"Beyond The Boundary "

The match had taken a sharp turn.

Shubman and Abhishek, still carrying the shock of what they'd seen on the big screen, had returned to the game – but something had changed. Their eyes gleamed with a fire that hadn't been there in the earlier overs. Their shoulders, though already squared with purpose, seemed to now carry a more personal weight.

It was no longer just about cricket. It was about them. The girls. The ones they hadn’t seen in five long months. The ones they thought were miles away, living their lives in some different city or terrain. But now? They were here. In the crowd. In the same space. Breathing the same air.

Rihi and Aashna.

The realization hit like a second wind. And the boys? They ran with it.

---

The Centuries That Spoke Volumes

Ball after ball, over after over, Shubman and Abhishek played like men possessed. The crowd cheered, but they barely heard it. Boundaries flowed, singles were snatched with lightning speed, and every shot held intent. The Australian bowlers, once confident, started sweating. Lines blurred. Fielding cracked. India was dominating.

And at the heart of it were two men in blue, writing their own love story with every run.

By the 38th over, Shubman stood on 99. The stadium held its breath.

The bowler came in.

Shubman stepped out.

Thwack.

A clean drive over extra cover.

The ball sped to the boundary.

Century.

The crowd exploded.

But Shubman wasn’t looking at the stands or even the sky.

He knelt.

Right on the pitch.

And did that pose — the one Rihi had once confessed during a late-night call was her favorite. A small bow, palm to heart, head tilted just slightly.

Somewhere in the lower stands, behind a black cap and a trembling smile, Rihi bit her lip, trying not to cry.

---

Abhishek wasn’t far behind.

The 44th over.

He stepped out and pulled a short ball with elegant aggression. Another four.

Another century.

He looked up, lifted both arms, and formed the 'one love' pose he’d once casually shown Aashna while flirting.

This time, it meant something else.

In the commentary box, one of the ex-players laughed.

“Seems like there’s more than just cricket in the air today. Look at those celebrations! Something’s up.”

Shreyas and Ishan, watching from the dugout, exchanged a look.

“Toh isiliye performance suddenly next level pe hai,” Ishan chuckled.

“They saw them too, didn’t they?” Shreyas smirked.

Ishan nodded. “I saw Rihi and Aashna in the crowd. Lower stand, row 6. No way this is coincidence.”

---

In the VIP box, Shubman’s older sister Shahneel stared at the screen.

“Since when does Shubman do that pose after a century?” she asked, confused.