Did You Know Me? (Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan)

Into the finals

The attitude of the team changed in leaps with every half day as the day of the semi final came near.

It was at the back of everyone's mind, even if it was sort of a tabooed topic-India had stormed into the semis during both of the previous two World Cups, and surrendered in both semis. What was the guarantee it would not happen again?

Rohit bhai and Virat bhai and the other seniors did not smile much in the practice sessions and team meals. They were all grim, gazing into a distance as if in a perpetual state of meditation.

Even amidst that, they ensured they came to the juniors' room often to make sure they were doing fine.

Shubman did not know if he was.

It was the strangest thing in the world, waiting for a semi final.

On the eve of the match, some big reporting agency asked for an interview with Shubman.

"We can't send him," Rohit bhai told the PR guy. "He needs to concentrate before tomorrow's match, can't the interview be rescheduled for tomorrow?"

"Rohit." Virat bhai seemed to be telling Rohit bhai something without words, then turned to the PR head. "Can't we cancel this interview?"

"They want one with Shubman really badly," he said with a grimace. "They say fifteen minutes will do."

The seniors looked at Shubman, who didn't know what to say.

"Do you think it's okay for you to go for fifteen minutes?" Virat bhai asked gently.

"All right," said Shubman.

"Don't take any controversial question," Virat bhai warned. "They are gossip mongers, they will always try to build a controversy out of thin air."

He looked at Rohit bhai and smiled.

Shubman turned back at the two of them as he was walking out, thinking how strange it must be for the two of them-best friends, best players in the world, a world that always tried to form a spicy story about rifts.

He tried to imagine people doing the same with him and Ishan.

The thought made him unnaturally sad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They won the semi final against New Zealand in a match that was slightly too close for comfort. When Siraj took the final wicket, the Wankhede stadium shouted so loudly, Shubman had never heard it even when he won the IPL last year.

The group hug on the field seemed to go on for ages.

"We're into the finals. We're into the finals."

They were into the finals of the World Cup.

It did not seem real. It was surreal. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You don't seem happy enough," murmured Ishan in the bus. "We are into the finals, Shubi, you should be happier!"

"You know what, Ish?" said Shubman. "The more successful we get, the more they will try to pull us down."

"Huh?" said Ishan blankly. "Who? Who will try to pull us down?"

"The whole world," said Shubman, resting his head against the back of the seat in front of him.

Ishan put an arm around him. "What exactly do you mean? Did something upset you?"

"No," said Shubman, who had realized it was a very stupid thing he was upset about, and honestly, he did not want to even talk about a time when the media and the public made up dirty stories about rifts between him and his best friend.

"You won't tell me?" asked Ishan.

"Who are you, so special that I have to tell you?" asked Shubman.

Ishan smiled and pulled Shubman's head up from the seat with quite a bit of force.

"We all know how special I am to you, darling," he coaxed. "The whole country knows."

Shubman grinned, too, though he wasn't in the mood to grin.

"Yes, the whole country does know, Ishu," muttered Shubman. "So when we are successful enough and they want to pull us down, they will target the two of us together, like they do with Rohit bhai and Virat bhai. Like they did with Mahi bhai and Yuvi pa. Digging fake stories, trying to ruin the friendship...."

"God, you're worried about the public trying to ruin our friendship?" said Ishan huffily. "I'm insulted you even think that is a possibility."

"I'm not saying they would actually succeed in ruining our friendship," protested Shubman. "But won't everything turn ugly if you saw horrible posts about us?"

"Oh, come on," said Ishan. "Virat bhai says we should shut it out. I'm sure that's what they do."

"I know."

"Yes, you know. Now be happy. We are into the finals of the World Cup, Shubi."

This time Shubman smiled for real before it turned into a wicked sort of smirk.

"There is one way we could prevent the crap," he said.

"What's that?" asked Ishan.

Shubman managed to get down on his knee in the cramped aisle and held up Ishan's hand.

"Marry me, sweetheart."

Ishan rolled his eyes and snatched his hand away.

"Shubman got rejected," Hardik catcalled from behind.

Everyone echoed sounds of fake sympathy, peppered with laughter.

"Hey!" said Shubman, indignant that his friend should not play along. "They don't make up bad stories about couples!"

Ishan pulled him up again. "Yeah, yeah, sure I'll marry you."