Tangled Hearts - In the Eye of The Storm

Realizations

Shubman looked at Virat with a sense of horror. Had he heard it right? Did Virat really say that he thinks Shubman might have lost Ishan?

As if reading Shubman's thoughts Virat responded.

Virat : What? Why are you looking at me like that? Like you didn't know the consequences of your actions? Why are you acting so scared when it was you who texted him saying you two shouldn't talk for a while? Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this what your cousin Jugnu and your PR team wanted? The lesser you talk to him the lesser chances of you two being shipped together. Perfect right?

Shubman: No! What are you saying Virat Bhai? I can never even think of not having Ishan as my friend! Why will..why will I ever want that?

Virat : Well your actions clearly don't match your words bud.

Shubman: I... I can't lose Ishan Virat Bhai... I can't lose him... He's my best friend!

Virat : Well then move your ass up and think of how you can correct this mistake of yours. But seriously Shubman I didn't expect this from you! You've disappointed me a lot with this.

If Shubman hadn't looked 2 seconds away from having a mental breakdown Virat would have thrashed him left right and centre. But well, contrary to popular believe, now that he was a father of two kids he had become a lot more patient. And these two were also his kids afterall. They were the Sita-Geeta-Babita trio.
(yes Virat had a fake twitter and Instagram account to keep up with all the gossip of the cricket world but he wouldn't tell you thaat if you ask him)

So he had to step up and give the correct advice to this crying mess of a human called Sita...urgh..Shubman. He took a deep breath before continuing.

Virat : Shubman you've known Ishan for what at least 7 years now... Do you even realize how lucky you are Shubman?

Shubman : Umm yes?

Virat sighed

Virat : I don't think so Kake. In competitive sports like cricket where it's all about competing for that one spot in the team, finding a best friend who genuinely celebrates your successes, even if you surpass their own, is indeed rare and incredibly valuable. Do you remember when you completed your double hundred? Who was the happiest? It was Ishan Shubman. You broke his record of being the youngest to score a double ton but anyone who saw him could have never known that you had just broken his record. Every single person was shocked at how happy Ishan was for you Shubman. We were all happy for you and a little sad for Ishan as his record got broken but him? He didn't care. All he cared about was going outside and being the first one to wish you for your incredible performance. I'm sure even I would've felt bad if this happened to me. But he didn't. It's a testament to the depth of their character and the strength of your bond. Many people struggle with feelings of envy or competition, even among friends, making such unwavering support all the more exceptional. Having a friend who cheers you on without a hint of jealousy is like finding a rare gem in a sea of stones. It's a reminder of the beauty of true friendship, where mutual respect, admiration, and genuine happiness for each other's achievements prevail. So, if you've been fortunate enough to find a friend like that, cherish and appreciate him, for they are a rare and precious gift in life. If I had a friend like that I would have NEVER let them go because of some stupid social media nonsense. You know I too have such a close friend. But he's a bowler called Ishant Sharma so we never had this feeling of competition because our path was different. Even with AB we are from different countries and we weren't competing in RCB. I swear to god when I say this that NEVER in my life and the HISTORY of all the cricket I have ever seen, have I seen a bond so pure and so precious wherein the two people involved are supposed to be direct competitors of each other. Please realize how fortunate you are Shubman before it's too late. Ishan was benched so many times yet did he ever make you feel bad for performing well? Because if you fail he gets a  chance doesn't he? But there he was always hyping you up. If this isn't true friendship I don't know what is!

Shubman sat in silence as he took in and introspected every word Virat spoke. His eyes widened in realization that each and every word Virat spoke was so damn true. But it seemed like Virat wasn't done yet.

Virat : First of all you let social media theories govern your bond? Seriously Shubman I didn't expect such stupidity from you! Are you the only one who's being called homosexual or whose so called "reputation" is at stake? Isn't it the same for Ishan as well? Have you ever seen him or anyone from his team acting or reacting the way your team does? And in fact at a time like this when he's lost the central contract plus he's getting hate for siding with Hardik who had literally been his big brother since 2018... Don't you think his reputation is more at stake than yours is?  Shouldn't you have been one of his pillars during this time of distress? Whom does he have Shubman? You have Abhishek You have a great mentor with you as Yuvi... You have Nehra paaji in GT You have Sara you have me... Whom does he have? His and Rohit's bond is not the same unfortunately. Even his bond with Sky and Tilak is affected because of this Mumbai fiasco that too without any fault of his. Mayank is there but he doesn't get to see much of Ishan. Hardik himself is so mentally exhausted with all the booing he can't be consoling Ishan too. He doesn't have any mentor to guide him. All he had was you and Aditi and you did this to him Shubman! I thought you really cared for him!

Shubman: Of course I do Bhai! I just never realized.... oh god I'm such a terrible best friend. I.... I was not there when he needed me the most.

Before Shubman could go on another guilt trip and become a crying mess again, Virat consoled him and told him to take the effort to show Ishan how important he was to him.

And so Shubman Gill planned to surprise his best friend with something he loves - a roadtrip.
He planned out everything right from the location to the logistics and even called Aditi, Sara and his sister Shahneel telling them about the trip and asking them to accompany. He really wanted to call Abhishek and Mayank but at this moment it wasn't sure whether SRH would make it to the playoffs or not and whether they would be available to go on the trip or not.

And so after his last match of IPL 2024, he booked the ticket to Mumbai for the same night. He was excited to get onto the plane and run into his best friend's arms. But how would Ishan react to seeing him there was one thing eating his brain.... He sure would be happy wouldn't he?

But before he could do all this

There was one very important and serious task that was to be completed.

It was talking about his decision to his dad and Jugnu and convincing them to let him go to his best friend...his Ishan.

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Hello everyone!

Yes you guessed it right lol I'm free today so I've decided to write as much as I can. So yes double and maybe even more updates on the way lol.

Do you think Jugnu and Shub's father will let him go to Mumbai? If not what will happen to his plan? Will Ishan forgive Shubman?

Stay tuned to find out!
Please comment and share your feedback!

PS : Are you finding the pace too slow or the chapters boring? Please let me know 🙈🙈💀💀🥺🥺

Until next time!