Thousand Years | A Shubman Gill & Ishan Kishan Fanfiction ✓

Epilogue

2031 AD, a town in Southern Italy.

Two men stood on a cobbled lane, holding hands. They were mesmerized by the balconies, their green climbers and violet flowers peeking at them from above. They were surrounded by lemon yellows and pumpkin oranges. It was a quaint setting with pedestrians loitering around. Languages mixed in the air as tourists spoke in their native tongues infusing their culture amongst the Italian accents.

Ishan's eyes fell on a pale blue Vespa scooter parked outside what he thought was a charming house. He did not know that its owner was watching him from the balcony, a cigar in his hand. The owner saw the man nudge a taller person, standing next to him, to go and stand near the Vespa. He watched the tall man sigh while still smiling as he untangled his fingers from the other man's grip.

The lazy demeanor with which Shubman let go of Ishan's hand tugged Ishan’s heart and he brought his hand to Shubman's face, stroking his cheeks.

Shubman smiled, his cheek dimpling under Ishan's touch. He turned Ishan's hand brushing his lips on his palm as a gesture that symbolized his preference to stay with him and wander in the streets with their fingers laced together rather than have his pictures clicked. Over the years, Shubman had learnt Ishan Kishan loved clicking his photographs. Two thirds of the latter's gallery were filled with Shubman's solo pictures. Nobody in this world could capture Shubman in as candid a fashion as Ishan could.

Especially when they traveled, Ishan would smile behind the camera, marveling less at the landscapes but more at how ethereal the man he loved looked. Anywhere. And everywhere.

And so Shubman found himself with his hands in the pockets of his coat, posing next to a pale blue scooter.

Ishan never had to remind Shubman to smile because whenever he was concerned, Shubman was always smiling.

Ishan heaved sigh after sigh as the sky changed its color, letting afternoon make way for evening. The old man played with the cigar between his hands. He could not bring himself to smoke. Watching the two men interact with the air crackling with passion and amore between them had made him think of his long gone lover.

“Mio Aurelio.” My Aurelio, he muttered under his breath, softly and descended the stairs.

The door next to Shubman opened to reveal a man in his late sixties. He had the earnest eyes, eyes that would make anyone feel safe around him.

“You take the scooter.” The old man said with a friendliness in his tone that made his words sound more like a wish than a statement.

“The scooter? Oh no, Sir we were just clicking photographs. Sorry, is it yours?” Shubman asked, slowly, wondering how much English did the man understand.

“Sì. It is mine. But you take it. For some time. Eat. Drink. Dance. See. Then come back in the night.”

Shubman looked at Ishan and his beaming face indicated that he was considering the offer. When he reached them, Ishan said, “You're very kind, Sir.”

“Martino.” The old man corrected.

“Martino, could you give us your address? We will bring it back to you, safely.” Shubman said as Martino smiled looking at the sincerity in the man's smile.

He went inside to search for a book with a blank page and when he opened a drawer to find one, he came in contact with the letters Aurelio had written to him. Feeling an ache in his chest, he yearned for Aurelio. And whenever Martino called him, Aurelio made an appearance. Even if it meant visiting his lover as a ghost.

Aurelio was intrigued. Martino’s Vespa was one of a kind. One amongst the first designs, launched in the 1960s. It was the same scooter that had seen the two men riding throughout Italy. It was Martino's cherished possession and seeing him lend it to two unknown men could only mean one thing.

Their love must have reminded Martino of Aurelio.

And so when the man and the ghost walked out of the house, the latter was keen to observe the two men.

Shubman was teasing Ishan, asking him whether he would be able to concentrate on driving with Shubman's hands wrapped around him. Ishan was blushing furiously, warning Shubman to be less coy for when they would change the roles, he had tricks planned to make Shubman shiver.

When Aurelio saw their eyes locked in a gaze that was a mixture of light hearted banter, heat and affection, he knew why the two had reminded Martino of them.

As Aurelio stood beside them, Ishan and Shubman felt something inexplicable. They could sense a shift in Martino's mood and energy and they wondered why. They would soon find out.

****

Ishan was having the time of his life as he drove through the streets. The gusts of wind were in their favor as they blew their hair and cooled their skins.

The two men were laughing and yelling as the Vespa went down a slope. Shubman's grip tightened on Ishan and he leaned in, his head resting on Ishan's left shoulder.

“You're crazy awesome Ishu.” He said between giggles. Ishan adjusted the rear view mirror in order to see Shubman smiling.

“And you're unbelievably wonderful, meri Jaan.” Ishan replied, loud enough for the whole town to hear.

The creator smiled. Trust these two to be in a beautiful countryside surrounded by exotic landscapes yet praising each other.

Maybe that's what love did. It made everything else a beautiful background while bringing the one you loved to the forefront, making the picture of your life complete.

After some time, they changed their places. As Shubman began driving, he felt Ishan's form press against him with a content sigh.

“I'm not driving anymore.” Ishan declared, making Shubman chuckle.

Shubman had to consciously prevent himself from leaning into Ishan's touch and fall asleep.

He stopped near a pizzeria when he felt Ishan's stomach rumble. Ishan groaned, not letting go of Shubman but gripping him tighter which made Shubman want to slow time.

And when he saw Ishan take a bite of the pizza with a sliver of cheese clinging to his upper lip, Shubman knew that as long as he was with Ishan, time as a concept took a back seat, allowing itself to immerse in the laze of their story.

*****

By the time they returned, the sun had set letting other stars shine. They were sitting on the terrace recounting the details of their day to Martino as he served them food. They told him about the fountain they had stopped by and drank fresh and cold water from, the authentic pizza that had left their mouths watering and simultaneously feeding their heart's appetite. The white bridge they had momentarily stopped on to watch the sunset. The lakeside where they sat next to each other reminiscing their lives.

They had accidentally said lives instead of life but the two men thought Martino had not paid attention to the detail. Little did they know that not only Martino but Aurelio had heard the word that had confirmed their suspicions.

This time when Aurelio appeared, Shubman and Ishan could see him. Not as one would think as a pale white see through ghost but a shimmering being with an elegant way of floating.

Martino smiled as he introduced Aurelio to them as his lover, telling them about his unfortunate death, twenty one years ago.

Shubman and Ishan exchanged a glance between them, quick enough to understand that the two men were soulmates.

As the four souls dined, each of them had a smile. The strength of love was palpable in the air. Here was a pair of men that had traversed the course of history to find each other meeting another pair of men where one had defied death to stay with his lover.

In a synchronized motion they all looked at the stars, searching for the creator and when they could not find the former they settled for the creator's most cherished creation for them, the men they loved. And in their faces, they found the one they were searching, reaffirming their faith in the beauty of love once again.