Is This Love? [Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan]

Chapter Seven

February 2023

Ishan goes into Hardik's wedding hoping that he and Shubman will get to spend the week together. He had asked Hardik to place them in the same hotel rooms, choosing to engage in the awkward explanation of why he wanted to share a room with Shubman and not his own parents just to spend more time with Shubman.

Halfway through the wedding festivities, he realizes that he's spending more time with the groom than he is with his own boyfriend. At the puja, sangeet, and mehndi, they arrive together but before Ishan can realize it, Shubman is off somewhere else.

He tries to push down any annoyance he feels, he doesn't want to ruin the one week the two have together before they have to get back to their busy schedules. But the breaking moment comes during the mehndi when Shubman abandons him at the dinner table to go up and make conversation with a cricket board official.

He doesn't touch his food, instead his finger toy with a napkin, his mind swirling with frustration, anger and longing. He's snapped out of his thoughts when Surya and his wife come over and greet him.

"Ishan," Surya calls out with a wide grin, hand in hand with his wife. "Why the long face?"

Ishan quickly puts on a smile and gets up to hug the older man, "Daada, aap kaise ho? (Brother, how are you?)" He pulls away before greeting Devisha with a quick hug, "Bhabi."

Devisha pats his back before pulling away, "Hello, Ishan."

"Hum toh theek hain, but tum upset lag raho (We are okay, but you look upset)," Surya answers, clapping his hand on Ishan's shoulder. "Koy tension? (Are you stressed?)"

Ishan shakes his head, glancing behind Surya and over at Shubman for a split second before turning his attention back to the older man, "Nain nain, bus bhook lagi hai. (No no, just hungry.)"

"Aache, chalo hum bhi tumhare saath kha lete hain (Okay, we'll come eat with you)," Survya offers before pulling out a chair for his wife to sit. Once she sits down he sits down next to Ishan.

"So, Ishan," Devisha begins, offering Ishan a soft smile. "What's new?"

Ishan places his hands on the table, "Nothing much. The same old. What about you guys?"

Surya grabs Ishan's hand and stares at his Bulgari ring that Shubman had given him, "Arre, itane paise kab milenge? (Hey, when did you get so much money?) You're buying from Bulgari now."

Ishan pulls his hands away, playfully rolling his eyes, "Gift tha (It's a gift), from a friend."

Surya makes an amused look, "Some friend. Hamare dost tho paise lahke be mana karte hain, tumare are buying you Bulgari rings. (Our friends refuse to admit that they took money and your friends are buying you Bulgari rings)."

"You're just jealous," Ishan says before sticking his tongue out at Surya.

"Of course I am, I want friends who buy me Bulgari," Surya replies, playfully pouting.

Devisha lightly slaps Surya on the back of the head, "Get over the Bulgari."

Surya groans softly before rubbing the back of his head, "Yaar mujhe baar toh mat mara karo, log kya sochenge? (Dude, don't hit me when we're outside the house, what will people think?)"

Ishan laughs, feeling a bit at ease because of the amusing company Surya and Devisha provide. He glances down at his ring on his right hand's ring finger, thinking of all the promises Shubman and him have made to each other.

A year and half ago, he was having anxiety attacks so bad that he needed to go to the hospital. And the cause? The fear of being with someone– being outed. And now, he doesn't care who sees him together or suspects what, he just wants to spend time with Shubman.