sobs became slightly controlled as she spoke further.

"Shubman, mujhe na, aaj ek baat samajh mai aayi hai. You know why they're trolling me?"
She kissed his forehead lulling him to sleep in her arms while she herself couldn't sleep the whole night as she feared for Chitra's safety. She wasn't worried about herself because of the man in her arms...but Chitra only had her mother and Shahneel with her and maybe Shubman's dad to protect her.

Shubman's father had really grown to love Chitra. Any chance he got to be with her, he would take it. Treated her like his own granddaughter. So Akanksha hoped he was with Chitra to protect her...

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As Shubman left for the game with his team Akanksha made sure to encourage him to do the best he could.

"Shubi...best of luck...don't worry about the trolling. Mai deal kar lungi. It doesn't bother me much." Her words might have only been that, but her eyes filled with fire, that's what truly encouraged him. He needed to do the best he could so she could freely deal with the trolling.

"Akanksha, tum bhi mere sath chalo na," He embraced her dearly. She shook her head.

"Kuch nhi hoga Shub, tum jao mujhe thoda kaam hai, woh niptake, game shuru hone se pehle puhoch jaungi." She pecked him softly on the lips before moving away. "Come on baby, you can do it." She smiled reassuringly. He reciprocated it.

"Pakka?" She nodded.

"Bye," "Bye."

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Akanksha had received a call from police station informing her that one of the people who sent the rape threats to Chitra had been caught, and that he was in Ahmedabad so he had been brought to the police station. She wanted to meet the guy who said such things about a little girl who was yet to even turn two.

She entered the door of the police station to see everyone sitting around chatting.

"Sir?" She stood in front of the police officers who recognised her immediately. They stood up without a spoken word and moved towards a cell, pulling a man by his collar.

"Madam ye lijiye. Ye hai woh madar- jo insaniyat nhi jaanta." The officer shoved the man towards her. The man tried to fight the grip only to fail...again and again.

"Chod mujhe!!" He shouted at the officer but he was smacked across the face immediately. Akanksha just watched.

The man looked to be around 30, someone who looked like a family man...so she needed to know exactly why he felt the need to harass a young child like that.

"Kya Chitra ko rape threats aapne bheja tha?" She glared at him with half lidded eyes. The man grunted, "Haan, toh? I mean woh bhi toh tune woh karke hi paida hui hogina?" She stayed silent.

"Kyu?" She asked. Her expressions didn't change.

"Kyuki uss na mard ko pata hona chaiye aurato ki jagah sirf aadmi k pair ke thalle hona chaiye. Teri tarha sir pe nhi chadhate. Actually na aurato ko aadme k niche hona chaiye-" His sadistic laughter was cut off when he felt a metallic taste in his mouth. Akanksha herself felt a burning sensation in her knuckles.

She worriedly looked at the police officers to see them all turned around to face the wall and the officer holding the guy had his eyes closed.

"Sir?" "Hum na kuch bura dekhenge, na kuch bura sunenge, na hi kuch bura hua hai bolenge." They chanted together.

Akanksha smiled.

For most of her life, she hated the police, she feared them so much. They thought of them as the guys who took her loved ones away...but here they were helping her out.

"Aap jo karna chaho iske saath woh sab kar sakti hai, shivai murder..." The officer added. She nodded.

"Oye!!! ***** saali!!! Teri himmat kaise hui-" She brought her knee up on his...harshly. He yelped in pain before he lost his voice completely.

"Kya re? Tu usse na mard bolta hai? Kyu na mai hi tujhe na mard na banadu. Chaiye kya be?" She crouched down pulling his collar before he was face to face with her.

"Teri-" She yanked on his hair with a tight grip. She hadn't planned to beat a guy up when she came to the station but he just kept getting on her nerves.

"Aagli baar kisi ki beti ki aisa kehna hai toh samaj lena uski ma tera mere se bhi battar saza degi. Maar hi kyu na daale." The guy spat out the blood in his mouth continuously glaring up at her. She noticed it.

"Sir," She called up to the officer who finally opened his eyes to see the rather sedated guy.

"Boliye Madam." He asked, puffing his chest out proudly at the strength she had shown.

"Kya ye shaadi shuda hai?" He excused himself for a second, returning with a file.

"Haan Madam. Koi, Mamata bhen Patil hai." She looked back down at the guy and imagined how he must have been treating his wife.

"Sir kya aap mera ek aur kaam kar do ge?" He nodded casually.

"Kya aap iske wife pe check in karoge? In case ye usse marta tha?" When they nodded she left...she had a promise to keep.

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