What after That?

Ch 19.

As the last period bell rang, the class buzzed with excitement—everyone knew it was the games period. But Shubman, having spent years in this strict school, was fully aware that their teachers rarely let them enjoy it. 

So the moment the bell chimed, Shubman stood up confidently, stretching his arms. "Chalo bhai log, games period hai... ground mein chalo!" he declared, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The class cheered lightly, eager to head to the ground.

Ishan, however, sat still, watching Shubman with a raised eyebrow. Just as the class was about to erupt in a collective move to the ground, a random student rushed in, slightly out of breath. "Monitor ko Udai Sir bula rahe hain," the student announced, clearly tasked with the unwanted duty of conveying the message.

Shubman's mood immediately soured. Of course they had other plans. Udai Sir, the ever-enthusiastic maths teacher, was infamous for hijacking free periods for extra classes. And now, he wanted to ruin their games period as well.

Ishan, being the responsible monitor, sighed and stood up, fully aware of why Udai Sir was calling him. Shubman noticed and quickly became irritated. Not this time, he thought. Without warning, he grabbed Ishan's wrist, along with his bag and his own, and began dragging him toward the ground, determined to escape the extra class.

"Shubman!! Sir bula rahe hain!" Ishan exclaimed, trying to wriggle free from Shubman's grip.

"So ignore maar," Shubman replied casually, not slowing down.

"Maths sir bula rahe hain," Ishan emphasized, knowing how serious Udai Sir could be.

Shubman, not one to back down, turned Ishan's face slightly, pointing toward their classmates, who were still in their seats, sporting pleading puppy eyes. 

"Dekh inki taraf. Inka bhi toh mann karta hai kabhi ek free period mile," he said dramatically, as if making a grand sacrifice on behalf of the class.

Ishan sighed heavily, clearly unimpressed. "Drama mat karo aur haath chhodo," he muttered, taking Shubman's hand off his wrist and starting to walk toward the staff room.

Shubman, utterly frustrated by Ishan's insistence on following the rules, decided enough was enough. In one swift motion, he caught Ishan from behind, wrapping his arms around him. "Chahe mujhe tujhe aise pakde rehna pade... but jaane toh nahi dunga," Shubman declared with a firm tone, his grip tightening slightly.

Ishan froze for a moment, caught completely off guard by the sudden closeness. He could feel Shubman's steady breath and the stubborn determination in his stance.

And there Ishan felt that Shubman's body was warmer than him just a little warmer but Ishan can feel that but still it feels weird to be caught from behind like that, and that also by your-- 

ok what Shubman exactly is..  Ishan put the thoughts aside and unlocked the grip of Shubman's hand. 

"Shubman, tum hamesha apni marzi chalate ho," Ishan mumbled, still conflicted between his duty and the temptation of just skipping the extra class.

"Ek din ke liye, rule-breaker ban ja, chik-chik," Shubman whispered in a teasing tone, pulling Ishan back on spot, enough to make him reconsider but still playful enough to know that Shubman wouldn't let go easily.

Ishan rolled his eyes, torn between annoyance and the weird warmth of the moment. He finally gave in with a small huff, "Fine. Lekin ye pehli aur aakhri baar hai."

Shubman grinned triumphantly, releasing Ishan's , his mood light again as they both headed to the ground, leaving Udai Sir's extra class behind.

Shubman's friends from other sections soon arrived, sneaking out of their classes to join the impromptu cricket match. The game quickly gained energy as more players joined, all eager to make the most of the rare unsupervised time.