Hello! Shubman ji!

Hello! Boliye Ishan ji.

Did I call at wrong time?

Oh no no! I am free. Abhishek just went home.

Abhishek! I don't know why but I am not liking this guy!

Ohh. Ji wo bas aapse baat karne ka mann kiya.

"Bhaiya do ghante pehle hi to mile the. Itna bhi sabar nahi hota." Ishita spoke from behind.

"Ishita padhai kar le ja ke." Ishan pseudo- scolded her.

Sorry about this. She doesn't know anything.

Arey nahi nahi! She's sweet. Just like a sister I never got.

Here I disagree. She's a devil who is born just to haunt me.

(Ishan and Shubman laughs.)

Aapki classes kab shuru hoti hai?

Meri 10:30. Aur aapki?

11:00. Abhi ki bhi same time. We are studying the same course, you know.

Phir Abhi. Samajh gaye best friend hai to uski hi baat krte rahenge kya ye!!

Mayank's at 9:30 usually lekin kal 11:30 se hai.

Hehe. Nice trick to know about Mayank ji.

Ishan ji ek baat puchu? Aapki favourite sweet kaunsi hai?

Kaju katli. Kyu?

Aapko treat dene ki ichha hui. I'm so happy today. Mine is kaju katli as well. Abhi ki rasmalai.

I would delete this person from the world if I could.

Achha. Mayank too likes rasmalai. They might get along nicely.

No no! Abhi is my best friend. I don't want him to be someone else's.

Pata chale Mayank ji falls for his cuteness and I'm doomed.

He's talking about his best friend or... nevermind.

If that's the case, I don't want to share my best friend with anyone else as well. So I'm thinking of something.

Which is?

Let us be each other's best friend and then we wouldn't have to care about sharing our best friends with anyone.

* awkward silence*

Listen I'm joking. For now being friends is okay.

Nahi I was just considering it. *laughs* Honestly you're so....um.. Copper tellurium.

Hain!!? Kya matlab?

Kuchh nahi. Achha mujhe bohot neend aa rahi hai. Kal milte hain college mein if you want.

Ji theek hai. Good night.

* phone disconnects*

^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

The next morning (Ishan's POV)

A new day at college and most probably the happiest day for me.

Meeting my new 'friend'.

Thinking this I went to Mayank's house.

*knock knock*

"Arey Ishan beta!" The door was opened by his mother.

"Namaste chachi ji. Mayank kahan hai?"

"Mayank to aaj jaldi college chala gaya. Usne tumhe ya Ishita ko bataya nahi?"

"Nahi toh."

"Shayad bhool gaya hoga. Aur beta shaadi ki badhai."

"Thankyou chachiji. Mai chalta hu ab."

Mayank went to college early. Today? Maybe he has some work.

I started walking towards college alone, probably the first time since we got admitted there.

It was 10 am when I reached there and found Shubman ji standing by the gate. He looked at me approaching and smiled.

"Hello ji. Good morning." He hugged me.

"Hey! Aap yahan?"

"Mai bhi yahi padhta hu I guess."

"Haan I know lekin aapki classes to abhi nahi hai na."

"I thought I would go to Abhishek's house till our classes start. But he left his house early today. So I ran here directly hoping to meet you."

"Same. Mayank too left early today. And that too when his classes run late today."

"Nevermind. They might have some work." He shrugged.

Yeah right. My friend who never hid anything from me doing some secret work.

"So I was thinking-" He paused in between.

"What? Go on!" I urged him.

"Should we go on an outing today evening?"

"Outing? As in date... like a friendly one?" I smirked a little at him.

"You- you could say that." He chewed his finger nails.

"But evening? Why not now?" I liked the idea so I couldn't wait.

"With the classes and all?" He asked.

"I could bunk. But if you can't I get it." Maybe bunking classes is a bad idea.

"Okay! Let's go." He is convinced pretty soon.

But where should we go! I'm honestly so bad at things like this.

After contemplating a bit, we mutually decided to visit the newly opened supermarket— or mall as I've heard people say. From there we could think later what to do.

^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

We reached the destined place and after strolling here and there came to a section called 'TUXEDO AND SUITS'

Perfect!

"Shubman ji let's try some of these please."

"Uh... I don't wear such clothes. Abhi once made me try and it didn't suit me. Shall we skip please." He spoke in a low voice.

Although I hated the mention of that Abhishek, I kept my calm.

With the cutest of voices I could use, "Please chalte hai na. Aap apne mangetar ki itni si bhi baat nahi manenge. Kyuki mai temporary mangetar hu." I said and fake-wiped my tears.

"Okay chalte hain. Lekin aap mere dost hain aur agar shaadi nahi ruk payi to temporary mangetar se permanent pati bhi ban sakte hai. Isliye aisa kuch kabhi mat kehna."

Did he say permanent pati? Means he do consider me as his prospect groom. Calm down Ish! Breathe in, breathe out.

So we went inside and decided to play a game. We would pick one set each without letting the other see, change into it and then show it to the other

He picked up a set and went inside the changing room while I waited outside.

And....Oh. My. God!

He is looking mesmerizing in these clothes.

Pair of corresponding black pant and blazer with bowtie and a white shirt, it made him look like the most gorgeous man on earth. And those dimples just add to the beauty of his smile.

How could I not see this before!

I've just seen him in kurta pajama yesterday and today in a simple t-shirt and lower.

So this new version of him, wish I could capture this moment forever.

"How am I looking?" He asked shyly.

"Beautiful! Handsome. Just like the grooms in the church weddings." He looks sweet while blushing.

Next it was my turn. I picked up the first thing I found there.

"I'm not coming out. I'm shy." I said from inside the changing room.

"That's not fair Ishan ji. I too came out. Dikhana padega aapko." He started insisting.

And I started resisting. Until I felt a hand pulling me outside. But I'm better at resisting.

If you know what I mean.

"Tumse na ho payega." I teased (read: mocked) him and he.... left me.... instead of pulling.

Before I could register anything, he came inside.

"Wait wait! How could you barge inside. I might have been...naked." I could not think of anything else.

He laughed and pointed towards my arms.

"Oh! Yeah! Sorry! I'm leaving."

"Not like this. Let me look at you properly." He held my shoulder.

My breath hitched.

"In- in a cha- changing room. There's no- no space here."

"I mean if you've wore everything correctly. For clicking pictures." He turned me towards himself. "See your tie is not fixed properly."

"Oh. Okay thank you. But photos?" I asked confused.

"Yeah. Maine bahar bataya ki hamari shaadi honi hai aur hum reception ke outfit liye kuch options dekh rahe hai. And they agreed to click our photos so we could show to our family." He said with a cheeky smile.

"Good idea. Smart you are." I patted his back.

So we went out and their cameraman came to us.

"Sir aap dono ek sath kitne achhe lag rahe hain." He complimented us.

He clicked few photos of us with his instant camera, complimenting us in between.

We changed our clothes, collected the photos, thanked him and left.

^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

Early update today! Remaining date in the next chapter. Maybe on Sunday.