𝙿𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 (Yashasvi Jaiswal)

13

Few weeks later

Yashasvi Jaiswal wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhausted after a grueling training session under the bright South African sun. His body ached, muscles sore from hours of intense drills, but it was the buzzing in his pocket that kept pulling his attention away. He had been trying to stay focused on his practice, trying to block out all distractions. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to that trip and especially to that night with Vishana.

It had been days since they'd returned from their UNICEF trip, but the memory of sneaking out with her still lingered. The laughter, the shared glances, and that moment when he'd brushed the chutney off her cheek—it all felt so... real. So different from everything he had known, from the usual whirlwind of his career and personallife.

But he had to remind himself: it was just one week. It didn't mean anything, right?

"Yash!" His best friend Dhruv's voice broke through his thoughts, drawing his attention back to the present.

"Yeah?" Yashasvi looked up, adjusting his gear as he tried to clear the clouded thoughts in his mind.

"You've been glued to that phone all morning," Dhruv said with a grin, his dark eyes full of mischief. "What's so important? Don't tell me you're stalking Vishana on Instagram again?"

Yashasvi's heart skipped at the mention of Vishana. He hadn't even realized he'd been checking his phone so often. In fact, he had stopped training a few minutes earlier, just to sneak a glance at the notifications. He couldn't help it. After everything that had happened between them, he was constantly wondering about her. How was she? Was she thinking of him, too?

"No, man," Yashasvi muttered, trying to brush off the unease creeping up inside him. "It's just... stuff, you know? Work stuff."

Dhruv raised an eyebrow. "Right, work stuff. You've been staring at that screen for hours. You sure you're not thinking about someone?"

Yashasvi could feel his face heat up, and he quickly tucked the phone back into his pocket, feigning indifference. "It's nothing, Dhruv. Just some... announcements."

Dhruv, ever the observant one, didn't let up. "It's been days since you guys returned, and you've barely talked to her. I get it, the whole 'you're busy with your careers' thing, but come on, man. She's not going to bite. Just send her a message. I can see how much she means to you. You've got to at least check in."

Yashasvi shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. We're both ambassadors now. This is bigger than us."

"Bigger than you," Dhruv corrected, shaking his head. "You've got this whole celebrity, UNICEF ambassador thing going on, and you're worried about keeping it 'professional'? Bro, sometimes you've got to take risks. You can't keep pretending you're fine without talking to her. And for the record, it's been radio silence from both of you for too long from what i know."

Yashasvi was silent for a moment, the weight of Dhruv's words hanging in the air. He had been avoiding contacting her, telling himself it was because of the pressures of his career, the expectations that came with being a public figure, and the looming responsibilities of their work. But if he was being honest with himself, it was more than that.

It was the fear.

The fear of making a fool of himself. The fear of ruining whatever bond they had built in such a short amount of time. He had seen how easily things could slip from one moment of joy to another of awkwardness or misunderstanding. He'd been there before, with fans, with teammates, with people he trusted. And maybe it wasn't worth risking it with her. She was different, and he wasn't sure he could handle what that might mean.