Bade Sapne

Part 1

Ishan's POV

The roar of the crowd echoed through the Wankhede Stadium as I adjusted my helmet. Mumbai Indians were up against KKR, and this was a crucial game. Every ball counted. I stood at the crease, bat in hand, ready for the next delivery.

But as much as I wanted to focus, my mind kept wandering. Vira. Shubman. The chaos outside the stadium, swirling in the media. Focus, Ishan, I reminded myself. Yeh tumhara kaam hai. Abhi IPL match hai, personal baatein baad mein.

But the guilt was eating at me. I hadn’t talked to Vira. After that emergency practice session, I never got the chance. Hell, I hadn’t even texted her. And Shubman—he was going through his own storm, with the match-fixing rumors swirling around him. The media was relentless, and somehow, it all pointed back to Vira.

Mitch Starc came steaming in. I watched the ball closely as it left his hand. A full delivery. I swung hard, but mistimed it completely, sending it straight to mid-on for a single. My heart raced, and I cursed under my breath. Mann kaha hai yaar? Kya ho raha hai? I glanced at the scoreboard. We needed to up the run rate, but I wasn’t in it—my mind was elsewhere.

Vira’s face flashed in my mind. The last time I saw her, the hurt in her eyes. She had been caught in the middle of this storm, with rumors about Shubman and that ridiculous match-fixing scandal. And I hadn’t even been there for her. Ek baar toh poochta, yaar. But instead, I let IPL and everything else take over.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, trying to refocus. The next ball came in fast—a sharp bouncer. I ducked under it, hearing the whoosh as it flew past me. The crowd cheered. But inside, I was distracted.

Sab galat ho raha hai... Shubman bhi... The thought of him made my stomach churn. He hadn’t talked much since the BCCI sent him that letter, demanding an explanation for the rumors. I knew Shubman better than anyone—there was no way he was involved in match-fixing. But then why hadn’t he told me everything? He was distant, and part of me feared we were drifting further apart.

The next ball was delivered. A yorker this time. I managed to squeeze it out to fine leg for two runs. But even as I ran, my mind was with Vira. The media hounding her, the rumors, the backlash… and I hadn’t even stood by her side.

Focus, Ishan. Just get through this match.

The KKR fielders were sharp, and I could feel the pressure mounting. But more than the game, it was the pressure outside—the media storm, the scandals—that weighed me down. What was Vira thinking right now? Was she okay?

Main kya kar raha hoon? Yeh sab kaise handle hoga? I had to talk to her after the game. Clear things up. Apologize. I owed her that much.

The next ball came, and I managed to drive it through the covers. Four runs. The crowd erupted, but I felt nothing. Just the same hollow feeling that had been gnawing at me for days.

I glanced at the big screen. The cameras zoomed in on the dugout, and there was Hardik, watching every ball closely. He had pulled me aside before the game, telling me to focus. But how could I when everything else in my life felt like it was falling apart?

As the over ended, I walked back toward the non-striker’s end, mind still racing. I needed to talk to Vira. She didn’t deserve the hate, and I hadn’t done my part to protect her. Maybe Shubman had been right—maybe I should’ve stepped up sooner.

I glanced over at the Mumbai Indians bench. They all looked calm, focused. But my mind was somewhere else entirely.

Vira ke saath sab theek hoga na? The thought lingered as I took guard again.

The game wasn’t over. But my heart wasn’t fully in it. It was still out there, somewhere in the chaos I’d left behind.
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Hey guys

I know this was a short chapter, but I feel like you guys aren't reading/have lost interest... :((

If you haven't decided that this book is a lost hope, please do make yourselves known by voting and commenting so that I know you guys are actually here...

In the past 3 weeks, I haven't gotten many reads of these most recent chapters, and that says that either my writing is getting worse, or you're finding the story boring, and it needs some spice.

If this IS the case, please don't hesitate to tell me- I won't bite 🥹

Anyways, love yaaa

Stay tuned ;)