"Virat bhai will kill us," Shreyas didn't look the least bit convinced.

"Where's the fun without the fear?" Ishan hit the older one's shoulder. "I played the same prank on Hardik bhai and his reaction was-"

"Ishu," Rohit walked up to him after a search that lasted longer than his journey towards vada pav. "Why can't you just stay in one place? Are you roaming in the garden?"

And before Ishan could come up with a reply for his captain, the latter was speaking again.

"Shahneel has come back and she's looking for you," he informed. "From the locker room."

"When?" Ishan asked because he had no idea she was here already. "Get the crackers ready," he told the still unconvinced Shreyas before running off.

Finally, someone he hoped can bridge the communication gap between you and Shubman.

He didn't want your friendship to become an uncertainty when-

Ishan's train of thoughts halted along with his steps in the locker room.

Never in a million years did he expect that a bawling Shubman will hinder his thought processing.

"What in the world," he mumbled to himself before rushing forward. "Shubi, what happened?"

And he didn't know what he said to make the younger one want to cry even more.

"He told me that Rachin asked Y/n out," Shahneel said first because her brother wasn't getting anywhere.

"She said she loves me," Shubman finally spoke, albeit in a broken voice. "And I rejected her. What do I do now, Ishu? I let her go."

He grabbed the hands of Ishan whose heart broke at the sight of those teary eyes.

What does he do?

He really doesn't know.

"Are you sure?" He asked, bending slightly so that they could look each other in the eye.

"I'm sure. He asked-"

"No, Shub," Ishan stopped him. "Are you sure about your feelings towards her?"

Shubman nodded rather too aggressively and he sighed, stepping back before rummaging around for his phone inside his kitbag.

If he could just have you both talk and clear any misunderstandings, just in case.

"Y/n," Shubman perked up at your name, turning silent as he waited along with Ishan for your reply. "Do you have some time right now? Just wanted to talk to you about something."

'Something?' You thought on the other side of the call.

You were already out of the stadium and thinking about the shortest possible route to the pharmacy.

"On call?" You asked and he hesitated before answering.

"In person, actually," he added.

"Ishu, I'm out with Rachin now," you let him know. "Shall we talk again in the morning?"

"Yeah," Ishan replied despite Shubman visibly stiffening. "Talk to you in the morning. Bye."

As you bid your goodbye too, the youngest in the room let the tears fall again.

The silence could do only so much to conceal your voice through the phone.

Much later~

'Thank you again.'

Your phone dinged with the notification of Rachin's message and you smiled, looking at it before typing a reply.

'Don't mention it. But the next brunch is on you.'

You looked up at the TV again, trying not to mind your housemate blocking your view.

'That's the best place I know so far in Malta, and she'll love the ring.'

Well, what did I miss?

Rachin needed specialist advice on the best place in Malta to propose, seeing as you've basically lived most of your life there.

It's his girlfriend's favorite place, and he wanted to keep it a secret until he actually proposed.

You left for your aunt's house right after.

"Y/n!" Your housemate yelled, finally bringing your attention back to her.

"Yeah?" You asked, blinking because you weren't sure where you left off.

"I asked you something," she repeated her question again. "Do you think she's a gold digger?"

"What?" You asked again, because why were you in the need to have this conversation again. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Just the whole thing."

As she undid her hairstyle, something she took extreme care of because of being a flight attendant, she looked at you for an answer.

"Why does everyone assume a woman is a gold digger if she's with a richer man?" You asked back.

"I don't know," she sighed sleepily. "Nan molla."

"But do you know what you know?" You chucked a cushion at her. "You need a whole day of sleep."

"I know," she threw the cushion back at you before walking towards her room. "Good night, Y/n."

"Good morning, Ara," you corrected her.

It was 2 am and you were binge-watching another season of The Mentalist, while eating gulab jamun mix.

'Did Shubman think the same about me?'