He is...

28. He is a liar

Ishan's pov

"If I could, I would've already done so, a long time ago."
I had nothing to say and so he continued.
"You want to leave?"
"I just don't want to stay in this basement."
"Fine, you want to leave this basement, go ahead."

I started crackng a smile.
"I couldn't get my revenge for your betrayal, because I was stupid enough to fall in love with you, but the others weren't. Did you not once wonder why no one else came here except Vi, Ro and Abd bhai? Go ahead, try your luck."
My smile dropped thinking about how much the others must hate me and how much Shubman regretted falling for me.

I didn't protest at all after that. He nodded when I didn't respond and walked out of the basement. The next day Virat bhai came instead of Shubman.
"Where is he?"
"He's upstairs in his room, sulking again."
"Wait- he has a room here?"
"Yeah. After you left he hasn't gone back to his mansion. He lives here now."
"Why's that?"

Virat bhai gave me an amused look.
"I don't know... you tell me."
I nodded. It was because of me. Virat bhai left. Later that night Shubman entered the basement sneakily scaring me to death.
"What the fuck-"
"Let's go."
"Where?"
He didn't answer and just walked out. I followed him, confused by his sudden behavior.

He made me sit in his car and I was curious as to where he was taking me, but I didn't question him further and just savored the moment. I was finally outside after God knows how long and I wasn't about to waste this opportunity, arguing with him. He stopped the car and I glanced out of the window to realize, that we were at his mansion.
"What are we doing here?"
He started walking inside the house and I followed.

I raised my eyebrows in questioning, when he didn't answer.
"You wanted to leave the basement. I couldn't keep you in the warehouse, when I don't know how the others will react about you."
He shrugged.
"So here we are!"
I looked around, before a grin started spreading on my face.

I ran to my room, only to find everything was right as I had left it, just covered in dust. He really hadn't come here in a while huh. He entered my room and just then I sneezed.
"It's dusty."
"My room is clean. You can sleep in mine, until we get this cleaned."
"Why isn't mine clean, but yours is?"
"Everyone was strictly forbidden from entering this room."

I just nodded and made my way to his room, jumping on the bed and rolling around, missing the feel of it. It felt so comfortable, compared to the tiny bed I was sleeping on, in the basement of the warehouse. I missed the feel of it although I had a hunch it wasn't the bed I had missed. Shubman looked at me before pushing me a little, making space for himself and lying down aswell.

"You know when we first met, I was supposed to grab your attention somehow, but I didn't know I would end up cutting my hand."
"It wasn't on purpose?"
I chuckled and shook my head, turning to look at him, to find him already looking at me. I gave him a smile and he genuinely returned it.
"Why are you telling me this?"
I just shrugged, turning my head again,  to look at the ceiling.

"Okayy... then tell me more."
"I had just become a commanding officer and had gotten the orders to try and befriend you somehow. I hadn't expected to actually succeed, let alone get taken along with you!"
"Hmm... I know."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't expect to bring you along with me either."
I nodded understandingly.

I mean who would bring some random crying stranger home?
"I mean I had ignored all the others that had approached me before you so..."
I snapped my head towards him.
"Wait! You knew about the others?"
"Yes? Obviously? You can't expect a dozen police officers to approach me, and me not finding out, did you?"
"But you didn't find me out."

"Uh-huh"
He nodded and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Shubman"
I said in a threatening tone and he looked at me sheepishly.
"I knew...."
"WHAT! For how long??"
"Since even before you approached me..."
I looked at him with widened eyes, sitting up and he followed.

Disbelief was written all over my face, as I tried to slowly process what he had just revealed.
"THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU TORTURE ME?"
"I did NOT torture you! Trust me, if I tortured you, you would've known."
"But you still kept me locked up!"
"Yes well, that was because I didn't trust you."
"Why?"

"Can you really blame me? Just because I knew does NOT mean I expected it. Your betrayal."
I glared at him, my expressions between anger and hurt. He had lied to me. I had been feeling guilty all this time, meanwhile he had always known.
"When you took my phone and called your colleague and they started tracking my phone-"

"You knew about that too!? Then why the fuck did you not prevent it!?"
"Because I fucking trusted you! I thought I'd let you do your thing and you'd feel guilty for betraying me and you would choose me, eventually. You would choose to walk away from them, with me. But you didn't. You preferred to betray me instead and go with them."

The both of us were glaring each other at this point. Too clouded by anger and hurt. Until someone suddenly interrupted us.
"No, he didn't."
We turned to look at Virat bhai entering the room and we stood up, surprised by his sudden entry.
"What do you mean bhai?"
"He didn't betray us."
"And how do you know that?"

"Because the only reason he went back inside that place was to help us. He helped in rescuing Ab and ensured we all made out of that place, alive and well, without getting caught. He didn't betray us. Sure, he may have gotten a little carried away for a while, but can we really blame him? It was his job. So stop being an asshole and apologize to him."

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Arshdeep already took 2 wickets in his first over!!! Slayyy

Also, this book is coming to an end yayy