What after That?

Ch 59.

Shubman sat cross-legged on his bed, his back slouched and his face a picture of misery.

He absently held his cheek, which still stung from Ishan’s slap.

His other hand clutched an empty water bottle like it was a glass of whiskey, completing his unintentional Devdas impression.

He muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling, “Thoda dheere nahi maar sakta tha?

Ab ye permanent tattoo na ban jaye... Itne soft haath se itna zor se maara hai.”

He winced slightly, more from the memory of Ishan’s anger than the actual pain.

His lips quirked into a bitter smile as he thought about how ridiculous it was to even complain about the slap when his heart was the real casualty.

But soon, his mind wandered back to Ishan’s words. “Cheater?” he mumbled, his brows furrowing.

“Kya matlab hai iska? Kya Ishan ko lagta hai maine JEE Advanced cheat karke clear kiya?” The thought was absurd, but the word kept nagging at him.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he tried to make sense of it all.

“Jo bhi ho... pata lagana padega,” he decided aloud, his determination growing.

Shubman straightened up, already brainstorming ways to uncover the truth. But then a new problem arose—how was he supposed to find Ishan’s dorm?

He tilted his head, tapping his fingers against his chin. “Acha... toh pehle yeh confirm karte hain ki Ishan fresher hai ya nahi,” he reasoned.

“Fresher hi hai... tabhi toh I haven’t seen him last year.. poor me.. poora 3months 8 days and mera pehle usse milna toh impossible 1 year...

How the hell i survived without his kiss- ”

" focus Shubman!! "

He rubbed his hands together, feeling a spark of hope. If Ishan was indeed a fresher, that narrowed things down.

Shubman began to strategize, his mind already working through possible ways to track Ishan down without causing too much of a scene.

Maybe he could ask around subtly—find someone from the fresher batch who might know Ishan. His lips curled into a slight smirk as an idea hit him.

“Library mein bhi try kar sakte hain,” he mused, standing up from his bed. “waise bhi... mere woh thode padhaku type hain....”

He glanced at the mirror half blushing, frowning at the faint red mark still visible on his cheek. “Bas, ye haath ka nishaan kam ho jaye....”

Shubman had spent the entire night plotting how to find Ishan, and by morning, his efforts bore fruit.

He discovered that Ishan was in the CSE department, section 2. Without wasting a moment, Shubman made his way to the classroom, his heart pounding louder with every step.

As he reached the door, he paused briefly, gathering his courage. Bas ek baar baat karni hai... clear karna hai sab kuch,he told himself before pushing the door open. 

The classroom fell silent, the hum of conversations dying as the students turned to see the unexpected visitor.

Shubman, a senior with a confident stride and an aura that commanded attention, stood scanning the room.

His sharp eyes searched for one person, and when he finally saw Ishan sitting near the window, his heart did a somersault. 

Ishan, however, was not amused. His eyes locked with Shubman’s, the glare so intense that it made Shubman’s resolve waver. Shubman gulped, now in deep thought.