What after That?

Ch 17.

Ishan was sitting on the edge of his bed, buttoning up his school shirt with a deep sigh. The thought of facing another day with Shubman was making his stomach churn.

“Why do I have to be stuck with him?” he muttered to himself, tugging his tie a bit too tightly.

The frustration was evident in his movements—he was practically yanking his shoes on, muttering under his breath about how unbearable Shubman was.

They were bench partners, a situation that felt more like a punishment than anything else.

Every day, it was the same routine: Shubman teasing him, pushing his buttons, and making him feel smaller than he already did.

The memory of Shubman’s smirk as he hung Ishan’s bag on the tree branch the day before still stung. It wasn’t just that Shubman was annoying; it was that he seemed to enjoy making Ishan’s life difficult.

But no matter how much he dreaded it, there was no escaping it. They had to share the bench, and that meant enduring Shubman’s presence for hours.

Ishan grabbed his bag, took one last look at the sticky note Shubman had left, and rolled his eyes.

“Why does he always have to make everything so difficult?” Ishan thought as he headed out the door, bracing himself for yet another day with the one person who always managed to get under his skin.

Ishan climbed onto his bhaiya's bike, holding on tightly as they zoomed toward the school.

The wind blew through his hair, but even the cool breeze couldn't shake off the dread he felt about seeing Shubman again.

As they reached the school gate, Ishan slid off the bike, thanked his brother, and headed inside.

Meanwhile, Shubman was parking his cycle near the stand. After locking it up, he stood up, eyes scanning the school ground.

He was in one of his mischievous moods, that smirk playing on his lips again. He noticed the way the cycles were lined up, almost too neatly, and an idea sparked in his mind.

With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching too closely, Shubman gently pushed the nearest cycle.

It wobbled for a moment, then tipped over, causing a chain reaction as each bike fell onto the next. The clattering sound of metal against metal echoed across the yard, and Shubman chuckled, clearly amused by the chaos he had caused.

Unbeknownst to Shubman, Ishan had just entered the school grounds and witnessed the whole thing.

His eyes widened in disbelief, a mix of frustration and resignation washing over him. "Of course," he muttered to himself. "Why wouldn’t he start the day with some kind of stupid prank?"

Shubman, oblivious to Ishan’s presence, walked away from the scene, still smirking at his handiwork, as Ishan shook his head, already bracing himself for whatever Shubman had planned next.

Ishan walked into the classroom, his mood already sour from seeing Shubman's latest prank.

As he stepped inside, his eyes immediately landed on Shubman, who was sprawled out lazily on their shared bench, his arms folded behind his head as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Shubman looked completely at ease, a smug smile playing on his lips as he glanced over at Ishan. "Aree, aagaya tu. Wah bag wapas mil gaya?" he teased, not bothering to sit up.

Ishan just glared at him, his patience wearing thin. "Move, Shubman. Mujhe baithna hai," he demanded, his voice sharper than usual.

Shubman raised an eyebrow but didn’t budge. "Arey, aaj to bada gussa ho raha hai. Kya hua?" he quipped, clearly enjoying Ishan’s frustration.