He is...

Epilogue

Ishan's pov

After the chaos calmed down a little and the reality dawned upon us, everybody sat there in silence, indulging in the moment.
"Why's everyone so quiet suddenly?"
Mayank whispered to me.
"They finally completed the mission they were planning for a long time. They did it! They're just overwhelmed."
Mayank nodded.

I turned to look at Shub and squeezed his hand twice reassuringly. He gave me a small smile and I reciprocated it. Rahul bhai cleared his throat and all of us turned to look at him.
"We did it guys and that is why-"
"WE PARTYYY!"
Hardik bhai interrupted him. Rahul bhai started to speak up again, but it was too late. Everybody was already up on their feet and only yells of "PARTYYYY", could be heard.

One look from Hardik bhai and I myself, was on my feet, yelling and dancing along with everyone else. I saw Rahul bhai finally sighing and chuckled, giving up.
"We will have dinner first and then go to a club."
Rohit bhai ordered strictly and everyone nodded and went back to doing their thing.
"Bhaiya, we are going home, just text me the details of the place."

Shubman started dragging me out and we could hear Virat bhai yelling,
"BE THERE ON TIME!"
Neither of us responded though. Around 5 p.m, Shub got up from the bed and I whined due to the lack of warmth.
"Get dressed!"
"Whyyy? The dinner isn't until 7, come back and cuddle with me again."
"Come on!"

He started pulling me out of bed.
"Nooooo."
"I wanna show you something."
That got me up right away.
"If you let me... obviously."
I just nodded since he looked so serious, and went to get dressed. I kept pestering him throughout the drive, to tell me where we were going, but as always he wasn't phased. We were literally in the middle of nowhere.

There were just trees on both sides of the narrow road. He stopped outside a cemetery and I looked at him confused. Before it dawned on me. His parents. I just looked at him with wide eyes.
"Only if you want to."
"Ofcourse I want to come with you."
I felt touched. We quietly walked inside, holding hands. When we reached, Shub just stood there silently, for a while.
"This is the first time I'm visiting them."

"Really?"
He just nodded, tearing up.
"And now that I am, I feel guilty for not visiting sooner."
I squeezed his hand twice, reassuringly.
"I just didn't have the strength..."
I nodded.
"It's okayyy."
"Is it?"
I nodded again.
"They must be so proud of you!"

Shubman sniffled, nodding. I held his face in my palms and made him look at me. I gently wiped his tears.
"I'm so sorry."
"For?"
"For everything!"
He looked at me with so much guilt and yet so much love in his eyes, that it made me tear up.
"I forgive you."
"I have something for you."

He took a tiny box out of his pocket and he opened it and turned it towards me. It was a ring.
"Are you proposing to me!?"
I asked baffled.
"Not yet."
I sighed in relief, as much as I wanted to marry him, it was too soon. I gave him my hand and he slid the ring on my ring finger.

"But this is a promise, that it will happen. Someday."
He bent down and kissed the ring that was now placed on my finger.
"Someday."
"Someday. And trust me, when it happens, you'll know. It will be special."
"Hey! This is special too!"
"More special."
We both chuckled.

"Now let's go, or we'll be late."
"Who cares?"
"Virat bhaiya."
Shubman's eyes widened and I believe he started imagining an angry Virat bhaiya in our house, starting to track our phones and send a search party  because he didn't find us there. The consequences after being found, wouldn't be pretty. We sat in the car and Shub started driving.

"You met my parents."
"Yes, I believe I did."
"When am I meeting yours?"
I chuckled sadly.
"When I find them."
"What do you mean?"
"I was shifted from foster to foster, I was too young, when they passed away. I don't even know where they were buried."
Shubman held my hand, squeezing it twice, reassuringly.

I looked back at my life and realized how far I had come. From going foster to foster and getting abused by quite a few of them, to joining the police in hopes of finding my parents, to now joining 'the most wanted criminal', that I was supposed to be catching. I had come a long away, but being here and getting so much love, it had all been worth it. All the struggles, everything, it was all worth it for love.

We reached the hotel a few minutes late and I could see Virat bhai fuming from a mile away. The minute he started yelling, Shub started to explain, but I pulled him aside and gave my best puppy face to Virat bhai.
"Sorryyyy bhaiyaaa"
He instantly melted.
"It's okayyy. I overreacted."
He said ruffling my hair, while everyone looked at us with widened eyes.

"He has never admitted that he overreacts!"
Rohit bhai whispered but everybody heard it and Virat bhai started running after him. I just chuckled at their antics and this went on for the rest of the night. And the rest of the month. And year. Exactly a year later, I was yet again ordered by Shub to get dressed. I knew he remembered the date, but he hadn't said anything about it.

I just got dressed and we sat in his car, to my surprise, when I got out, we were near a private jet.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
I had no idea where we were, even after we landed. I remembered his words a year back and the fancy jet had me thinking he was proposing. I imagined a beautiful place, and Shub going all out with the proposal, like he said he would.

What I hadn't expected was to be standing outside another cemetery. This time I was super confused. He guided me inside and we stopped near a grave. The names written on them were, Pranav Kumar Pandey and Suchitra Singh. I looked towards him and he nodded.
"You found them..?"
I whispered, but it came out more like a question.

I had already started tearing up. He held me close to him.
"I- I had always been trying to search for- for Pranav and Suchitra Kishan- I- I didn't know-"
I ranted on and on, but Shub just held me tightly. After I had calmed down, I thanked Shub over and over again, but he just glared at me.
"Ishan!"
"Hmm"

"Do you remember, I told you I'd propose to you in a very special manner?"
"Yes..."
"And you told me that it was special?"
I nodded realizing where he was going with this.
"Nothing could ever be more special than this."
He got down on one knee.

"I love you so much meri jaan, will you make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?"
"YES!"
I said nodding excitedly. He got up and captured my lips in a kiss.
"WOOOHOOOOO"
We broke apart and I turned around to spot our whole team present there. I chuckled and turned to look at Shub and he just shrugged.
"They just wouldn't leave us alone."

The End.

________________________________________

I disagree with Ishan, not all is worth it for love. Please love is overrated.
(Can you tell I'm single?)

Anyways sorry for the late update, but this is it, I guess.

Thank you so much for the support guys. Love yall.