Ishan

Part 10

Ishan sat on the edge of his hotel bed, the untouched plate of food sitting beside him. His appetite had vanished, replaced by a gnawing emptiness. 

With a deep sigh, he put the plate aside and picked up his phone. Navigating to his gallery, his fingers trembled slightly as he tapped on a folder—the one that held memories of him and Shashank.

The first photo appeared, and Ishan's heart clenched. It was a picture of Shashank, smiling so brightly, his face lit up with joy. 

Ishan's lips barely moved as he whispered, his voice breaking, "Why did you do this to me?"

He continued to scroll through the photos, each one cutting deeper than the last. Fancy restaurants, cozy evenings, moments when Shashank seemed to care—when it felt like everything might be okay. 

In every photo, there was a gentle smile on Ishan's face, the kind that came from feeling loved, or so he had believed. But now, that smile felt like a lie.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he lingered on one particular photo. It was one of Shashank laughing, a pure, genuine moment. 

Ishan's heart twisted. Even though Shashank had broken him, and maybe he will shatter him countless times, Ishan couldn't let go. 

He loved him, despite everything. He would always give Shashank another chance—always. But why? Why couldn't he give up?

The answer sat heavily in his chest: because, to Ishan, Shashank was the only one who could ever love him. 

That's what he believed. It was a belief that chained him to the pain, to the heartbreak, over and over again.

As he scrolled further, Ishan's Eyes fell on a particular one. It was a group photo from six years ago, back when they had all gone to Rajasthan. 

In the picture, Ishan was laughing, his joy palpable. But what caught his attention wasn't just his own smile—it was Shubman, standing next to him, almost laughing as well, his expression trying to suppress the smile breaking through. 

It was such a contrast to Aditi and Shashank, who stood stiffly, posing straight for the camera.

Ishan stared at the photo, confusion swirling in his mind. What had they been laughing about that day? 

Why did Shubman look so different in that moment, almost carefree? It was a distant memory now, but the laughter in that picture... it felt so real, so far from the heartache he now carried.

Ishan stared at the photo in his phone, the memory flooding back as clear as day. 

It was taken during their trip to Rajasthan—right in the middle of the desert. He remembered how excited he and Aditi were to capture a picture in the vast, golden expanse of sand.

They had asked Shashank to grab his fancy camera from the jeep, but as always, Shashank had been annoyed.

"Guys, it's too hot for this," he had grumbled, refusing to move from the shade.

Ishan, brimming with enthusiasm, had tried to persuade him. "Uff, Mr. Boring, just look at this endless space. It's so beautiful. I don't even have words."

Shashank only rolled his eyes. "I'm not moving."

"Please?" Ishan had asked again, this time his voice softer, hopeful.

But Shashank had snapped, his voice rising for the first time. "Can't you see I'm tired? I said NO!"

Ishan had flinched at the outburst, his excitement snuffed out instantly. He had grown quiet, his once-bright face dimmed by the harshness of Shashank's words.