What after That?

Ch 55.

Shubman couldn't stop the grin that stretched across his face as he walked down the dimly lit street. His cheeks burned, and he could still feel the ghost of Ishan's lips on his own. 

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to calm the erratic beating of his heart, but it was no use. The memory of that kiss—the intensity, the closeness, the sheer rush of emotions—kept playing in his mind like a favorite song on repeat.

"God, what was that?!" he muttered to himself, shaking his head but failing to wipe the silly smile off his face. His steps had a slight bounce as if his feet couldn't keep up with the lightness in his chest.

But amidst the joy, a tiny sliver of doubt crept in. "will he be ok with my hormon-? ahem ahem.. whatever.. 

Ish ko manana bahut aasaan hai..  mtlb utna bhi nahi.. mtlb.. aree yaar mujhe abhi se yaad aa rahi hai firse.. " 

Lost in his thoughts, Shubman spotted a scruffy street dog sitting by the side of the road, chewing on what looked like a piece of bread. The dog's floppy ears perked up slightly as Shubman approached, his stupidly wide grin firmly in place.

"Hey there, buddy," Shubman said, crouching down a few feet away from the dog. The animal paused mid-chew, eyeing him warily.

Shubman chuckled, brushing a hand through his hair. "Don't look at me like that, man. You won't believe what just happened."

The dog tilted its head, as if genuinely curious, and Shubman took it as encouragement.

"I kissed him!" Shubman exclaimed, his voice hushed but filled with glee. He ran a hand over his face, unable to contain the laughter bubbling up. "I kissed Ishan that movie wala kiss.... 

french waali.. hihiiii 

 Can you believe it?"

The dog blinked, clearly unbothered by this monumental declaration.

Shubman, oblivious to the lack of enthusiasm, leaned in closer, his excitement spilling over. "It was... it was perfect. hihi.. he loves me soooooooooooo muchhhhhhhhhh.."

The dog slowly got to its feet, its tail wagging hesitantly as it tried to assess if this human was crazy or just overly friendly.

Shubman laughed at the movement, reaching out to scratch behind the dog's ears. "You get it, don't you? Love is beautiful, my friend. Just... beautiful."

In a burst of affection, Shubman wrapped his arms around the dog, pulling it into a tight hug. The dog let out a confused little yelp, clearly not expecting this level of intimacy from a stranger.

Shubman pulled back, grinning like an idiot. "Sorry, buddy. I'm just... I don't know what to do with all this happiness."

He placed a quick, exaggerated kiss on the dog's forehead, causing the poor creature to blink in confusion. Shubman stood up, brushing off his jeans.

"Achha to hum chalte hain~~. But you—" he pointed at the dog, his tone suddenly serious—"you need to find someone, okay? Get yourself a mate or whatever. Trust me, love is worth it."

The dog barked once, probably more out of instinct than agreement, but Shubman took it as a sign of understanding.

"Good talk," he said with a wink, before turning and walking away, still shaking his head like a teenager with a crush.

As he disappeared into the night, the dog sat back down, tilting its head as if wondering what had just happened. Then, with a small huff, it returned to its bread, unbothered by the strange boy who had just shared his heart.