Author's POV
**************
In Evening at AS Speedways, Abhishek closed his laptop before standing up from his chair to leave.
Abhishek only come here once in a week to check the work and management of track, today just happened to be one of those days.
He grabbed his keys and walked towards the big couch to get his jacket but he stopped as his eyes caught something.
Abhishek walked towards the big glass wall and stare down at the track, where someone is running the car like a plane.
Abhishek frowned a little before taking his jacket and leaving his office. He went downstairs and asked one of the guards,
"Who is at track? Aaj toh koi race bhi nhi hai..."
[There is no race today...]
As on this day, track remains closed.
"It's Ishan sir! He said he just felt like racing so that's why he is here..." That guard replied formally.
Abhishek let out an "oh" before asking once again,
"Since how long he has been here?"
"He has been here for almost 2 hours and he hasn't left the track even for a second..." That guard said, sounding a little concerned.
After all, racing on the track continuosly for hours can be dead tiring.
Abhishek gave him a nod while frowning and walked outside. He turn to look at the track, which is at a reasonable distance from him.
"Should I tell him that ishan is here?" Abhishek asked to himself, as shubman has told him to do so, whenever ishan is doing any race.
But technically ishan is not racing right now.
So Abhishek dropped the idea and then called the same Guard, who quickly walked to him,
"Don't close the track until he leaves..." Abhishek instructed calmly, earning a nod from the guard.
Abhishek then went towards his car before getting inside it.
Just when he was about to start his car, he received a call from Virat, he connected it to his Bluetooth before starting the car, leaving from there.
Meanwhile on the track, Ishan gripped the staring wheel tightly as he stare ahead the track, his eyes were slightly red.
He keep pressing the accelerator, speeding the car to its limits.
"It must be so easy for you to kiss anyone like that!"
"If you come infront of me again, I will kill you!"
Ishan clenched his jaw as his mind ringed with those hurtful and mean words said by shubman.
Ishan shook his head as if trying to get rid of it but When those hateful and angry eyes flashed before his eyes,
Ishan suddenly stepped on the break, stopping the car abruptly.
The sudden break made tyers of car screech loudly against the surface, leaving tyer prints on it, creating smoke.
Ishan's body jerked forward with force and his breathing was slightly heavy, his forehead was covered in sweat.
Ishan leaned his head against the car seat, as his heart raced with hurt, confusion and frustration.
Ishan looked down and placed his plam over his chest, where inside his heart is aching painfully,
"Why are you paining so much?" Ishan asked to his heart, as if it could reply.
Ishan usually doesn't take things to his heart but shubman's every single word or action affects him, no matter how much he tries to deny it.
From childhood till now, ishan has only witnessed anger, hate, irritation and annoyance in those deep eyes of shubman.
Sometimes he wonders, will he ever be able to see something soft and gentle in shubman's eyes for himself?!
Ishan chuckled bitterly as this thought crossed his mind.
"You really think so highly of yourself ishan!..." He let out in self mockery.
Without knowing few drops of tears rolled down from his eyes, ishan become shocked.
He is crying over shubman's harsh words?!
Ishan hurriedly wiped his tears.
"Stop crying! He is not worthy..." Ishan said to himself, his voice cracking badly.
Ishan took few deep breaths to calm himself down and get down from the car. He checked the time, which show 6:30 PM and decided to head home.
As he walked towards his car, he spotted a guard and thanked him.
"Thanks for letting me in, even through the track was closed Today!...I really needed it..." Ishan said sincerely.
That guard bowed respectfully at him and said politely,
"Mention not sir! You can come here anytime..."
Ishan gave him a small smile and get inside his car, starting the engine and driving away from the track.
As he drove the car towards Kishan Mansion, he mind busy thinking something, something to get back at shubman.
After all he is Ishan Kishan, he can't let anyone mess with his emotions and feelings just like that.
Suddenly a smirk appeared in his lips as muttered to himself,
"You don't wish to see my face right?! Unfortunately I'm not a Genie, who grant whishes!"
He smiled mischievously and sung a line of a song, changing the lyrics according to his plan,
"Dekhoge mujhe dekhoge jaha, mein yaha hu...yaha hu yaha hu yaha!"
[You will see only me, doesn't matter where you look...]
Now Ishan needs to think of a solid plan to Achieve this goal.
After all it's not like he can shift in Gill mansion permanently.
On the other side, In the living room of luxurious apartment, Shubman was sitting on the floor with a glass of alcohol in his hand.
His back was pressed against the small table and he still hasn't tended his wounded hand.
Shubman stare at Particularly nothing, his graze was cold and dark, enough to give shivers to anyone.
"You think you got the right to dismiss me, by saying I'm no one?" His strangely calm voice echoed in silent apartment.
And As if he heard something funny and ridiculous, he start laughing loudly, his laugh was chilly and darker than the night.
He abruptly stopped laughing and said, his voice low and hypnotic,
"You are fucking bounded to me! That ring in your index finger is the chain that binds you with me! And you can never escape it...Never!"
Shubman raised the glass to his lips before taking a long sip, the liquid buring his throat.
Just then a shocked voice come from behind,
"Yaha kon sa bhoochal aaya tha?!"
[Was there an Earthquake here?]
Shubman frowned at the sudden voice and turned to look at intruder. He glared at the man standing at the door step,
Abhishek, who was busy taking in wrecked state of living room, didn't noticed shubman's glare.
Everything, literally everything was smashed on the floor brutally. Not a single thing was intact in living room, cushions were thrown in every direction.
More or less, the state of living room was worse than any word could explain.
"How do you get to know about the password?"
Only after hearing this question, Abhishek shifted his graze to Shubman, who is looking coldly at him.
"It's not that hard to guess, given how your world revolves around only one person...although you may not accept that!"
Shubman's glare intensified at his words, Abhishek ignored his glare and made his way towards shubman, while watching his steps, not wanting to trip over anything.
Upon reaching infront of shubman Abhishek rolled his eyes when he saw the glass of alcohol in his hand.
"What made you so upset that you literally destroyed everything here?" Abhishek asked while pointing at the mess of living room.
Shubman casually glanced at the broken state of room before raising his head to look at Abhishek,
"Why are you here?" Shubman asked instead of replying,
To which Abhishek made a face before shouting a little,
"You tell me! Tu ghar kyu nhi gya? Look I don't know why you are going crazy all of sudden but atleast pick Virat bhai's call!"
[Why didn't you go home?]
"Oh so it was Vi bhai..." Shubman muttered as he glanced at his phone, which is laying on floor.
Actually a while ago someone keep ringing his phone nonstop but as he didn't wanted to talk to anyone at that moment, so he ignored it without checking the caller I'd.
Abhishek huffed at his lack of response and said once again,
"Oye tu sun bhi rha hai?! I'm asking you something her-"
[Hey are you even listening?!]
But he was cut off in middle as shubman suddenly asked indifferently,
"Should I kill him?"
This sudden and unexpected question caught Abhishek off guard and he nearly chocked on his spit.
"W-What! him? who?!" Abhishek shouted in shock.
"That Mayank!" Shubman replied while sipping from the glass.
Abhishek's eyes turned wide in disbelief, he hurriedly bent down and sit beside shubman before asking carefully,
"But Why? What did he do to offend you?!"
Shubman's flashed with dangerous glint and His aura turned gloomily dark, Giving chills to Abhishek.
Shubman then turned to his left and stare at Abhishek with bottomless eyes,
"He touched something he shouldn't have And for that, he only deserves to die!" He replied calmly as if he is not talking about killing someone.
Shubman didn't said the anything clearly but Abhishek can guess that it must be something related to Ishan, as shubman only loose his control over Ishan related things.
"Bhai I don't know what he did but woh ishan ka bestfriend hai, you can definitely not kill him!" Abhishek immediately tried to talk reasons with him.
[But he is ishan's bestfriend,]
To be honest Abhishek was scared from inside as he know just how dangerous and evil shubman can be at times.
Hearing Abhishek's words, shubman clenched the glass in his hand before gulping down the liquid in one go.
"That's the only reason why he is still alive! Or else I would have killed him the moment I got to know about what he did!"
Abhishek secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Although Abhishek wanted to ask what exactly Mayank did which anger him to this point but he can guess that shubman don't want share it, so he held himself back.
Both of them fall in silence, when suddenly Abhishek's phone ringed, it was Virat, Abhishek picked the call,
"Did you found him?" Virat's voice come from other side.
"Yes Bhaiya,..Mere side me hi hai " Abhishek replied while glancing at shubman.
[...he is just beside me]
Virat said something again and Abhishek passed the phone to shubman, who sighed before pressing it against his ear.
"BENSTOKES! KAHA MAR RHA HAI TU?! And why the fuck you didn't picked up my calls?!
Tu ghar aa ek baar, Aaj tere phone ko aag hi lga Dena hai mene!" Virat shouted angrily over the call.
[BENSTOKES! Where the fuck are you?!
You just come home, today I will burn that useless phone of yours!]
Shubman hissed at the loud shout and pulled the phone a little away from his ear before replying shortly,
"I'm in a Park Bhai...I was feeling like walking around for a while..."
It was a lie ofcourse but Virat didn't suspected anything and said,
"Haan toh batana bhi hota hai na! Now leave from there and directly come home! Aadhe ghante me tu mujhe ghar pe dikhana chahiye...."
[Atleast inform anyone at home! I want you at home in 30 minutes...]
"I understand bhaiya...I'm just leaving for home..." Shubman replied calmly.
Virat then ended the call. Shubman handed the phone back to Abhishek, who took it while shaking his head.
"No exactly who is your mom, Keart aunty or Virat Bhai?" Abhishek commeted while chuckling.
To which Shubman gave him a look before letting out with a sigh,
"Sometimes I also wonder the same..."
Shubman then grabbed his phone and get up from the floor. He start walking towards the door, to leave from there.
Abhishek immediately run after him.
.
.
.
Next morning Ishan didn't have any morning classes, so he was sleeping care freely, but his sleep got disturbed by the knocking sound on his door.
He opened his eyes with difficulty and stare at the closed door.
"Who is it?!" He shouted in sleepy voice.
"Young master...Madam is calling you downstairs urgently!" It was a maid.
"Coming..." He replied shortly.
Ishan sighed while laying flat on his back. He stare at ceiling for few seconds before getting up, he didn't bother fixing himself and opened the door, heading downstairs.
He start walking down from stairs while rubbing his eyes. But suddenly he stopped when he heard a familiar voice,
Keart mom's voice?!
Ishan frowned and titled his head to left to peek at the people sitting in the living room.
His eyes turned wide as whole Gill family including Shubman was present, Even Rohit was there.
Ishan then looked down at himself, he is in his night pyjamas, he definitely can't go infront them like this,
So he was about to turn around and ran upstairs but looks like the people sitting in living room, had already notice his presence.
"Ishu?!"
Ishan turned around and gave Raj, who just called him, a awkward smile.
"Come here honey..." Keart Gill also called excitedly.
Ishan sighed as now he can only go downstairs, looking like this. He still ran his fingers in his hair to fix them a little before walking down.
Ishan felt eyes on him, he looked to his right and his eyes met with shubman's.
There was something unreadable in shubman's eyes, which made ishan frown a little.
Ishan greeted the elders and Keart Gill immediately pulled him to her side, ishan chuckled at that and sit between Suchitra and Keart.
"Fix your clothes!" Shubman suddenly let out in his favourite irritated tone.
Ishan glanced at shubman, mentally rolling his eyes before fixing his tshirt a Little.
Only after he fixed it, shubman turned his attention somewhere else.
"How are you my cutie pie?" Keart asked while caressing ishan's hair, with a big smile on her face.
Ishan smiled at her softly before replying,
"I'm doing good! By the way Not trying to be rude but why this sudden meeting?"
As his words fall, Everyone's expressions subtly changed and this didn't go unnoticed by Ishan.
Ishan's instincts screamed at him to be cautious. He can tell something is off, as if something big is about to come at him.
And just like that, the tension engulfed the leaving room.
"Actually we are here to discuss something very important, something that you and shubman should know..." Lakhwinder Gill suddenly said, breaking the tension.
Ishan frowned in confusion, he causally glanced at shubman, who is looking totally unbothered.
Suchitra held Ishan's one hand in her's before saying, her voice trembling a little,
"You trust us right?! You know that we will never choose anything bad for you right?"
Ishan's frown only deepened at her words. He faced everyone in confusion and slightly nervousness,
"What is it guys? You all are making me nervous..." Ishan asked, getting a little impatient.
"You see...you and shubman weren't even born, Your grandparents...they wanted to ensure that our families, Gill's and kishan's always remain close..." Keart Gill began,
Pravan Kishan sighed gently before taking over and continued,
"They wanted us to promise that, we will marry our youngest kids when they grew up..."
Pravan Kishan stopped before glancing at Ishan, to see his reaction.
And Ishan, well you can say he was too stunned, shocked and what not, to give any reaction.
Wait a second!
Their Youngest kids? Means him and Shubman?!
What the actual fuck?!
Ishan finally snapped out it and stood up before asking in disbelief,
"You are kidding me right?! Stop it guys it's not even funny..."
Seeing that they are not looking like someone joking, ishan couldn't help but shout loudly,
"Me and shubman?! You guys can't be serious! That's so fucking ridiculous guys!"
Elders share a look of worry among themselves.
"It was your grandparents last wish, we couldn't refuse them so, we agreed to it...and when you both were kids, we got you guys engaged..." Lakhwinder Gill completed.
The more ishan heard the more he felt dizzy as it was too much for him to take in. Ishan felt the world sipping, he couldn't believe his own ears.
Everyone worriedly glanced at Ishan while Virat and Rohit were busy examine Shubman's expressions.
"Why he is so silent after learning such big truth?!" Rohit mumbled to Virat,
"Shayad ye tufan se pehle ki shanti hai..." Virat whispered back to him.
[Maybe this is the silence before the Strom..]
Rohit nodded and didn't said anything after that.
Ishan turned to stare at shubman, who is already looking at him with his natural expressionless face.
"Are you going to say something or not?! Bina baat ke toh bohot chillata hai, abhi jab jaroorat toh chup kyu hai?!" Ishan couldn't help but raise his voice a Little.
[You shouts all the time without any reasons and now when it is needed, why are you so quite?!]
Shubman stare at his face indifferently before opening his mouth,
"It was predetermined by our grandparents, and plus like they said we are already engaged...so why not just accept it? It's not like I have any choice, anyway..." That's what shubman said.
Everyone, who were waiting for shubman's yelling and angry outburst, snapped their neck to look at shubman in shock,
"Just when did he became so sensible and obedient?" All of them thought in their mind.
While Ishan glared at shubman fiercely before shouting at him, angrily,
"No matter what... I'm not doing this! Never! Me, marrying you? Not a chance! This whole idea is ridiculous with capital R!"
He was about to leave angrily from there when suddenly Pravan Kishan and Lakhwinder Gill stopped him,
"Please beta, try to understand us! It was our parents last wish...it really means a lot to me, to your dad! We don't want to break the promise which we made to our dying parents... please Ishu..." Lakhwinder Gill said while pleading,
Pravan Kishan also nodded, silently pleading Ishan.
Ishan closed his eyes, he can't see loved ones like this but marrying shubman is a Big No as well!
Why he is stuck in this type wierd situation?
Ishan then thought of something, and made his way towards Shahneel, who looked at him in confusion and worry.
Ishan took a deep breath before saying seriously,
"You are Gill as well right...then Di please marry me!"
His words caused everyone to choke on their spit, even Shubman looked slightly surprised.
"What?! No...Ishu tu mere bachhe jese hai!" Shahneel shouted after overcoming the shock.
[....you are like a son to me!]
Being rejected by her, Ishan turned to look at Virat, who as if read his mind, immediately raised his hands in surrender,
"Technically I'm not a Gill..." Virat hurriedly said.
Ishan pouted angrily before facing Shahneel once again, he then grabbed her hands,
"Arey Marriage certificate ko adoption papers samajh kar sign kar dena! But please marry me Di!...I can definitely not marry your Hitler brother!" Ishan hurriedly said, trying to persuade her.
[It's alright! you can think marriage certificate as Adoption papers while signing it!...]
Before Shahneel could say something to refuse him, Shubman beat her in that.
"I guess you didn't heard our parents clearly just now...they said youngest, Not eldest!" Shubman said irritatedly,
Ishan took a deep breath before turning around and looking at shubman before replying Sarcastically,
"I don't care okay?! Tujhse shaadi karne se achha hai mein Shahneel di se shaadi kar lu... atleast she will love and pamper me!"
[Marrying Shahneel di is better than marrying you...]
"So don't want a husband but a babysitter?" Shubman asked while raising an eyebrow at him.
Ishan rolled his eyes at him getting irritated by his words, and retorted sassily,
"Better a babysitter than a lamp post! Wese bhi Mujhe aisa husband nhi chaiye, jise kiss karne ke liye bhi, stool pe khada hona pade!"
[Anyway, I don't want a husband for whom I have to stand on a stool even to kiss him!]
Hearing his words, shubman stopped for a mere second before standing up, towering over Ishan,
"If that's what you are worried about, then worry not...I can carry you in my arms while we kiss.." shubman replied his voice was low, ishan could even see slight smirk on his lips.
Ishan stare at shubman with wide eyes, feeling speechless by his words. His face was slightly flushed and his heart unknowingly skipped a beat.
Ishan still composed himself before saying while gritting his teeth,
"Why are you being so talkative, all of sudden?"
Shubman didn't replied just keep looking at Ishan's slightly flushed face, it gave him wierd kind of satisfaction to know that he is reason behind it.
They were too lost in bickering with each other that they completely forgot about their surroundings, until Keart Gill cleared her throat and said,
"Guys... Let's go in garden, Let them talk alone, it may help them in making decision..."
Her words made ishan realised his surroundings and he also noticed just how close he and shubman is standing, he hurriedly took two steps back.
Although they looked hesitant but still nodded and start leaving from there. Raj patted Ishan's shoulder and said,
"No matter what you decides I will support you..."
Ishan gave him a smile which Raj returned before following others.
Shahneel stare at them as she walked away and looked at Virat before saying,
"Do you think it's a good idea to leave them alone? I mean kahi inn dono ne ek dusare ka sir phod Diya toh?!"
[What if they start fighting?]
To which Virat sighed before shrugging his shoulders.
Within few minutes, whole living room become empty, leaving Only shubman and Ishan, standing there.
Ishan faced shubman and asked seriously,
"Let me ask you this...kal tak toh tu I hate you ishan ke naare lga rha tha...then what happened to your hate suddenly?!"
[Till yesterday you were chating "I hate you ishan" like a mantra...then]
Shubman bended his upper body a little and leaned his face close to ishan's face before replying in,
"I still hate you...very much but We are Engaged! Means you are already My Fiance...toh Shaadi toh tumhe mujhse hi karni padegi!..."
[...you will have to marry only me!]
Ishan stare at him in disbelief, not understand just what's going inside shubman's head,
"Konsi Engagement?! I don't remember any engagement!" Ishan shouted irritatedly,
Shubman still looked quite calm in comparison of Ishan,
"The ring in your index finger of left hand is our engagement ring! Not some birthday gift by your mom..." Shubman calmly revealed one more secret to Ishan.
After hearing that, ishan immediately looked down at his left hand, the ring is shining in his ring finger.
Is it really their engagement ring?!
If it is, then where shubman's ring?
As ishan was dwelling on it, he realised something, he shot up his head, looking at shubman.
"How do you know that it's our engagement ring?" Ishan asked looking at him suspiciously, as he clearly remember their parents didn't mentioned anything about the ring just now.
Shubman didn't panicked at all, it's pointless to hide it now anyway.
"I knew about it..."
Ishan gasped as eyes turned wide in shock, He lost the counts of shocks he had recieved in just last 45 minutes.
"Since when?!" Ishan couldn't help but ask.
To which Shubman let out in a uninterested manner,
"Doesn't matter!"
Ishan become angry and shouted,
"You are right it doesn't matter! Just like this nonsensical engagement!"
He was about to take off his ring but before he could do that, shubman grabbed his left hand and pulled Ishan towards himself with a jerk.
"Don't you dare take it off!" Shubman warned, his eyes shining with dangerous glint.
Ishan shivered a little before regaining his posture and asked angrily,
"Why can't I? You too have not worn the ring!"
Shubman's eyes changed subtly before regaining it's usual coldness. He used his other hand hand to grabbed the chain around his neck before taking it out from under his shirt,
Ishan's confused face turned into a surprised one when he saw a ring, very familiar to his own, dangling in that chain,
So shubman is also wearing their engagement ring? But why?! Shubman hates him to his core right?
Ishan decided to ask these questions aloud,
"Why?! You hate me right...then why didn't you threw this ring away? Why cherish it like this?"
Shubman stare at him silently for 2 Seconds before saying calmly,
"Let me tell you a story, one day dad took me, Virat Bhai and Di to festival fair, and bought toys for Virat Bhai and Di! And a pretty doll for me But I hate dolls, they are just so fragile.
Di also liked that doll and even asked me for it and said that I take any of her toys in exchange.
But you know what I did? I didn't gave that doll to her, no matter how much she cried infront our parents, I never gave that doll to her!" Shubman paused a little in between.
While Ishan just stare at Him in confusion, not understanding why other is telling him his childhood story in this do and die type of situation.
"Why are you going off topic?!" Ishan asked in confusion,
Shubman ignored his question and asked back,
"Do you know why I did that?!"
Ishan rolled his eyes and huffed at how other ignored his question and replied impatiently,
"Mujhse kese pta hoga?!"
[How would I know?!]
"Because...bhale hi mujhe woh doll nhi chahiye thi but kyuki mujhe wo doll de di gyi, toh woh doll sirf meri hi hai! And I don't like sharing, with capital S!" Shubman replied calmly, his eyes taking note of every facial expressions of Ishan.
[Even though I didn't wanted that doll but because it was given to me, then it is only mine...and I don't like sharing, with capital S!]
Ishan stare at shubman for a moment, trying understand what other meant by those words.
It can't be possibly that other is comparing him to a non living doll, right?
Ishan pushed shubman a little away before glaring at him,
"But I'm not a damn thing! I'm a human okay?!"
Shubman gave him a nod before pulling ishan by his waist, with a swift and abrupt move.
Ishan gasped at his sudden action.
"What the fuck are doing?!" Ishan hissed at shubman.
As usual his words fell into deaf ears.
Shubman leaned closer to ishan's face before tilting his head a little, putting his lips near ishan's ear and said in a husky voice,
"You are right! You are a human being...
Isiliye tumhe saaman ki tarah kharid kar nhi, Balki ek insaan ki tarah shaadi karke le jaunga!..."
[That's why I will not buy you like a thing but will marry you as a human being! ]
______________________________________
Note:
I'm so sorry for the delay guys!
Actually I'm not well these days, even while writing the chapter I was dealing with intense headache and cold so if there is any mistakes so please forgive me for that.
About chapter, please share your views on this chapter in comments and vote for it if you like the chapter.
See you soon next update
Till then stay safe and happy.