The smile on Shubman's face knew no bounds.

It was there on his face as he watched you finally give in to Shahneel and drink the weird looking drink.

Even as he asked if he could drive you home, even as he parked his car in your apartment's parking lot.

You could ask him to come over but you doubt he'd appreciate the attention if someone were to spot him, give the daylight and all.

Shubman turned to look at you, removing his hands from the steering wheel, still smiling.

You got hold of your sling bag, pretending not to know anything.

Not much worked though. The hint of a smile on your face gave it away.

Because you've been dreaming of this moment for months and it was real now.

"I'll see you tomorrow," you said and he gave you a positive nod.

"Tomorrow," Shubman was still beaming like a kid given cotton candy. "Can I pick you up?"

Hold on the door handle, you gave him a questioning hum.

"From home, tomorrow morning," he added. "Before practice, and after."

Like the time you fell in love with him.

You found yourself being captivated with every word he said.

Every time he smiled, you didn't want to look away.

With every movement he made, you didn't want to stay away.

"Okay," you and Shubman just stared at each other for a long time.

Like, a really long time. Until-

"Okay," he said too and the staring continued for a while.

Another brief staring contest later, you nodded for no reason and got out of the car.

If you were smiling like an idiot once you were behind the closed elevator door, there was no one to see.

After dropping you off at your apartment, Shubman drove directly to Ishan's place.

He dropped a quick text, asking him to be ready and with no other details.

"This better be important than my morning gym session," Ishan said as soon as he got in the passenger's side.

"Maybe," he replied and kept driving for a while, finally stopping by the side of a fairly empty road.

He sighed, knowing he had to come clean to his best friend.

"Ishu, do you love me?"

"Of course, idiot. What kind of question is that? I'd kill for you-"

"You don't have to kill for me," Shubman mumbled. "But something close enough."

As Ishan gave him a confused look, he took another deep breath.

They're best friends.

Sometimes they'd feel like they wanted to kill the other.

And the other times, together they could actually kill someone else.

Or help the process, to say the least.

So Shubman told him everything.

Starting from that odd feeling he felt in the café that day, leading him to break someone's hand, and ending with last night.

All while Ishan's heart rate went like -------^^----^^^^----^^^^^--------^^^----------------

"Shut up," he said under his breath.

"Yes," Shubman replied and looked at his best friend's blank face.

"No," the older one said but with more intensity this time. "Shut. Up."

"Okay," he mumbled and tried sinking deeper into the seat.

Ishan covered his face with his palms, rubbing it because was he actually hearing all this?

Broke an actual hand when people wanted him to break a leg?

Homicide?

"What have you done?" He uncovered his face. "Do you realize just anything you've put yourself into?"

Shubman kept his head down for a while, away from Ishan's scrutinizing gaze.

But he still didn't regret this.

Like said, he can never regret anything he does for you.

"I told her once that I don't love her," he started, head still hung low. "Even though she knows my feelings are the same now, I'm scared that it'll stay in the back of her mind all the time."

Shubman raised his head up again, determined eyes meeting Ishan's awaiting ones.

"I feel this compelling urge in my heart to make sure she knows that I'll love her till the day I stop breathing. If not, even after."

He couldn't risk having you away from his arms.

So anyone who's a threat needs to be eliminated.

Ishan stared at him, processing everything that's been said as a sort of conclusion swam in his eyes.

"Did you leave him there?" He asked after a minute of silence. "In the alleyway."

"No," the younger one shook his head. "I dragged him away. Couldn't have anyone find out."

"They can't when they're not sure what happened to him," Ishan added and he nodded.

No body, no crime.

"CCTV, witnesses?" He asked again.

"None," Shubman assured. "I checked the entire place."

"Good," Ishan sighed a little in relief.

This will be a lot easier.

"Ishu," he started again. "Will you bury a body with me?"

"Yes, Shubi," the older one smiled a little. "Where is he now?"

Shubman only stared at him for a moment before answering.

"In the trunk."