Undivided Attention [Ishman]

Chapter 13

"Why is Aditi gonna be there? Isn't it players only?"

"Why do you care? It's not that deep" Ishan replied.

"Y'all aren't even dating anymore."

Ishan shot Shubman a look. He wanted to be comfortable with his choices and yet nothing around him was reassuring. At this point he wasn't even sure if Aditi wanted to come herself.

"I just enjoy her company okay.. besides-"

"What? Am I not enough?" Shubman suddenly spoke. He tried to play it off as a joke by laughing right after.

But in reality he was just bothered by Ishan's decision to involve Aditi. He wanted to have a good time with his friend and now he felt like he had to fight for it.

Ishan patted him on his shoulder and laughed as well. He could tell Shubman was actually bothered and wasn't just pretending. It kind of annoyed him. He just decided to give the boy some space to introspect. As he was about to leave..

Shubman suddenly grabbed and pulled Ishan towards him. He then went on trap Ishan with his face between his bicep and flexed his muscles. Ishan who was now in trapped in a bicep jail started hitting Shubman on his elbow. Ishan hates when he does that.

"Why do you have to be so clingy all the time" Ishan said as he couldn't help but make a pouty duck face.

"Cuteness aggression."

"Let me go I can't breathe" a bit dramatic.

"Do you have to pick her up for the airport?" Shubman asked still not letting him go.

"Y-yeah"

"Then I'm coming along."

"What?"

..

"Hey Shubman."

"Aditi."

They both exchanged glances and nodded at each other. Anyone could sense the air energies shifting.

Shubman who was forced to sit in the back of the car was now a bit salty. A bit too salty.

It's not like they had a problem with each other but the fact that they had to pretend that they never wronged each other.

Ishan was just uncomfortable. He hated this Aditi Shubman crossover and just drove in silence. And he hated that silence too.

"So Shubman.. how did you decide to come with Ishan to pick me up today?"

One of them finally spoke. Ishan felt like he could breathe now that they addressed each other.

"Oh I was with him. We were just leaving together."

Lie.

"Oh? Why so? What happened to your car?"

"What happened to yours?"

And it begins. The passive aggression is in the air. Ishan could breath in it and felt like choking.

Aditi just ignored Shubman's question and straightened her posture with an almost inaudible scoff.

Shubman felt satisfied.

'Shubman 1
Aditi 0'

That's what he thought in his head that had the same mental capacity of a toddler in that moment.

They both knew it was harmless and they didn't actually hate each other now did they? Just a petty beef.

Ishan felt as if his parents were arguing. For some reason..