Aleya giggled when RaRa chachu played rocket with her. She loved the feeling of flying through the air. Suddenly SKY chachu barged in the room and interrupted their fun, "Aleya, baby, you told us that you say Shubi and Ishu kiss, right?" "Hmmm." "Beta, do you know what that means?" She made a duh face, did these grown ass men think she was an idiot? "They are a coffle. Papa marry Shushu." It was satisfying to see her uncle getting embarrassed but she wanted to play. "Anything else, chachu?" "Do you mind?" "Why? They lofe, they marry. You told me their stories too." Why were these men so dumb?! She was annoyed, and about to throw a tantrum when a squeal caught her attention, "Aleyaaa!" She ran towards the door, jumping on the girl like a koala. "Sammy didiiii!" 

Vamika didi was behind her and the little princess jumped to her arms to smooch her cheeks, "Vami didiii!" "My cutie, kaisi ho??" She showed her a thumbs up. "Hi Rahul uncle, hi sky uncle!" The children greeted. "Didi," Aleya pulled Samaira's sleeve from Vami's lap, "let's play!" "Bye uncles!" And off the children went like whirlwinds. Sky and KL sighed in unison as their phones lit up with a notification from their group chat.

#ISHMAN-FOREVER🧿

*Pant added a new participant. Click here to know more.*

Junior Pandya: 

What? Where? Why? How? Who? Which? When?

KL:

Saale apni Wh words ki vocabulary exhaust karna band kar!

Junior Pandya:

Baby, main idhar kar kya raha hun?

Pant:

Harry bhai, apne group ka naam nahi padha?

Junior Pandya:

Omg!

Lol!

Lmao!

🤣

🤣🤣

🤣🤣🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

SKY: 

Tereko help karna hai toh kar warna 🔪🔪🔪💀

Junior Pandya:

😭🥺

Koi mujhse pyaar nahi karta!

😭😭😭

KL:

Saale mf! Spam karna band kar!

Junior Pandya: 

🤫🤐

Pant:

Returning back to our previous discussion....

KL:

We need your help to arrange a pool party tomorrow...

SKY:

At your farmhouse, at your expense.

Junior Pandya:

Ok.

Wait!

What the fuck?

Why will I pay?

KL:

Because I know for a fact that you ship ISHMAN!

Junior Pandya:

Unki ek beti bhi hai, lol🤣🤣🤣

Bas phere lena baki hai.

Pant:

Tumko kaise pata ki Aleya Ishman ki beti hai?🤔🤨🧐🔍🔍

Junior Pandya:

Mere haath bohot lambe hai. Tu nahi samjhega, bachchu.

Par meri jeb kyu kaate?

SKY:

Kyuki hum sab mein bank balance aapka sabse jyaada hai.

Junior Pandya:

Yeh kaisa logic hai?

Chhod!

Party kya only boys hai? 

KL:

Partners ko bachcho ke saath play date par jaana hai, bhul gaya?

Pant:

Mera ek question hai...

SKY:

Puch.

Pant:

Aleya ke saath kaun jayega?

Junior Pandya: 

Woh bachcho ka aaj raat sleepover hai. 

Nats ne bataya. Anushka bhabi ne message kiya hai.

KL:

Ok! Done. 

Guest list ready kar liyo aur raat thik 12 baaje, official group mein inform kar diyo.

SKY: 

Ek aur baat!

Junior Pandya:

Ji boliye. Bakne ke liye aur kya reh gaya hai?

SKY:

Tillu aur uske saiyyan ko bhi bulana.

KL:

Aur Abhiyank ko bhi!

Junior Pandya:

Kyu?

Pant:

Because tomorrow Gilli will be jelly.

Junior Pandya:

Zyaada jalaiyo maat. Paani toh Ishu ko hi maarna padhega na?

*photo send view once*

KL:

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

Pant:

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

SKY:

Yeh- yeh tereko kidhar se mila!

Junior Pandya:

Main khud li hai. 

5 saal pehle.

Bow before the king, peasants!

(Comment karna picture kaunsi thi)

Shubman exited the bathroom after completing his nighttime routine only to find an adorable bunny sitting on their bed, face scrunched in confusion, holding his phone, "Oye, itna maat soch! Tera dimaag seh nahi payega!" "Bhuvi bhai ka invitation aaya hai, official group main." "Kaisa invitation, dikhana zara?" The younger took the phone from the other, speeding through the birthday invitation of the older cricketer. The party was at his residence house in Meerut. "Kaunsa gift lena chahiye bhai ke liye?" No reply. 

"Unko kya pasand hai?" No reply. "Clothes zyaada acche rehenge ya accessories?" No reply. Gill did not give a fuck about anything else at the moment when he had finally got a moment with Ishan to himself! Why was the pocket dynamo focused on everyone else but him! He could not control his outburst. "SAALE JAB DEKHO DUSRO KE BAARE MEIN BAATEIN KARTA REHTA HAI!" Shubman shouted, throwing Ishan's phone on the bed. He felt guilty when Ishan flinched, "Pa-par gift?" He moved to sit in front of the baby who was leaning against the headboard. "Woh main dekh lunga." Shubman cradled Ishan's face between his palms. The shorter closed his eyes at the sudden overwhelming gentleness. He could take hurt, he could handle pain but he did not know how to tackle love, how to cage the fluttering butterflies in his heart waiting to be released, how to extinguish the glowing embers of love that blazed in Shubman's vicinity.

"Meri taraf dekh." His eyes opened on their own accord. Damn his body for belonging more to the taller than it ever did to him! "Kya hum kabhi humare baare main baat nahi karenge?" "Ishan swallowed the knot in his throat, "Kya baat karni hai tujhe? We are friends!" "Just friends?" He could not handle how dead Shubi sounded, so in a feeble attempt to probably make things worse, he stuttered, "Be-best friends?" Was that a single tear that glistened on Shubman's cheek when he suddenly turned away, taking his warmth with him? No, not at all! Who in the mother fucking universe was Ishan even kidding? Why the hell would the Prince of Cricket cry over him? Shubman was the literal definition of a green flag! He could score dates even blindfolded!

"Aleya kidhar hai?" Shubman asked in a desperate attempt to stop spiralling in front of Ishan. Best friend - how he hated that zone! But that was all he could ever be for his Ishu. It was tantalising, wanting something in your reach but never being able to actually have it. He almost missed the reply that she was having a sleepover with the other kids as tomorrow was their play date. "Jaake muh dhokar aa. Mereko sona hai." He climbed further on the bed, fluffing his pillow, preparing it for another night he would spend wetting it. As the bathroom door closed, he let the tears fall silently - it was a skill he had mastered. After the kisses they had shared, he had hoped that Ishan would also feel the connection between them. The guy even named his daughter after him for fuck's sake! But  he had been friend zoned again. From his side of the bed facing the window, Shubi could see the moon shining through the clouds. It seemed like it would rain tonight, the clouds or his eyes, did it really even matter anymore? 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Jai Shree Ram!

Toh meri aap sabhi se ek vinti hai. I am really thankful for all the love and support you have given to this story, but the time has finally commenced that I focus on my studies. My JEE Mains is on 27th Jan, followed by INO on 4th Feb, my boards start on 12th Feb and continue upto 15th Mar, then there is the second attempt of JEE Mains in April and NEET is on 5th May. To sum it up, mein padhai mein dhyaan nahi de raha hun. Toh mujhe ek do mahine ka break chahiye, agar mere Pyaare readers maan jaye toh. Agla update definitely 22nd Mar ke andar mil jayega, aur agar mera mann kiya toh usse pehle bhi ho sakta hai. Mereko ghar chhodna hai, and the only way out is college. Achha college agar ghar se duur nahi mila toh mar jaunga mein. So,...

Aapko kya lagta hai ki iske baad story mein kya hona chahiye? I am at a writer's block right now. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai.

I am so happy at Ram Lalla's pran pratistha. Shree Ram was the first one to recognise Trans rights as a king and now, I just pray to him that the government of India also recognizes the LGBTQ+ rights. Manifesting Ishman too as a couple. 

Bolo Siya var Ram Chandra ki........ JAI!

Enjoy, Adiraj.

I really wanted to make this fluffy but I am a cruel person who does not want my story to be over too soon. So, I made our lovely Mr. Gill cry. Now, let me run away before I get killed by crazy fans!