Mayank stared at Abhishek who couldn't even make eye contact with him.

“Abhi…how could you?” Mayank muttered. He couldn't believe Abhishek would have done all this, that he would lie to him.

He was sure he would have collapsed on the floor if he wasn't sitting on the couch. Ishan had taken them inside before telling everything to Mayank.

“Sweetie I can explain-”

“Explain what? Another one of your lies to my friend. He might be naive but he is not dumb.” Ishan retorted.

“Ishan please let me talk with him,” Abhishek winced. Ishan glared at Abhishek, ready to retort back but Mayank beat him to it.

“Yeah Ishan, stop. I want to listen to Abhishek as well. Please tell Abhi whatever I just listened is a lie right?” Mayank looked at him.

“Come on, tell me that Ishan is just joking and this is all a prank or something. Just say this is all lies and I will believe you. I would not question you even once, just say it is not true!” Mayank said looking dead at Abhishek.

Abhishek averted his gaze looking down at the floor and Ishan scoffed at him.

“Cat got your tongue now?” Ishan muttered.

“Ish please, not now.” Mayank mumbled getting up.

“Where are you going?” Ishan asked. 

“I don't know…but I can't be here. I have to go,”

—

“Why are you looking so happy?” Shahneel furrowed her eyebrows when she saw Shubman entering back home. 

“Ishan punched me,”

“And what is there to be happy about?”

“He touched me,” Shubman deadpanned looking at her sister.

“You have some really weird kinks,”

“Dii you won't get it, it's just the way he was curling his fist—”

“Shub, I am not interested in knowing how much more weird you can be.” Shahneel grimaced walking away.

“But dii, after punching me he hugged me and even cried on my shoulder.” Shubman said following her.

“You made him cry?” Shahneel stopped and turned back to look at him.

“I did not, he just cried by himself.”

“Tell me everything,” Shahneel raised her eyebrows looking at Shubman who nodded his head while gulping a bit at the hard stare of her sister.

“Okay so…”
—

“Sweeti—”

“Don't call me that,” Mayank scowled looking at Abhishek.

“I am sorry but please don't leave.”

“And why should I listen to you?”

“Because, I don't want you to suffer. It's my fault I know, but please come with me. You can be mad at me, don't talk to me, just don't leave.”

“How do you do this Abhi? Always trying to act so sweet, faking your emotions. It's all your fault but still I can't even once blame you for being the bad guy because look at you being such a gentleman. Acting like you care for me huh,”

“I am not acting, I swear. I really care about you I lov—”

“Don't, just stop right there.” Mayank sneered.

“Okay I am sorry, but please come with me. Be angry at me, but please don't suffer for my mistakes. Even your wallet is in our hotel room. You don't have anywhere to go as well,”

“And who's courtesy is that? I had my family here in Delhi only but because of you I don't have a family anymore.” Mayank sniffled and Abhishek's eyes widened at the sudden tears streaming down Mayank's face.

He wanted to wipe those tears and hug him but Mayank would never allow him to so he just silently watched those tears streaming down his face.

“And it's a good thing that I don't have anyone to be dependent on. Nobody even wants me, my parents, they disowned me, my best friend, he had been keeping such big secrets from me, my ex…he just wanted my body and my dad's company…and you, you not just kept secrets from me, you betrayed me in the worst way possible Abhi. So it's a good thing I don't have anyone. Nobody wants me anyway, I am just a side character in their life who they can use upto their convenience. Just a small chapter in everyone's life, they wouldn't even care if I wasn't present. They can just get another pawn and I would be replaced instantly.”

“You are getting it all wrong baby, I really love you. My love for you is not a lie.”

“Oh really? Didn't you come to me only because your best friend asked to keep an eye on me?”

“That was just one time, but after that I always came back to you only because I wanted to.”

“But Abhi, if Shubman didn't ask you to come to me that day, would you have ever come to me on your own?” Mayank muttered, wiping the tear stains from the back of his hand.

Abhishek pursed his lips, unable to answer that.

“That's what I thought,” Mayank chuckled, giving a tight lipped smile.

“Tumhe pata hai Abhi, I used to believe that you never lied to me ever because you have said it numerous times that you would never lie to me. But tumne mujhse kabhi jhooth nahi bola toh kabhi sach bhi nahi bola.”

[You know Abhi,  used to believe that you never lied to me ever because you have said it numerous times that you would never lie to me. But even though you never lied to me, you never told the full truth to me either.]

“I was a coward to not tell you everything I am sorry but please give me a chance to correct things,”

“Correct them? How will you correct them? What will you do huh?”

“I will do anything to make you forgive me, anything you ask me to, just give me one chance please.”

“Anything?”

Abhishek instantly nodded his head at that.

“Leave this shady side of your business. I don't care if it's your best friend you are supporting. But stop this mafia shit,”

“Okay, I will.”

“Really?”

“Really. I promise I will never do anything illegal.”

“Pakka promise?”

“Pakka promise,”

“Okay, promise me one more thing then.”

“Promise,”

“At Least listen to it first,”

“Doesn't matter, you are willing to give me another chance. I will do anything for you.”

“Uh huh, then as you promised already. You will not follow me or even try to stop me. Let me go, I don't want any of you. I am done being dependent on all of you.”

“B–”

“You already promised. You can't back off.”

“I did not promise on this. Why do you want to leave so bad? Don't you love me?”

“Is love enough though? I loved my dad but it didn't take him long to disown me. I loved my best friend, Ishan, he was the only true friend I had, still it wasn't enough for him to think of me as his best friend too. I loved you and you…”

“I am sorry but—,”

“Sorry ain't going to cut it! Do you think these apologies are going to make me feel better?! They are doing nothing except making me feel worse, so stop this nonsense.” Mayank screamed. He looked at Abhishek before storming out of the driveway of Ishan’s house with Abhishek following him.

“Stop following m—”

“MAYANK”

Abhishek was a second too late.

—

Ishan stared at the door.

He sighed trying to forget about Mayank's hurt expression when he told him the truth. The way he stormed out, yeah Ishan should have followed him but Abhishek had already gone and besides Ishan wanted to give some time to Mayank to cool down.

He would go back to him and explain everything to him after some time.

He would understand him, Mayank is his best friend after all.

He would, right?

Ishan does not want Mayank to leave him too. He was the only true friend he had.

He never wanted to hurt Mayank.

—

“And then?”

“And then we went to the jet. He was tightly holding the bag which you gave him. He didn't even let the guards take it—”

“Shub mere paas pura din nahi hai. Details nii chahiye jaldi se point par aa.”

[Shub I don't have a whole day. I don't need such minor details, just come to the point.]

“Sorry sorry,”

—

12 hours earlier

Ishan sat on the jet with the guards following him. Shubman also followed him and sat just on the opposite side.

“You are not coming with me.” Ishan scoffed.

“No, I am just sitting till they prepare everything. You will go in just 10 minutes.”

“I don't need your company, just go.”

Shubman nodded his head feeling a bit hurt but quickly masked with a smile getting up.

“It's okay, bye bye. If you need any assistance my men will be there for you.” Shubman said looking at him for a last time before turning away to walk down.

“Wait you fucker,” Ishan snapped.

Shubman turned around only to get a sharp pain on his nose. Ishan had punched him.

Shubman winced, taking a step back but couldn't as Ishan was holding his collar tightly. He jumped on Shubman, hugging him tightly. It took a second for Shubman to process it all.

And when he did, he quickly curled his arms around Ishan, hugging him back.

Ishan had his face buried in Shubman's neck while tightly clutching onto his shirt. Shubman let him, his arms holding him back with the same force.

“I don't hate you,” Ishan muttered, pulling away.

“Then why did you punch me?” Shubman asked, smiling widely.

“You deserved it,”

“I did,” Shubman nodded his head still smiling looking at Ishan.

“I am sorry,”

“You don't have to be sorry, it's okay. You can punch me again. I won't mind one bit.”

“I am not sorry about that. I did something horrible to you. You might not even forgive me.”

“It's okay, I have done far more terrible things to you.”

“Won't you ask me what I did?”

“I don't care, you can do anything. Besides, even if I ask you won't tell me,” Shubman shrugged and Ishan hummed.

“You are right, I won't.”

Shubman chuckled at that before pursing his lips.

“I will go now, bye bye. Will meet you soon—”

“You won't meet me again,”

“Yeah ri-”

“No, I am serious Shub. I don't want you back.”

“But I want you back and I promised you I won't come to you ever but I can at least hope that someday you will decide to come back. I can hope right? Hope to see you—”

“Never.”