Bade Sapne

◇ Part 2 ◇

Vira's POV

The cinema hall was filled with the warm, nostalgic buzz of Kal Ho Na Ho. I was tucked comfortably between Ishan and Priya, a tub of popcorn on my lap, while Shubman sat next to Priya. I'd become accustomed to his silence by now.  I glanced at him a few times during the movie, and while I couldn't quite put my finger on it, something about his body language felt tense.

I tried not to think too much of it, focusing on the movie instead. Ahhhh Shah Rukh Khan. No matter how many times I watched it, the charm of his character, Aman, never faded. I glanced at Ishan, who was completely engrossed in the movie, a soft smile playing on his lips. Seeing him like this made me feel a sense of contentment. This was exactly what I needed—a relaxing, fun day after all the confusion of the last few days.

Priya, predictably, kept sneaking glances at Shubman, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were glued to the screen, his jaw clenched as the movie approached its emotional climax. Something about him made me feel uneasy, but I shrugged it off. Maybe he just wasn’t into the romance.

When the pivotal moment came—when Shah Rukh Khan’s character, Aman, selflessly let Saif Ali Khan’s character, Rohit, be with Naina, even though he was in love with her himself—the emotion in the room hit a high point. My heart ached for Aman. The selflessness, the sacrifice, the hidden pain… it all felt so overwhelming.

But then, a noise similar to that of popcorn spilling came from my left, as I turned to see what it was.

Shubman had stood up, startling everyone around him. His abrupt movement caused a few heads to turn in our row, whispers echoing through the quiet of the theatre as he stepped over legs and bags in his path, practically stomping out of the room.

Everyone’s attention snapped to him, including mine. His face was a mix of frustration and anger, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Without saying a word, he disappeared through the exit, leaving all of us stunned.

I blinked, trying to process what had just happened. What was going on with him? Why did he react like that?

Priya looked at me, her face filled with confusion. “Vira, should we…?”

I glanced at Ishan, who seemed just as confused but not nearly as concerned. “I’ll go check on him,” I said softly, pulling my coat around me and standing up.

I slipped out of my seat and followed the direction Shubman had gone, my heart pounding in my chest. The corridors of the theatre were dimly lit, and I found him pacing near the exit, his hands running through his hair in agitation.

“Shubman?” I called softly.

He stopped pacing but didn’t turn around right away. For a moment, the only sound was the muffled dialogue of the movie playing in the background.

When he finally turned to face me, his expression was a mix of frustration and something else… something deeper that I couldn’t quite name.

“Why did you leave?” I asked, trying to sound gentle but it came out demanding.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I just… I couldn’t watch that.”

I stepped closer, my confusion growing. “Watch what?”

“Aman,” he said, his voice tight. “Giving up like that. Letting her go. Just because… just because he thought it was the right thing to do.”

His words hung heavy in the air between us, and suddenly, the tension I’d been feeling around him made sense. I looked at him more closely, understanding dawning on me slowly. This wasn’t just about the movie. There was something personal in his reaction, something that had been bubbling under the surface for days now.

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. “Shubman… it’s just a movie. Aman’s sacrifice… it was part of the story.”

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “It’s never just a movie, Vira.”

I frowned, unsure of what he was trying to tell me. He wasn’t making sense. "Then what is it, Shubman?"

He sighed deeply, looking away from me, his jaw tight. “Forget it, Vira. Just go back inside. Enjoy the movie.”

I didn’t move. My feet felt rooted to the spot as I looked at him, searching for some kind of explanation. Something wasn’t right—something between us had shifted, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.

But he wouldn’t meet my eyes. He just stood there, tense, waiting for me to leave.

Reluctantly, I turned and headed back to the cinema, but my mind stayed with Shubman. What was going on with him? Why was he so upset over something as simple as a scene in a movie?

As I slipped back into my seat beside Ishan, I felt a sense of unease settle over me. Ishan smiled at me, oblivious to the turmoil brewing just a wall away. I smiled back, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Something had changed, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that things between us—between all of us—were about to get a lot more complicated.

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A/N:

Heyyyy

ONE MORE UPDATE OMG IM ACTUALLY GETTING BACK ON TRACK LET'S GOOOO

When I tell you, I am CHURNING out chapters as fast as humanely possible, I MEAN it. I'm really trying to get a lot of this story down on paper (well, actually a digital portal) as soon as I can, coz some BIG exams are just round the corner, so if my rate of chapter publishing goes down, blame it on the exams 😭😭

Also, please don't completely forget the story if I pull like a week or two's disappearance because I am genuinely trying my absolute HARDEST to get these chapters out to you, and kinda to myself as well, coz just like you, I'm following this story too- it's just that I'm a little further ahead than you are ;)

AND THE TEST SERIES THAT'S GOING ON OMG. RAVI ASHWIN'S CENTURY FROM YESTERDAY AND JAIS(WALL)'S HALF-CENTURY OMDSS- I was so ready to think that we were going to get all out the first day itself after 3 wickets in THE SPAN OF AN HOUR WTF-

HOPING THAT SHUBI SCORES THE CENTURY AND MAYBE EVEN A DOUBLE CENTURY THAT HE DESERVES ❤️🙏

BUT ANYWAYS LIFE'S GOOD AND CRICKET'S ON AGAIN, WHICH IS SMTH TO BE HAPPY ABT BUT THE STUPID THINGS START AT 5 IN THE MORNING FOR ME WHICH LOWKEY SUCKS COZ AFTER THAT I HV SKL 😭😭

ANYWAYS. Enough ranting from me- enjoy ur day ;)

Stay tuned ;))