Not In The Script...

Chapter- 27: The Things Left Unsaid

Some things were easier to break than to fix.
Like hearts.
Like trust.
Like the fragile silence that now hovered between Shubman and Yash.

They’d promised to try.
Promised to stay.
But what neither of them said out loud was that trying didn’t make the ache go away.

It didn’t erase the six months they spent drowning without each other.

And it didn’t stop jealousy from creeping in where words hadn’t yet reached.

Shubman knew he should have told Rhea.
That their dinner, their awkward attempts at dates, their shallow conversations—it meant nothing. It was a bandage. A poor distraction. Something his mother pushed and he never had the energy to fight.

But he didn’t tell her.

And so, Rhea stayed. She kept sitting next to him at team dinners, kept walking with him to training, kept being overly friendly—kept holding onto the version of him he should’ve buried months ago.

And Yash noticed.
Of course, Yash noticed.

Yash noticed the way her hand lingered on Shubman’s arm.
The way she leaned into his space like she belonged there.
The way Shubman didn’t push her away—not in public.

It killed him.
And he didn’t know how to ask about it without sounding pathetic.

Privately, they were falling back into something that looked a lot like love.

Quiet, hesitant moments in hallways.
Lingering touches.
Small smiles that felt like a language only they spoke.

But in front of the world, Shubman let Rhea stay close.

And Yash didn’t know what that meant.

"Did Shubman want him in secret but still need Rhea as his public shield?"
"Was he still afraid?"
"Or had Yash misread everything again?"

The confusion burned more than the jealousy.

Ishan stayed close to Yash now—more than ever.

He filled the spaces Shubman used to occupy. Sat next to him at flights, paired up with him in training drills, shared small inside jokes.

Shubman noticed.

Every. Single. Time.

And it shredded him.

But he didn’t say anything, because what right did he have? He’d walked away first.

So instead, they danced around each other in this strange limbo—half here, half gone.

Until one day, it all cracked.

—

It was during a simple fielding drill.

Shubman tossed Yash a lazy throw.

Yash snapped. “You can’t even focus properly when you’re busy entertaining your girlfriend, huh?”

The whole group paused.

Silence stretched painfully thick.

Rhea’s brow arched.

Shubman’s grip on the ball tightened, pulse hammering in his throat.

He could have lashed back. Could have torn Yash down in front of everyone.

But he didn’t.

He just swallowed the words that clawed up his throat and turned away, saying nothing.

The session continued like nothing happened.

But nothing was the same.

—

Later that evening, Shubman found Yash alone in the gym.

He approached cautiously.

“You didn’t have to say that.”

Yash didn’t look up from his water bottle. “I didn’t lie.”

“You think I’m with her?” Shubman’s voice cracked.

“Are you not?”

Shubman hesitated too long.

Yash laughed bitterly. “Exactly.”

“I haven’t told her yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because I—” Shubman exhaled shakily. “Because I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what? Losing her? Or being seen with me again?”

Shubman’s silence spoke volumes.

Yash’s throat bobbed, his voice quiet and cold. “I’m not a secret you can keep anymore.”

“I never wanted you to be a secret.”

“Then prove it.”

And for the first time, Yash walked away without waiting for Shubman to follow.

Shubman sat down heavily on the bench, the weight of the conversation suffocating.

He knew.

He couldn’t run from this much longer.

Because this time, if he hesitated, he wouldn’t just lose Yash’s trust.

He’d lose him completely.
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[End of Chapter 27]