Canvas of Love

Missed my sass?

The countdown to the big match had the entire ICT buzzing with energy and nervous tension.

The team had been practicing relentlessly, every player hyper-focused on sharpening their skills for the foreign team they'd be facing.

The early morning sun cast a golden glow over the practice field, but the atmosphere was heavy, charged with nerves.

As the team warmed up, everyone felt a noticeable shift in Ishan's demeanor. 

He was practically radiating sass, maintaining an unbothered, cool attitude as if the tension of the upcoming match had no effect on him. 

Meanwhile, Shubman maintained his usual calm and stoic expression, not even a flicker of emotion breaking through.

During one of the practice sessions, Shubman approached Ishan to offer some advice.

"Ishan maybe you should try adjusting your stance a bit. You'd get better control over your shots that way." He said in his even tone.

Ishan, raising an eyebrow, tilted his head with a small smirk.

"Oh, thanks, coach! But I think I can handle my stance just fine." He replied, tone dripping with mock politeness.

The entire team went silent for a moment, exchanging glances.

Abhishek and Tilak immediately broke into grins, nudging each other.

Abhishek leaned in, whispering just loud enough for others to hear, "Ooh, seems like someone woke up on the sassy side of the bed."

Siraj snickered, elbowing Ishan. "Careful, Gill, Ishan's got a comeback for everything today!"

Unfazed, Shubman merely shrugged and continued with his practice, maintaining his stoic expression, seemingly unbothered. 

This only seemed to fuel Ishan's determination to keep up his unbothered attitude.

As practice continued, Ishan's antics grew even bolder. 

When they were running through their fielding drills, Shubman pointed out a minor flaw in Ishan's movement again, "Ishan, if you bend your knees a bit more, you might get better leverage."

Ishan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Noted, Mr. Perfect. Anything else? Should I start taking notes or are you going to send me a whole list?"

This earned a round of stifled laughter from the team, especially from Abhishek, who was now completely entertained by Ishan's relentless comebacks. 

Tilak chimed in, "Looks like Gill better watch out; Ishan's got all the notes on how to deal with him."

Throughout the practice, Ishan maintained his cool exterior, brushing off any critiques with his signature sass. 

And though the rest of the team was amused, they could feel the playful tension between Ishan and Shubman simmering just beneath the surface.

When practice ended, everyone made their way to the dining hall for a much-needed break.

The players filled the tables, laughter, and conversation echoing through the room. 

Abhishek, always the joker, took it upon himself to lighten the mood further with his banter.

"So, Shubman, are you planning on getting the same stoic look engraved onto your face forever? Or is it a temporary 'Gill mode' just for match season?" Abhishek started, leaning across the table with a mischievous grin.

The table erupted in laughter as Shubman just raised an eyebrow, giving Abhishek an unamused look but saying nothing in response. 

He calmly continued eating, unbothered as usual.

The lack of reaction only seemed to encourage Abhishek, who now turned to Ishan.

"Ishan, what's your take on Shubman's 'ice king' persona? Seems like you two have your own... what should I call it? Friendly rivalry or lover's fake rivalry?" Abhishek nudged, eyes twinkling.

Ishan, not missing a beat, leaned back and shrugged nonchalantly. 

"Oh, Abhi, you know how it is. Some people just need to be reminded that not everyone is impressed by their 'mysterious, silent guy' act." He replied with a wink, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"But hey, if being a human statue works for him, who am I to judge?"

The team burst out laughing, some of them clapping as they watched Ishan in awe. 

Abhishek was in stitches, wiping fake tears from his eyes. "Oh, my God, Ishan, you're on fire today. Can you imagine Shubman actually cracking a smile though?"

Shubman remained unaffected, his stoic mask intact.

He glanced at Ishan briefly, a flicker of amusement in his gaze, before returning to his food as though nothing had happened. 

The lack of response didn't seem to phase Ishan, who was in his element, determined to stay unbothered and keep up his sassy front.

Tilak joined in on the fun, turning to Ishan with a grin. "You know, Ishan, maybe Shubman's just practicing his 'I'm-too-cool-to-care' face or 'I can't-show how-much-whipped-I-am' face. Gotta intimidate the opponents and all that."

Ishan chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, please, Tilak. If that's his secret weapon, we're doomed." He threw an exaggerated look of despair, making the entire table laugh harder.

Siraj, who had been watching the exchange closely, nudged Shubman with a smirk. 

"Gill, are you sure you're not a robot in disguise? I mean, even now, you're just sitting there, no reaction whatsoever. You can't fool us. We know you've got emotions in there somewhere for someone short and sassy."

Shubman's lips barely moved, but his voice was calm as ever. "If you're all done, maybe we can actually eat in peace."

Ishan rolled his eyes, throwing an exaggerated sigh. "Typical Shubman. Always the buzzkill." 

He said it loud enough for everyone to hear, and Abhishek laughed so hard he spilled his drink on Mayank who smiled and spilled back some drink at Abhishek.

As the laughter died down and the meal went on, the atmosphere stayed lighthearted but with that underlying tension between Shubman and Ishan. 

Despite Ishan's best efforts to keep the mood humorous, every so often he'd glance across the table, catching Shubman's calm, unwavering expression. 

It was like trying to get a reaction out of a statue—a cool, detached, completely unaffected statue.

But just as the dinner was winding down, Abhishek piped up one last time, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Ishan, do you think maybe you should take a few tips from Shubman's playbook? Might give you that 'unshakable' vibe before the match."

Ishan snorted, shaking his head. "Not a chance, Abhi. Unlike some people, I'm perfectly fine being, you know, actually human."

This final comment left the entire table roaring with laughter, while Shubman simply stood up, giving a brief nod before leaving the dining hall, maintaining his silent and aloof demeanor until the very end. 

Ishan watched him go, still holding onto his unbothered attitude, but feeling just the slightest pang of intrigue beneath it all.

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