OXYGEN |Shubman Gill Fanfiction|

Bonus Chapter.

Shubman's POV-

"Adithi?" I called my daughter.

"Adithi, where are you?" I asked again, walking towards her room to check.

There she was, sprawled all over the bed, sleeping peacefully. It has always been things like this that makes me want to believe the phrase- like mother, like daughter. She is a carbon copy of Adithi and it's so surprising because she has never met or even seen her mother. The way she talks, her expressions, the movement of her hands while she speaks, literally everything.

"I made a wise decision by keeping my daughter's name after my wife." I chuckled to myself.

I realised Adithi's laptop was open and so walked over to her bed to shut it down and keep it aside.

'Adithi Rai Gill' read the search bar.

I looked at my daughter and back at the laptop screen. Why did Adithi have to google her own mother? Why didn't she ask me? My mind was filled with questions.

I've always answered Adithi whenever she asked about her mother. I've never hid anything. She knew her mother passed away within an hour after giving birth to her. I've always tried to be transparent. Then why did she have to google?

"Papa?"

I looked over at Adithi who was now rubbing her eyes while sitting straight.

"Hi." I smiled at her while taking a seat next to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise I dozed off." She said, smiling at me.

She had her mother's smile. And I'm so thankful for it.

"It's okay." I smiled back at her.

"Why did you google mumma?" I questioned eagerly.

"Why didn't you ask me if you wanted to know something about her?" I asked again, before she even got to answer the last question.

She smiled at me before answering, "Papa, I'm 18 now. I know you get a little emotional whenever you talk about mumma and honestly I know you're still not over her death. I don't think you'll ever be. You still look at mumma's pictures like she's going to come back. You still talk to her pictures with the hope of listening to her voice again. I've noticed your eyes becoming moist whenever someone talks about her."

I didn't know what to say. I could feel a knot in my throat.

"I googled her because I wanted to know her through the world's eyes. I've always known her through your's. I googled her because I wanted to watch her interviews, I wanted to know the fashion designer 'Adithi Rai'. I've always known her as the love of your life." She said.

"Papa, like I said I'm 18 now. I want to pursue fashion designing like mumma. I know the label 'Adithi Rai' is being handled by her assistant now but I want to take it over. I know I should. It's mumma's label after all." She continued, smiling at me.

I took a deep breath before saying, "Ask me about Adithi. I know I get a little emotional but it's my love for her. Sharing and reliving those memories is all I have, hai na? Don't take that away from me, thik hai?"

My daughter nodded.

"I know about mumma, but tell me about 'The Adithi Rai Gill'. I'm dying to know her!" She chuckled.

"Well, 'The Adithi Rai Gill' was very ambitious. She studied in 'The Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology'. She knew from the very beginning what she wanted. Her own label. And she also knew the path to it. She tried very hard to get an internship under Manish Malhotra, and well, she did. That was just the first stop of her dream. As hardworking and smart Adithi was, she was also restless and impatient." I said, smiling to myself.

"After her internship, she also worked as a full time employee for Manish Malhotra for two years before taking the risk of launching her own label. She knew this was the moment she had to take full advantage of Shubman Gill being her boyfriend and so she did." I laughed and was joined by my daughter as well.

"Like you said, mumma was smart." My daughter smiled.

"Very smart. She started with casual and street style and slowly when her label was hitting its peak she introduced evening wear and ethnic. People loved her ethnic clothes! Unlike most designers Adithi didn't tag her clothes starting from five/ seven lakhs, but she also had a business mindset you know. She knew how much profit to make and at what price to tag the clothes. Of course it took a good five years for her label to become a brand. But she also knew it was comparatively easier for her than most new comers launching their label. Although, that does not mean she did not struggle for it. Sometimes she would be up for 36 hours straight working on designs."

"She worked hard for it, didn't she?" My daughter asked.

"She did. Definitely. But she also knew that she wanted it and that she could do it. It was all her determination and confidence. These two words define 'The Adithi Rai Gill'." I ended.

"Anything else you want to know about her?" I asked my daughter.

"Nope." She smiled.

I nodded while getting up from the bed. My eyes fell on Adithi's picture that was on the laptop screen.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" I smiled, dreamily looking at a 23 year old Adithi Rai Gill.

"She's gorgeous papa."

"If I can be at least ten percent of what she was, I'd consider myself successful." Said my daughter.

"You already are, Adithi. You have your mother's determination and confidence, you're already half way there." I told her.

"You know sometimes I really wish I could meet mumma." Adithi said, giving me a tight smile.

I sat back down and held my daughter.

"You know Adithi, there's a reason why I kept your name after your mother. I wanted you to become like her. A strong independent woman. And that's what you are. I know it wasn't easy to grow up without a mother, and I also know there were times where you needed me but I wasn't available due to cricket. I apologise for that. But I'm also proud of the woman you've become. You inspire me everyday. I'm very sure if your mother was alive today, she would be proud of you, very very proud of you." I said, hugging her.

"After Adithi's death, it was just you and cricket keeping me alive, and now that I've retired it's just you." I told her.

She hugged me back tightly before whispering an I love you.

I replied and kissed her forehead before heading for the door.

"Papa?"

I turned around to face my daughter.

"If you ever gasp for breath, you know I'd be your oxygen."

****

So that was a little bonus chapter after 4 long years, lol.
I really missed writing so I decided to drop this out of nowhere and I hope y'all liked it. I wrote this piece in two hours and now I'm going to sleep. xD
Don't forget to vote! ❤️
Bye!