when 77 met 32 [ishman ff] [shubish]

2022

(there is another chapter that I posted before this one. I think there is some technical issues because of which it might not be showing or you'll might not be getting any notification for it. So please check that out before reading this.)

I had to take Ishan back to the house again it had been an hour and 30 minutes since we were sitting here. Admiring nature. I didn't want to get up or go anywhere at all. I need five more minutes. Or maybe 10. No, 30 minutes would be enough, right?

Okay enough shubman. Get up. I told myself and actually got up. Too suddenly. "what is wrong shubman? Stop scarring me." "oh. Nothing is wrong. Virat bhai just messaged said that it was too late and that we needed to get back." Ishan nodded at that and then he stood up too.

We went towards the car. The journey back was calm. Nobody said anything. We reached back and were greeted with a locked door. I ushered Ishan to go knock. He did. And I stood back at some distance. The door was opened to darkness. Nothing could be seen. "bhaiya? What's wrong?" Ishan shouted as he entered the house. Just as he entered there was a loud noise and a balloon full of sparkles popped right above ishan's head. He screamed and the lights were switched on.

"happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you........." random tones and voices could be heard and there came people from behind the wall, behind the door, behind the fridge and where not. Ishan looked at me. Shock evident on his face. I smiled at him "it is my birthday?" he asked. "fucking hell... is it 18 already?" he said as he went inside the house.

"bewakoof ko khud ka birthday nahi yaad." Rishabh said sounding quite disappointed. The decoration was simple but pretty. There was a cake on the dinning table. A decent sized cake. After all the singing and stuff, we went for the cake cutting. Well cutting??? Cake smashing. We hardly got to eat anything at all. Wastage.

Shreyas bhai called. "helloooo ishann. Happy birthday bhache. I couldn't come there. Sorry." "areee koi nahi bhai. thank you so much." "it doesn't feel good, being included in the planning but not the actual plan." "you'll sat for a planning??" "well we most definitely did." "when" Ishan looked at me and asked. "you remember you asked to hangout but i was going out with shahneel di? I wasn't." Ishan gave me a nasty look before continuing his conversation with Shreyas bhai.

"thank you so much bhaiya." He said in general after the call. "what bhaiya in particular?" rohit bhai asked. "no bhaiya in particular." Ishan smiled. "bhaiya sirf? Aur shubman ka thank you?" hardik bhai asked. "shubman ko koi thank you ki zarurat nahi hai, haina meri jaan?" he said that while looking at me and my heart did a flip for some reason.

Ishan had never called me that before today. I nodded before arousing any suspicion. "meri jaan??" Rishabh questioned. "haan toh. Meri jaan." And everybody laughed at that, because how could something so cringe and abnormal sound so normal when to comes from ishan's mouth?

We all sat lazing around for a bit before hardik bhai came and handed Ishan his gift. "waah hardik, hame bhi bata deta hum bhi prepared aate." Surya bhai commented (taunted). "isiliye nahi bataya." Hardik bhai deadpanned. Just then virat bhai and rohit bhai came with a box too, "hume kya farak bataye ya na bataye?" rohit bhai said.

Slowly they all got to their rooms to bring the gifts out. "I thought we were doing this tomorrow?" Rishabh questioned. Should I go and bring my gift too? But I want to see what everybody has gifted. Would I be late? Just as Ishan was going to open the first gift I said "rukja, main aao tabh khol." I said before going upstairs.

I came back down and all the gifts lay packed. Ishan had listened, no questions asked. "shubman bhai apna gift baad main de deta. Hum chote log hai." Rishabh said and before I could say anything virat bhai said " I agree." "bhai what do you mean you agree?? Look at the size of your gift and mine?" I deadpanned.