( 030 ) mother and bandaids
Shobhana's POV
"No way! You did not just do that!" I laughed, holding my stomach as I nearly choked on my drink.
"Oh, I did. And I have zero regrets," Shubman laughed back, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leaned back, clearly pleased with himself.
I couldn't help but laugh even harder. He always knew how to make me feel both completely at ease and completely crazy at the same time.
"Remember how you watched me leave?" I started the lyrics to our favourite song slipping out like they had been rehearsed.
Shubman raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a playful smile, "Oh yeah, and if it's okay with you... it's okay with me."
I nodded, smiling softly, "We could call it even."
"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "I think we can."
I glanced at the clock on the wall, and then back at him, "What time is it?" I asked, already knowing what his answer was going to be.
"3 AM," he muttered, yawning as he stretched and adjusted himself on the couch.
"Ugh, go to sleep, you workaholic," I teased, rolling my eyes.
He waved me off, "Nah, I'm good. I'll just sit here and pretend to be productive."
I raised my eyebrows. "Okay, well, if you insist. I'm going to finish my work, though." I grabbed my laptop and took my seat again, my fingers already dancing across the keyboard as I finalized the details for Taylor's photo shoot.
It wasn't long before I noticed Shubman had fallen asleep on the couch. I looked up at him and smiled. I couldn't believe how quickly he had passed out.
With a sigh, I got up and adjusted his head on the couch, slipping a pillow under it.
I covered him with a blanket, all the while whispering softly, "You're a big baby, you know that?"
I went back to my seat, packing up my things, but before I could leave the room, the weight of exhaustion hit me.
I glanced at the clock again—it was almost 4 AM.
After finishing up, I made myself a coffee and stepped out onto the balcony. The cool breeze brushed against my skin, and I let out a long breath, trying to clear my mind.
I plugged in my AirPods and started playing Taylor Swift on shuffle, letting her voice fill the silence. As I sang along, the words felt different now, more personal.
The city lights twinkled in the distance, but I didn't care. I was lost in the music, and for a brief moment, I let myself forget about everything else.
What I didn't realize was that Shubman had woken up. He stumbled sleepily toward me and rubbed his eyes. "Shobi..." he muttered, his voice thick with sleep as he gently patted my shoulder.
I took out my AirPods and smiled at him. "Oh hey, you woke up."
"Yeah," he yawned. "What are your plans for today?"
I turned to him and shrugged. "Well, I've got a meeting with Taylor at the café in a couple of hours. You wanna come along?"
His face lit up, as it always did when he was around me. "Yeah, sure! I'd love to."
"Where are you staying by the way?" I asked, my brows furrowing slightly.
"Some hotel," he replied, still looking half asleep.
"Dude," I said, rolling my eyes, "check out. There's plenty of room here. Come over. You can crash with me."
His face broke into a huge grin. "Will do, you're the best!" He cheered, walking toward me for a tight hug that I didn't realize I needed so much until he enveloped me in his arms.
The familiarity of it made me melt, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. It had been so long. Five months. Five months without this warmth.
"Let me go grab my stuff," he said, pulling away reluctantly.
"Go on, then," I whispered, watching him disappear out the door.
I plugged in the speaker and continued to work, but there was a new energy in the air now. Maybe it was because I was finally starting to feel like myself again.
Or maybe it was because I had Shubman back in my life, even if it was just as friends for now. But deep down, I couldn't deny that there was something more between us.
A few hours later, Shubman returned, bringing his bags with him. We rearranged things in the other room, trying not to laugh at how chaotic the whole situation was.
Once that was done, we had breakfast and got ready to head out to meet Taylor.
"You look great," we both said at the same time, and it was like the universe had decided that we were both meant to laugh at this moment.
We stood there for a second, smiling at each other, a little lost in the moment. "Let's go, yeah?" I asked, grabbing my bag and heading for the door.
Shubman nodded, following behind me. We stepped outside into the crisp morning air, and I opened the door to my car. He slid into the passenger seat, and I took my place behind the wheel.
The moment the car started, he reached for the radio, and suddenly the opening notes of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" blasted through the speakers.
I froze, unsure whether to laugh or cringe. "Uhhh..." I trailed off, glancing at him.
He nodded knowingly. "Yeah... probably not the best vibe for right now, huh?"
"Let me just change it quick," I muttered, quickly switching the station. "There. Style, much better."
Shubman nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, much better," he agreed, and I couldn't help but laugh at how silly we were being.
The car was filled with the soft melody of "Style," and for the first time in a while, the tension that had been hanging between us seemed to dissipate.
"God, I missed your laugh so much," he said, looking over at me with that soft smile of his.
I shot him a teasing look. "I missed yours too," I admitted, rolling my eyes.
The drive to the café was quick, and soon we were walking inside. It wasn't long before Taylor arrived, and I could barely contain my excitement. "Hi hi!" I greeted her, rushing toward her for a hug.
Shubman stood back, smiling warmly as he watched the exchange. I was in my element, and I couldn't help but feel like everything in my life was falling into place.
Taylor greeted Shubman with a warm hug, and we all sat down to chat, though it wasn't long before we found ourselves distracted by all sorts of random topics.
"I'll definitely check my schedule and let you know," Taylor smiled before we wrapped up our conversation.
As we left the café, Shubman looked at me and smiled. "You met your idol."
"I did, didn't I?" I said, practically glowing. "Oh my god, I actually talked with her! What even is my life right now?"
Shubman laughed at me, clearly delighted by how happy I was. "I mean, you are pretty amazing too, you know. Not everyone gets to be on this level with Taylor Swift."
"Stop, you're going to make me blush," I teased, nudging him playfully.
And as we walked back to the car, I felt a shift inside me.
Maybe things weren't perfect.
Maybe there was a lot left unsaid between Shubman and me. But in this moment, with him by my side and the world at our feet, I knew that things were about to change for the better.
And maybe, just maybe, we would both get a second chance.
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