[Shubman's father is nation famed chemist in this story]
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Nathan Roy (better known to his fellow paparazzi as Nat) sat well-hidden behind his phone and a nask at his table in the bar.His untouched martini sat just next to his right hand.

He drew no attention to himself as anything but a random person,and that was just what he wanted. Invisible yet annoying at his job,Nat was a freelance photographer with a specialty for capturing celebrities at their worst – and then selling the stories to the highest bidder channels or news portals.

A thin smirk sat on his lips as his beady eyes took in every detail of the young couple at a nearby table. He’d set his eyes on the ultimate prize today – an exposé of all the  details of two youngster of ICT -Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan's sex life.

Nothing sold news like the heart throb of naton's dating details and Nat knew a good shot of him kissing his boyfriend would fetch a high price.

Ishan lost his BCCI contract 6 months ago and since then any negative news about him is top priority for the news portals.There was a rumors of him dating cricket prince Shubman Gill.

Today, however, he was going for the gold. He wanted detail – intimate detail about what went on in the bedroom – and photos. If the couple was half as simp and oblivious to the world when they are together as they were rumoured to be, Nat was sure by the end of the night, he’d have all the dirty pictures he needed.

His smirk deepened. The really nasty shots could be discreetly sold to certain individuals for a very tidy profit.

The couple leaned in to whisper to each other, so Nat adjusted his position to keep them in view.His mobile was cleverly positioned to allow him to see properly, while still appearing solid to others.His camera dangled at the ready beneath the overcoat, and sitting in the right next table helped pick up their lovey-dovey whispers.

"I’m so happy to see you,” Shubman said, with disgusting earnestness. “I barely saw you all day. I missed you.”

Ishan favoured him with a smile,most beautiful thing to see on earth, “I missed you too,” he said sweetly, sipping from a pale green martini.

“I missed you more,”Shubman retorted. His loving expression was enough to turn Nat’s stomach. “I spent the whole day bored out of my mind, staring at Jugnu's ugly face. You have no idea how nice it is to finally see something as gorgeous as you.”

Ishan almost grinned . “Flattery will get you everywhere,” he said coyly, before the last of his drink disappeared down his throat.

God!, Nat thought derisively. Look at the way he laps up the attention Shubman gives him.

He turned his eyes back to his phone.His concentration turned for a moment to the topless blonde woman pouting prettily for the camera. The text below informed him that “Nikki” was nineteen, hailed from Mumbai and liked pink cocktails, sparkly barrettes and nice cars.

Nat eyed her lecherously. After he sold the photos of Shubman and Ishan, he just might get himself a treat and see if he could pay Miss Nikki a visit.

When he finally tore his gaze away from her, he realized that Shubman was watching him closely.

A little too closely.

“Ishan”Shubman suddenly cooed, in a voice as sweet as fairy floss. He leaned over and gave his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. “I’m ready to go. Will you take care of the rest?”

Completely spoilt, Nat surmised, as Ishan readily agreed. Gets whatever he wants out of Ishan by acting cute. And Ishan’s absolutely cock-whipped by the look of things. Pathetic.

Ishan stood, and headed over to the bar. Nat lowered his phone. getting ready to follow the couple, when he suddenly realized that Shubman was walking straight towards him.

To his great surprise, seconds later Shubman Gill took the seat across from him.

"I’m Shubman Gill,” he said, fixing Nat with eyes the colour of steel. “But then, you already know my name, don’t you?”

Nat’s eyes widened slightly, but he refused to let Shubman get the upper hand. “The name’s Nat,” he said, dodging Shubman's  question. “Nat Roy” He held out a hand.

Shubman didn’t take it. “I know who you are,” he said coldly. “You’re that filthy paparazzi of that page known as "celebdoing” Here to make a bit of money by exploiting my boyfriend, are you?”

Nat’s eyes narrowed. When he spoke his voice was snide. “Do you really think I’m going to answer that question?"

Shubman raised one perfect eyebrow. Nat sneered.

“Leave Ishan alone.” It wasn’t a request. Shubman's soft tone only thinly veiled his underlying threat.

Nat chose to ignore it. “No,” he said scornfully. “The public loves Cricketers. A good picture of him is worth piles of money”

Shubman regarded him balefully. “No amount of money is worth messing with a Gill’s lover"

Nat rolled his eyes. “Lover?” he repeated derisively. “Spare me. Everyone knows a well establish handsome like you isn’t going to stay with Ishan.You will eventually marry any Bollywood actresses or daughter of some big names. He’s a contractless,poor in form. Not really Shubman style …unless you like slumming?”

Shubman's cold eyes turned to ice. “Don’t talk about my boyfriend like that,” he said dangerously.

“Oooh, did I ruffle your feathers?” Nat said patronizingly. “Perhaps slumming is your kink. I can see the headline now: Shubman Gill– Slut for his contractless Lover.

Instead of getting angry, a nasty smile crossed Shubman’s lips. “You can learn a lot from kink,” he said coolly. He gestured to the table. “For example, take this martini you’ve been pretending to drink. Gin and vermouth, shaken with ice. A guy once told me if you mix a painkiller tablet with martini,it becomes poison”

Nat sneered. “why should I give a fuck about the painkiller? ”

Shubman's smile became nastier. “Because situation changes so quickly and we cricketer always have painkiller with us. See, if I use this  little tablet…”

Nat didn’t see a hand move it was that quick, but the next moment the martini in front of him was changing color rapidly.

“…the martini is now already poison” Shubman’s eyes were full of barely concealed venom. “Plus you are here at the VIP section,waiters don't usually come here unless called – a good opportunity to kill or numb you with  martini. Much easier to blame the martini saying you took overdose,wouldn’t you say?"

For an instant, fear sparked in Nat’s stomach, but he quickly banished it, scoffing. “You’re bluffing,” he said rudely, as the martini continued to bubble and change color. “There’s no way you would dare to do it with me”

Shubman raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you think?” He twirled his painkiller packet between his fingers. “You know, my father learned a lot of interesting thing in his life,as he is a chemist” he said casually. “formula you might not think exist.poison you might not want to believe exist. And like a proper dad, he taught me everything he knows.”

He paused. “I believe you’ve met my father?” he added nonchalantly.

At the mention of his father, all the blood drained from Nat’s face. His one attempt at doing a false story on his father had led to Nat’s dismissal from portal "The India"  for a sudden painful skin condition that left him hospitalized for a week, and an unnatural case of night terrors so intense he’d been forced to see a psychiatrist.And this all happened after a friendly dinner with Mr. Gill.Oh god!Now nat can connect the dots.

He stared wide-eyed at the boiling martini, seeing it in a whole new light. The blood in his veins suddenly felt much too hot, and his overcoat stifling. Tiny drops of sweat began to bead on his forehead.

“Now, I’m a nice guy,”Shubman said pleasantly.He lifted his martini glass and blew on it gently. The bubbles disappeared, and the steam turned into tiny ice crystals that fell into the drink like small pieces of ice. A thin layer of ice formed on the rim of the glass, making a soft crackling sound. “I like a good time as much as the next bloke."

Nat shivered, the sweat on his body rapidly cooling and catching the smallest of drafts. Is Shubman doing this to me? he thought wildly. Or am I imagining things.

“But you know what gets me down, Nat?”

Nat shook his head. Goose-bumps were beginning to prickle on his arms.

Shubman’s smile could have frozen every drink within ten feet. “When someone upsets my boyfriend.”

He lifted his hand to the martini glass and gracefully traced his index finger around the frozen rim. Nat flinched, certain he could feel tiny, icy fingers crawling up his spine. “You see,Ishan is very special to me. I like to make sure he’s happy. And when Ishan’s not happy – well, I’m not happy.”

Nat gulped, and rubbed at his arms to warm them. His body temperature felt like it was dropping, and he tugged his overcoat closer, feeling a chill deep in his bones.

“Ishan has had a bit of trouble with the paps” Shubman continued thoughtfully. He smoothly lifted the olive garnish out of the glass. It was speared by a cheap plastic stick and coated with frost. “The paps weren’t very nice to him when he lost his contract. I’m sure you can appreciate that he doesn’t enjoy having his personal life splashed across the news portal for all to read"

As Nat continued to shiver,Shubman raised the olive to his lips and slowly, almost obscenely, sucked it between his parted lips. A moment later, he slid it back out. The frost had melted from the heat of his mouth, and the olive glistened in the dim light. “You see,Ishan wants to be left alone by the press. And as his boyfriend, I see to it that he gets what he wants.”

He touched the olive to the surface of the martini in an almost dainty gesture. Nat had to stifle a gasp as the liquid immediately curdled, turning black and poisonous before his eyes. A foul smell wafted up from the glass, like rotten meat. Nat’s stomach lurched sickeningly, and he knew he was moments away from being seriously ill.

He lifted his gaze to Shubman, who was watching him with a malicious expression. Panic surged through Nat as he finally grasped the danger he was in.

“Let me make myself clear.” Shubman’s voice was soft and deadly. “If some filthy news portal publishes one single word from you that Ishan doesn’t like – if you make his brow furrow, or his lips pout, or, god help you, if you make him frown…then you’ll be seeing me again. And next time, there won’t be a martini and dry threat."

His eyes were venomous, like a rock producing fire. Nat wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t wet himself from fear.

Slowly,Shubman lifted the  martini and brought it to his lips. His eyes remained locked on Nat’s as he kissed the rim.

When he set the glass back down, the liquid was clear again, as if it had never been anything but gin and vermouth. Relief flooded through Nat in a powerful wave, and he sagged in his chair, exhausted.

“So I think we understand each other, yes?”Shubman suddenly said pleasantly. He reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet. “Drinks are on me.I ruined your martini its only fair. You have a lovely evening.”

Nat could only watch in a frozen sort of horror as Shubman smoothly dropped a couple bills on the table and then stood. He strode away, meeting Ishan halfway across the room. Nat could just barely make out the couple’s voices.

“Mmm, there you are,” Ishan said fondly, as he planted a big kiss right on Shubman's lips. “I’ve settled our bills. Are you ready to go?”

Shubman returned the kiss with passion. “Absolutely,” he purred. His voice was warm now, suffused with love and even tenderness.

They began to walk away, fingertips discreetly entwined. “Who was that you were talking to?” he heard Ishan ask.

Shubman kissed his cheek. “No one you need to worry about,” he said reassuringly, and then they were too far away for Nat to hear.

Nat remained seated for several minutes, toying with the stem of the new martini glass with trembling hands. When he finally thought he had a bit of his composure back, he stood. He just needed to pay a quick visit to the men’s room before going back to his flat and spending the rest of his life hiding from all things.
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As he stood in the men’s room, washing his hands, a muffled noise coming from one of the stalls caught his attention. Even scared almost witless, he was still a curious reporter, and followed his ears to the very last stall.

The door was ajar, so he tilted his head slightly and peered inside. Then he gasped.

Ishan Kishan was off his feet, pressed against the wall by Shubman Gill. Shubman's arms held him securely, and he was kissing Ishan's neck, muttering sweet words as he did. Ishan's trousers dangled from one of the legs wrapped tightly around Shubman's waist. An expression of complete ecstasy was on his face as Shubman thrust into him with careful strokes.

Nat could have had his story.Shubman and Ishan were much too wrapped up in each other to notice him. And the picture they made was sexy as hell:Ishan with his disheveled hair and flushed face and Shubman nearly shirtless, muscles flexed and glistening from exertion.

He could have an offer on their photos by midnight. Enough money to set him, Miss Nikki and a nice flat in Mumbai…

…Or he could live to see his next birthday. Quietly, he closed the stall door and ran.