when 77 met 32 [ishman ff] [shubish]

U-19

We met every day, me and Ishan. On the field during practices, at the cafeteria during lunch breaks, in hallways, and where not. We just somehow always ran into each other. Rishabh was our common friend. I made a few friends on the team who were also Ishan's friends, so yeah, it did not mean much. Well, he was friends with everyone, so it really couldn't be helped.

I shared my room with one of my teammates. Ishan lived in the room exactly opposite to mine. I got this piece of information when I had just woken up and was going downstairs for breakfast, and Ishan had emerged from the room right in front of mine. I was very shocked because, god, he came out of nowhere. We greeted each other, and I went back into my room. I don't know why. He must actually think that I am crazy. Hell, even I have started to think that I am crazy.

Right now, I was on the field, practicing, when a bunch of seniors came by. "Shubman gill, right?" one of them spoke. "Yeah," I replied. "We have seen you play. You are amazing with your bat work." "Thank you so much." I needed to learn how to take compliments and how to reply to them. Why the hell was I so damn awkward?

"Are you the shy type?" it was Ishan this time. No, I really was not the shy type—maybe introverted, and awkward, but most definitely not shy. But for some reason, every time I came face-to-face with Ishan, I had this sudden urge to run away. But I was not going to tell him that.

And yeah, instead of answering his damn question, I was staring at him like an idiot again. Was he laughing? Because it certainly looked like he was. Oh god, he was laughing, one hand over his mouth, trying his best to disguise it as a cough, but no, it was most definitely a laugh.

Congratulations Shubman Your team's captain is laughing at your stupidity. How lovely, what a milestone. God.... I feel like dying right now. Can it get any worse? "What are we laughing about?" It was rishabh. The question was directed towards Ishan. This man's timing is always so damn bad. And great, now he is looking between me and Ishan alternately, expecting an answer, and I am definitely red in the face because what the fuck? "Nothing," it was Ishan who couldn't speak properly because of the damn laughter.

And he was openly laughing now, clutching his stomach and bending forward. I want to know what the fuck is so funny to him. And now Rishab is looking at me like I was the reason behind global warming. Why the hell is he looking at me like that? I want answers too. It's not like I released a laughing gas in Ishan's face.

"I am so sorry... so...sorry. It is very rude of me; I know that, but your face is so damn comic every single time. God, I am not a predator. I won't eat you, so please relax." I had no words left. I mean, when do I even have words when it comes to Ishan anyway? "Are you okay, Shubman?" Okay, this was the second time Rishabh was asking me this question. And it is starting to bother me how both times I was left tongue-tied in front of Ishan.

Why the fuck is this happening to me? And Rishabh looked so concerned it was almost funny. I opened my mouth to say something to reassure the concerned Rishabh that I was okay and that he did not have to worry at all. But then I don't remember what happened or what I said. All I remember was a jumble of voices around me and my ear buzzing so loudly it hurt.

I woke up in a room that suspiciously looked like a hospital room. It was a nursing center I recognized. "I am so sorry. Are you okay?" It was Ishan, and I really had no idea what exactly he was sorry for. "You had a panic attack again," Ishan provided helpfully when he noticed me lost. "Are you sure you've never had them before?" Yes, I was a hundred percent sure I had never experienced anything like this before. I have no idea why this is happening to me now.

"No, never before," I said. And Ishan looked so worried at that, it almost looked like he was blaming himself. It wasn't his fault that my panic attack decided to make an appearance in front of him. "I am so sorry," he repeated. "It isn't your fault though; I am not sure what are you sorry about?" I said it because I wanted to make Ishan understand that there was nothing he could have done to prevent it apart from maybe not coming in front of me. Which was quite stupid, so yeah?

I actually learned how to talk in front of Ishan without making a complete fool out of myself after that day. When you have a proper conversation with Ishan Kishan, you understand the reason why he is friends with the entire campus. Apart from being an amazing human being, he was also an amazing captain and an amazing player. I loved his company.

Our conversations, on the other hand, remained limited to professional talks only. I think he was very careful so that I did not get a panic attack again. Well, when destiny plans for you, you sit back and enjoy the show because three matches into the tournament, my roommate suddenly wanted to shift rooms because he wanted to be with his best friend. His best friend's roommate, on the other hand, did not want to share a room with a player on some other team.

And so, Ishan the Savior came into the picture. He convinced his roommate to live with this person because they were on the same team and then offered my roommate and his best friend to come live in his room while he came into mine. I don't think he realized that it would be me he would have to room with before coming into the room because he looked genuinely shocked to see me sitting on the bed. I was just as shocked because I had no idea about the stunt Ishan had pulled.

Campus life became a little easier and a little more fun after becoming roommates with Ishan. Our conversations shifted from just professional talks to a little more personal talk. We talked about our lives back home, about how our journey of cricket started, about our families and friends, and I realized that I loved his company and that he was the most fun person to be with.

Sometimes we called Rishabh over, and we would all watch movies together. They would gang up on me and tease me about how I couldn't speak in front of Ishan, and I would run to beat their asses, and we would all laugh about it later. On the field, Ishan and I had the best partnership, and we reached the semi-finals with the help of team efforts and our partnership.

Today were our finals, and tomorrow the final list of this year's under-19 World Cup players will be decided. I hoped that Ishan would get a chance as an opener or a big hit because he truly deserved it. So, I rooted for him. We played the finals with all our might but lost by 3 runs. I was disappointed in myself. Ishan told me it was okay that it was not my fault that it was not that big of a competition, but it was; it was a really important match for Ishan; his position in team India was dependent on it, and I was the finisher. I was supposed to play well, but I fucked up.

I couldn't sleep that night, so we watched Marvels because that was one of a lot of things we shared a liking for. The next day I couldn't even eat anything; I was so tense. "I don't understand. Is it Ishan's selection or is it yours? Why the fuck are you so tensed?" Rishab asked frustrated when I refused his advances to feed me forcefully for the nth time. "I am tensed for both of you," I said. "That is a downright lie, Shubman, and we both know that." He said.

Well, I wanted Rishab to get a nice position on the team too, but truth be told, I was tensed just for Ishan. Maybe because I knew how he was feeling right now, maybe because I kind of felt the same.

"The team is announced," Ishan's former roommate came running. "What is it?" Rishab asked. "Both of you'll are on the team. Andddd congratulations, Ishan, you are the captain." "Whattt," it was me, I shouted, both surprised and happy. Ishan looked at me and ran towards me. For a hug.

It was our first hug. In the days we were playing together, talking, watching movies, and just simply enjoying each other's company, we had never hugged before this. This moment was really special to me because first Ishan was a really good friend of mine, and I was so happy that he got a chance to represent India as a captain at the under-19 World Cup, and second, there were all of his teammates present; there were all of the people he knew before he knew me, and still, he chose to hug me. He chose to run towards me from the other side of the room just to share his happy moments with me.

And at that moment I felt blessed; I felt happy beyond measure. And I think that if there was a seven-minute, this moment would be included in mine.

Sorry I kind of uploaded this chapter without proof reading it so yeah, I am attempting to mend that mistake. Please bear with me. Thank you.