Shubman's familiar warmth brought back vague bits of memory floating to Ishan's mind. World Cups...beach trips...their idols' retirements...his brother's wedding...
It seemed a little easier to accept that this was 2027, but maybe things had changed so little it still felt like 2023.
"Missed you, Shubi," was the first thing Ishan found himself saying.
"Oh, yes," said Shubman, laughter in his eyes even if not in his voice. "The past four hours were intolerable without you for me too."
"Were we awake that late?" Funnily, Ishan didn't feel sleepy at all.
"Yes, because someone got the idea of watching Ross saying 'I take thee, Rachel' four hundred times at 3 am? At top volume, without earphones, to keep his roommate awake as well?"
"It was my room, I call the shots."
Ishan pulled both of Shubman's cheeks, very hard. Shubman raised his hand to push him away.
The ring on his finger caught the light and glinted.
That ring was really starting to annoy Ishan. It made Shubman familiar hand look alien. Even ugly.
Why would one beautiful thing combined with another beautiful thing make both of them ugly? Did beauty cancel itself out?
Ah.
Maybe.
Ishan grabbed Shubman's wrist and pulled the ring off.
"If you want to bug me by hiding it, you have to sneak it off without me noticing," explained Shubman.
"If I threw it out of the window, will it bug you?" asked Ishan.
"Your laptop's in my room," said Shubman. "It will the ring right out of the window."
"If you can get to your room before me in these..." Ishan nudged Shubman's weird shoes with his normal ones. "What are these even called?"
"No idea," said Shubman, snatching his ring back while Ishan was busy contemplating on the shoe-like things.
"Give that back!"
"Like it's yours?"
The song volume had been turned up again.
"Tu lagave lu jab lipstick
Hile la arrah district
Zila top lagelu
Ho zila top lagelu"
Shubman and Ishan started singing along together, but they got past only one line when Shahneel marched into the parlour crossly, demanding, "Who put Yuzi in charge of the songs?"
They stopped singing quickly.
"He was eager for the job, Di," began Shubman.
"Why is your hair not ready yet?" She rounded on the guy who must be in charge. "He has to be down in--"
"It's not their fault, Di, Ishan spoilt my hair."
"I spoilt your hair?" said Ishan.
The song changed, louder.
"Tenu kala chashma jachda ae
Jachda ae gore mukhde te
Tenu kala chashma jachda ae
Jachda ae gore mukhde te"
YOU ARE READING
(Not) Just a dream (OR, the ICT steals a groom)
Fanfiction"Why steal brooms when you can steal a groom?" ~Sir Jadeja ~~~2023~~~ The ICT is tired of Shubman and Ishan's blindness and absolute inability to see what EVERYONE ELSE can: they're not *just best friends* who spend every moment of the day together...
