Yours insanely

35.After forever ends

"No," Shubman said as he finished his lunch. "We're not making plum cake again."

"It's Christmas next week," Shahneel argued, nudging Ishan's arm with her elbow for some extra support.

"Wait, why is it plum cake if it doesn't need plums anyway?" He asked and she looked at him with a done face.

"That's right," you added and he nodded, giving you a fist bump.

"Remember last year? We had to bite down on the plum cake instead of chewing it," Shubman reminded.

"That's because you added too many nuts and dry fruits," his sister defended herself.

"Because you told me to add too many nuts and dry fruits," he said back and she groaned in annoyance, walking around the dining table to him. "I don't want to fight you, di."

"I wouldn't want to fight me either," Shahneel replied, ready to get this done and over with.

She held the baguette Ishan brought for her this morning, waving it in front of her brother's face threateningly.

"Shubman Gill, will you or will you not join us to make plum cake?" She asked and he pushed the baguette down with his index finger.

"What do you mean 'us?'" He asked before standing up from the chair.

"Me, Y/n, and Ishu," Shahneel answered and Shubman looked at you, who was sitting on the chair beside him. "We were planning to go to the mall and buy a few essentials as well."

"Do you want to make a plum cake, baby?" He asked while you were eating dessert.

"She seems excited," you said, tilting your head up to look at him.

"Alright then, we're making plum cake," he announced.

Shahneel smiled in victory before rushing off to make a list of the needed ingredients.

Then she pulled you along with her when you finished dessert, after Shubman gave you a kiss on the cheek while ignoring the existence of other people in the room.

"I remember you telling Robin to have someone buy everything needed to make a plum cake last week," Ishan said once they were alone. "Why all the denying and then accepting?"

"Di loves winning an argument over me, doesn't she?" The younger one said with a small smile.

"What a loving brother," Ishan spoke in a soft murmuring voice, pinching Shubman's cheeks.

-

"I thought we were only going to buy things for the plum cake," you said as you walked out of the elevator with Shahneel.

A few guards followed you to the parking lot while carrying a couple of shopping bags and a life size teddy bear.

"Yeah, but Christmas gifts are a must," she said as you both stood near one of your three cars. "Shubi will really love what you bought for him."

"You think so?" You asked again for confirmation and she nodded. You had saved up a little. So you decided that you were going to buy him a small gift.

It was a pendant. You've noticed him wearing two of them.

Pendants symbolize faith, love, protection and self-expression.

You bought him a small one with the spiritual symbol Ankh. It represented eternal life in ancient Egypt.

Maybe this was your way of telling Shubman that you wanted to stay together for the entirety of your lives, despite death being a blend of eternity with time.

You hope he loves it. First gifts are always special.

While you were in your thoughts, the guards stood by the car, holding the door open, a few loading the bags and the teddy bear in the trunk.

And you felt that again. The same pair of eyes from two days earlier at the event.

You heard it along with a gust of wind that swept over you.

But you weren't quick to react as much as Shahneel was.

She pulled you back by your arm, just in time as the tip of the knife made contact with your neck.

You heard her swear as you faced your assailant, then you froze. The same eyes.

He started running away when you all realized what had just happened.

The stinging pain you felt in the side of your neck was ignored like the beads of blood that revealed itself.

Shahneel grabbed a gun from inside the car, aiming for the calf of his leg, pulling the trigger while still holding you by your arm.

The man fell to the floor, yelling in pain before he looked into your eyes again. He'll come back for you.

When the guards chased after him, he pulled down a fire extinguisher hung on the basement's pillar near him, hitting the plunger against the floor.

With the wax seal broken, carbon dioxide gas was forced out of the nozzle, making it difficult for anyone to see for a few seconds.

And when they could get a clear vision, all that's left was a puddle of blood.

Your mind blocked out all the voices around you.

You couldn't think straight.

Everything around you felt like a haze.

All you knew was that Shahneel was rushing you into the car, examining the small yet bleeding cut on your neck as she took her phone out to call Shubman.

You felt confused. Disoriented. Then you could think about nothing again.

Over a month ago, you felt like your long period of loneliness and difficulty was being ceased.

All you wanted to do was hold on, because Shubman was your light at the end of the tunnel.

The only thing that ran in your mind now was the face of the man who just tried to slit your neck open.

Is that light at the end of the tunnel?

Maybe because you're back to square one, you should start wondering.

Is that a train?