What after That?

Ch 11.

Ishan was walking towards the school gate, his mind still occupied with the only Shubman. How Shubman was giving him death glares yesterday, but he was satisfied with the way he didn't back off.

Today, Ishan noticed that boy Shubman was yelling that day the boy's hand was in a cast, clearly fractured. A chill ran down his spine as he muttered to himself, "Kya ye Shubman ne kiya hai?"

Just as he was lost in thought, he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. He almost screamed but quickly turned around to find Yashaswi grinning at him.

"Huff huff... Yash, tumne to humko dara hi diya tha!" Ishan exclaimed, clutching his chest as he tried to calm down.

Yashaswi chuckled softly. "Oh, sorry... Good morning, waise." He then noticed where Ishan's gaze was fixed and followed his line of sight to the boy with the fractured hand. "Kya hua, unn bhaiya ko kyun dekh raha hai?"

Ishan's eyes widened in shock. "Bhaiya?"

Yashaswi nodded casually, "Haan bhaiya."

Still surprised, Ishan looked at the boy again and remarked, "Par ye to humse bhi chhota lag raha hai."

Yashaswi, without thinking, replied, "Par tumse to height mein bada hi hai."

In that instant, Yashaswi unknowingly tapped the wrong nerve. Ishan's expression darkened, and he started glaring, his lips forming a pout. "Tum bhi mazaak uda rahe ho?"

Realizing his mistake, Yashaswi quickly shook his head, waving his hands in denial. "Nahi nahi... bilkul bhi nahi..."

But Ishan wasn't convinced, his irritation evident. He crossed his arms, still glaring at Yashaswi. "Tum sab ko humari height ka mazaak hi udana hai, hai na?"

Yashaswi, panicking a little, tried to backtrack. "Arey nahi yaar, mazaak thodi kar raha tha. Bas aise hi keh diya... sach mein!"

Ishan sighed, his anger slowly dissipating but his mood still sour. "Agar phir kabhi humare height ka mazaak banaya na..."

Yashaswi quickly interjected, "Pakka, nahi banayenge. I promise!"

Ishan finally relented, his glare softening, though the pout remained. "Achha... chalo class mein chalte hain."

As they walked together, Yashaswi couldn't help but think about how easily he had upset Ishan. He made a mental note to be more careful in the future, especially when it came to sensitive topics like height. Meanwhile, Ishan was still thinking about the boy with the fractured hand, a nagging suspicion lingering in his mind.

Could Shubman really have done that? He couldn't shake off the worry, but for now, he decided to focus on getting through the unit test without any more surprises.

Ishan hurried home, his mind racing with thoughts of Shubman. Throughout the entire physics test, Shubman had been giving him those intense, almost angry glares. Ishan had tried his best to focus on his paper, but the weight of Shubman's stare had made it nearly impossible.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, Ishan wasted no time in packing up his things. His heart was pounding, and his only thought was to get out of there before Shubman could corner him. But when he glanced around, Shubman was nowhere to be seen.

Relieved yet still on edge, Ishan quickly made his way to the exit. He walked home alone, his pace brisk as he tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that lingered. Yashaswi's house was in the opposite direction, so there was no one to distract him from his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Shubman was with his group, his usual confident swagger back in place. Rahul, noticing Shubman heading off alone, called out with a teasing grin, "Bhai, tu akele kahan jaa raha hai? Bandi mil gayi kya?"