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Chapter 17

Part 16

The Arranged Marriage. (Shubman x Ishan)

Shubman stirred awake as the sun rays filtered through the curtains. He opened his eyes and glanced at Ishan , whose one leg was dangling from the bed as he was sleeping in a very weird position.

He chuckles at the sight of Ishan, a look of peacefulness and calmness on his face as he sleeps.

He reaches out and gently tucks his leg back on the bed. Careful not to wake him up.

A smile again tugged on his face as he gazed down , noticing the serenity and innocence on his face , a complete contradiction to his usual feisty face. Fiesty little cylinder.

And he didn't know when his finger reached to tug back the few strands of hair falling on Ishan's forehead.

A few seconds later he realized what he was doing and immediately withdrew his hands from Ishan's hair and got up from the bed.

What are you doing, Shubman? He chided to himself before going Inside the washroom to freshen up and probably make his mind think straight after what he did.

He is doing things which he normally never does. His mundane life which only had work and his family was suddenly disturbed by the appearance of a 5 '5 feet male who never gave him a chance to have a breath of relief.

But even then he wouldn't trade it for anything else.

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Ishan was setting his hair when he heard a cough from behind and looked in the mirror to see Shubman standing behind him clad in a kurta similar to his.

Seriously . Twinning??  And what does he mean by  that cough ? Is he asking if I have Vicks lozenge?

“Mere pas nahi hai” Ishan asserted as he carried out styling his hair as Shubman gave a puzzled look at him .

“And what you don't have?” Shubman questioned not understanding him . Well he never understood him so not a new thing for him.

“Wahi jo tumhe chahiye” Ishan coolly replied as he sprayed perfume on his neck and his pulse points making Shubman more confused as his eyes followed Ishan's movement .

His confusion supplanted by a hint of  tease.

“And mujhe kya chahiye?” He said in a tad bit deeper voice as he took a step closer to Ishan, now standing just behind him. His body towering Ishan’s .

But Ishan had no effect on him as he casually uttered ,”Vicks cough drops . No?”

Shubman opened his mouth to say something but no words came out as he was a bit speechless.

“Vicks?”

“Yeahh .for your cough . Isn't why you coughed earlier… Vicks ki goli lo khich khich dur karo”

Ishan said in a sing-song voice as he turned around. Now realizing they were standing dangerously close. Shubman’s cologne hit his nostrils as he sniffed the pleasing fragrance.

“What?” Shubman chuckled, amused by Ishan as he looked down upon him.

Ishan's jet black eyes staring back at him make him mesmerized.

His eyes…… are so beautiful…

Shubman was enchanted. Utterly and purely.

“....”

“Oh hey!? Earth to Utility pole!?”

“huh?”Shubman said, still in haze as he looked away from the bewitching eyes of Ishan's.

Remembering why he was called Ishan in the first place.

He put forward a black jewelry box in front of Ishan.

“What's this?” Ishan asked as he pointed at the box. “Sweets box” Shubman rolled his eyes at Ishan's dense response.

Ishan too replicated Shubman's eye roll. “Woah, very funny!!!”he clapped his hand as if applauding for a great joke.

“Obviously I can see it's a jewelry box. But why are you giving this to me”

“It's a gift, “ Shubman said as he walked near the couch and sat on it .

“A gift for me?” Ishan exclaimed with skepticism as Shubman was about to give a sarcastic reply to him but controlled his urge .

“Yes for you” he said as he picked up his phone to read the few emails he got from the hospital.

“Why?” Ishan looked at the shiny box in his hand , he was half happy and half surprised.

Damn I have been receiving gift after gift since yesterday. Well getting married is not that bad.

Oh my, I still have to check the stack of envelopes I got from the relatives.

He grinned to himself already thinking about what he is gonna do with that money. Pizza party ! Yeah!

“It's a tradition in our house that we have to give gifts to our partner,” Shubman said , his eyes scanning the texts written.

“Ohhh”he made an "oh face" as he opened the box . His eyes shined seeing the pearl necklace in there.

Oh my goodness! It's so pretty.

Placing the box on the vanity table, he eagerly unhooked  the necklace to wear it.

The necklace looked way too enticing to him to just put it in his locker to keep safe and never wear that again.

Shubman looks at Ishan's reaction through the corner of his as a small smile gets on his lips seeing the content face.

A few minutes later , Shubman noticed the struggle of Ishan as he tried to hook the necklace again but to no avail . A classic pout adorning his lips.

Putting his phone back inside his pocket, he stood to get his dear husband out of his misery.

“Wait let me help you” he suggested, more like stated as he walked near Ishan again .

“Oh no no it's okay. I can do this” Ishan denied.

“Yeah I can see how well you can do it” Shubman remarked as Ishan pouted. Taking the necklace from Ishan's hand , he made him turn around as he helped him to wear the necklace.

His breath fanned against Ishan's neck as he was focused on his work while Ishan's heart was stunned, a shiver running throughout his body.

The small of his neck getting Static electric shock at the touch as he looked in the mirror, realizing the position they are in.

Okay dear heart stop beating so fast.

Shubman hooked the necklace and looked ahead in the mirror to admire the necklace adorning the dainty neck of Ishan's.

Their eyes met through the Mirror and for a moment everything stilled in that second.

Ishan gulped, his body feeling metallic . Blinking his eyes  he stared back at Shubman through the mirror.

…..? What am I supposed to do?

Turn around and kiss him senseless~ . His ALWAYS illogical and subconscious mind suggested as Ishan finally got out of his trance at the stupidity suggested by his own mind.

Breaking the gazing competition, he slides away from Shubman. “Thank you” saying that he dashed off the room. The awkward air suffocating him.

Ishan you need to stop watching cheap romantic dramas !

_____________________________________

“Are you for real?”Ishan yelled in disbelief, a flabbergasted expression on his face .

Mayank , who was sitting at the adjacent chair to Ishan, looked down and fidgeted with his fingers.

Even he was in Denial about what he did.

What They did

“So like you and him hooked up. Like real type wala!” Ishan asked although he already knew the answer seeing the purplish blemishes on Mayank's neck.

Mayank nodded as his eyes zeroed at the floor.

Ishan stood up and paced to digest the fact.

“Was that even consensual?” Ishan questioned.

From what Mayank told him, Abhishek was berated and even he was a bit tipsy. So what if they just did it in the Fluke of the moment…

“It was.” Mayank said as the scene from last night burned his mind

After a few seconds of silence prevailing between them. Ishan sat on his seat and took a sip of cold tea.

“And now what about Anisha? ”

Mayank sighed at the question because he has yet to explain the complicated situation with Anisha to Ishan which is definitely going to make him mad.

“What about her?”

“What do you mean by that? Obviously I will ask about her ! She is literally your fiance. You're getting married to her in a couple of months and didn't you like her saying she is “the one” for you, now this!?” Ishan pinched his nose in frustration.

He didn't want Mayank to do something which he will regret later on .

He doesn't know why Mayank is being like this.

Mayank was always the more matured one between them.

“It's complicated…” Mayank started but was interjected by Ishan's words.

“No this isn't! What you did was cheating!”

“No!” Mayank felt hurted at the accusation because he wasn't a cheater. He wasn't.

“Yes it is!” Ishan rebuked.

“It's not cheating, not when me and her are broken up!” Mayank who had been maintaining his calm demeanor lashed out in front of Ishan.

“.... What? How ? I mean what happened? And when did it happen?”Ishan mouth agape , sitting there with a befuddled expression as millions of questions struck his mind .

“Yea.. Me and her called off the marriage because we both aren't the right one for each other” Ishan sat there trying to digest yet another shocking news.

“And when did it happen?”

“A week before your engagement. That's why I wasn't here for your engagement. “ Mayank revealed as the dots started connecting in Ishan's mind.

Mayank not attending his engagement and even when he came back , he was dejected which he tried hard to not show .

Moreover he wasn't even talking about Anisha nor he saw her talking To Anisha after coming back from Chandigarh. When earlier the case was completely opposite.

“And why didn't you think it was necessary to tell me this?. I thought we shared everything, especially something as big as this?” Ishan's voice turned weary.

Since childhood they both tell each other everything. Be it the most random thing or something secretive. That is the reason why Mayank is the first person he told everything to and he expected the same from him.

But he was clearly wronged .

“Ishan we aren't children anymore. We don't need to share everything!”

Ishan was stunned by Mayank's response. He knows they don't need to share everything but he wanted to be part of Mayank's sorrow too.

“And please don't even start with Best friend bullshit. Grow up Ishan!”

“yeah Right.sorry” Ishan gulped the bile to moisten his throat which felt raw .

Ishan stood up and careen towards the exit of the cafeteria in which they had been sitting.

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Author's note;

A quick update!! It was a bit short  and rushed . Apologize for that. ⊙⁠﹏⁠⊙

Well  actually this chapter had Abhiyank smut scene which I cut down because I… *sighs* clearly suck at writing smuts. 🫠🫠

Hence it becomes a short chapter. 🫥

Anyways hope you enjoyed reading the story so far!! 😊♥️

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