"Come on," Rishabh announced, shaking a ticket in front of Shubman's eyes the day their tour ended. "We're leaving in ten minutes."
Shubman batted his away, his gaze not moving from the TV where a qualifier match of Chelsea was going on. "Where are you going?"
"There's a concert," said Ishan. "The tickets weren't easily available, Rishabh and I went to a lot of trouble to get them. You know, to celebrate you getting invited to your first international podcast interview."
"FUCK, NO-!" Shubman yelled at the TV. "YOU DON'T TRY TO GO FOR THE GOAL FROM NEAR THE HALF LINE, YOU MORON, YOU DRIBBLE IT TILL-"
Ishan and Rishabh exchanged an indulgent grin above a murderous Shubman's head. No one in their team except Shubman and Kuldeep got this passionate about their club teams, though most of them loved football.
"Yes, I'm sure they'll heed your advice," said Ishan. "But you really need to get ready now..."
"I'm not going anywhere," said Shubman. "Take someone else."
"What?" said Rishabh, scandalized.
"Take Shreyas, Siraj, anyone."
"They're both going."
"Take Kuldeep, his team qualified," said Shubman.
"He hates loud music."
"Then take-IS HE COMPLETELY BRAINLESS?"
Ishan caught Shubman under the arms and hauled him up.
"Fuck off, Ishan," said Shubman fiercely. "Didn't I tell you I'm not going anywhere?"
"We already got the tickets," wheedled Rishabh.
"Didn't you know it was Chelsea's qualifier today?"
"Not when we got the tickets," said Ishan. He wasn't lying, but of course, they hadn't checked the schedule of the qualifiers when they got the tickets either.
"Then change the plan, take anyone, I don't give a damn, just stop bothering me."
Shreyas looked in. "Good lord, why aren't you ready yet, Shubi?"
"Can no one see I'm busy?" demanded Shubman.
"C'mon, you can watch the match on the way," said Shreyas.
"No, I can't. The streaming sites lag, and watching a match in a concert, seriously?"
"Shubi," coaxed Ishan. "You know it's no fun for me going without you."
"Then don't go! Just let me watch in peace-DAMN IT, WILL YOU SEND HIM OFF THE FIELD, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE?"
"All right," Ishan and Rishabh muttered, and they were forced to leave Shubman to be stubborn and grab Kuldeep on the way to the concert.
Kuldeep protested about his dislike for loud music, but since Barcelona didn't have an ongoing match, he was much easier to manipulate than Shubman.
***
Chelsea lost the qualifier and got eliminated. When they returned from the concert, Rishabh and Ishan, typical to best friends, barged in to gloat to Shubman and get on his nerves.
"You jinxed your team, making such a big deal out of it," said Ishan.
"Shut. Up," said Shubman.
"You could've just come along and who knows, Chelsea would be in the final-" Rishabh put in.
Muttering a bunch of uncomplimentary curses under his breath, Shubman slammed his door and locked it from inside, effectively locking Ishan outside his room for the night, and no amount of coaxing or knocking would make him open it.
***
The next day at breakfast, Shubman deigned to put in an appearance, still looking in a raging temper. Everyone gave him a wide berth, except Kuldeep, who asked, "Are you all right?"
Shubman nodded briefly.
"Your team qualified, didn't it, Kuldeep?" asked Rishabh. "Why are you down?"
"I'm not down, but Shubi-" Kuldeep indicated something like, He's upset.
"Yeah, that's what friends do, you know, Ishan," Shubman said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Unlike some people believe, friendship isn't all about going to concerts and getting drunk and dancing."
Shreyas hooted at Ishan with fake sympathy. But Ishan didn't feel like laughing anymore. He supposed he must look as bad tempered as Shubman.
He might have tried to pacify Shubman for making fun of Chelsea, but now he wasn't going to.
Which meant that though Rishabh apologized and was forgiven by Shubman, Ishan and Shubman refused to talk to each other the final day of the tour.
The team dispersed next morning, setting off for the airport or for Ishan, the bus stop. Aditi had a modeling shoot in Pune, so he was going there directly by bus. Shubman stayed back for his podcast interview later that day, which was in Mumbai itself.
Ishan didn't tell Shubman goodbye or wish him luck. Not that Shubman was dying to talk, either.
***
Ishan called Aditi when he reached the bus stop.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"Chaotic, but nice," said Aditi. "They just did my hair."
"Show?"
"No, you'll get to see only once you've come," said Aditi.
"Can't wait," said Ishan with a laugh, but as he put down the phone, something uncomfortable squirmed inside him. Shubman had the podcast shoot that evening, and Ishan was pretty sure he was going to mess it up due to underconfidence.
Every time they fought, Shubman miraculously lost all his confidence. Ishan hadn't seen an exception till date. He had no reason to convince himself today would be any different.
He didn't know...but leaving Mumbai without making up with Shubman when it was an important day for him seemed a bit like...abandoning him.
Ishan fished out his phone again and dialed Shubman.
Shubman cut the call.
Ishan called again.
Shubman cut the call again.
Classy, thought Ishan wryly.
Ishan texted, I'm sorry, all right? Will you please call back?
Shubman read the message, and didn't reply.
Real classy, thought Ishan, even more wryly.
If he was mad enough to cut Ishan's call, maybe Shubman would not bungle the interview.
Only, Ishan knew better.
If Shubman was upset and angry with Ishan, he would bungle it worse than anything.
Ishan glanced at the bus timetable. He could take the next one, surely, if he dropped back to the hotel for a bit. The next was in two hours...he wouldn't be much late for the event...
Assuming he could get back to the bus stop in two hours through Mumbai's traffic, but surely it wouldn't take that long...
Worse came to worst, he'd take the second bus from this one. This wasn't a flight, of course he wouldn't be thinking of missing a flight...all those procedures, he would have missed Aditi's event for sure.
But he would reach in time since it was only a three hour bus journey.
Ishan took a U-turn and ran for the taxi stand.
***
Shubman looked like he'd seen a ghost when he opened the door to Ishan's knock (Ishan had been wise enough not to call out his name).
"Hel-" Ishan began when Shubman tried to slam the door in his face.
Luckily, Ishan was prepared. He put his shoe to wedge the door from being shut, then wrenched it open and strode in.
"What do you want?" said Shubman, sounding bad tempered. "Wasn't your bus supposed to leave an hour ago?"
"I missed it," said Ishan. "I deliberately missed it. I didn't want to go back at odds with you, sweetheart."
"You missed it by accident," said Shubman.
"I did not miss it by accident. If I did, I would have simply taken the next one, why would I have returned to the hotel?"
"You forgot something at the hotel," guessed Shubman.
Ishan grabbed his shoulders and shook him, not very gently. "And if I didn't leave anything at the hotel and didn't miss the bus by accident? Will you forgive me for being an insensitive jerk about your, um, blind loyalty towards your team?"
Shubman thought for a while. "Yes," he said. "But you have to prove you didn't leave anything at the hotel and didn't miss the bus by accident."
"Isn't me saying not enough?" asked Ishan, wounded.
"No."
"Then you have to prove you didn't mean it when you said that my friendship is all about concerts and drinking, too," said Ishan. "Prove it by trusting my word."
Shubman grinned in spite of clearly trying not to. When a relieved Ishan hugged him and ruffled his hair, he didn't squirm away, and hugged him back.
"I trust your word," Shubman said into the hug. "And...and your friendship is about all the good things in the world to me, Ishan."
"Yeah, yeah."
"I'm glad you came," admitted Shubman after a bit of hesitation. "Before you did, I was feeling all...terrified about the interview. Now I think I can do fine."
Ishan pretended to be surprised.
"Ah, what a nice coincidence, then it is good I am risking missing my girlfriend's shoot by taking on Mumbai's traffic."
Shubman looked alarmed. "When does Aditi's event start?"
"Seven," said Ishan, chancing a brave glance at the clock.
It was past four.
An hour to get to the bus stop.
An hour more to get the next bus. Assuming there would be seats. (Please let there be a seat.)
Three hours to go to Pune.
Goodness knew how long to get to the auditorium. Let's say half an hour. (Please let it not be more than half an hour.)
"WHAT ARE YOU STANDING HERE FOR?" Shubman demanded, who had clearly just done the calculations too. "GET GOING!"
"Screw it," Ishan swore as he dashed down the stairs. "She's never going to forgive me."
"You think you deserve to be forgiven?" Shubman shouted ungratefully after him.
"You should be taking my side!" Ishan called back. "You just wait till we meet again!"
***
Ten minutes is all Ishan caught of the event. Since he had a seat right in the front row, he could not even have slipped in without everyone noticing. Any hopes that Aditi may have somehow not noticed were dashed when she joined him when it ended.
"What kept you?" she demanded. "I was so worried when I couldn't see you anywhere, Ishan-"
"I'm so sorry," said Ishan. "God, Adi, I'm so sorry, I-" He buried his head in his hands.
"Did you miss the bus? Was it very late? What on earth happened?"
For a moment Ishan considered lying his way out of it, but lying just wasn't their way. From the beginning of their friendship, they never lied to each other. So he tried to explain the circumstances to her.
Aditi looked at him in disbelief. Ishan tried to reiterate his logic.
"It's just...the podcast shoot is so important and I couldn't let him bungle it..."
"I don't suppose it ever crossed your mind I might bungle my performance if you showed up in the last ten minutes, too?" said Aditi.
"D-did you?" asked Ishan.
"What does it matter?" Aditi was suddenly icy. "You would have chosen to return to cheer Shubi up regardless."
"I'm sorry, Aditi-"
"The value of that word loses its appeal, you know, after it has been used in the same context about fifty times."
Aditi swept away, her gown trailing after her. Ishan had been too wretched to even notice her attire. When he called after her, she didn't answer.