What after That?

Ch 98

The taxi driver sat frozen behind the wheel, wide-eyed as he watched two grown men practically trying to tear a third person in half. 

Each of them had an uncompromising grip on one of Ishan's arms, yanking him back and forth like a human tug-of-war rope.

Mayank pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, heavy sigh before shaking his head in absolute resignation. Beside him, Abhi leaned heavily on his walking stick, grimacing as he shifted weight off his fractured leg. He looked at Ishan with genuine concern.

"Chhod do, bhai, usko..." Abhi called out weakly, though his voice was entirely drowned out by the chaos.

"Ishan humare ghar rahega!" Yashaswi insisted, gritting his teeth as he gave another hard tug to pull Ishan toward his side.

"Abee chal, aaya bada... Hand off!" Shubman snapped, refusing to budge. Even using just one hand, his grip was like an iron vise as he yanked Ishan right back toward himself.

In the middle of it all, Ishan was a dormant volcano ticking down to an explosion. His jaw was set, his breathing becoming heavier with every second they ignored him.

"Tum dono, chhodo mujhe!" he finally roared.

The immediate area fell dead silent. Both culprits froze instantly, holding their positions for a single second—before foolishly resuming their tug-of-war.

"Chhodo mujhe! Are you guys completely deaf? Why aren't you listening to a word I'm saying?" Ishan asked, staring at them in utter disbelief.

Instead of letting go, Shubman threw a murderous glare straight at Yashaswi. With one swift, decisive pull, he hauled Ishan straight into his chest, forcing him to stumble into his arms.

"We're staying together," Shubman said, his voice dropping into a dangerously serious tone as he stared Yashaswi down. "Toh nikal le."

Ishan looked up at Shubman, whose jaw was set in a deadly serious line. He knew that look all too well. Shubman had an intensely possessive streak—a trait Ishan secretly shared. 

Ishan himself could turn fiercely defensive whenever someone tried to wedge themselves between him and Shubman. 

But Yashaswi was a close friend, not some threat, and Shubman needed to get a grip.

Before Shubman could throw a smack—or Yashaswi could retaliate—Ishan yanked his arms free and decisively stepped between them, planting a hand on Shubman's chest.

"I dare you to say one more word," Ishan warned, glaring directly into Shubman's eyes with a tone that meant absolute business.

Shubman opened his mouth to argue, but the sheer fury in Ishan's gaze made him clamp it shut. Satisfied, Ishan turned around to face Yashaswi, letting out an exhausted sigh.

He gave him an utterly 'done' expression that silently communicated just how ridiculous both of them were being.

With the immediate threat of a brawl defused, Ishan glanced toward the front seat of the cab. The taxi driver had quickly turned his head forward, staring straight at the windshield and casually whistling an innocent tune—as if he hadn't just been thoroughly enjoying every single second of the dramatic tug-of-war.

Ishan turned his head toward the side, catching Dhruv's eye. "please Pay him."

Dhruv quickly reached into his pocket and handed over the fare. The taxi driver almost pouted as he took the cash; with the money in hand and the ride officially over, he had no choice but to start the engine and drive away, disappointed that the free entertainment had come to an abrupt end.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Ishan turned his full attention toward Shubman. "Tumne socha hai hum kahan rahenge?"

"Hum hotel mein rehne wale the..." Shubman grumbled, casting an annoyed glance toward the rest of the group. "...inka bhangbhosda beech mein na—sorry, matlab inki faltu baate beech mein na aati to."