when 77 met 32 [ishman ff] [shubish]

2024

After my encounter with Aditi, I was left alone with my thoughts. Ishan was clearly heartbroken, and it was evident to me. I was angry at Aditi for making such a thoughtless decision, but the expression on her face as she left seemed to show hesitation, her decision may not have been made lightly.

It was clear that Aditi had been contemplating this for days before taking action. It was obvious that she cared a great deal for Ishan to make such a decision based on unfounded reasons. Although I didn't understand her actions, my main focus was now on helping Ishan through this difficult time. I had noticed that Ishan had been acting strangely for a few months, there was something that he wasn't sharing with me. And now, this situation with Aditi.

I spent the entire evening sitting with him. He cried, and it seemed like a release of bottled-up emotions. Now that he was asleep, I had the chance to think clearly again. I wanted to reach out to Aditi, but I didn't believe that anything I could say would change her decision. It seemed that she had made up her mind even before coming over today.

I should technically be happy about this breakup, just like Aditi had said. But I wasn't. I wasn't happy about it at all. I don't know if it is because I just don't like to see Ishan sad or if it is because I know that I and Ishan have no future together. I mean, Ishan would never know that I like him until I go and confess about it myself, which I don't find the courage to do.

And even if I do tell him, I am sure that he won't reciprocate, so what's the point in ruining an amazing friendship over something so far-fetched and impossible? I would rather Ishan be happy with some nice person, and I just be part of that happiness from afar. I am content with seeing him happy.

I had been thinking about my thing for Ishan for long enough to not remember the date, and now this breakup is pressuring my brain even more. So much so that my stance was falling. People noticed. I had Rishabh bhai and Abhishek ask about it a few times, but I didn't want to tell them anything. Although I had this feeling that neither of them would judge me about anything, I still refused to answer their concerns.

I was more concerned about Ishan at the moment. He ate less, slept less, and practiced more than anyone else. He was behaving like the under-19 me, but even more intense. I didn't like it at all. Ishan was the sensible one amongst the two of us, and he was losing his brain a little bit now. I would have liked to blame it all on the breakup, but no, this was something else.

I tried asking him about it a few times, but he would just refuse to answer. He would tell me that everything was fine, but I knew that something was wrong. He would just randomly come and hug me, and it did not give me butterflies at all. It made me more worried about him. Those weren't best friend hugs; those were tired hugs. This just added to my concerns, and I looked more stressed than before.

Abhishek and Rishabh, on the other hand, just refused to give up. They constantly asked me about it. One day Rishabh just randomly called me, asking me to meet him at lunch. I had nothing better to do that day, so I just went with the setting. When I reached there, I was surprised (not pleasantly) to see Abhishek sitting there with Rishabh bhai.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, taking a seat opposite to them. They resembled the interviewers right now. sitting there waiting to interview me. Ask stupid questions and confuse the hell out of me. "I wanted to meet you too," he replied and then looked at Rishabh. They were speaking without the words right now.

"You want to say something?" I asked them. I could feel that there was something that they wanted to ask about; of course, I knew what that something was. I just pretended to be blind; I wasn't actually blind. "What is wrong with you these days?" Rishabh Bhai decided to speak.

"Is it about Ishan?" Abhishek said. I didn't like the fact that everybody just instinctively added the two and two and assumed that there was something about Ishan whenever my mood changed. Every single one of them did that. "Of course, it is about Ishan. Who else would it be about?" Rishabh said, smirking at me.

"If you continue to make that stupid face, I will leave this instant," I warned Rishabh, who was still smirking at me. "What is it?" Abhishek asked sincerely. "Ishan is tensed about something these days, and the worst part is he isn't telling me what it is," I answered. "I heard that he broke up with Aditi. Maybe it's about that." He said. "no. I mean, he is sad about the breakup, of course, but this is something else."

"How do you feel about their breakup?" Rishabh finally spoke, and I started wishing that he hadn't spoken. "What is that question?" "You know what it is. How do you feel about it?" he repeated. "I don't know how to feel," I answered sincerely. "Wait, do you know about it already?" Abhishek spoke. "about what? the breakup? I was the first person he told, What do you mean?" I was a bit offended by that question, not gonna lie.

"NO. not the breakup." He said, looking at Rishabh, who smiled and continued, "He is asking if you already know that you like Ishan." I wasn't surprised at all. I saw it coming from a mile away. "Do you think I am blind?" I said smiling too. "Oh, he knows." Abhishek looked the happiest right now.

"about time. You always looked so smitten by him and then acted blind afterward." Abhishek had a lot to complain about, and I couldn't even deny it because it was all true. Rishabh just laughed at it all. "You guys knew?" I questioned, and instead of answering it, they just smiled at me.

"How did you realize?" Rishabh asked me. "Sara opened my eyes. Forcefully might I add?" "Very good. You deserve it." Abhishek chirped. "I am so proud of her," Rishabh said. "How long did you know?" "Since... forever?" they said together. We talked for some more time before the food arrived.

They were both sharing random embarrassing stories of mine; most of them included how I made a complete fool of myself in front of Ishan. I am sure Ishan would add to these if he were here. The amount of times I made a fool of myself in front of him is actually embarrassing.

Suddenly I remembered something. Turning to Rishabh, I asked, "Who was that girl at the hospital?" Rishabh looked like he didn't want to answer that question but he still did. "You remember that girl I was talking to a few years back?" "Last year, you mean?" "yes. Exactly, so I might or might not have fallen for her." He said sheepishly. "The last time I knew about it, you hadn't met her."

"I didn't meet her. I don't know what she looks like." That left both me and Abhishek dumbfounded. What the actual fuck was wrong with this man? "What the fuck Rishabh?" Abhishek let out. "Yeah, sounds stupid, I know. But you'll would fall for her too if you were at my place." He said that shit so confidently that I felt like slapping the shit out of him.

"Do you know who she is?" I questioned. "I know her name," he replied. Okay, Rishabh is a certified clown too, because what the fuck? "So, you are telling me that there is this one girl you have been speaking to online; you don't know her face; you have no idea about who she is, but you like her?" "Yes." I wanted to slap this man.

"Do you think she has given you a genuine name?" Abhishek looked very concerned for Rishabh's mental state right now. "Do you even know that she is a girl?" I wanted to cry right now. "Yes, of course, she is a girl. Didn't you hear the nurse?" "Rishabh.." "Okay, I know that I am sounding crazy right now, but I just know her name and that she is one of the most amazing people ever. For some reason, she can't reveal her identity to me just yet, and I am fine with it."

"why??" I asked, looking at him. "Because she is amazing?" "Wait, are you still talking?" I asked because I suddenly remembered that he had been behaving weirdly sometime before this. "not regularly. It has been quite some time since I last talked to her." "How can you like someone without even knowing what they are like?"

"I know what she is like; I just don't know what she looks like. And I honestly don't care. She is beautiful in my eyes." "You are stupid and blind," Abhishek added helpfully when he looked at me. "How will you recognize her if you'll ever meet?" I asked. "She has this bracelet, one of a kind, and this ring that she asked me to customize for her; she got the same one made. There would be no second ring like that."

"So, you are going to recognize a person based on jewellery now?" Abhishek looked like he could pass out at any moment. He continued, "Do people go mad in love or what?" He asked no one in particular. "I am still better than Rishabh." I defended. "I agree," Abhishek said making us all laugh together.

"No, seriously, you are going to know it's her just by a ring?" "and a bracelet," Abhishek added. "No, she left the bracelet in the hospital." Abhishek nodded in surprise. "Wait, how did she enter the ward?" I asked Rishabh. "I don't know, but I am happy that she did." "Well, of course, you are happy." I smiled.