A Hardik Pandya/Shubman Gill Fan Fiction

One Sided Love

NATASHA'S POV:

I swim my way through the crowds of fans all anticipating the IND VS PAK match and find my seat in the VIP section.

It's been ages - almost a week since I last saw Shubman. As soon as he comes out to bat the crowd goes berserk. Fangirls all drool over him and fanboys all cheer him on. The stadium goes crazy over him. Today's the last day of feeling jealous. As soon as this match is over, I'm going to confess my feelings to him. I can't delay this any further.

As usual, we win. But I don't really care right now. What's even better is that Shubman's man of the match! Wow, he's really become mega popular in a matter of minutes. He deserves it.

After many hours I finally get up and run down to the field, not caring who knows me and who doesn't. I escape through the defenses of security, and run indoors, to where the dressing room is.

I knock on the door desperately, but dad opens it.

"Natasha! My darling." He pulls me into a hug, however I'm desperate right now to meet Shubman.

"Dad - can I please meet Shubman?"

"Err - sureee... what's cooking?" He asks me with a sly grin.

"Dad just - I just want to congratulate him."

"Okay okay, calm down. Why are you so tired? You're literally panting." He looks me up and down. "Shubman? "

"Arey voh toh nahi hai idhar." Exclaims someone from inside the dressing room.

Dad turns to me with an apologetic face. "You'll just have to hunt him down in the stadium somewhere. By the way be careful of the media, yeah?" Dad waves bye as I go looking for Shubman.

There's no way I was going home without meeting him, no matter how late I got.

I did almost 4 laps of the whole stadium before I spotted him. I literally ran at the speed of light to reach the area he was in.

"Madam, no entry." A security placed his arm out in front of me.

"Sir, please let me. I have to meet someone."

"No ma'am, sorry. Not allowed. Go back please."

I try pushing him but he's too strong.

"Go back or I'll call the police." He says in a louder voice. I can literally see Shubman taking off his shin pads.

"SHUBMAN!" I exclaim twice, and the second time he sees me, with the rather sturdy looking security in front of me. He has a worried expression as he wonders what's wrong. I smile as I see him coming towards us.

"Let her through." He orders the security.

"Sir, sorry I cannot -"

"Sorry, please let her. Just this once." Shubman keeps persuading the man as he slowly takes my hand and moves me past security, while he is in conversation with the security.

We go into a corner away from the cameras. I breathe a huge sigh before I continue.

"Congratulations, you're man of the match!" I say excitedly.

"Thanks, par tum? Yaha?" Shubman asks me, without one of his smiles. Okay well he isn't happy to see me.

"Kyun? Aren't you happy to see me?" I ask, as he bends down to change his shoes. I try to bend down too to get a look at his face but he doesn't seem interested.

"No - just wondering." He says quietly, frantically looking through his kit bag to find something.

"Looking for something?" I ask, trying not to look rude.

"Er Yeah, my hair brush..."

I laugh suddenly. "So you're grooming yourself? Sorry sorry, I disturbed you."

"Haha." He laughs quietly. For some reason he isn't himself.

"Now what happened?" I ask him, smiling at his cutely annoyed face. This is the first time I've seen his "uncalm" side.

"Arey yaar, mirror nahi hai." He tries to pick up his phone but before he does so, I grab his hair brush from his hands and sit him down on one of the chairs.

"If you don't mind, I'll do it." I say, and now I'm leaning over him as I gently move the brush through his hair, upwards and to the side to get the perfect uplift in it. Shubman looks dumbstruck, like he doesn't know what's happening, but he certainly doesn't say anything against it. He quietly tolerates my  fingers running through his hair as I fix him.

"There. Perfect."

"Thanks. I could have -" he begins with an awkward smile. "Anyways, I gotta go."

"Shubman, I'm sorry but - you just don't seem yourself?" I can't stand the awkwardness anymore. What's wrong with him?

"Not at all?" He laughs in disagreement, like I've just said something really dumb.

"It's like... you're angry at me?" I say dejectedly, as I realise now's not the time to ask him for some commitment.

"Natasha, I have to go for photos, sorry I'll catch up with you later."

"But -" before I can finish he's gone.

With a heavy heart and wet eyes, I slink back to the stands. 75% of the stadium is now empty and I sit on the seats not knowing what I'm doing, or what I'm going to do.

"Natasha? Hey!" KL comes up to me with a cast on his arm.

I stand up excitedly and hug him. "CHACHU!"

"How are you?" He asks me with a gleam on his face. "Hey? Have you been crying?"

I try to at least attempt a smile but it fails. KL notices immediately.

"Let's do one thing, come with me to the dressing room."

"Are you sure? Like - won't there be half naked men in there?"

KL laughs loudly. "Nah, we're all celebrating the win now. Nobody's changing in there. And I have to introduce you to the new guy who's playing for me. He's man of the match.

I know, Chachu. In fact, he's the one I don't want to see now.

It's almost like Shubman's face is frightening to see. I want to see him, talk to him, but at the same time I don't. I don't know why, but this is the fourth time we're meeting and I fear I won't be able to be myself.

"I actually have to study, chachu."

"Study wudy baad mein. Ab sirf party. I wasn't even at the party yesterday."

Urgh how am I supposed to tell him?!

"Natasha! Hi!" Sakshi, Nupur, Ritika And Aesha aunty all come over.

"Here come the ladies." KL steps back as they all hug me.

I recognize all of them, from the matches I saw at home when I didn't know I belonged to the cricket family. I felt like a fan girl but I had to control myself a bit.

"Hi!" I wave at them cutely.

"We're all going to the dressing room. Chalo."

I realise I have no other option but to go with them.

Shit. Now I have to see Shubman again.