first greets and last meets

day 3 (part II) & day 4

"OH MY GOD, you should've seen his face, Gill! He was this close to hitting you, I swear."

Ishan doubled over again as he laughed at the expense of Anmolpreet being subjected to Shubman's 'show-off' of the Man of the Match title. He didn't think it was being petty if it resulted in Anmolpreet finally giving a rest to the mocking words he'd resorted to ever since he'd met him this tournament. The fact that Ishan had been there to witness it all had been extra fun, nothing else.

They were in the hotel elevator, going up to their room to call it an early night while most of their teammates went out to celebrate their win and position in the finals, given that they didn't have a match or early morning practice tomorrow. The finals were scheduled for the day after tomorrow, giving all the players at least a day's rest.

Shubman hadn't been a big fan of crowds ever, so it had been a straight, understood, and unsaid no for him to go out with the team. He just wanted to give himself some much-needed rest after today's performance and the dull throb in his ankle had also started acting up during dinner, so that needed attention too. He wasn't really sure why Ishan had insisted on staying back though.

As far as Shubman knew the guy, he was as outgoing as you'd expect an average twenty-year-old to be, given their line of work. He was all about team spirit and team bonding and even in the days they'd been here, Shubman had noticed him coming back late to their shared room after dinner because he'd usually be up with some of his friends in the lounge room, playing pool and talking (or so had Shubman been told).

When the talks of going out to celebrate had started, he was sure Ishan would be among the first players to get up and start making plans as to where their celebratory party needed to happen. There had been people like that in every team Shubman had played for till now, so it was obvious.

A voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like anxiety whispered that Shubman was jealous of Ishan. Not jealous as in talent or something. God knew that they were as good as the other on the field, if not more and they were the resident team prodigies for a reason. So, Shubman knew it wasn't talent, it was... something he didn't want to think about right then, that bit he was sure about.

So, it wasn't just him but everyone had been shocked when Ishan suddenly declared his plans of calling it an early night too, something about working too hard to assist the 'Man of the Match' (he'd almost said master in front of everyone, had Shubman not stepped on his foot in warning) had tired him out apparently.

Shubman called bullshit.

"Why didn't you go with the guys tonight?" He asked first thing as they moved inside their room. Shubman had hogged the bathroom already, armed with his kit and all. Ishan laughed at his protective stance against the bathroom door and gave him a go ahead wave of hand, but didn't answer his question.

This occurred to Shubman whilst he was in the middle of his shower, so naturally, he turned off the same and called out, "Hey, Kishan! Answer my question."

Another laugh and then, "What was it? I forgot."

Suspicious but Shubman ignored it for now. "Why didn't you go out with the guys tonight?"

"I told you and everyone this earlier, I am genuinely tired. I didn't feel like going out tonight, is all really."

Shubman knew this wasn't it. Hell, the guy had gone to play and just talk with the guys even when they'd lost the last match, so something wasn't right, he knew it. And something akin to common sense was telling him to drop it at least till his shower was complete, Ishan had also cleaned up and maybe when both of them were in bed with the lights of their room turned off, he could bring it up again. But Shubman was on a roll today, eager to do anything but hear that suspicious voice start complete and utter nonsense in his mind again. As if Shubman was actually jealous of Ishan's populari--