Ishan's POV

Honestly, everyone's pissed at Shubman right now, and I mean, who can blame us? I never thought I'd see the day my OTP  would break up. Not in a million years.

When Shobhana stormed off earlier, we couldn't find her for the longest time. I was seriously worried—she was devastated, and now, I was pissed at Shubman. What the hell was he thinking?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Did he really get jealous just because Shobhana got that job with NYC Vogue? She didn't deserve this. Not from him. Not from anyone.

I walked back into the room, my mind racing, only to find the gift she had given him lying on the floor, discarded like it didn't matter.

I bent down to pick it up, and the broken photo frame almost felt like a punch to my gut. Damn, Shubman. How could you do this?

I saw Shubman sitting by himself, looking like he was in another world. I didn't want to talk to him, but this wasn't just about me. It was about Shobhana, and I wasn't going to stand by and let him treat her like this.

I ripped off the wrapping paper and was hit with the sight of the broken photo frame and the watch she had carefully chosen. 

She'd put so much thought into that, and here it was—broken. 

Everything was shattered. Just like her heart. And his.

I couldn't help myself. I glared at Shubman. "Why the hell would you do that?" I snapped, my voice a mix of anger and disbelief.

He just sighed, not even looking at me. 

"I don't know, man. I don't know what's wrong with me," he muttered, running his hand over his face, clearly defeated.

I could feel the anger in my chest, my heart pounding. I leaned forward and stared him down. 

"My best friend is heartbroken because of you. You really thought she was using you? All because of some stupid comment from some random idiot. I hate you for this, man," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. 

This wasn't just about him hurting her. It was about the trust that had been broken.

"I fucked up. Big time," he said, barely looking up, his voice tinged with regret.

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Yeah, you did. You screwed up, and I don't think she's ever going to forgive you for this." 

I could feel my own heart breaking, knowing how badly Shobhana had been hurt.

I shook my head and walked away, not wanting to deal with him anymore.

Virat's POV

The drive back was quiet. Shobhana was barely holding herself together, her eyes swollen from the tears, and I could feel the weight of what had just happened pressing on her.

"Anushka!" I called out as I walked into the house, Shobhana trailing behind me.

"Hey, you're back," Anushka said, flashing me a warm smile. But as soon as she saw Shobhana, her smile immediately dropped. 

"What happened to her?"

"She's been through a lot today. I'll explain later," I replied, leading Shobhana into the living room. 

I could see Anushka's concern deepening, but I was too tired to talk about it all yet.

"Sweetheart, would you like to eat something? I just made parathas," Anushka asked, her voice soft and motherly as she looked at Shobhana.

Shobhana, forcing a smile, shook her head. "I'm not hungry, thank you, though," she said in a small voice.

Anushka didn't press further, but I could see how much she wanted to. She just nodded and went back to tidying up the kitchen, letting us have some space.

I turned to Shobhana and gave her a gentle nudge. 

"Come on, I'll show you the room where you'll be staying tonight."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're not intruding at all, Shobi," I said with a small smile, trying to reassure her. "Come on, it'll be fine. You need a place to crash, and this is it."

She finally nodded and followed me upstairs. I led her to the guest room and set her things down. "I'll leave you to it for now. You rest. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

She gave me a soft smile. "Thanks, Virat. I really appreciate everything."

I gave her a quick hug, which she returned, before closing the door gently behind me. 

She didn't deserve any of this. It broke my heart to see her like this.

I walked downstairs to find Anushka waiting for me. Her face was full of concern, the worry written all over her.

"Tell me what happened. I've never seen her like this. She's usually so strong, so... bright," Anushka said, setting a plate of food down in front of me.

I sat down and began explaining everything to her. The fight, the breakup, the way Shubman had treated her. 

"It all happened so fast," I said, rubbing my eyes. 

"I don't know what got into Shubman. He's always been so confident, so sure of himself, and then he just... crushed her. He thought she was using him for fame or something. I don't even know where that came from."

Anushka sighed, shaking her head. 

"What got into his head? He's going to regret this so much. I bet he's sitting there right now, realizing what he lost. He'll be at her doorstep soon, begging for forgiveness. You know that, right?"

"I'm sure of that too," I said, rubbing my chin. 

"But the damage is done. I don't know if Shobhana will ever be able to trust him again after this."

"Well, he better start working on winning her back," Anushka said firmly, picking up her fork. 

"Because if he doesn't, he's a damn fool. And we both know how stubborn Shobi is."

I couldn't help but laugh, the tension in my chest easing just a little. 

Anushka was right, though. Shobhana was strong, and she wasn't going to let someone walk all over her. But damn, she deserved better than this.

Shobhana's POV (Later that night)

I lay on the guest bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. 

Why had Shubman said those things? I had never imagined that he'd think I was using him. We had so many good memories together. How could he just throw it all away?

I felt my phone buzz on the nightstand. It was a message from Ishan.

I'm sorry, Shobi. He's an idiot. But you deserve better. Please don't let him hurt you like this.

I stared at the message for a moment before replying.

I don't know what to feel anymore, Ishan. Everything hurts.

I could feel the tears threatening to spill again. But this time, I held them back. I couldn't keep letting him have that power over me.

Ishan's POV (Meanwhile)

I couldn't stop thinking about Shobhana. I kept replaying everything in my head—the hurt in her eyes, the way she left without a word, the broken picture frame she had left behind. She didn't deserve this.

I texted her just now. I'll make sure she's okay. I won't let Shubman get away with this. Not this time.

Shubman's POV

The silence in my room was suffocating. The lights were dim, the only sound in the room was the low hum of the fan above me. 

I should've been sleeping, but I couldn't tear myself away from the thoughts that were swirling around in my head.

What had I done?

I sat on my bed, still wearing my practice gear, the sweat from the game drying on my skin, but I couldn't bring myself to shower. 

I just couldn't. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the feeling of dread gnawing at me.

And then, my eyes landed on my wallet.

I hadn't even realized it was there until now. My fingers trembled as I reached for it, pulling it out of my bag with a heavy sigh. 

I never thought I'd be in this position.

Opening it, I stared at the picture inside. It was a picture of Shobhana and me, the one we had taken that day at the park. 

The one where she was laughing and I was looking at her like she was the only person in the world. The memory of that moment rushed back, and for a split second, everything felt like it was alright again.

She was in my arms, my chin resting on her shoulder as we shared that laugh. The sound of her laughter still echoed in my mind. 

I could feel the warmth of her body next to mine, the way her head tilted slightly when she looked at me, like she was always trying to figure me out.

Why the hell had I let someone else's words get into my head?

I ran a hand over the picture, feeling the glossy finish of the photo under my fingers as if I could feel the love between us through the paper. But all I felt now was regret. 

A sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Shobi..." I whispered under my breath as if saying her name could somehow make the pain go away. I screwed up so badly.

I stood up and began pacing the room, the walls closing in on me. 

What was I thinking? The jealousy, the doubts—they had all come crashing down on me like a wave I couldn't escape. And I let it destroy everything I had with her.

Was I really that insecure? That pathetic?

I grabbed my phone and swiped through my messages, but there was nothing from her. 

Of course. She probably hated me now. She probably wanted nothing to do with me.

But I had to fix this. I had to apologize. I had to make things right.

I started typing, my fingers trembling as I tried to find the right words. I love her. I've always loved her. 

But no, I couldn't send a message that simple. It had to be more than that. It had to be an explanation. A heartfelt apology.

I erased the message I was typing again and again. Nothing felt right.

"Why did I do this?" I muttered to myself. "Why the hell did I listen to someone else?"

I threw my phone onto the bed and ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside me. The picture in my wallet seemed to mock me now.

"Shobi, I'm so sorry," I said aloud, my voice cracking.

I sank onto my bed, staring at the photo again, my heart aching with the realization that I had lost the one person who mattered most to me. 

She meant everything to me.

I lay back, staring at the ceiling, feeling completely broken. How could I have let this happen?

Shobhana's POV

I had been lying in bed for what felt like hours, but sleep wasn't coming. The weight of everything that had happened kept me awake, and I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Shubman.

I had never imagined it would end like this. I never imagined I'd be crying over him.

But he had hurt me. The way he looked at me earlier, like I was a stranger to him, like all the love we had shared meant nothing. 

How could he think that about me?

I thought about the picture I had given him—the one with us at the park, so full of happiness. The picture I had kept in my wallet too. 

I hadn't realized it, but I had been holding onto that memory so tightly, hoping it was a sign of something that would last. But now it felt like it was all a lie.

"Shubi, why did you do this to us?" I whispered to myself, curling up under the blanket.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the ache in my chest, but the image of his face, the way he'd turned cold in an instant, refused to leave me. 

Why did I care so much? Why was I still holding on to a relationship that was already falling apart?

I glanced over at my phone. No messages. Nothing.

I reached for my phone anyway, unlocking it, and to my surprise, I saw that I had a missed call from Ishan.

Of course. He was probably trying to sort things out.

I quickly dialled him back, putting the phone to my ear, my breath shaky as I waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" Ishan's voice came through, his tone softer than usual.

"Ishan... It's just... everything feels wrong," I said, my voice breaking. 

"Shubman... I just don't understand. I thought we were good. But now—now it feels like he hates me."

I heard a sigh on the other end. 

"Shobi, he's an idiot. He's confused. But don't let him make you feel like you're the problem. You are amazing. He'll realize that soon. Trust me."

I tried to smile through the tears, but the pain in my chest was too much. 

"I don't know anymore, Ishan. I don't know what to feel."

"You'll be okay, Shobi. Just... don't let him break you. He doesn't deserve that. You deserve better," Ishan said, his voice full of concern.

I sniffed, wiping my face. "Thank you, Ishan. I just needed to hear that."

I hung up after a few more comforting words from him, but the emptiness in my heart didn't fade. I just wanted him back.

Shubman's POV

I stared at the picture again, my heart sinking further. I messed everything up.

The thought that maybe I was being stupid and insecure, that maybe I wasn't good enough for her, was eating me alive. I had to fix it. I couldn't let her go. Not like this.

I stood up, grabbing my phone again. This time, I knew what I had to do.

I had to call her.

But as soon as I tapped her name, the screen froze for a second. I wanted to hear her voice, but what would I even say?

"Shobi... I'm sorry." I muttered to myself, closing my eyes as I fought back the tears. I was a fool.