All you need is love

chapter 14

"shubhas?? what are you doing here?"

Shubman's heart stopped as he suddenly heard a voice speaking from behind him. He froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise.

------

Shubman turned his head slowly, tried to sound casual, though the nervousness in his voice was evident.

"Oh, Ishan, you scared me," he said with a weak laugh. "I didn't hear you coming."
his mind racing for an explanation.
He knew he had to come up with a plausible excuse fast, especially with the way Ishan was looking at him - a mixture of curiosity and doubt in his eyes.

Shubman quickly blurted out the first excuse that came to his mind, even though he knew it probably sounded incredibly flimsy.

"I was just...thinking about meeting with your father," he said, his eyes darting around nervously. "I really admire him, you know? I want to be a successful businessman like him someday."

Ishan chuckled a little, a knowing smile on his face.

"You won't find my father here," he said, shaking his head slightly. "He's not home right now."

"Ohh"

Ishan's expression softened a bit, and he took a step closer to Shubman, his tone more friendly now.

"Actually, I came here to ask you something," he said. "Do you have any allergies or food restrictions I should know about? I don't want you to get sick while you're here."

Shubman quickly caught on to Ishan's implication and played along, pretending he was about to mention it.

"Oh yeah...  yeah," he said, mentally thanking his quick thinking. "I was just about to say, I have an allergy to.....  eggs. I can't have them at all."

Shubman tried his best to keep a straight face as he lied to Ishan about his egg allergy, feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving him.

As they walked away from the hall, with Ishan following closely behind, Shubman mentally cursed himself for getting caught in such a compromising position.

Once they reached the ground floor, Shubman awkwardly took a seat on the couch, unsure of what to do or say next.

He couldn't help but feel a bit flustered, embarrassed that Ishan had caught him lurking in front of his father's office. He fidgeted with his hands, avoiding Ishan's gaze, and waited for the other to come say something.

Ishan sat down beside Shubman on the couch, looking relaxed and casual.

"I already told the maid not to include any eggs in the food she's preparing."

Shubman glanced over at him, feeling a little reassured.

"Thanks," he muttered, still feeling a bit uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that Ishan might still have suspicions about his earlier actions.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Ishan decided to try to lighten the mood.

"Shubi" he said, nudging Shubman gently. "Do you want to watch a movie or something while we wait for lunch?"

Shubman looked at him, glad for the distraction.

"Yeah, sure," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. "That sounds good. What do you want to watch?"

Ishan stood up from the couch and grabbed the remote control from the coffee table.

"I have a few options," he said, scrolling through the streaming service. "There's this action movie, a horror film, or a romantic comedy. Take your pick."