Kaise main kahoon tujhse, rehna hai tere dil mein | Ishan k. × shubman g.

THREE

Abhishek's POV

Today's events were playing in a loop in my mind.

When Shubman told me he doesn't want to marry Ishan ji because he loved someone else, I was the happiest. Does he knows about my feelings for him?

No!

He said he loves a senior in college.

And that senior was him.

He loves Mayank. The same Mayank whom I liked in childhood.

The same Mayank who shared everything with me, his best friend and neighbour.

The same Mayank who, I heard from someone else, was dating a girl from his school.

And that boy did not recognise me today.

When I had moved on from that childhood crush or friendship, he came back into my life.

As....my new best friend's fiance's sister's forced fiance.

Does he still love that girl from school?

My mind is racing with numerous questions right now.

He recognised me, right?

Shubman could love me, right?

Will I lose 2 of the most important people of my life so easily? And one of them, I met after so long...if met could be the right word.

Shubman's smile, enchanting. Like the world comes to a stop for me when he smiles at me.

At the same time....

Mayank's eyes, still deep like years ago.

Am I betraying myself? I've moved on from Mayank, right?

If he doesn't recognise me, I should just excuse myself from all the hanging out together thing.

No! I can't leave Shub alone.

^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

After a sleepless night of contemplating, or rather overthinking, my life, I reached college and stopped by the cafeteria. Only to meet him there.

"Abhi." He softly called me.

"You are...." I pretended not to know him. I could not risk show my real self to him.

"Abhi, I know you've recognised me. Stop playing. I knew it was you just by your first glance yesterday."

"Playing? Right Mayank. May I know when you had known it was me, why didn't you acknowledge me yesterday?" I tried but couldn't control my emotions.

"Mera to mann tha ki tumhe kas ke gale laga lu lekin kal Ishan ke ghar ke sab log the na wahan. Uncle ji, aunty ji, Ishita. Apne dost se sabke samne jee bharke kaise baatein karta." His tone, the softest. So gentle that I could not get how could he talk like we met last time just a week back.

"Say you thought your future wife will feel jealous seeing you close with someone." I shouldn't have said that."What about that girl you dated in school? Itna hi aasaan hai na aapke liye apne saare purane rishtey bhula dena."

These damn emotions.

Before I could think again about what I have said, I could see tears streaming down his face.

"Mayu! Kya hua? I'm so sorry. Mujhe shayad aise nahi kehna chahiye tha." I instinctively hugged him and took him out to an empty classroom.

Mayank was still sobbing while we were sitting on the floor, our backs resting on the locked door.