Bade Sapne

Part 2

Ishan's POV

The phone buzzed in my hand just as I was about to leave the hotel.

Hardik bhai.

I stared at the name flashing on the screen, hesitating for a second before answering. I knew what this call was going to be about—IPL, the upcoming match against KKR. After everything that had happened recently, the game was the last thing on my mind. But this was my job, my career. And KKR wasn’t a team we could take lightly.

“Hello?” I answered, pressing the phone to my ear.

“Kahan hai tu, bhai? We need you at practice, now. No time to waste, KKR ka next match hai, aur hum iss baar over-prepared hona chahte hain. Toh aa ja.” Hardik’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying urgency to it. It wasn’t unusual—KKR had been in killer form this season, and if we didn’t push ourselves, they’d run all over us, especially after that humiliating defeat by GT.

I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him there were more important things to handle, like clearing things up with Vira, but then I stopped myself. What was I supposed to say? That I couldn’t make it to practice because of personal drama? That I was tangled up in rumours, emotions, and media stories?

No. I couldn’t afford that. That would just fuel the fire.

“Haan, bhai. I’ll be there in 15,” I said, trying to mask the hesitation in my voice.

“Good. Chal, see you soon,” Hardik replied before hanging up.

I slid my phone back into my pocket, leaning my head back against the door for a moment. The weight of everything was crashing down on me, and for a split second, I considered calling Vira. She needed to know I had her back, that I didn’t believe the media’s nonsense, but... time was running out.

IPL was my job, and KKR wasn’t going to go easy on us.

I grabbed my gear bag and rushed out the door, my mind already shifting into game mode. It had to. There was no time to think about Vira, no time to fix the tangled mess of misunderstandings. All I could think about now was how to beat KKR.

The drive to the practice ground was quick, but my thoughts wouldn’t settle. Even as I focused on the strategies, I kept getting flashes of Vira’s face, the hurt in her eyes from the rumours. The cold, distant looked as she watched me rip through her soul, with quickfire questions that were insensitive to the T.

My words haunted me.

Not now, focus. I shook my head and sped up, pushing the personal stuff to the back of my mind. This was the time to lock in, give it my all, and prep for the match.

When I reached the ground, the guys were already there, scattered around the field. Some were warming up, others talking to the coaches, but the energy was tense. Everyone knew how important this match was. KKR had been dominating, and we couldn’t afford to lose.

Hardik bhai jogged over as soon as he saw me. “Kahan tha yaar? Kitna der lagaya. You good?”

I nodded, adjusting my batting gloves. “Yeah. All set.”

“Good, 'cause we’re gonna need every bit of focus you’ve got.” He patted me on the back and gestured toward the pitch. “Let’s go. We’ll start with nets and run some fielding drills after that. We need to keep their openers in check.”

The next few hours passed in a blur. I focused on every ball, every shot, every throw like my life depended on it. For a few fleeting moments, I forgot about the mess with Vira, Shubman, and the media circus that had been following us for weeks. All that mattered now was the game, the field, and the feeling of the bat in my hands.

But no matter how hard I tried, Vira’s face kept flashing through my mind. I could feel the weight of the conversation I still hadn’t had with her, the explanation I owed her, hanging over me like a storm cloud.

This can’t wait forever, yaar.

But IPL was everything to me. And KKR… they weren’t going to back down just because my life was a mess.

Once Hardik bhai had decided that we'd had enough net practise, he called me over and told me to change into keeping gear and that we'd be doing fielding drills. I obeyed and sprinted towards the changing room, my eyes set on the field, but my mind set on Vira.

As the sun began to set, the practice finally wound down. Hardik bhai clapped his hands together, calling everyone in for a final huddle. “Good work today, boys. Let’s keep this up. KKR won’t know what hit them.”

I nodded along with the rest of the team, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

When I finally made my way back to the locker room, drenched in sweat, I checked my phone. Nothing from Vira. No missed calls, no messages. I hadn’t expected any, but a part of me had hoped.

I knew I should have reached out to her. I should have called, explained everything, and cleared up the misunderstanding. Instead, I shoved my phone back into my bag and headed for the showers, determined to keep my focus where it needed to be—on the match.

For now, the rest would have to wait.
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OOH CHANGE OF MIND ISHUUUUU

ANYWAYS, I LIKED THIS CHAPTER, I DUNNO HOW YOU GUYS FELT ABT IT (tell me in the comments) BUT HOPE YOU ENJOYED

Alsoooo CHAMPIONS TROPHY COMING UP AHAHAHHAHA IM EXCITED

ANYWAYS, one teensy weensy little question (it's a bit weird, ik) but anyways. GUESS HOW OLD I AM? COZ ITH SM PPL ARE GETTING THE WRONG IDEA

DONT FORGET TO VOTE!

LOVE YA :)

Stay tuned ;)