(Not) Just a dream (OR, the ICT steals a groom)

An innocent convict

"SHUBMAN! SHUBMAN!" Shahneel burst into the room Rohit and Virat were sharing barely after Virat's alarm had rung. "HAVE EITHER OF YOU SEEN THAT BRAT?"

Virat blinked against the sudden light. Rohit didn't stir.

"Isn't he in his room?" asked Virat.

"OBVIOUSLY NOT, OR WHY WOULD I BE ASKING YOU, VIRAT BHAIYA?"

Virat sat upright, trying to hold back a beam. "Check Ishan's room!"

After Shahneel stomped away, Virat shook Rohit and cried, "Our plan might have worked! Ro, get up, you lazy idiot, let's go and see if our plan has worked!"

That woke Rohit up, and they got dressed lightning fast and emerged out of their room to wake up the others. Many of them were already awake, and already beaming, because they had heard Shahneel's shouts too.

"I hope they have run away already!" said Rishabh.

"Do you?" asked Rahul. "And who will talk to Shresta's family, in that case?"

"You and Shahneel," everyone said.

They made their excited way down to Ishan's room and found only Ishan present.

"Where's Shubi?" demanded Hardik.

"Shahneel di took him away for getting ready," said Ishan, sounding both sleepy and disgruntled.

"Ready for what?" demanded Hardik, louder.

"Is this amnesia catching, Rishabh?" wondered Ishan. "I had it yesterday morning, you have it today morning, Hardik bhai--"

"Sh!" said Rishabh.

Of course, now that he'd hushed Ishan, everyone wanted to know about the amnesia, which was the last thing Rishabh wanted to get into.

He turned to Ishan and asked, "He still went to get ready? What did you two do last night?"

Ishan looked flummoxed.

"Just talked a bit?" he said uncertainly. "Shubi was getting second thoughts about the wedding--"

"HAH!" said Hardik.

"--but that's normal on the eve of weddings, right?" Ishan asked.

"No," said every married person in the room, that is everyone except Shreyas and Rishabh.

"It is not normal at all," said Virat ominously. "I hope you told him to back out if he's getting second thoughts, Ishan."

"What--no," said Ishan, affronted. "I'm not quite that selfish, you know."

"Wait, did you say selfish?" asked Rohit, like Christmas had come early.

"HAH!" said Hardik again.

"HAH," said Jaddu.

"What is wrong with you all?" Ishan yawned and got out of bed. "How did you all get ready so fast, anyway? It's just..." His eyes went to the clock and widened with horror. "Ten! It's ten?"

"Yes, it's ten!" said Rahul. "We thought we were getting ready for something...different, but never mind."

"Different what?" asked Ishan.

"Get dressed," said Rahul, turning to leave, as everyone did the same.

"DIFFERENT WHAT, RAHUL BHAI?"

"GET DRESSED, YOU MORON. THE WEDDING IS IN TWO HOURS."

Once they'd made sure Ishan wasn't coming out after them, Virat turned to Rahul.

"What d'you mean the wedding is in two hours? There is no wedding!"