(n.) the act of loving the one who loves you.
This is a double update. Read the next one too guys.
It had been a month since their first kiss in the parking area. The team was in India, preparing for the England matches ahead. Since the kiss, Ishan and Shubman hadn't been physically together but they tried to talk on call as much as they could.
Ishan was dying to do something romantic with Shubman. They hadn't talked about their feelings or their current situation and Ishan was desperate to change that.
He finally came up with a date plan. He decided he'd take the younger boy on a date and clear everything about themselves and maybe even ask him to be his boyfriend!
"Ishan, tu kabse usko ghoor rha hai. Sab theek?" Rahul asked Ishan who was continuously staring at Shubman.
"Haa-haan bhaiya," Ishan fumbled. Rahul gave him a knowing look.
"Theek hai toh le gloves, bhaiya ne tujhe kaha hai keeping ki practice karne ko, jaa," Rahul said handing over the gloves and going to start his batting.
"Aur Ishu," Virat said as he approached his junior, "usko ghurta hi rahega ya bolega bhi kuch?"
"Bhaiya aap toh mat chhedo!" Ishan whined. Virat laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Ab toh mai kuch karke rahunga bas!" Ishan said determined. "Aap bas RoBro ko bolo use aajke liye distracted rakhein."
"Theek hai bache, abhi jaa Rohit weird hand gestures kar rha hai, tereko hi bula rha hai."
Ishan smiled and went to his other senior.
X
Ishan was standing in the kitchen, feeling dejected.
He got his phone out and called Virat.
"Hello?" Virat's voice came through.
"I need your help, bring reinforcements, bhaiya please," Ishan whispered.
X
Virat reached the kitchen with Rahul and both laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha, Ishu ye kya kiya hai tune?"
"Bhaiyas nahi na, mazak nhi udao!"
The kitchen looked as if a food war had been fought there. Ishan was standing with his hands on his hips, face smeared with flour, and vegetable peels on the ground. Virat's laugh grew louder.
"Bhaiya!!"
Rahul shook his head fondly and poked Virat's shoulder. Virat muffled his laugh and went inside. He picked a completely burnt chapati in his one hand and a ruined flour dough in his other.
"Bhai mere, tu kar kya rha tha," he managed to ask while laughing still.
"Bhaiya, mere pyaare-pyaare bhaiya! Mera mazak udana band kariye aur help kariye! Mereko aaj hi Shubi ko surprise karna hai! Iss rate see toh agle janam mei bhi hi ho paayega!!!!" Ishan cried.
Virat instantly sobered up.
"Ye date ke liye kar rha hai?"
"Haan." Ishan replied sadly. "I wanted to do a cosy room dinner date with him. Apne haath se banake but....ab nhi lag rha ho paayega."
'Aah, young love,' Virat thought. He cleaned some flour off of his junior's cheeks.
"Ab hum idhar hun na, sab badhiya se prepare ho jaayega, tu tension mat liya kar chhote! Chal Rahuliya!" Rahul gave Virat a dirty look and ruffled Ishan's cheek simultaneously.
"Not my name Virat and yes Ishu, chal let's start."
Ishan gave him a big grin and they got started on the meal.
X
"Ishu! Kidhar like jaa rha hai? Bata nhi rha toh dekhne toh de yaar!" Shubman whined for the Nth time.
"Chup-chap chalte reh."
"Mai gir jaaunga na toh samajh aayegi tereko.Gunda kahi ka" Shubman huffed.
"Funny you think I'd let you fall. Abhi chal chupchap." Ishan chuckled.
So after cooking and getting the meal ready with his big brothers' help (read: him and Virat destroying half of the raw ingredients while Rahul trying to do the actual work), Ishan got himself and Shubman ready, blindfolded the younger one and was now in a very painful process of leading him to the planned location because Shubman would not stop asking questions! He'd got Shubman ready on the pretence of a surprise and somehow Shubman didn't know the concept of surprises or how they must be kept as a secret!
But this was Shubman and Ishan would do anything for him. Literally.
Ishan smiled tiredly.
"Ishu-"
"I swear to god Shubi! Ek aur shabd bola toh wapas room le jaaunga!"
"But-"
"No buts! Finger on your lips!"
Shubman showed his tongue to Ishan or where he suspected Ishan was through his blindfold. "Hitler Ishu," and put his finger on his lips. Ishan muffled his laughter and resisted the urge to pull the taller one's cheeks. 'There would be plenty of time later', he reasoned and continued to drag his best friend towards their 'destination' again.
"Chal, utar de kapda, aa gye hum, "Ishan spoke after some time. Shubman complied and pulled off the blindfolded. He stared at the scene in front of him.
Ishan had brought him to the hotel's abandoned storeroom which at the moment didn't look like it was one. The room was cleaned completely, void of any boxes previously stored there, fairy lights in the shapes of stars and moons hung on the walls, casting a soft glow over the room. At the centre stood a small circular table, laid with covered dishes and two adjacent chairs accompanied it. The view outside the window was just as regal with orange, pink and blue hues spread across the sky. Shubman stood quietly, taking it all in.
Ishan grew nervous. He was standing a step behind Shubman, waiting for him to say something... anything.
"Shubi?" He whispered, afraid to break the silence in the huge room.
"Did you do this?" he asked very quietly.
"Huh?" Ishan asked dumbly.
"This...did you do this all for me, Ishan?"
"Yes," Ishan breathed out.
Suddenly, Shubman whirled around and threw his arms around the shorter man with so much force that Ishan had to take two steps back to keep them both standing. Shubman buried his head in Ishan's neck completely. Ishan hugged him right back.
"Shubi?"
"Thank you, Ishu."
"Ab tu mujhe thank you bolega?"
"You know what I mean!" Shubman whined and nuzzled in closer.
Ishan chuckled and caressed Shubman's head gently. "Abhi khana khana bhi hai, Gill sahab," he teased softly.
Shubman finally got up and without giving any further look to Ishan, went and sat at the table. Then, he looked at the older man expectantly.
"Serve," Shubman commanded, mirth dancing in his eyes.
Ishan shook his head and went to the table himself. He served both of them and sat down beside Shubman.
He along with Virat and Rahul had cooked a few items which they could without burning the hotel down like Aaloo paranthe, cheese paranthe, normal rotis along with sarson ka saag and Aloo-tamatar ki sabzi with Gajar ka halwa as desert. The dishes were all the favourites of Ishan and Shubman and were in small proportions so no food would get wasted.
Shubman looked at all the food appreciatively while Ishan looked at him for a reaction. Suddenly Shubman's stomach growled loudly. Ishan's eyes widened and he started to grin. Shubman turned towards him, held his hand, smiled and opened his mouth, gesturing at Ishan to feed him. Ishan shook his head but proceeded to feed his younger accomplice. Thus, Ishan fed Shubman and himself too while conversing in between the bites.
After a while when both of them had inhaled their way through the meal, Shubman grinned.
"Ek baat bataiye Kishan ji...ye sara khana kitne attempts mei bana tujhse?" Shubman questioned acting all nonchalant.
Ishan paused his hand with another bite towards Shubman mid-air and glared at him. Shubman laughed at Ishan's almost murderous expression.
"Nahi matlab last time almost laga that haathi aa ke gya the kitchen se but iss baar thoda decent lag rha hai khana...also," he paused in between and ate from Ishan's still hand, "Iss baar jala hua bhi nhi lag rha hai!"
"Shubi yaar! Mazak uda rha hai tu mere efforts ka!" Ishan groaned and stuffed another bite into Shubman's awaiting mouth.
"Nahi!Meri itni majal ki mai the great chef Ishan ji ka mazak uda sakun?" Shubman mocked.
"Uda le, uda le...mera mazak bhi uda le. Majnu ne to Laila ke liye jaan bhi haazir kardi thi, tu toh sirf mazak uda rha hai." Ishan said dramatically.
"Tu mujhe Laila keh rha hai?" Shubman asked.
"Haan," Ishan replied cheekily.
Shubman grinned widely, then saddened instantly. Ishan frowned.
"Vo dono mar jaate hain. Romeo-Juliet bhi. Ram and Leela bhi.Unka pyaar pura nahi hota. Mujhe unke tarah nhi hona, Ishu," Shubman said slowly. Ishan smiled lightly, put his finger on Shubman's chin and tilted it so Shubman stared directly into Ishan's eyes.
"Kisne kaha humein unki tarah banna hai, Shubi? Hum na Laila- Majnu, na Romeo-Juliet, na Ram-Leela..hum nhi hai vo log. And humein kisi ki bhi tarah banne ki zaraurat hai. Hum, hum hain Shubi. Ishan and Shubman. Log kya kehte hain? Ishman. Shubish. Toh hum vhi rahenge, koi aur kyu banenge?"
"Tune example diya!" Shubman said vehemently.
"Arre hum mazak kar rha tha na baba. Sorry, aag see nhi dunga ye examples, ok?" Ishan pleaded.
"Ok," Shubman replied cutely and suddenly, the mischievous look was back in his eyes. Ishan sighed in relief.
"Sachi bata kitna khana jalaya and ye sab mei kisne help ki?" Shubman playfully asked.
Ishan rubbed his head before answering.
"Sachi bolu toh pehla pura lot jal gaya that, Shubi. Mujhe laga ye date possible nhi ho paayegi but fir Virat bhaiya and Rah bhaiya ne help ki and sab ho paya."
"Vi and Rah bhai ne help ki?" Shubman wondered aloud. Ishan nodded. "Tabhi itna acha ban paya hai," Shubman laughed. Ishan threw him a scowl but joined in the laughter a few seconds later.
"Vaise... ye date thi?" Shubman asked shyly.
"Tujhe nhi chhaiye thi?" Ishan asked.
Shubman only nodded slightly, his cheeks going red. His eyes were downcast too. Ishan saw the opportunity and kissed Shubman's cheek. Shubman looked up in surprise. Ishan was just as red as him, if not more.
Shubman saw various lights reflecting on Ishan's face. He concluded maybe this is what love was like. Being with your most beautiful person, the only person you'd want to be with. He put up his palm against Ishan's cheek and caressed it slowly.
"Ye aakhiri toh nhi?" he questioned.
"Abhi toh bohot baaki hain, meri jaan," came the reply.
X
"We made good food! We do make a good team Rahuliya," Virat ruffled Rahul's hair.
"Not my name Virat," Rahul replied in annoyance, swatting away Virat's hand. Virat grinned.
"Oh, all my babies are growing up so fast!" Virat said very dramatically. Rahul face palmed and began dragging Virat away from the store room's door behind which they were hiding and spying on the young couple.
"We gotta get out Vi before they see us! Stop resisting me!"
"Alright, alright! I'll come with my Rahuliya only because you want my attention on just yourself so badly," Virat teased as he allowed his younger brother to pull him away from the door finally.
Rahul scowled at Virat, turned to face the front and smiled. His Virat 'bhaiya' was right after all.
My intention is not to hurt anyone with my ideas or my words. These are going to be absolute imaginary stories and nothing will be the truth, for I am not that lucky to witness the actual truth.
Also, Hulrat is so cute, but less content is available on them.
Lastly, I hope you all liked this one and please vote and comment.
if you liked it, please send your suggestions and requests for more.
(I will write the last and only request sent first then if I receive others, I'll try them too)
Thank you all for the love you showered on the previous chapters. It motivates me. I cannot promise regular updates, too much workload, but I will update whenever I'll get the time. Thanks to all of you for your patience.
u.
(1761 words)