Drawn to trouble. ( Ishman FF)

Chapter 67

The boutique was alive with vibrant colors, chatter, and the rustling of luxurious fabrics. Ishan and Shubman, along with both their families, were seated on the cushy sofas inside the designer showroom. Around them, wedding outfits were being shown one after another—for haldi, sangeet, mehendi, reception—every ceremony was being covered, and excitement buzzed in the air like electricity.

Ishan was flipping through a catalogue with Shubman sitting close beside him. His mother and Shubman's mother were deep in conversation with the designer about color combinations, while Mayank and Abhishek were busy trying on turbans and joking about who would cry the most at the wedding.

Shubman leaned in close to Ishan, his lips brushing Ishan’s ear, and whispered with that mischievous tone that always made Ishan nervous in public, “Shaadi ke toh sare kapde fix ho gaye… but have you thought about suhagraat outfit?”

Ishan blinked, his doe eyes going wide as he turned to face Shubman, whispering back frantically, “Shubman! Koi sun lega, hum families ke beech baithe hai!”

But Shubman just smirked, clearly enjoying how flustered Ishan got. He leaned in again, voice even softer but full of teasing heat. “Suno toh… I’m not planning to wear anything that night anyway. Aur tumhare kapdon ka toh… main khud dhyaan rakh lunga.”

Ishan's breath hitched as he quickly looked away, his cheeks blooming crimson. His fingers gripped the catalogue tighter and he muttered under his breath, “Pagal wagal ho kya? Band karo yeh sab…”

Shubman chuckled, clearly loving every second of it. He reached over and casually placed his hand over Ishan’s, his thumb brushing gently as if to calm him—but the playful glint in his eyes told a different story.

Ishan tried his best to act normal as Shubman's sister called out, “Ishu, aapka sherwani select ho gaya?”

“Haa… haa, bas dekh raha hoon,” Ishan stuttered, still red-faced, avoiding Shubman’s gaze as he tried not to think about anything remotely close to suhagraat in the middle of a family outing.

And Shubman? He just sat there with the most innocent expression possible… while already planning the night in his head.

The courtyard was alive with laughter, music, and a riot of yellow as the haldi ceremony began in full swing. Ishan looked absolutely radiant in his light yellow kurta, the soft shimmer of the fabric catching the sunlight and making him glow even before a drop of haldi was applied. His hair was lightly styled, his doe eyes twinkling with excitement and nervousness. Shubman, in a similarly shaded yellow kurta with subtle gold work, looked dashing and relaxed, his eyes constantly drifting to his glowing fiance.

The ceremony was joyful chaos. Ishan’s cousins Hardik and Tilak, were more interested in teasing than being gentle. They caked haldi on Ishan’s cheeks, nose, and even tried sneaking some into his hair, laughing as Ishan pouted and whined cutely, trying to dodge their relentless attacks.

Shubman wasn't spared either—his friends and family were equally merciless, smearing his face with bright yellow haldi while he mock groaned.

Once the official haldi applications were done, the ceremony turned into a playful war zone. Ishan, his hands now smeared with haldi, charged around with his cute little fists, determined to take revenge on everyone who had overloaded his face. Laughter echoed as he ran around the courtyard, chasing people with the mischievous energy of a child.

Amidst the chaos, Shubman saw his chance. He quietly pulled Ishan to a quieter corner, against the courtyard wall. Ishan blinked up at him in surprise, cheeks already tinted pink under the yellow paste.