Part 23

Abhishek was standing at the terrace, his gloomy eyes stared at the photo in his hand. He touched the photograph with his head down

as he spoke he hugged the photo, “why can't i forget about you?”

Mayank , who agreed to meet him upon his earlier request, looked at the lonely figure as his heart ached. He couldn't understand this man.

Can a person really love someone like this? Knowing very well the other person can never be theirs.

But who’s he kidding ? He himself is the victim of such love.

He took a step back to leave, his resolve to meet him breaking but before he could do so Abhishek's eyes fell on him. With a heavy heart , Mayank walked up to him.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked straightforwardly, not wanting to be here.

“About that night–” Abhishek started but Mayank stopped him by cutting him off , “if you're going to say sorry or something along those lines. Don't. It wasn't your fault, you were drunk . I should have been more careful besides let's just pretend that it never happened”

Abhishek gulped down the words in his mouth and nodded at Mayank's words. He felt terrible about what he did to Mayank  .. more so because he actually felt good . A riddance to his remembrance of his love for Ishan.

“I am really sorry” Abhishek still apologized, his head down in guilt. Mayank’s heart softened seeing him like this and flash a small smile at him.

“I am sorry too”saying that ,he started walking away but Abhishek held Mayank’s hand , “uh can we start over as friends?”

Abhishek has been proactively showing his dislike for Mayank since the time he met him but now that he is seen in a new light. He felt that Mayank was never the problem in between him and Ishan.

He and Ishan were never meant to be .

Mayank's eyebrow formed a frown, Abhishek wanted to be his friend? His friend? .

“Weren't we friends before too?” He asked , the bitter undertone  went unnoticed by Abhishek.

“Were we?”

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Ishan pouted seeing the time. It was already 5:30 pm . Why hasn't Mayank come back yet ? .he was waiting for Mayank so they both could go home as usual but today when they were packing up , Mayank weirdly went to take a phone call and disappeared since then.

He also didn't see Abhishek at his desk. His brows frowned as the wheels in his mind started working.

Did Mayank agree to meet Abhishek? This left a sour feeling in his mouth.

I swear if that Abhishek did something to Mayank again.

He didn't want to see his best friend hurt like that again . That day when he saw Mayank like that in the room,he felt miserable. He felt like he failed as a friend then.

He looked at his phone and debated whether he should call him or not . And finally After a long discussion in his mind ,he decided against it.

They should talk and sort their mess.

He started walking and pouted in disappointment that he had to take the metro today. It was not a problem for him in the past but ever since his marriage he never really used public transport.

Jeez chin up Ishan! Let's protect the environment by using local transport! Yes!

He looked at the optimistic side of this situation.

In the train, after standing in the midst of a sweaty smell for a few minutes, he finally found an empty spot and sat in it . He opened his phone and cursed seeing that his phone’s battery was at 4 percent.

He put his phone back and leaned in his seat. The tiredness of his work got to him and he closed his eyes.

________________________________________

“Were we?”

Were they? Mayank thought and looked back at the moment between them but there were no memories where he can remember that they were friends.

The corner of his chapped lips crinkled, “I guess not” he took a hearty pause and stared at Abhishek's face trying to find any sort of something.

He himself doesn't know what he is trying to find but he is finding it. “Why? Do you want to be my friend now?”

Feeling the accused gaze on himself, Abhishek shook his head , a little chortle erupted from his mouth. He saw that Mayank’s skin was really fair, the rosy cheeks adding more up to his charm.

And if I hadn't seen the 5ft 5 inch guy with sparkling eyes before him . He would say that the guy standing  in front of him was the most beautiful guy he had seen.

“Turning a new leaf”he spoke in a warm voice and Mayank could almost feel the temperature on his skin.

“Huh?”

______________________________________

It was past midnight when Shubman arrived home. The weather was very chilly and melancholic. The light in the hall was switched off and an eerie quietness prevailed matching the darkness of the night. Shubman tiredly took off his shoes and wanted to have a good rest after the continued surgeries he performed today.

But his brows frowned upon noticing that Ishan's shoes weren't messily lying near the shoe rack.

Did he put them in their place? That's a first.

Moreover the place seemed too quiet.  an unknown fear crept in his heart. He quickly checked if Ishan was here or not.

He held his forehead as his heart dropped when he found no sign of Ishan in here.

He immediately tried to contact Ishan but the call directly went to voicemail. He cursed in desperation as he called Mayank. Hoping he's at least there yet again he was met with disappointment.

Ishan had already left the office as usual and should have already reached home even if there was traffic.

The fear grows with each passing minute without knowing the whereabouts of Ishan.

He didn't really realise how much he cared and was protective of Ishan until this moment.

He thought of calling Mrs Kishan directly but decided against it as her health was already not in favourable conditions.

Where are you ?

His slender and dainty finger ran through his locks in frustration as he called one of his friends who was a  software engineer.

Hearing the ferocity in Shubman's voice , his friend immediately started finding where Ishan's phone ip address is without questioning anything.

He must be someone really important for him to ask for a favour.

Since Ishan's phone was not switched off , the task of finding his Current location was not a big deal  and In a matter of a few minutes he found where he was.

“What? Gurgaon!?Are you sure?” Shubman repeated him and pinched his nose. Why in the hell Ishan would go to Gurgaon!?  That too without telling anyone.

Shubman thanked him and hastily put on his shoes again all the while calling Ishan continuously.

His breathing increased as his mind filled with different scenarios.

He himself didn't realize how protective he was of Ishan until now. gathering his thoughts, he dashed to his car .

“Please be  fine ” he prayed , following the GPS to Ishan's location. He drive through the roads recklessly .

As he reached the metro station, he got out of his car , his eyes running everywhere to see the glimpe of the 5’5 lad.

His lips were turning dry , the alarming constriction in his throat kept increasing by tenfold when he finally saw a 5’5 ft tall man but as he went closer , he realized it wasn't his ishan.

Like a wanderer lost in desert , Shubman kept walking in search of Ishan but keep seeing the mirage of him.

He pulled his hair in sheer frustration , his darkened eyes analysing each and every person walking here.

His pupils dilated when he got a glimpse of someone he had been crazily searching for.

He walked up to him and gathered Ishan in his embrace.

“Never . I say never ever do something like this ever again”

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Author's note :

*Cries in post bgt trauma*

and pls Bhai what is wrong with ict fans!? How can they support  overseas player over their own country’s player. 🫡 Ajeeb log hai yrr .