7 days

One Year Later

‘oye, Jaani. Why are you staring at me so much? Nazar lag jayegi’

‘ Pyar Karne walo ki Nazar nehi lagti’ Ishaan breathed out.

‘ what??’ Shreyas asked, confused.

‘ Nothing….’ Ishaan mumbled and looked away.

‘ Alright, I'm going out for a while’

‘ Where?’ Ishaan felt a tug in his heart.

‘ Just out with some of the boys’

‘Pancake, take care of Ishu daddy, till I come back’ Shreyas said and kissed it's head.

Ishaan inhaled his perfume as he got up. He felt sad seeing him leave. He didn't like being alone.

‘ When…when will you come back?’ he nervously asked.

‘ Uh, maybe a few hours …’ shreyas said as he checked himself out in the hallway mirror.

Ishaan hugged Pancake and stared at the closed door.

‘ Guess it's just you and I..’

The puppy whined and laid down on his stomach.

Ishaan was on the sofa watching a movie when he heard the door open. Both him and pancake lifted their heads and curiously stared at the door.

‘ Hi babies!’ Shreyas walked in smiling widely.

‘ I thought you would be gone for longer’

Ishaan walked up to him and curiously looked at the shopping bags in his hands.

‘ I thought so too, but then I changed my mind…the toys are for pancake’

Ishaan took the toys and went to play with the puppy.

‘ What's the rest?’

‘ Oh, I bought some stuff for dinner, and also some beautiful pomegranates I saw at a fruit stall’

Ishaan watched as Shreyas took out the things and laid them on the counter.

‘ pomegranates? You hate those..’ Ishaan asked.

‘ but you love them…you don't eat them because you hate peeling them, so I figured I will keep some peeled for you..’

Shreyas took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and started to carefully take out the seeds and put them in a bowl. Ishaan's mind reeled back to Shubman. Shubman loved pomegranates but hated peeling them, so Ishaan took it upon himself to peel them for Shubman, even though he himself hated doing it. It was what he saw his father do for his mother. What he saw his brother do for his wife. It was their act of love, and now someone was doing it for Ishaan, without him having to ask for it.

Ishaan's heart skipped a beat, he felt butterflies flap its wings in his stomach. Slowly at first, then till he felt a storm inside him. Why was he feeling this way? Was he actually falling in love, or was this just a rebound, or just a desperate plea to be loved.

‘ Jaani??’ Shreyas touched his arm, snapping him back to reality.

‘ Are you okay? You seem distracted’

‘ I..I'm fine I guess. Just a little tired’ Ishaan said, clearing his throat.

‘ I will fix a quick dinner, you can rest after that’

‘ Yeah..’

Ishaan lay in bed with pancake next to him. His mind wouldn't stop replaying the image of Shreyas standing near the kitchen counter. The red of the pomegranates smeared on his brown skin. Ishaan covered his face and groaned, he felt confused.