THEM 'Ishman'

Can I marry him, dada? (8)

They were eating ice cream. 

Everyone had their own, Ishan with his mango flavoured, sunflower shaped one, and Shubman... well, he was not Shubman at all now. 

He was someone else entirely. 

Maybe someone glowing, like a bald head under the harsh summer sun. The guy who had always loved dark chocolate was now sitting there happily eating a bright, yellow, mango flavoured, sunflower shaped ice cream like a puppy. 

A happy puppy.

(And I think, just as my hair is falling like my grades... soon, in the upcoming days, I am going to go bald.)

And this big, baby puppy had his tiny duck too, Vayu.

Vayu stood between Ishan and Shubman, bouncing a little now and then on his tiny feet in the excitement of eating his ice cream. Each bounce made his shoes glow with little bursts of colorful lights, blinking with his joy. 

He held his elephant shaped ice cream with both hands as though it were treasure. Each lick was small, sloppy, and sweet, his lips already stained orange. 

Whenever the ice cream dripped down onto his tiny fingers, he giggled, as if even the mess was part of the fun.

Ishan who was usually like a dark night, a moonless sky, a lone moon was now feeling like he was the center of the universe itself. He was no longer a distant star hidden in shadows. He was the bright, warm sun, spilling his happy beans all over the dark nights he used to live in.

And as Ishan glowed like that warm, happy, soft sun, Vayu and Shubman turned into sunflowers.

Ishan was the sun to their sunflower.

The three of them, oh no, not three, but two did not know that they were completing each other.

 Ishan did not know that his lonely, moonlike personality was quietly transforming into something warmer, into a bright, sun like human. 

And Shubman did not know that his usual little dark chocolate aura was changing too, turning into something bright and golden, like a sunflower shaped ice cream coded into human form.

And Vayu, well, Vayu was simply busy with his ice cream. Busy licking, busy giggling. 

He was too little to notice much beyond the sweetness on his lips. But somewhere inside, even without knowing, he was feeling full. 

Not full from the ice cream, no. Full from presence. From having two people by his side. 

It felt like something whole, something complete. Maybe even something like home, a little home, perfect with love and warmth.

Ishan, hearing Vayu's tiny happy giggles, his squeaks, and his sunshine gummy smile, could not help but giggle too.

"You know, Shuuby, Vayu is such a good baby. You should be thankful that I returned him to you, otherwise I had already planned to take him with me forever." Ishan said, looking up at Shubman while giggling.

Shubman, hearing the nickname from Ishan's mouth, was instantly on cloud nine again. And that giggle, oh, that giggle made him fall deeper, like tumbling onto a bed of soft flowers.

"Yeah, such a baby." Shubman muttered in a low voice, eyes fixed on Ishan without blinking, having been staring at him for the last one minute straight.

"I–I... I mean, yeah, my Vayu is accha baccha. I am blessed to have him." Shubman added quickly, coming out of his daze with a chuckle.

"Oh, I forgot, sorry, hi, myself Ishan." Ishan said, extending his hand towards Shubman for a handshake, still chuckling.