𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝 [ Shubman Gill ]

Five

The sound of Ishan grumbling while trying to wrestle his way into his sherwani echoed through the room, followed by Abhishek's chuckling. Shubman, standing in front of the mirror, was meticulously adjusting the buttons of his cream-colored sherwani, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

His baraat was just an hour away, but inside the room, chaos ruled.

Ishan groaned dramatically. "Yaar, yeh sherwani ka button khatam kyun nahi ho rahe? Main yahaan shaadi dekhne aya hoon yaa WWE khelne?"

Abhishek, who was fixing his hair in the mirror, snorted. "Bhai, tu har cheez ko fight ki tarah kyun dekhta hai? Vaise, zyada faaltu baat mat kar abhi, Shubman ki shaadi ke pehle teri chauthi hone se bach jaayegi."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Ishan shot back, still wrestling with his clothes. "Yeh belt ko manual ke saath dena chahiye tha. How do people do this every day?"

Shubman rolled his eyes, trying to stay focused, but a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Focus, guys. Don't get late for the baraat. Today's.....important."

"Bro, tu toh serious ho gaya jaise koi exam dene jaa raha hai," Abhishek teased, flicking Shubman's sherwani lapel. "Relax a little. It's your wedding, not a press conference."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Aditi entered the room, holding Shubman's wedding turban in her hand. The room fell silent for a moment as she walked in wearing a stunning royal blue lehenga that shimmered under the lights, her long earrings brushing against her neck as she moved.

Her dupatta was draped over her shoulder in a way that accentuated the intricate embroidery on the lehenga, and the soft curls in her hair bounced with every step.

Shubman's breath hitched when he saw her. She looked....beautiful.

He had seen her countless times before, but something about the way she looked now made him pause. There was something in the way the royal blue contrasted with her skin, the confidence in her walk, the faint smile on her lips as she approached.

"Oye!?" Aditi's voice snapped him out of his daze, and he blinked rapidly, realizing he had been staring.

"Uh, yeah... turban," Shubman mumbled, suddenly feeling awkward. He cleared his throat and took the turban from her.

"Waise, jaldi ready ho jao, baraat tumhara wait nahi karegi," Aditi said, a teasing smile playing on her lips. She glanced at Ishan, who was still fighting with his belt. "And you," she pointed at Ishan, "aise kya kar rahe ho jaise tum boxing ring mein ho? Yeh belt hai, koi jaanwar nahi!"

Abhishek burst into laughter, and even Shubman let out a chuckle. Ishan gave her a mock scowl. "Very funny, Aditi."

"Hurry up guys," she said, rolling her eyes. "We'll all be waiting downstairs. Call one of us when you're ready." With that, she turned and left the room, her lehenga trailing behind her as Shubman's eyes followed her out.

Abhishek nudged Shubman with his elbow. "Bhai, tujhe ek dum statue bana diya usne."

Shubman rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool. "Shut up Abhay."

Before anyone could say anything else, the door banged open once again. This time it was Atharva, breathless and looking frantic, as if he had just run a marathon.

"Guys, come with me. Jaldi!" Atharva's voice was urgent, and his eyes were wide.

Shubman frowned, still holding his turban. "What happened bhai? Any problem?"

Atharva grabbed Shubman's arm, pulling him toward the door. "Time nahi hai explain karne ka. Bas chalo teeno mere saath. Trust me, it's important!"

"Arre, par baat toh bata!" Ishan exclaimed, trying to keep up as they hurried down the hallway.

"Movie ka scene lag raha hai," Ishan muttered under his breath. "Shaadi se pehle koi aise nahi bhaagta, except in Bollywood."

Abhishek shot him a look. "Stop with your filmy jokes. I don't think this is a laughing matter."

They reached Kiara's room, and the air instantly felt heavy. Kiara's mother was sitting on the bed, crying into her hands, while Keart and Anita, Shubman's mother and Aditi's mother, were sitting beside her, trying to console her. The men in the room—Avinash, Lakhwinder, and Anirudh—were standing near the corner, their faces grim and serious.

Shranya was in the middle of the room, holding a crumpled piece of paper, and Aditi stood on one side, munching casually on a bar of chocolate, with her best friend Agastya and Kunal standing next to her, both looking equally confused.

"Kya ho raha hai yahan?" Shubman asked, concern growing on his face.

As they all hurried down the hallway, Ishan, without any filter, mumbled under his breath, "Yaar, yeh sab toh movie scene lag raha hai. Maybe Kiara bhabhi secretly joined a circus, aur ab trapeze pe bhag gayi." His words hung in the air, mixing laughter with tension.

Before anyone could respond, Abhishek smacked Ishan's arm. "Tujhe serious situations ka kabhi idea nahi hoga, hai na?"

Atharva strode over to Shranya and snatched the paper from her hand. "Shubman, read this." He handed the paper to Shubman, his expression tense. "But.....be prepared."

Shubman took the letter and began to read, his eyes scanning the words quickly, but his expression grew darker with each sentence. His hands trembled slightly, and his face went pale.

Ishan, ever the curious one, peeked over Shubman's shoulder. "What the fuck? Pregnant? Shubman bhai when did you—!"

Abhishek groaned, smacking Ishan once more. "Teri dimaag ki surgery karani padegi, seriously. Shut up for god's sake."

Shubman's voice was barely a whisper as he read aloud, "'Shubman, I can't go through with this wedding. I'm pregnant and still in love with my boyfriend. We were both forced into this marriage, and I can't betray you. You've always been a good friend to me, and I can't deceive you. I'm sorry, but I had to take this step."

The room fell into an eerie silence as everyone absorbed the weight of the words. Kiara's mother's sobs grew louder, while Shubman stood frozen, the letter dangling from his hand.

Atharva clenched his jaw, clearly angry but trying to stay composed. Ishan couldn't help but break the tension. "Bhai, shaadi ke pehle koi aise dhamaka nahi hona chahiye tha yaar. I thought sab shanti se hoga."

Atharva shot him a glare. "Just. Stop. Talking."

As everyone tried to make sense of the situation, Kiara's mother suddenly stood up, wiping her tears and marching straight toward Aditi, who was still innocently chewing on her chocolate.

Aditi, sensing danger, quickly shoved the chocolate wrapper into Agastya's hand and looked up, wide-eyed. "Uh....badi maa? Kya hua?"

Kiara's mother grabbed Aditi's hand, her eyes brimming with desperation. "Aditi, tumhe ek kaam karna padega."

Aditi, completely confused, glanced around the room for help. "Uh....kya kaam?"

Without hesitation, Kiara's mother dropped the bomb. "Shubman se shaadi kar lo."

The room went still again, and Aditi's eyes widened in shock. Her voice came out as a stunned shout, "WHAT?!"