Ishan's phone buzzed, snapping him out of his morning routine. He smiled as he read Aditi's text, sent last night.

Gratitude washed over him, appreciating her thoughtfulness. He quickly typed a response.

"Wow, me too. Abhi bhi kal jaisa feel ho raha hain. Heading to Bangalore today. Let's catch up soon."

With a satisfactory nod, he hit the send and tucked his phone into his pocket. He grabbed his bag and began preparing for the airport. A match against RCB in Bangalore.

As he packed, his mind shifted focus to the next match. He reviewed the strategies in his mind, imagining himself dodging opponents with ease.

He quickly grabbed his luggage and headed to the lobby, where his team bus was already there. The hum of the conversation and the scent of fresh coffee filled the air. As he boarded, his teammates greeted him with smiles.

"Ishan, aaja baith." Mayank called out.

Ishan dropped into the seat beside Mayank, exchanging pleasantry with others.

As the bus pulled away, Ishan gazed out of the window, his mind filled with visuals of victory against RCB.

"Bangalore, here we come." He said to himself.

-

Aditi excitedly chatted on the phone, her eyes sparkling. Her mother entered the room, curiosity etched on her face.

"Koun hain?" She asked.

Aditi covered the receiver and replied. "Koi manager hain. A local brand wants me to endorse them."

Her mother's eyebrows rose. "Acha, aur?"

Aditi explained. "It's a small startup here, in Jaipur itself. They want me to come for a shoot tomorrow."

Her mother's expression softened. "Wow, what do you think?"

Aditi's face lit up. "I want to do it!"

Her mother smiled and said. "You can go for it."

Aditi returned to the call, her voice with enthusiasm.

"Hey! I'm ready for this. Send me the address and I'll arrive tomorrow."

As Aditi hung up, her mother's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Are you comfortable with the time commitment?" She asked, her tone gentle but cautious. Aditi nodded eagerly, her ponytail bouncing with the motion.

"Haan! They just need me for one event and social media posts." She exclaimed.

"Alright! Just remember to prioritize your personal life as well. Don't overcommit."

Aditi's heart swelled with gratitude, feeling her mother's support and trust.

-
Next day.

Ishan's focus shifted to the cricket field. In a different city, surrounded by kind of a familiar scenery, he immersed himself in the practice. His batting stance, wicketkeeping skills, every detail in which he needed perfection.

Sweat dripped from his eyebrows as he faced the bowlers, his eye locked onto the ball. Each catch, each shot was a testament to his dedication.

His coaches nodded in approval.

"Ishan, your form is impressive. Keep this up. You are in tomorrow's playing 11.

Ishan's resolve strengthened. He wanted to make everyone proud.

Ishan sat at the dugout, sipping water during the break. Mayank, sat beside him.

"Hey, did I tell you this?" Mayank asked.

Ishan raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Aditi has become my friend too." Mayank said.

Ishan got a bit surprised, mingling with unease. "Really?" He said.

Mayank nodded. "Jis din milne aayi ussi din. Sorry, batana bhul gaya tha."

Ishan's mind whirled. "What if Aditi talked to Mayank more? What if their friendship deepened?

"Oyee! You okay?" Mayank asked, noticing Ishan's distraction.

Ishan shook off his thoughts. "Yeah. Just tired."

Mayank chuckled. "You are worried about Aditi, aren't you?"

Ishan's eyes narrowed.

Mayank noticed Ishan's expression and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Sun, don't overthink. Aditi has got her own mind. And we haven't even talked yet, I just asked her if we can be friends. It doesn't mean she will lose interest in you."

Ishan widened his eyes. "Aisa nahi hain. Acha hain na tum dono bhi dost ho." He said with genuine interest.

Mayank shook his head and said. "Koi naa. Aditi is your best friend, trust me. And even if she talks to me, it's just friendship. I know you are the one she cares about."

Ishan smiled, feeling a weight lift.

"Mayank, that's so nice of you. But you can be friends with her. I am not being possessive or something."

-

Aditi stood confidently in front of the camera, her smile radiating the studio. The photographer snapped photos, capturing her confidence and charm.

"Perfect! Now, try the eco friendly products." the stylist instructed.

Aditi held a reusable water bottle.

"Amazing ! I love promoting sustainability."

The photographer reviewed the shots.

"This is amazing! You can use this pic." Aditi said, pointing at one of her photos clicked.

"Aditi, we are getting fantastic shots. We can use every picture." Her photographer said, chuckling.

"Thanks. This is fun." Aditi said with gratitude.

She radiated confidence as kept posing for the brand's photoshoot. As the camera clicked her photos, Aditi's eyes sparkled with passion for the brand's mission.

As the photoshoot neared its end, the stylist stepped in to adjust her hair. "Aditi, you are doing amazing!" She said, smiling. "I am still crushing on your Miss Supranational runner up title."

Aditi's face glowed up with gratitude. "Thank you, ma'am. Means so much."

After a few more shots, the photographer announced. "Done!" The crew erupted in applause.

As Aditi changed out of her outfit, the manager approached her with a warm smile. "You are a stunning model and soul. Thank you for promoting the brand."

Aditi smiled back. "Thank you so much! I am grateful to you all as well."

—
At night.

Aditi settled into her bed, dialing Ishan's number.

"Hey! How's your day?" Ishan's warm yet tired voice filled the line.

"Amazing! The shoot went wonderfully." Aditi replied, snuggling under the blankets.

"Acha, photos dikhana mujhe." Ishan said, his excitement evident.

Aditi smiled. "You will be the first one to know."

Ishan's tone turned serious. "I have a big match tomorrow, against RCB."

"Oh yeah. All the best! I'll cheer for you again." Aditi said.

Aditi and Ishan chatted effortlessly, discussing everything about their day.

"I cracked jokes on the bus, entertainment de diya." Ishan chuckled.

"Haha. That's good!" Aditi said.

As the conversation flowed, Ishan glanced at the clock.

"Acha, sorry but I need to rest. Match hain kal toh jaldi uthna hoga."

"Theek hain. Get some sleep," Aditi said. "You need to be well rested."

The call ended.

—
Match day.

The stadium erupted in cheers as Ishan, in his blue and gold jersey, walked into the field alongside his captain, Rohit Sharma.

The opposing team's bowlers eyed them with intensity. Ishan adjusted his gloves and took his position. The first ball hurtled towards him and with a quick reflex, he shot it to the boundary with a cover drive.

The match went on, and with fall  of wickets, another player got a chance to showcase their performance. Ishan was at the pitch, reaching his half century off 40 deliveries.

—

Aditi grabbed the remote and clicked on the TV. She had promised Ishan she would watch his match and she couldn't wait to see him in action.

As she scrolled through channels, her heart skipped a beat when she landed on the sports channel broadcasting the match. The scorecard flashed on the screen.

Aditi's eyes widened in awe. Ishan was just 15 runs away from his century. Excitement coursed through her veins.

"Come on, Ishan! You can do it!" She cheered, her voice echoing through the room. As Ishan faced the next ball, Aditi held her breath.

Ishan's focus intensified as he was approaching his century. He faced each delivery with courage, his bat meeting the ball with a satisfactory crack.

99 runs. Just 1 run to reach his century.

The crowd's tension rose, their cheers swelling. Aditi's heart raced, her eyes glued to the screen.

The commentators' voice rose in excitement.

"Just 1 run!"

"One of the greatest innings."

Aditi's hand clenched into fists, willing Ishan to reach his century.

"You can do it, Ishan! Almost there."

Ishan faced the next ball, his bat swinging. The ball soared through the air, and everyone held their breath.

Six?

A fielder, positioned perfectly, grabbed the ball out of the sky and Ishan's innings ended at 99 runs.

Disappointment washed over Aditi.

"No! Ishan, you played well." She exclaimed.

As Ishan walked off the field, the screen shot his innings. Aditi's eyes sparkled with pride. She quickly grabbed her phone to capture it and post on social media.

She uploaded the photo, with the caption. "I am so so proud of you baby."

She then left a text in the private message for him. "I am so proud of you. What an innings! Don't worry century miss ho gayi toh, dil jeet liye ho sab ke."

—

The team's mood was somber, still reeling from the loss. But amidst the disappointment, they couldn't help but praise Ishan.

"Unlucky day," Rohit said. "You deserved the century."

Ishan smiled wryly. "Thanks, bhaiya!"

"99*? You were phenomenal out there!" Bumrah exclaimed, his eyes shining with a mix of pride and pity.

"Should have been a century, though." Ishan chuckled.

The team's coaches entered the dressing room, their expression stern but proud.

"Today's result doesn't define our spirit. We fought till the end. Ishan, your innings was exceptional."

Ishan nodded, gratitude in his eyes.

—

Ishan entered his hotel room, exhaustion washing over him. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through social media.

He came across messages from family and friends, appreciating his innings. He smiled as he saw Aditi's Instagram story.

"I am so so proud of you..." he read.

And that one word – baby, caught his attention.

His heart skipped a beat, he couldn't help but smile.

Just then, his phone lit up with an incoming call from Aditi. He picked it up and answered.

"Hello!" He said.

"Champion! I'm proud of you. Kitna accha khele tum." Aditi said, her voice warm.

"Thanks!" Ishan said, grateful.

He deliberately wasn't mentioning about that "baby" part, curious if Aditi herself would mention it. But she seemed to be interested in other topics, so Ishan decided to ask her.

"Aditi," he started. "Saw your story and I appreciate the support but what's with that "baby"? He asked, keeping his tone playful and light.

Aditi's laughter echoed through the line. "Just a term of endearment, champ!"

Ishan's curiosity piqued. "Just?"

Aditi replied calmly. "Yeah! Don't worry."

"Well, we will discuss that later. Tell me, how's your teammates." She asked.

"They are good. We are disappointed by the result but we are proud of each other, no matter what!" Ishan said, voice filled with determination.

"Great! Focus on your next match now. I'll cheer again." Aditi said.

After some talks, the line fell silent as they hung up. Ishan still couldn't shake off the feeling that Aditi's "baby" was more than just a friendly term.