The Hug

As the teams took a break between innings, Arnav walked out of the dressing room, scanning the crowded hallway for a glimpse of Khushi. He spotted her standing near the VIP area, her eyes shining with excitement and worry.

Arnav made his way towards her, his face breaking out into a warm smile. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

Khushi's face lit up with a bright smile. "I had to come and cheer you on. You were amazing out there, Arnav."

Arnav chuckled, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction. "Thanks, Khushi. But we still have a long way to go. We can't take anything for granted, especially against a team like England."

Khushi's expression turned serious, her eyes sparkling with determination. "Don't get into the field with such a thought, Arnav. Be positive. Believe in yourself and your team."

Arnav nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hmmmm."

Khushi's face broke out into a bright smile. "Good."

Arnav's eyes locked onto Khushi's, his voice low and husky. "Will you hate me if we lose this match?"

Khushi's expression softened, her eyes filled with warmth and affection. "Arnav, I could never hate you. Win or lose, you'll always be the same person I care about."

Arnav's heart swelled with emotion as he looked at Khushi, feeling grateful for her unwavering support. "Thanks, Khushi. That means everything to me."

The noise of the crowd and the sound of the commentators' voices filled the air, but for a moment, it was just Arnav and Khushi, lost in their own little world.

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The stadium erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause as the Indian team celebrated their second consecutive win. The crowd went wild, waving flags and banners, and chanting Arnav's name.

Arnav, overcome with emotion, hugged his teammates and cried tears of joy. He had done it! He had led his team to victory, and it felt amazing.

As he made his way off the field, Arnav's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for one person in particular.

And then, he saw her. Khushi was standing in the front row, a huge smile on her face and tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. She was waving a giant Indian flag and screaming his name at the top of her lungs.

Arnav's heart swelled with emotion as he made his way towards her. He pushed through the throng of reporters and fans, his eyes locked on Khushi's shining face.

As he reached the boundary, Arnav leapt over the fence and swept Khushi into a tight hug, spinning her around in a circle as the crowd cheered and chanted their names.

"We did it, Khushi!" Arnav exclaimed, his voice hoarse from shouting. "We won!"

Khushi laughed and cried, hugging him back tightly. "I knew you could do it, Arnav! I'm so proud of you!"

As the news of the Indian team's victory spread, the media went into a frenzy. Every news channel, newspaper, and social media platform was filled with stories and images of the team's triumph.

And amidst all the chaos, one image stood out - the photo of "Under-19 Captain Arnav hugging a mysterious girl,after the match."

The media was abuzz with speculation about the girl's identity and her relationship with Arnav. Who was this girl who had captured the attention of the young under-19 Indian cricket team's captain?

Arnav, on the other hand, was busy celebrating the team's victory with his teammates. But he couldn't help but think about Khushi and how she had been by his side throughout the tournament even when they were in bad phase.

As he looked at the photo of them hugging, which was sent by one of his team mate, he couldn't help but feel grateful for Khushi's love and support. She had been his rock, his motivation, and his everything.

And as he drifted off to sleep that night, surrounded by the cheers and chants of the crowd, Arnav knew that he would always cherish this moment, this victory, and this love.

Ratna's phone woke him "hello ma" he answered

She gave a warning "Why did you pull that poor girl into that media mess? Arnav this is not good"

Arnav rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the sleep. "Ma, what are you talking about?" he asked, his voice groggy.

"You hugged Khushi after the match. She's all over the news. You know how ruthless they can be, She is just 16 Arnav. How can you be so careless" Ratna said, her voice stern with concern.

Arnav sat up in bed, feeling a pang of guilt. He hadn't thought about how the media attention would affect Khushi. "Ma, I didn't mean to put her in the spotlight. It just happened in the heat of the moment," he explained.

Ratna sighed. "Arnav, you're a public figure now. You have to think about the consequences of your actions. Khushi is just a normal girl, she's not used to this kind of attention. You need to do something to protect her from the media frenzy."

Arnav nodded, feeling a sense of responsibility wash over him. "Don't worry, Ma. I'll take care of Khushi. I'll make sure she's okay."

Arnav's eyes widened in alarm as he processed his mother's words. "Ma, I...I didn't think about the media attention affecting Khushi. And yeah, I know she's just 16...I feel terrible," he said, his voice filled with concern.

Ratna's tone softened slightly. "Arnav, I know you care about Khushi, but you have to think about the consequences of your actions. You're almost 19, and you're a public figure now. You can't just hug a 16-year-old girl on national television without thinking about how it will affect her."

Arnav rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Ma, I know. I was just caught up in the moment. I'll talk to Khushi and make sure she's okay. And I'll try to keep a low profile until the media frenzy dies down."

Ratna sighed. "Arnav, you need to be more careful. The media is not going to let this go easily. You need to have a plan in place to protect Khushi from all this attention."

Arnav nodded, feeling a sense of determination. "Don't worry, Ma. I'll take care of Khushi. I promise."

He thanked God they were in England. He rushed to Khushi's hotel room to console her. When he entered the room, he found Khushi sitting on the bed, looking frazzled and overwhelmed. She was surrounded by newspapers and magazines with her face plastered on the front pages.

Arnav rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Khushi, I'm so sorry about all this. I had no idea it would blow up like this," he said, trying to comfort her.

Khushi looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. "Arnav, it's not your fault. I just didn't expect it to be so crazy. I feel like I'm losing my mind," she said, her voice shaking.

Raj and Nalini, her parents who had come along with Khushi exclusively to attend this final match, exchanged glances.

Raj and Nalini, who had been watching the scene unfold from the corner of the room, exchanged worried glances. They had always known that Khushi's association with Arnav, his new identity as the high-profile cricket captain, would bring its own set of challenges. But they had never expected it to be this intense.

Nalini stepped forward, her expression concerned. "Khushi, beta, are you okay? This is all a bit too much, isn't it?" she asked, putting a comforting arm around her daughter's shoulders.

Raj, meanwhile, turned to Arnav. "Arnav, I think it's time we had a talk. This media frenzy is getting out of hand. We need to figure out a way to protect Khushi from all this attention. It wont be nice when we go back to India" he said, his voice firm but polite.

Arnav nodded, understanding the concern etched on Raj's face. "Uncle, I completely agree. I'll do everything in my power to ensure Khushi's safety and well-being. We'll work together to find a solution," he promised.

Raj nodded, seeming to accept Arnav's promise. "Good, I'm glad we're on the same page. We'll need to be careful, especially when we return to India. The media there can be... relentless," he said, his brow furrowed with concern.

Nalini stepped forward, her expression worried. "Until the media frenzy dies down, We can't have her going back to college with all this attention," she suggested.

Arnav's eyes widened in realization. He hadn't thought about how this would affect Khushi's daily life.

Khushi, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, suddenly spoke up. "But what about my studies? I don't want to fall behind," she said, her voice laced with concern.

Arnav decided to end all these stupid speculations "Khushi, I will end all this. Don't worry. I can't see you like this all worried."

Arnav's eyes locked onto Khushi's, filled with determination. "I'll take care of it, Khushi. I promise. I'll make sure the media backs off and you can go back to your normal life," he said, his voice firm and resolute.

Khushi's eyes searched Arnav's face, looking for reassurance. "How will you do that, Arnav?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.