Everyone converged on one smart response to Virat bhai.

"We'll think about it."

Funnily, Ishan didn't trust any of them one bit.

For a couple of hours, things were somewhat normal. Virat bhai was invited to dinner by Shubman's mother and Shahneel di returned home. Luckily, neither she nor Shubman or Ishan were forced to stay for the family dinner. Sometimes Ishan felt Virat bhai was a superhero too, like Shubman thought. He couldn't think of a worse nightmare than having dinner with three sets of stupid parents.

There, he had thought it.

Stupid.

Stupid. Stupid.

They didn't have any hold on him anymore.

When they were outside on the lawn, Shahneel gave Ishan an unexpected hug. When she let him go, Shubman did the same.

Ishan figured he must not be looking normal at all.

He didn't feel normal. He felt it in his bones that his parents would take him back tonight, somehow. All that nonsense about how they could have been more understanding....surely it was a bid to take him back and re-establish their power.

The thought of going back with them made his blood go cold.

Shahneel and Shubman were talking about Sara's show and how Virat bhai had turned up suddenly, which meant probably it was Sara herself who had urged him to. Shubman kept his fingers tightly wound with Ishan's, but it only made Ishan feel worse.

There was no way he would be allowed to stay back in this city....

There was no way but to return to his....home....hellhole...

"Ishu, I'm really sorry." Shubman broke into his worries. "I shouldn't have forced you to come."

"You didn't know they would be here," said Ishan.

"Still." Shubman pressed Ishan's hand to his chest affectionately. "Do you think we should leave?"

"To your relative's place?" asked Ishan.

"Yeah."

"No good," said Shahneel. "His parents are here, ours will definitely bring you guys back."

Ishan's words slipped out before he could stop. "Shahneel di, I don't want to go back with them."

"You won't have to."

They turned. Raj was striding towards them.

"Bhaiya?" said Ishan, astonished. "I didn't know you had come along...."

"No, Mumma and Papa obviously didn't tell me," said Raj, sounding furious. "They left when I was at the clinic. They couldn't have taken me along, could they....after all, I might have held them to the false promises of treating you nicely.... Have they?"

"Not, um, not very badly."

"Not nicely either," said Shahneel sharply. "They are still trying to take you back, hinting that you have nowhere else to go."

"I'll go and tell them to disown me, too," said Raj. "Then you and I will stay together, Ish."

Ishan was struck with awe and terror.

"Don't go in right now," Shahneel said. "Let Virat bhai try to soften them up first."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They didn't waste much time once Virat bhai was gone. All of them were drawn into a conclave again. The only bit of relief was Diksha's parents had retired to the guest room, which meant two less people against them, and Shahneel and Raj were present, which meant two more people for them.

"Ishan, we've booked the flight, we have to get to the airport in a couple of hours," his father said.

"He's not going anywhere with you, Papa," Raj said. "You disowned him. Now disown me too, and we can be homeless together."

"Don't be ridiculous," said their mother. "This is a serious discussion." She turned to Shubman's parents.

We'll think about it... Yeah, sure.

"We appreciate what Virat said," Shubman's mother began. "And it would be quite all right if it was a month ago, Shubman."

"Why?" asked Shahneel.

"He is engaged!"

"Diksha says no, Shubi says no, then who are engaged, their parents?" demanded Shahneel.

Ishan's warning look came too late. Shubman had already laughed softly. But he was so white in the face, Ishan was almost glad he had laughed, though it didn't bring any colour back.

"Shahneel, we have company," Mrs. Gill said furiously.

"Shubi, we can't do this to Diksha and her family, all right?" Mr. Gill said. "You must be able to understand how it gets with a girl who has been engaged once and has had it broken off. By being engaged to you, the whole country knows of it....if you do this, she'll have to face the brunt of it all her life. It will be a great wrong to her, and just because of your fickleness."

Shahneel banged her head against the wall so hard she clutched it immediately afterwards, groaning.

"Dad, how can Shubi marrying her when he loves someone else not be a bigger wrong to her?"

"She's a nice girl, he will learn to love her eventually," their mother said.

"That's not the point-" Shahneel lifted her arms like she was done. "You know what, carry on. Explain a bit more why this wedding is necessary."

She obviously meant it sarcastically, but her parents took it as encouragement. And Ishan's did too.

"Shubman and Diksha are engaged. I don't see why anyone has to explain why the wedding is necessary, Shahneel," said Mr. Gill. "Shubi, give it a bit of calm thought...."

"We have to go back, Ishan," said Mr. Kishan. "If you consider Shubman your friend, you have to leave to let him move ahead with his wedding."

"He's not going back with you," Raj said firmly.

"He's not going back at all," Shahneel shouted.

Ishan's parents looked at Shahneel in quite an uncomplimentary manner. That made Mr. Gill glare at her daughter like saying, Behave.

Shahneel did not seem bothered.

Mr. Gill moved closer to Shubman. "I'm your father, Shubi. I ask you to trust me like you've always trusted me for guidance. You and I are a team....and we haven't gone wrong, have we?"

As he spoke to his son, Ishan's mother came to take his arm, saying in a low voice, "Come on, Ishu. You can see the time for us to leave is right now." 

His father nodded and indicated at the door.

They had definitely planned it. His parents and Shubman's parents.

"Let Shubman sort it out with his parents," his father said.

"Shubman doesn't-doesn't need to-" 

Ishan turned to Shubman, getting desperate.

Shubi, please, please say something.

Shubman was looking at his father like he was seeing him properly for the first time. His lips were pressed together tightly, which Ishan knew was his stage just before crying.

He looked shattered.

And Ishan knew that whatever courage it had taken for him to stand up to his parents, or for Shubman to stand up to his mother, it would even thousand times magnified not be enough for Shubman to stand up to his father.

Everyone loved their parents. Everyone was grateful to them bringing them up, for the sacrifices they had made. Everyone wanted to make their parents happy.

But for Shubman, his father had always been his superhero. Shubman lived to make his father proud. All he had achieved in his career, he felt it worthwhile only once his father said, 'I'm proud of you,' and no one else's validation would ever be enough.

"I know you can appreciate what I'm saying, Ishan." Mr. Gill turned to Ishan, who wished he was anywhere but where he was. "You could make him see a bit of sense, so he doesn't think you stand in the way of the wedding."

"I...I don't...." Ishan stopped.

"Dad?" interrupted Shubman, flatly, as if to prevent any emotion from spilling over. "For a while now, I've suspected that I've always been a trophy to you. But every time that thought crossed my mind, I've given you the benefit of doubt. I've never had a rebel phase when it came to you. I've listened to you letter by letter. I played only textbook shots. I listened to elders. I didn't do anything that would make me anything but the shiniest trophy for you. But I believed I was doing it all not just to make you happy, but because I believed, if Dad is telling me to do something, it's because that's the best for me.

"Today, I'll give you the benefit of doubt a last time. If you force me to go ahead with this wedding and give up the only person I've ever loved and wanted to spend my life with, I may be your trophy one last time, but I will know that a trophy is all I am to you. And then I might still be a trophy...." His voice cracked. "...but I won't be yours at all, ever....ever again."

His face was flushed with whatever it had taken for him to say the last bit. His eyes were red from holding back tears. He was shaking all over.

Ishan wished he could hug him so he could let it out. But in front of these people, there was no way in hell either of them could do that. So he simply tried to catch Shubman's eyes to let him know how proud he was. 

But Shubman had eyes only for his father, who looked back at him. Mr. Gill looked about as shattered as Shubman did. They both seemed to be absorbing slowly what exactly Shubman had said.

When Shubman had fully grasped it, he turned away, silent tears pouring down his face. And he did not walk out for the dramatic effect or in defiance, he ran.