Love Li(f)e

10.Aurora

Is Shubman Gill ready now to sit on the throne of games?

"Did you read that?" Koel asked over the video call.

You looked up from your phone to the laptop screen, nodding your head as a 'yes.'

"The Indian Express has published this article," you said and she realized you weren't reading what she wanted you to read.

"Not that," she looked exasperated. "Tabloid magazine. The title goes like 'Shubman Gill makes a comeback with 5th test ton, Aditi Sharma drowns him in kisses.'"

"It was one kiss," you shook your head a little.

"I think this is good," your manager observed. "Maybe if you're not busy recording, you can watch his matches in the stadium."

"Why?" You asked uninterestedly. "Did another brand approach us?"

"We have a genius," she clapped her hands twice. "I have the agreement ready, while Seb will talk with Shubman. All you have to do is sign the papers, and 5% of it to me, as always."

"I know," you replied before checking the time. "Shall we talk about the rest of the schedule tomorrow? I need to talk to my mother."

"Yeah," she finally said. "I'll be there at the airport to pick you up tomorrow. You have a lot of work as well. Heading to the studio first."

Somewhere inside, hearing her say that, you wanted to cry.

But you nodded anyway, mumbling a 'bye' before ending the call, not waiting for a reply.

Closing your laptop, you sighed as your palms covered your face.

The tight feeling in your throat was back.

You really didn't want this short time of making your own decisions to end.

But you didn't want to say no to her. You've never been good at rejection.

Plus, Koel reminds you all the time with the way she reminiscences about your college days.

Classmates, best friends. You would've never been a singer if she did encourage you to participate in that music fest.

You owe her this much, right?

"Yes, I do," you mumbled to yourself before getting off the bed.

You walked towards the balcony, pulling the drapes apart so that the night sky was possible.

Your eyes traveled down, sensing some movement, and found Shubman in the pool.

Who swims at 12 am?

"Eccentric," you said to yourself and shook your head, your lips tugging upwards slightly.

With nothing much to do, you put on your sweater and made your way downstairs.

You'd talked to your mother already. You only said that to get your manager off your back.

Once at the backyard where the pool was situated, you took off your very comfortable slippers, in exchange for feeling the even more comfortable grass beneath your feet.

"Couldn't sleep?" You asked while making your ways towards the water.

Lights inside the pool lit the area, along with a few lampposts on either side of the pathway.

"Ishu kicked me out," Shubman said, still swimming. "I used his body wash."

"Really?" You asked as you sat on the edge, rolling up your sweatpants to your knees.

"On his bedsheets," he added as you dipped your legs in the pool.

The blue illuminating the pool was scarcely garnering any attention.

Green streaks of grasses supplemented it, and together they made the sky seem almost transparent.

"If northern lights were artificial," you mumbled to yourself as Shubman swam towards you. "No splashing."

"No splashing," he said in agreement before rising himself from the water, sitting beside you instead. "Why do you look to be in a dire need of one though?"

"Not for splashing," you answered as he moved his head towards you, shaking it near your face. "Idiot."

You said albeit with a smile as water droplets from his hair fell on your cheeks.

Maybe in a dire need of drowning, you thought contentiously.

But this was fine.

In silence, with a fake boyfriend who kept it real for you.

You allowed your eyes to give Shubman an once-over, and thought to yourself again. Worth the hype.

"Do you plan on going shirtless all the way to your room?" You asked and he shrugged.

"Maybe," he answered. "If the situation calls for it. But right now, I do have a t-shirt and towel."

You looked up at the sky, hitting his leg with yours in the water occasionally.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, nudging your shoulder with his.

"You," you said and while Shubman would've joked about it, he didn't expect it.

"Are you in the mood for some teasing?" He asked and you shook your head. "Then why do you say sh!t like that?"

His tone didn't sound even an octave away from being casual.

"This is why," you looked at him. "We talk to each other like friends do but we don't act like it."

You're not supposed to act like it. That was the point.

But how long were you gonna stay this way?

Once the act is over, and the darkness settles in again, he'll be nowhere to be found.

Secrecy is like a rubber band.

It can only be stretched so far before it snaps.

"I think you'll want nothing to do with us once this is all done," you told Shubman.

Your body sank towards him, imagining yourself walking another red carpet, because that's the only way you convince your mind that it's okay.

It's okay to enjoy a few moments with each other now and then.

"Is that what you think?" He asked despite you having just said it.

"It's what I think," you repeated and looked at the water.

Shubman's fingers wrapped around your wrist, caressing it before his head moved closer to yours.

But you also thought this.

"Maybe until it's time," you turned to face him. "We thought it'll be fun, right?"

No, you thought again. It's not wrong at all.

The rest of the world already thinks you're together.

Anything you both do wasn't going to make any difference.

It's not wrong to have your own moments now and then.

"You are in a dire need of splashing," Shubman's fingers stroked the back of your hand and closed the gap between your lips.

And you kissed him. The kind of kiss legitimate couples have.

The kind you'll let yourselves enjoy for now, and never tell your managers about.

What if I never see you again because we're both on a stage?