All you need is love

chapter 6

Shubman sat beside Ishan in the cafeteria, munching on his lunch while deep in thought. Aditi's words from earlier replayed in his mind, reminding him of the job at hand.

Flashback

"Shub... So have you found out anything from Ishan yet?" Aditi asked. Her voice brimming with curiosity.

"He's not willing to share his secrets that easily. I need more time to gain his trust."

Aditi sighed and nodded, knowing that Shubman was right. "I understand," she said.

"But time is running out," she said, her tone firm and resolute. "We can't sit on this case any longer. We need to stay focused and find out what we need to know as soon as possible."

Shubman nodded his head, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him once again. "I know," he said, his voice tinged with determination. "I'll double my efforts and do my best to get something soon."

"Umm.. I've been thinking, is there any way you could try to get access to Advik's phone?" she wondered aloud.

"Are you kidding me?" Shubman retorted, his voice filled with disbelief. "I'm having difficulty getting access to Ishan's phone as it is. How do you expect me to get access to Advik's phone? It's not like I can just wave a magic wand and gain access to it!"

"Calm down man! " she said. "Rishabh is already monitoring Advik and Mr. Kishan. It would make things so much easier if we could access their phones. They could unknowingly give us so much information."

Shubman considered her words for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay," he said, his voice tinged with determination. "I'll try".

Aditi turned to Shubman,  "For now," she said, "try to get closer to Ishan. Find out more about his relationship with his father and brother. If you can gain his trust, he might be more willing to open up and share things that could be helpful to us."

Shubman nodded in agreement, listening to her words closely.

Flashback end

Shubman's eyes darted towards Ishan, watching as he ate his lunch peacefully. There was something endearing about the way Ishan ate, the way his lips curled up slightly as he took a bite, the way his eyes widened when he took a sip of water.  and he couldn't help but notice the loneliness lurking deep within Ishan's eyes, like a hidden ocean of sadness.

Ishan's frown deepened as he asked, "What? Is there something wrong with my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Shubman, snapped out of his thoughts, quickly looked away, feeling a little embarrassed for being caught staring at Ishan. He cleared his throat and tried to explain. "Oh, I was just lost in thoughts" he said, trying to brush off the situation.

"You don't have to lie I know I am cute" Ishan said.

Shubman  let out a soft giggle. The mood between them turned light and playful, and Ishan's confident tone made Shubman feel at ease. He couldn't help but smile and agree. "Yes, you are definitely cute," he said, still giggling slightly.

Shubman mustered up the courage and asked, "Ishan, can I ask you something?"

Ishan nodded, "Go ahead," he said, prompting Shubman to continue.

"Why don't you make friends" Shubman asked.

Ishan cracked a small,  smile before responding. "Maybe people think I'm rude, arrogant, and selfish," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "That's why they don't try to talk to me, or maybe I just don't know how to keep friends."