ShubmanÃishan
It was supposed to be a quiet evening at the Pandya residence, but when Shubman stepped through the front door, he immediately regretted not having a better strategy.
Hardik Pandya, Ishan's elder brother, was sitting on the couch with the aura of a bouncer guarding a nightclub.
His sharp eyes scanned Shubman from head to toe as if he were a misfielded cricket ball that needed to be thrown out of the boundary.
"Shubman," Hardik spoke lazily, setting down his protein shake. "You've got five seconds to explain why you're here. And no, 'seeing Ishan' isn't a good enough answer."
Shubman, armed with his signature charm, smiled. "I'm here to pick him up for dinner, bhai. He invited me."
"You invited him?" Hardik turned his glare toward the staircase where Ishan was descending, dressed in a casual yet snug outfit that screamed effortless charm.
Ishan rolled his eyes, brushing past his brother to stand beside Shubman. "Yes, bhai. He's my boyfriend, not a rival batsman. Stop acting like he's here to steal the IPL trophy."
"Boyfriend?" Hardik nearly choked on his disbelief. "You told me he was just a friend."
"You didn't ask for details," Ishan countered with a cheeky grin. "Besides, I like him, and he's taking me out for dinner. So if you'll excuse us..."
Shubman shot Hardik a polite nod. "I'll have him back by 10."
"9:30," Hardik barked, before muttering, "I need to get my bowling arm warmed up, just in case."
The evening only got more chaotic when Ishan's best friends, Mayank and Nehal, decided to crash their date.
They appeared at the restaurant, uninvited and unapologetic, sliding into the booth like they belonged there.
"So, Shubman," Mayank began, chin propped on his hand, "what exactly do you see in Ishan? I mean, apart from his tantrums and tendency to hog the strike."
"Hey!" Ishan protested, swatting him.
Shubman didn't miss a beat. "I love his passion. And the way his eyes light up when he talks about cricketâor literally anything he's excited about."
Ishan blushed furiously while Nehal fake-gagged. "Gross. Are we in a romcom now?"
Meanwhile, at a nearby table, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman's best friend, was trying and failing to keep his cool as Hardik Pandya loomed over him.
"So, Abhi," Hardik said, cracking his knuckles. "What's the deal with Shubman? Is he good enough for my baby brother?"
Abhishek gulped. "Oh, uh, Shubman's great! He's responsible, disciplined, a team playerâ"
"Skip about cricket . I asked if he is good for my brother, not for the team," Hardik growled.
"He's in love with Ishan," Abhishek blurted out. "Like, really in love."
Hardik's intimidating glare softened for a moment before he muttered, "Fine. But if he hurts Ishan, he'll wish he was facing a bouncer at 150 km/h."
Back at the table, Shubman had managed to shoo Mayank and Nehal away with the promise of free dessert.
Alone at last, he reached across the table to take Ishan's hand.
"I'm sorry about the chaos," Shubman said. "I wanted tonight to be special."
"It is," Ishan replied, smiling. "Mayank and Nehal being nosy, bhai interrogating youâit's all part of the package. You're handling it like a champ."
"Anything for you," Shubman said softly.
Their moment was interrupted by a loud crash.
Both turned to see Hardik glaring at Abhishek, who was holding up his hands in surrender while Mayank and Nehal filmed the chaos on their phones.
Ishan groaned. "This is my life now."
Shubman chuckled. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
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The End
This wasn't requested from anyone.