What after That?

Ch 58.

Ishan was trembling with anger and hurt as he stormed into his dorm. Aarav's voice calling his name from the hallway sounded distant, drowned out by the thunderstorm of emotions raging in his mind.

The only thought swirling in his head was the scene he'd just witnessed.

Shubman...

With someone else.

He paced the room, his breaths coming in shallow gasps, trying to calm the rising tide of emotions. Tears, a mix of anger and anguish, blurred his vision as they trailed down his cheeks. 

Frustrated, he wiped them away with the back of his hand, almost as if refusing to accept his own vulnerability.

"How can you..." he whispered, his voice breaking under the weight of his emotions. "Shubman... How can you do this?"

The pain morphed into something sharper, more biting, as he let out a broken sob.

His lower lip trembled, jutting out as he sniffed loudly. He absentmindedly sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers digging into the blanket beneath him. 

Memories flooded his mind—the days they spent together, the way Shubman's smile would make his heart skip a beat, those stolen kisses that felt like the promise of forever.

And now...

Now, this.

"How dare you..." he whispered, his voice growing louder as he clenched his fists. "How dare you play with my feelings, Shubman!"

He stood abruptly, his anger boiling over. "Tum... tum koi nahi hote humari feelings ke saath khelne waale!" he declared loudly, the sound echoing in the empty dorm.

Then the realization hit him—why had he run away? He should've slapped Shubman right there, in front of everyone. That girl... or was she his girlfriend? The thought made his blood boil even more.

Ishan wiped his tears once more, trying to compose himself, when a sudden knock on the door startled him. He froze for a moment, his heart pounding as he walked toward the door. After taking a few deep breaths, he opened it slowly.

Standing outside was Aarav, panting heavily, bent over with his hands on his knees.

Ishan blinked in surprise. "Aarav? "

Aarav looked up, his face etched with concern. "Kya hua, Ishan? Everything fine?"

Ishan hesitated for a moment before responding. "Yeah, I'm fine... But wait—" he paused, noticing Aarav's disheveled state. "You came here all the way running?"

Aarav straightened up, still catching his breath. "I mean... yeah. I was worried, okay? 

Aise bina bataye dorm kyun bhaag gaye? Wo bhi daud ke?"

Ishan looked away, biting his lip. He handed Aarav a bottle of water. "Wo... wo bas mujhe suffocating sa feel ho raha tha."

Aarav took the bottle and gulped down a few sips, studying Ishan carefully. "Hmm... Kuch to hai. Tujhe kuch bola kisi ne?"

Ishan shook his head, forcing a smile. "Nahi, bas... thoda overwhelmed feel kar raha tha. First day and all."

Aarav frowned but decided not to push further. "Okay... Par agli baar, bol diya kar. Maine socha kuch serious ho gaya."

Ishan nodded, mumbling, "Sorry."

But Aarav couldn't shake the feeling of something wrong with Ishan.