Kraant

Chapter 10

"Can't you walk any faster? We have to meet him before he goes on his lunch break?" Ishan taunted Shubman who was lagging behind him.

"I ran for two hours this morning. The least you can do is cut me some slack." Shubman whined.

"Jeez, I wonder who's wonderful idea was that." Ishan snapped but proceeded to slow down his pace, allowing Shubman to catch up with him.

These days he has been getting irritated by almost anything Shubman says to him. A day before Shubman had taunted him, saying he looked good even though he was in his bed hair. And nobody looks good in their bed hair. (Except Ishan ofc, but who's gonna tell him)

Hence, Shubman was being subjected to his well deserved snarky rebukes.

"Why are we even meeting Guard Uncle on a holiday? Are we going to steal his samosas?" Shubman tried to joke which only made Ishan more cranky.

"No, you idiot. Because he was the last person to have seen Rohan alive. And you have a good relationship with him. And I need him to be comfortable with us, so that he reveals something which he has not yet told the police. A decision I am regretting now cause I might have learnt less information but Mayank wouldn't have asked these stupid questions." Ishan glared at him.

Well, to be honest Shubman kind of deserved to question these things since Ishan had only texted him to meet at the stall near their school. He wasn't even sure that Shubman would be joining cause he had better things to do than interrogating the School Security Guard with his (sigh) friend.
Things like snogging his girlfriend.

And Ishan wasn't jealous. He was happy for Shubman. He was going to be happy for Shubman after a few days, that's the least he deserves to get over a man he has been silently loving for years.

The anger he felt for his coward-of-a-self for not confessing to Shubman even after his friends' reiterate insistence was instead reflected back on Shubman who was confused about Ishan's strange behaviour.

With no idea that the reason behind it was him getting a girl called Sara to be his girlfriend.

So, Shubman had no choice but to withstand Ishan's temper or else tell him about the truth of his girlfriend that he had managed to score without his own knowledge.

Nonetheless, Shubman had enough brains to keep his mouth shut for the rest of their trip to the campus.
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"Good afternoon, Uncle. How are you doing?" Shubman greeted, giving his best ‘sunshine’ smile.

The said Uncle was preparing to go for lunch but stopped seeing the student who always greeted him and asked about his day and his friend. That one act of kindness made his ever tiring job a little better.

"Oh good afternoon, baccha. I was just heading out for lunch. Want to join me?" He smiled, his wrinkles emerged showing his age.

"Na-" Shubman's words were forcefully stopped by the harsh stomp Ishan delivered to his feet.

"Ya sure, Uncle. I was starving anyways." Ishan answered instead of Shubman and gave his own ‘sunshine’ smile.

The guard eyed the two for a while, but shrugged and beckoned them forward under the shade he ate his food.

Ishan and Shubman sat opposite to him, while he opened his tiffin, revealing a threefold of samosas.

He served one to each of them on the metal plates he brought along with him and they digged in.

Shubman and the old man exchanged their usual banter, while Ishan eyed his every movement. Despite, mentioning earlier he was hungry, he hadn't touched his samosa.