Helloooo everyone...

Surpriseeeee Guysssss!!!

Ok I am back with a 11k plus Superlong update.

All this Covid-19 virus scare has kind off changed my travel plans now!!!

Anyways I shall let you all dve in without further delay!

And I have given an note in the end about the further plan on Updates – which shall be on alternate days until the end of next week atleast.!

Okkk guys head on In.

..................

Chapter 33 – 'STUMPED'

FIVE DAYS LATER - 20th Feb

CHANDIGARH – JW MARIOTT - 10PM

Arnav's POV

SO YESSSSS!!!

We arrived in Chandigarh this afternoon from Dharamshala, where we Won the Second ODI.

South Africa won the First ODI here in Mohali,in a nail biting THRILLING victory.It had been a thrilling game of Cricket and even though the result was not in our favour...it was a Memorable Game.

So in the last year as a cricketer, I think I have really evolved on the emotional end that is attached with my Game..so you know how earlier I would worry too much about the result?? And beat myself over it by telling myself that I could have probably taken a extra run or saved some runs on the field or probably dived up higher to take a Catch Out – well I kind off don't do this to myself anymore and by just mentally controlling myself from going on this negative criticism kind of trip within has kind off really helped me evolve, adapt and improve my game in every aspect.

And I make it a point to tell myself every time before I step onto the field that I was going to give it my best,enjoy playing the game that I Loved,and learn and adapt to conditions on the field positively and then look back at the game with a positive attitude in my head with my complete focus on being able to find solutions that could help me improve and evolve further rather than focusing on the problem that happened. I have kind of learnt to focus on getting my attentions and energies in finding positive solutions and working towards them and I have realised that it's a much smoother approach to kind of help one evolve ,adapt to change and improve as a individual in any field – I mean in the sense that it feels like half the battle is won in the head if you focus your energies and channelize it positively in helping one innovate suitable solutions to one's issues...for their is no point in focusing on just the Negative. I mean ofcourse it is importat to understand why a underlying issue or a problem occurred, but what I mean is there is no point in just focusing on the issue or the problem because that way it will soon become a mountain out of a molehill – instead if one focuses finding solutions and strategies in working your way around these issues and problems – one would be in a much smoother and a peaceful and a sorted place in their head.

And so with this positive approach and my focus on just being Happy and enjoying myself on the field as I Play the Game I Love has kind off done Wonders for Me.And to add to that the fact that just by getting my mind to channelize all my energies towards constructive analysis(not critical – I have learned now that there is a very thin line in between the two – we often shift very easily from constructive anlaysis to negative criticism which doesn't kind off help as it starts to pull one down mentally), so what I mean is that by focusing on a constructive fair analysis of my very own performance has helped me improve a lot in my shot taking techniques and timings and my patience on the field as I outplay crucial overs and focus on taking strategic calculated shots based on the situation of the pitch and the bowler in front – and this approach towards my very own game in my head has kind off helped me evolve in terms of my adapting techniques on the pitch as well.

And Ofcourse – I have to Thank One Very Important Person who has kind off been there for me all through it all in the last year being so subtly supportive, encouraging and empowering at the same time, the one who kind off triggered all these realisations in the first place – My Sunshine.

On that Note – I quickly leave my Sunshine a text on whatsapp.We have been texting and chatting and talking all day as sual as much as time persmits but no..she wont come on the video call today!! She says – hoodie guyyy ...your time 1130 Pm please.Well because she wants to ring in my Bday with her surprise on the Video Call.

Me : Love,you have 90 minutes.You promised we will connect on videocall bang on my time 1130PM.and I honestly cant wait..what is this surprise??????like I LITERALL CANNOT WAIT!!!!

My phone beeps immediately.

Her : oh hoodie guy...just you wait please...dont ask me for any hints..I have digested this for like over two months five days..let me pull this off please.

Me : hahaha...ok fine Love...that's the only reason why I agreed to your point about not getting on the videocall with you all day today!And I miss you seeing you so much already.You often forget that my need for You exceeds your Need for Me Sunshine!

Her :that made my heart go all aww..well I think we are pretty much equal on that spectrum Arnav..you need me and I need you.PERIOD.and yes Love no video call until then because my face will give me awayyyyyy!!!and I cant risk me spilling the beans in Excitement.. ok just 90 minutes...let me prep up things ya I have lot to do before I connect with you..that's what I am busy in...now let me let me...and you prepared to be surprised the daylights and moonlight out of your head Hoodiieee guy.

I grin as I reply : I CANT WAIT!!!! I am with Cap in the Library Bar of the Hotel chatting and catching up as usual..hes stepped out for a phone call.Just sipping on my drink and thinking about you in the meanwhile as usual.you know you are my favourite Passion.

Her : Arnav...goshhh...please stop with insitigating all these earthquakes in my being right now..so not the right timing love..you have no idea what I am busy with.and oh wait but really??? What were you thinking about me?that I definetly want to know ya.text text fasssstt.

I grin.

Me : So I was thinking about how you are sooo good for me too Love.about how youv been there for me subtly and been so supportive and empowering that its helped me evolve and grow into a better sportsperson altogether.AND YOU SAY I AM THE MAGICIAN.YOU ARE NO LESS.YOU ARE LIKE THE HERMOINE GRANGER OFF MY LIFE.

HAHAHA...I KNOW GUYS – I JUST REFRENCED A HARRY POTTER TERM TO HER..HAHA I HAD TO ASK GOOGLE FOR HELP.SHE'S SURELY GRIINING FROM EAR TO EAR ENND AS SHE READS THAT BIT.

MY PHONE BEEPS.

Her : ohoooo wow....Hermoine Granger and all huh? Someones been looking up on Harry potter online...I love that...and but wait Hoodie guy...thank you first for that...but you know what to be honest...all of that is mostly Just You ya..as in youv reached where you are today because of all your hardwork and grit Love..and I am so proud off You..like Literally!!

Me : and you gotta be Insane to think that it's just because of me.You have a big hand in this Love.

Her : ohhh pleaseeee nooo.. okk let me finish up things here and I will connect with you Soon.I am very excited about this myself.Carnage kisses Love.

Me : Carnage Kisses.

I smile as I put my phone aside and I see Cap walk up to me and take his stool next to me on the bar and he sips on his drink and I ask on reflex – " all ok Cap??"

He grins – " yes yes all ok ASR...just the usual catching up with the wife and daughter time...because the little one will be sleeping now..I will catch up with the Missus later on in an hour or so.."and he pauses as he gives me a wink – " were you texting with Khushi just now?"

I grin as I say – " Ofcoursee Cap..who else..that girl drives me insane..you know the things I do for her Happily..she's apparently planning to surprise me for the bday and she wont get on a video call all day until our time 1130.."

Cap grins – " I have heard so much about her that I cannot wait to meet her myself...me and Ravi keep talking about it...and you don't even show us a picture.."

I grin – " that's because I want all of you to see her in person..and soon Cap..very soon..."

He Nods with a heartfelt smile – " okkk...and she's been good for you ASR..that I can see.."

I nod – " ohhh yesss that's true Cap...she's wonderful for me..everything about her inspired me to another level...to be honest to you most of my strategies on the pitch kind off get inspired by her positivity as a person on reflex..so you know the idea of surprising the bowler with a compliment for a killer delivery in the middle of the game to take them by surprise that helps ease the energies on between us on the pitch so that the next ball he bowls kind of swings in my favour??"

Cap Grins – " so that you are able to time and shot the next ball exactly the way you want..??"

I grin – " exactly..its a strategy that I came up with while thinking about her...she channels things very differently and positively all the time..and it kind of rubs on me...you know and I understand why waste double the energy being negative about something when you an tackle it with double power positively.."

Cap grins – " well I love it...I lovee the sportsperson you have grown into in the last one year ASR and Coach is happy too...he really is very happy with your performance.."

I grin and wink at him as I sip my drink – "thank you so much Cap and I know..Coach told me that over dinner Cap...and but you know what..i still am in awe of your excellent two stumpings last game that kind off was the turning point of the game...how do you do this Cap?? It's like you are the king of stumpings and the best wicket keeper iv seen.."

Cap grins – " well to be honest a lot of stumping comes naturally to me by the quickness in my reflexes..and to tell you the truth..sometimes even I wonder..oh did I just pull of that stumping successfully..",and he paused as he winked – " ohh but you don't fall to stumpings ASR..your reflexes are super fast too ,you always manage to get your foot on the line in time.."

I wink at him – " so you know the only reason why I don't get stumped often is because you and me Cap play for the same team.."

We share a hearty laugh now.

And I say with a smile – "and the only two times I have gotten out to a brilliant stumping is by you in the last years IPL..."

Cap Winks – " well I was thrilled when I pulled that off honestly...you knew it then and there didn't you??it was on my face.. because I know how difficult it is to get you out that way.."

I nod with a grin – "totally...",and right then we see Ravi and Kunal walk in to the bar and they join us too and we start chatting and catching up with each other as usual.

And oh on that Note – Ravi and Anjali are kind off talking to each other regularly now it's like they are not together but they are kind off openly communicating to see if things can be rekindled in between them positively or if it's all been lost already due to time and angst in between of them.

Well I just want them both to be Happy and it is up to them to decide whether they want to be Together for good or go their separate ways.

I now chuckle on reflex on the joke Kunal has just cracked at a funny encounter with a fan in the hotel lobby and I look at the time on my phone on reflex.

70 More Minutes to me getting to know about MY Surpriseee.

I CANT WAIT.

I CANT FREAKING WAIT.

................

Khushi's POV

Cape Town -755 PM

Five More Minutessss!!!

GOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

ONLY FIVE MORE MINUTES UNTIL I GET ON THE CALL WITH MY HOODIE GUY AND START TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN KEEPING FROM HIM FOR TWO MONTHS FIVE DAYS.

DUDE!

INSANE!

DO YOU GUYS EVEN KNOW THE AMOUNT OF DIGEINE TABLETS I HAVE CONSUMED IN THE PROCESS.

LIKE I MENTIONED LAST.

PLANNING SURPRISES IS NOT MY THING AT ALL YA.

OKKK I QUICKLY CHECK ON EVERYTHING – LITERALLY EVERYTHING IS SET – HIT WICKET YOUR TONGUE IS ALL SET TO OPEN TOMORROW MORNING AT 10.00AM WITH A LITTLE POOJA AND THEN WE OPEN SERVICES FROM 1130 AM – AS THE THIRD ODI MATCH BEGINS IN BETWEEN INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICA IN MOHALI, INDIA.

GOSHHHH!! ITS LIKE I AM SO SO SO EXCITED.

I LOOK AROUND THE AMBIENCE WITH LOVE – AND I LOCK UP THE FRONT DOOR SAFELY AND SECURELY.

I JUST GOT OFF A CALL WITH DIYA AND RAHUL AND UNCLE AND AUNTY AND THEY ARE SO EXCITED.

VARUN, JACK , STACEY – THEY ALL JUST LEFT LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO..AFTER HELPING ME SET UP FINALLY.

WE HAVE HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES OBVIOUSLY – THERES BEEN SOME CICIL WORK AND THEN OFCOURSE THE ENTIRE INTERIORS HAVE BEEN REVAMPED.

SOOO GUYS – THE PLAN IS TOO NOW HEAD UP AND START TALKING TO HOODIE GUY AND REVEAL THINGS TO HIM STEP BY STEP – SO THAT BANG BY MIDNIGHT I GET DOWN THE STAIRS TO HIT WICKET MY TONGUE AND SWICTH ON THE LIGHTS TO SURPRISE THE DAYLIGHTS AND MOONLIGHTS OUT OF HIS HEAD.

YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!! I AM SO SO EXCITED.

OKKK KHUSHIII.

RUSH UP...RUSH UP FAST!!

THIS IS IT!

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH GUYS!

I walk into my Studio and I quickly change into a Navy deep blue colour tube top over my skinny fit denims(yess...ok...call me crazy...I picked out plain tube tops for myself in like every damm colour..hoodie guy loves them on me ya...)

And right then my phone beeps.

Its him ofcourse.

Him :Sunshine..its 1129pm.

I grin to myself as I write : good to connect in a minute love.

I quickly tie up my hair , just the way he loves it and I pick up the empty strips of all the digiene tablets that I had collected and place it on the table next to me...pour myself some piping hot coffee and I adjust myself on my dining table.

AND I CALL HIM.

FINALLY.

I SEE HIS GRINNING AND EXCITED FACE FILL THE SCREEN.

I grin too equally excited as I say – " hey you my hoodie guyyyyy..."

He winks at me as he says – " dammit...just look at you...I am telling you I am going to freaking drive you insane when I see you...you are unleashing all this sweet torture on me on purpose Sunshine.."

I chuckle now as I say taking a sip off my coffee and I feel some coffee broth on the side of my lips and I wink – " ohh hoodie guy...you know I do not feel like using a tissue to wipe this coffee broth off..wana help me.."

He groans and glares at me mischievously as he says raking his hand through his hair – "I am going to kill you for this.."

I wink and take a tissue and wipe off the broth myself as I say – " kill me all you want Love..kill me all you want.."

He grins and he says – " ohh cmon now get to my surprise already...you have no idea how iv held on to my patience Love.."

I grin now and take a couple of sips off my coffee and I say picking up all the empty strips of the digene tablets in my hands and I flash it to him and I see his eyes widen amused as he asks – " whats that??"

I say sheepishly – " just flashing all the empty strips of digeine tablets I have had hoodie guy in the past two months in order to cope up with the nervousness of keeping this from you...",and I pause as I say honestly – " you know I hate to keep anything from you Love.."

He gives me a heartfelt smile as he says – " yes Sunshine, that I know...and I also know if you do keep something for me..you kind off have a reason in your head that your heart tells you that you gotta keep this from me for my sake..as in I know that...like right now...I know whatever you have kept from me is because you wanted to give me this surprise right??"

I nod and my eyes have now welled up as I ask softly – " you know right..if I will ever keep something from you its like its not easy for me too but I will tell you about it when the time comes...you trust me on that right Arnav?? You know I love you so much that sometimes its like I keep things from you as and when they happen in that time because I don't want to worry you at that point...you understand don't you?? I hope you don't misunderstand my motives Love...my motive is never to hide anything from you...it never will be.."

He nods and he says softly – " I can never misunderstand your motives Sunshine..for I know if there is anyone in this world..who thinks of me first before ones very own self its you and you do know it's the same for me too right???"

I nod frantically as I say – " yes Love...and that Is why you have agreed to this clause of us not seeing each other in real time...for me...thank you so much for that once again Arnav.."

He grins and winks – " well to be honest..i'd do anything for those killer Love Letters from your Cloud Arnav...do you have any idea how many times I have read it already???"

I grin and I say – " I loved writing that to you...",and I pause as I add softly – "arnav...I also want to tell you that just this morning a thought came to my head Love..and it made me think that all this that is happening..its kind of got a strong reason as in its fated by destiny perhaps.."

He asks on reflex – " what reason????"

I say honestly – " its making us stronger isn't it?? The roots of our Love are rooting in stronger than before and I feel like this is happening so that when I finally enter into your world by your side, I am not overwhelmed in any negative way whatsoever...you know what I mean don't you?? Until you..its like iv always been so private about my personal life and I still am to a great extent but what I mean is ...you are a public figure and an international celebrity...when this comes out...its like its going to be a huge shift for me right like in every way...and so I think all this time of these months not seeing you in real time is also kind off helping m prep myself for all those contingent liablities..because for the world...who don't know our story or me - you are and always will be Burj Khalifa and I am the ground floor love, and I know that the courts of social media will not budge from making me see this point when we come to light...and honestly I don't really care anymore..because for you..i can face anything..but its like right now all of this is in my head..and sometimes the impact of when it happens in reality might just catch me off guard right as and when it happens..so that is why I think all of this is destined to happen..as in all this time being apart in real time is strengthening us in a way that when we stand together..nothing can make my feet falter..you understand what I mean don't you love?? I hope you don't misunderstand what I am trying to say..."

He gives me a soft smile as our eyes lock intensely – " Sunshine..like I said before...I can never misunderstand you..and to hell with people have to say...love...I always tell you you gotta see yourself from my eyes one day and you will know that its like you are the skyscraper Sunshine...for you have no idea how rare and precious you freaking are..but ok..the point you are trying to make..I understand what you mean, and to be honest I am deeply touched because I know how much all of this overwhelms you but for my sake you are preparing yourself for it all in your head...it means a lot to me Love and know that I will never let your feet falter, because I will be right by your side holding your hand..always..."

I smile and say softly – " oh and you