"Is the negroni okay? Should we get you something else?" Shubman asked, a hand placed on the small of your back as you held the drink.

"This is fine, Shubi. I like it," you assured him as you both walked away from the couple you had just been talking to. "She's really sweet, by the way."

"That's Anushka bhabhi," he told you, occasionally caressing your back just slightly so that you felt comfortable.

"So the person with her was Virat Kohli?" You asked, remembering what Shahneel told you about everyone she's ever met at these events.

You and Shubman drove to another city this morning. For most of the traveling time, you just slept in the backseat with your head on his shoulder.

When you did reach one of his mansions here, you took another nap in his arms before getting refreshed for the evening.

He wore an all-black satin suit, while you changed into a matching black sequin dress that you and Shahneel designed and made around the time you moved in. She helped you pick the dress for the gathering.

"I know him," you said when you noticed a person you recognized. "I went on a school tour to Kolkata once. People there talked about him a lot."

"Shreyas Iyer," Shubman said as he followed your gaze. "He leads the region between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal."

He walked you both through all the people that socialized with you and each other. They've been the nicest.

Meeting new people and having a conversation with them wasn't something you did at all.

But it felt good, actually. It expands your horizons, making you enjoy learning new things for yourself.

"You grew up around Kolkata?" Shubman asked because you could recognize Shreyas.

"Haldia," you said as you placed the now empty glass on the table beside for the waiter to take it away later.

You saw another person approach you both. He greeted you with a polite smile before turning to Shubman.

From what they said to each other, he had to be Rahul Dravid. In Shahneel's words, the person who shows the way through the underworld for those who just entered it.

A familiar arm wrapped around your waist as you looked around slowly.

You tried to appear unbothered but you felt someone's eyes on you.

Once Shubman was done with his conversation, another person walked towards you both.

His arms around your waist tightened a little and someone else with a very unsettling look stood in front of you.

"Shubman," he said with a smile but you believed he hid many things behind that. "The impossible has happened. My brother was right after all. You're finally in love."

"Neil," Shubman said with the same intensity. "And you're finally getting over your bland taste in colors."

And another one joined in, dressed similarly to the Neil guy. "Hey, Shubi."

"Hey to you too, Sidharth," he said and you didn't know that this is the person who tried to kill you once.

Hell, you didn't even know that someone had tried to kill you once.

They had what appeared to be an amicable conversation. Obviously, their eyes gave out unspoken threats.

You didn't like him. You didn't like his brother either.

Purely because of the fact that this Sidharth guy called him 'Shubi.' Someone else other than Ishan or Shahneel using that nickname was completely new territory for you.

But even when their eyes were on Shubman, you felt someone else watching you.

"And Y/n," Neil said, bringing you out of your thoughts. "Good luck surviving."

"Good luck not tripping over your self-esteem," you said bluntly.

You weren't in the mood for any long-like-river-Nile goodbye speeches.

As the brothers left, Shubman placed a small kiss on your cheek, beaming at you proudly.

"Shall we get some air?" He asked and you nodded, letting yourself be led across the room and to the elevator.

Two of his men waiting outside followed and stood just outside the door to the rooftop, watching. No weapons or guards were allowed inside the hall.

"How many storeys does this building have?" You asked with an amused chuckle, leaning over the railing and looking down.

"Eighty one," Shubman answered as he leaned his back against the railing too, a protective arm wrapped around you, ensuring your safety.

You hugged him from the side, placing your head on his shoulder as you gazed at the sky.

"Stars are much like us, you know," you mumbled as the cool night breeze hit you. "After several billion years of living, they die. Some fade away, others just explode."

"And when the last light goes out, it becomes a neutron star," he added, leaning his head against yours.

"How did you know that?" You asked while still looking at the stars.

"My uncle," he said as he turned around so that you both were facing the sky now. "He wanted to become an astronomer but ended up as a middle school physics teacher."

"Did he like it?" You asked, resting your forearms against the railing as you laid your head on it.

"He loved it," Shubman said, arms on the railing too, similar to your pose. "He even taught classes for me and di in school. And we enjoyed it a lot because he'd always bring extra lunch for us."

You smiled lightly, eyes not leaving the stars. "I never knew having an uncle was this fun," you said absent-mindedly.

Then you stared at the city lights that impersonated the night sky, then into his eyes that reflected them.

"You know, Shubi, I've been on a plane only once," you started. "A family member flew us all from Haldia to Mumbai for their wedding when I was sixteen."

One of your hands moved slowly to hold his.

"But from the top of the house I grew up in, you could vaguely see the airport runway," you ran your fingers across his knuckles. "And since it was more than a hundred kilometers away from the city, everything except my house would be silent."

Shubman listened intently as you kept your eyes on his hand, your fingers trying to trace every nerve that was visible.

"I could always hear them. I'd run to the rooftop, just staring at the distance while the plane went about," you took your hand off his. "Hearing the engines, just staring at it again as it took off and disappeared into the sky. That was my happiness. It was all I had."

You moved closer so that you could lay your head on his shoulder again.

"Then I met you," you said while holding his hand. "My life was a perfect streak for once, Shubi. I didn't want to risk extending the streak and ruin its perfection. Until I found you."

You stared at him quietly before letting go of his hand again.

"I used to think often about how it'd feel to be a star. But stars have a purpose," you weren't sure if the negroni had an effect on you.

It was only an average 24 percent alcohol by volume yet you were starting to think he deserved better.

"What's my purpose anyway?" You asked rhetorically.

Shubman turned his head to look at you on the verge of falling asleep over the railing.

You really weren't kidding when you said you can fall asleep anywhere.

Also, he's noticed you doze off quickly whenever it's cold.

"You just exist, jaan," he brought a hand up to caress your cheek. "That's enough."

Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on your forehead and then your lips.

"Do you want to go home now? You wanted to leave early in the morning," Shubman said and you nodded, standing straight and extending your arms towards him.

You waited till he slipped his arms behind your back and your legs, lifting you up bridal style so that you could hold onto his shoulders.

"Shubi," you called as he started walking. "We've been together for over a month and you've never asked anything about my family."

You laid your head on his shoulder, tugging at his blazer.

"I want to tell you," you said, the sleepiness going away.

Yet you didn't continue, not wanting to ruin the moment as Shubman carried you all the way to the elevator and your car that waited in front of the lobby.

Once you both were inside the car, you tugged at his blazer again.

"I'm all ears for you, baby," he said, pecking your cheek. "But you're nodding off and you really need to sleep right now. Okay?" He asked and you nodded, feeling your eyelids get heavy too.

Without another word, you moved so that you could rest your head on his lap.

Shubman didn't expect that but a smile graced his face nonetheless.

Bending down, he placed a kiss on your head, an arm on your shoulder as he patted you to sleep.

A/n

I wanted to write about the airport runway part in those words because my house is closer to one too, and that's what I actually do every time. It's one of the small things that brought me so much happiness when I was a kid.