Bade Sapne

Part 3

Vira’s POV

The past few days had been oddly calm, almost too calm. Priya and I had been spending most of our time together, and whenever she wasn’t around, I filled my time with errands, a bit of work, and the usual binge-watching spree. Still, something felt off—like a missing piece I hadn’t quite noticed was gone.

It hit me when I realized: Shubman had been… distant.

At first, I didn’t think much of it. After all, we hadn’t exactly had a smooth patch recently. I’d been weirded out by how intense his apology had been after that whole thing with him insulting me in front of Abhishek and Priya. He’d pulled me aside later and apologized—really apologized, like he had been holding onto more than just that one comment. I remembered standing there, stunned by how sincere and... vulnerable he seemed.

Obviously, I wasn't going to let him off so easily, but I did take the time to crack a smile. And after that, I’d assumed things would go back to normal. But instead, it felt like Shubman had been actively avoiding me ever since.

It wasn’t like I expected to see him every day, but recently, whenever I did (which was becoming quite rare nowadays), he barely acknowledged me. No more light teasing or casual conversations. Not even insults. Even when we were in the same room, it felt like there was this invisible wall between us. He’d avoid eye contact, stay on the other side of the room, or make a quick excuse to leave whenever I entered.

At first, I brushed it off. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe he was just busy with practice, or maybe he and Ishan were caught up with something I didn’t know about. But now, after days of watching him sidestep every possible interaction with me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t normal.

I noticed it again today when Priya invited Abhishek over, and Shubman tagged along. Normally, Shubman would at least make some joke at my expense or start a conversation. But when he and Abhishek arrived, he barely gave me a nod, opting to sit at the farthest end of the living room, glued to his phone.

I tried to make casual conversation, but it felt forced. He responded with a few one-word answers and an awkward smile before sinking back into his phone, and then, eventually, disappearing into some “work call” excuse. He's a fucking cricketer! What work does he HAVE??

I sat next to Priya on the couch, watching Shubman walk into the hallway with his phone pressed to his ear, barely making an effort to engage with anyone.

Priya, ever observant, noticed it too. I crossed my arms. She gave me a sideways glance, raising an eyebrow. "Something’s up with him, na?"

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, trying to act like it didn’t bother me. "Yeah, I noticed. It’s like he’s avoiding me."

"Us, you mean?" she said, but I could tell she meant me.

"Maybe," I muttered, trying to focus on the TV, but I couldn’t. My mind was too caught up with the weird shift in Shubman’s behavior.

Dinner was just as awkward. Shubman barely spoke to me, and when he did, it felt mechanical, like he was trying to avoid saying more than he had to. I watched him crack a joke with Abhishek, laugh with Priya, but every time I tried to join in, he’d fall silent.

I tried not to let it show, but it stung. This wasn’t the Shubman I was used to.

As the evening wore on, Shubman and Abhishek said their goodbyes and headed out. I waved, offering a polite "Bye," but it felt empty. He didn’t even look at me as he left.

Once they were gone, I sank back onto the couch, my mind spinning. What was going on? Why was Shubman acting like this? Had I done something wrong?

Priya nudged me. "You're thinking about it too much. Maybe he's just stressed."

"Stressed? Shubman? He doesn’t usually act like this, though."

She shrugged, giving me a sympathetic look. "Yeah, you’re right. It is kinda weird. Maybe you should ask him."

Ask him? How could I ask him when he barely even looked at me anymore?

It wasn’t until later that night, when Ishan dropped by after his practice, that I felt the need to bring it up. We sat together in the living room, me wrapped up in a blanket as he watched some cricket highlights on TV. I didn’t know how to start the conversation, but eventually, the words just slipped out.

"Hey, Ishan?"

"Hmm?" His eyes were glued to the screen, but he was listening.

"Has Shubman been... weird with you lately?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but I knew I was fishing for something deeper.

"Weird?" He frowned slightly, turning to look at me. "Not really. I mean, he’s been quieter than usual, but that’s just him. Why?"

I hesitated for a second, biting my lip. "He’s been avoiding me. I don’t know... it’s just strange. Every time I’m around, he seems like he’s in a hurry to leave or he barely says anything."

Ishan shrugged, a hint of confusion crossing his face. "Maybe he’s stressed with the practices? He hasn’t mentioned anything to me. I didn’t think much of it."

I nodded, though it didn’t feel like enough of an explanation. "It’s just... it feels different. I don’t know how to explain it. He’s always been... I don’t know, warmer?"

Ishan glanced at me for a long moment, studying my expression. Then, without taking his eyes off me, he said, "Do you want me to ask him?"

"No!" I said quickly, almost too quickly. "No, it’s fine. I don’t want to make it a big deal. I just thought maybe you’d noticed something."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my sudden panic. "Alright. But if it’s bothering you, just talk to him, Vira. Shub’s a good guy. He won’t bite."

"I know," I mumbled, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Shubman was avoiding me for a reason, and it was starting to eat at me. But what could I do?

That night, as I lay in bed, I kept replaying every moment in my head. The way he’d barely spoken to me, how he wouldn’t look me in the eye. It wasn’t just him being busy or preoccupied. It was something else. Something deeper.

And then my thoughts drifted back to his apology. The way he’d pulled me aside, looked me in the eyes, and told me how sorry he was for everything he’d said, everything he’d done to make me uncomfortable. It had been so sincere, so raw.

But now? Now it felt like I was being shut out completely.

What was going on with Shubman? And why did it feel like he was pulling away from me, not just from the friendship?

I stared up at the ceiling, the darkness of my room swallowing my thoughts as I tried to make sense of the growing distance between us. Something had changed between us, and I had no idea what it was or how to fix it.
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A/N:

Anddd that's a wrap

How was that chapter for you guys? Been a while since vira's POV, (sure feels like it) but what's going on between these twooo 😭

Anyways, moving onto some actual cricket, how TF did New Zealand whitewash us?? We were in SUCH a good position last night, and I was CONFIDENT we'd win today, but they won by 25 RUNS.

ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE I CANT DIGEST THIS 😭😭😭

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Stay tuned ;)