Next Morning

Author’s POV

The morning sun in Ahmedabad was soft, golden... almost like it knew something special was about to unfold.

At a cozy little rooftop café near the hotel, Harman sat nervously at a corner table, fiddling with the straw of her cold coffee.

She was wearing a simple white kurti with blue jeans, her long hair loose, that tiny mole dancing every time she smiled talking to Abhi.

Abhi, of course, was being his usual chatty, teasing, loud self — and Harman couldn’t help but laugh.

"Bas kar Abhi," she said, hitting his arm lightly.

"You're embarrassing me already aur abhi woh aaye bhi nahi."

Abhi smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"Main toh bas scene set kar raha hoon ... tujhe toh thank you bolna chahiye."

Just then, Shubman walked in — simple black jeans, white t-shirt, black cap — looking effortlessly... deadly.

As he spotted them, something weird twisted in his chest.

There she was — Harman — laughing so openly with Abhi.

So comfortable. So natural.

He shook off the feeling and walked towards them.

"Hi," he greeted, flashing that warm smile.

Harman’s face lit up instantly, and she quickly stood up.

"Hi!" she said, a little too eagerly, and then blushed.

Abhi grinned, standing up too.

"Gill sahab, welcome! Baitho baitho," Abhi said, pulling out a chair for him.

Shubman chuckled and sat down, his eyes flickering towards Harman who was still smiling a little too brightly.

They chatted a little while having meal

Then suddenly

"so you too are besties?" Shubman asked, nudging his chin towards Abhi playfully.

Before Abhi could start his dramatic intro , Harman jumped in:

"ofc we are," she said, her voice affectionate,

"he's my best friend, mera pagal partner, mera crime partner... basically mera constant headache."

Abhi fake gasped.

"Waah, kya introduction diya hai! Aur bhi kuch bol de Harman... ladke ko dara de pure tarike se."

Harman laughed.

Shubman smiled politely, but inside...

Best friend? Constant headache? Crime partner?

Why did it sound so... intimate?

He hated how natural they looked together.

"So you two have been friends for long?" Shubman asked casually, sipping his coffee.

"Yup!" Abhi said proudly, throwing his arm casually around Harman’s chair.

"School se saath hain hum... inse alag rehna toh impossible hai."

Shubman’s jaw clenched slightly, but he masked it with a half smile.

Harman noticed it — the tiny flicker of something in Shubman’s eyes — but she stayed quiet.

The brunch moved on, lots of laughter, jokes, teasing... but Shubman kept finding his gaze drifting towards Harman —

the way she laughed, the way she pushed Abhi playfully, the way her dimple appeared and disappeared.

And every time Abhi said something that made her blush...

Shubman felt a strange pang deep inside.

He didn’t want to think too much.

He didn’t want to name it.

But it was there.

Growing.

Unavoidable.

At one point, Harman was showing Abhi something on her phone, and they leaned close together, laughing.

Without thinking, Shubman tightened his grip on his coffee cup slightly.

Abhi noticed it.

He smirked internally.

Abhi 1. Gill 0.

After a while, Harman noticed Shubman going quiet and turned towards him.

"Shubman? Tum thik ho?"

He immediately softened when she looked at him like that.

"Yeah," he said, clearing his throat.

"Bas... thoda tired."

Abhi grinned devilishly.

"Tired of us maybe?"

Shubman gave a fake laugh.

Not of 'us'... of him being so close to you, he thought but didn’t say.

They decided to leave after a while — and as they stood outside the hotel, waiting for car as they decided to head to a game zone for a little fun before leaving,

Abhi very conveniently got another fake phone call.

"Arre yaar urgent kaam aa gaya... Harman tu jaa Gill bhai ke saath, I'll catch you later," Abhi said dramatically.

Before Harman could argue, he was already walking off with a thumbs up.

She sighed.

"Yeh banda na..." she muttered.

Shubman laughed properly now, feeling a little lighter.

"Ab chalo," he said gently, opening the car door for her,

"warna tumhara best friend mujhe kidnapping ka case mein daal dega."

Harman laughed, sliding into the car, heart fluttering again.

Maybe... just maybe...

something beautiful was starting here.

Slowly.

But surely.

Like all great stories do.

------------------------

Inside the car, the mood was light, yet a little charged with an unknown excitement.

Harman sat next to Shubman, tapping her fingers on her lap nervously, while Shubman casually stole glances at her from the corner of his eye.

To break the silence, he asked, "So... Harman, you're from Delhi?"

She smiled, tucking a hair strand behind her ear.

"Yeah, born and brought up in Punjab, but living in Delhi since college started... MBBS kar rahi hoon AIIMS se."

He looked genuinely impressed.

"Waah... doctor sahiba," he teased lightly.

She chuckled.

"Not yet... abhi 4th year ka struggle chal raha hai."

He smiled warmly, liking the easy way she talked.

"And Abhi? Tum dono kaafi close lagte ho," he asked, voice casually neutral but eyes searching.

Harman laughed, unaware of the small spark of jealousy she was fanning inside him.

"Abhi... he's my best friend, like... mera family jaisa. We grew up together... I can't imagine life without him honestly."

Shubman's grip on the steering tightened slightly.

Family jaisa? Haan haan... sab best friends aise hi kehte hai pehle, he thought grumpily.

Trying to keep it casual, he smiled.

"Achha hai... kisi pe bharosa kar sakte ho."

Before Harman could respond, Shubman added with a smirk,

"Par mujhe lagta hai woh thoda overprotective hai."

Harman giggled.

"Obviously... tum batao, tum hote toh nahi karte protect?"

Shubman just gave a soft grunt, the idea of Abhi being 'that important' to her eating him up a little.

"Waise," Harman leaned in mischievously, "tumhare doston mein koi crazy wala bestie hai?"

He shrugged, smiling, "Bas team ke boys hain... but koi Harman-Abhi jaise special connection nahi hai."

His tone was teasing but there was a truth hidden underneath.

Harman laughed again, unaware how much that sound was becoming addictive for him.

Soon they reached the game zone.

The place was lively, full of lights and music, kids and adults running around, laughter echoing everywhere.

"Let's play mini golf!" Harman said excitedly, pulling him towards the corner where colourful golf courses were set up.

"Are you sure?" he teased. "Warning de raha hoon, main bohot competitive hoon."

"Bring it on, champ," she winked, making him grin wide.

They started playing — awkwardly at first, giggling as they missed easy shots.

And just as Shubman was about to give her a tip,

Abhi appeared out of nowhere, jogging towards them.

"Oye heroes!" Abhi laughed, throwing an arm around Harman's shoulder casually.

"Without me maze kar rahe ho? Sharam nahi aayi?"

Harman laughed brightly and pulled him into their group.

Shubman gave a tight smile, internally groaning.

Perfect. The third wheel is back.

They played mini-golf together.

Every time Harman missed a shot, Abhi would come behind her, guide her arms with his own, and show her how to swing properly.

"Aise nahi Harman," Abhi said, laughing. "Thoda aur force laga... main sikhaata hoon."

And he leaned in close — way too close — helping her.

Shubman's jaw clenched as he watched them.

The way Abhi’s hand rested casually on her waist, the way Harman laughed without any awkwardness...

Ugh. Kaash main hota uski help karne ke liye, he thought, hitting the ball harder than needed.

Trying to distract himself, Shubman went to take his shot.

He bent down perfectly, lining the ball neatly and hitting a clean shot right into the goal.

He stood tall, giving a proud, smug smile towards Harman.

"Perfect shot," he said, flashing both dimples.

Harman clapped excitedly,

"Waah Gill sahab, kamaal hai!"

Shubman basked in that attention for a second.

Abhi smirked to himself.

Jealousy level 100 achieved.

So he decided to tease more.

"Gill bhai, agar aise golf khelte ho toh ladkiyan toh waise hi fida hongi," Abhi said, giving him a fake innocent look.

Shubman laughed dryly,

"Ladkiyan nahi... sirf ek ki attention chahiye."

His eyes flicked to Harman for a second.

She blushed furiously.

Abhi caught it immediately and winked at her secretly.

They finished the game, with Shubman and Abhi constantly trying to one-up each other,

pushing each other's shoulders playfully, passing comments — but every time Harman laughed at Abhi’s jokes, Shubman’s mood dipped slightly.

After an hour of fun, they decided to leave.

All three walked back towards the hotel — but Shubman was disturbingly aware of how Harman always walked a little closer to Abhi.

Inside the hotel lobby, Abhi whispered something funny to Harman and she giggled, hiding her face behind her hand.

Shubman just stared at them.

Damn you, Abhi.

And yet...

he couldn’t help but want to stick around longer.

Even if it meant suffering his jealousy...

As long as he got to see her smiling.

------------

The three of them were chilling at a corner table with cold coffee and sandwiches.

Harman sat between Shubman and Abhi — smiling, talking animatedly, unaware of the silent war brewing next to her.

both guys pretending they were totally cool with it.

Totally.

Absolutely.

Except, Shubman wanted to kick Abhi off his chair

Abhi, being the evil mastermind he was, decided it was time to have some fun.

"So Harman," Abhi said casually, sipping his coffee, "yaad hai woh AIIMS ke fresher’s party waala scene?"

Harman chuckled, "Oh God, please don't remind me. Kitni bezzati hui thi meri!"

Shubman leaned forward slightly, curious.

"Kya scene tha?"

Abhi grinned wickedly,

"Madam yahan miss AIIMS banne wali thi... but stage pe jaate hi trip kar gayi."

Harman groaned, covering her face in embarrassment.

Shubman laughed, imagining it, but there was a tiny knot forming in his stomach seeing how easy and close they were.

Abhi continued, loving the attention,

"Main hi tha jo stage pe chadh ke madam ko uthaya tha warna toh sab hass rahe the."

Harman playfully punched Abhi's arm, "Drama band kar abhi."

Abhi smirked, adding fuel to the fire,

"Tujhe yaad hai na Harman, phir us din hum late night momo date pe bhi gaye the? Tera favourite street waala?"

Harman smiled warmly,

"Of course yaad hai... waise momos ab tak kisi aur ke saath utne ache nahi lage."

Shubman’s smile faltered very slightly.

Something unpleasant twisted inside him.

Late night outings? Secret momo dates?

He took a slow sip of his coffee, trying to seem unaffected.

Abhi, noticing the tiny change, smirked more devilishly.

"Waise Harman, tujhe yaad hai jab tu raat ke 2 baje mujhe call karke bola tha 'Abhi mujhe ice cream khani hai'? Aur main pagal banke tujhe leke karne aaya tha teri favourite icecream bhi badi mushkil se mili thi ?"

Harman laughed loudly,

"Haan... tu hi toh pagal hai!"

Shubman’s hand on the coffee cup tightened just a little.

He couldn't understand why the idea of Harman calling someone else at 2 AM... laughing with someone else... made his chest feel oddly heavy.

Abhi winked at Shubman, teasingly,

"Bro, tujhe toh pata hi nahi, iss ladki ko handle karna easy kaam nahi hai. Pura time pamper karna padta hai."

Harman rolled her eyes, "Shut up Abhi."

Shubman chuckled lowly but deep inside, he wanted to tell Abhi to shut up for real.

Abhi, sensing his jealousy building, leaned towards Harman dramatically,

"Aur sabse badi baat, Harman ka mood swing manage karna... uske liye special degree chahiye."

Harman smacked him again laughing, but all Shubman could see was how natural they were.

How much history they shared.

And how he was the outsider here.

His heart itched.

Not in a good way.

He cleared his throat, trying to snap out of it.

"Waise," he said, forcing a smile, "mujhe bhi dekhna padega fir ye pampering wali degree."

Harman smiled at him warmly, oblivious to the tension brewing between the two boys.

Abhi just smirked to himself, mission accomplished.

.....................

They were lazily sipping the last of their cold coffees when Harman suddenly gasped, clutching her head dramatically.

"Oh shit Abhi! Flight yaad hai? Evening mein jaana tha humein!" she panicked, checking her phone frantically.

"Mujhe toh packing bhi karni hai... kitna kuch reh gaya yaar!"

Shubman's smile faded slightly.

She was leaving tonight?

An uncomfortable tightness crept into his chest.

He casually leaned back, trying to act nonchalant, but his mind whirled — Bas itni si mulaqat thi kya?

Itna jaldi jaane wali hai?

He hated the feeling.

Before he could say anything, Abhi, being his dramatic self, threw his arms up exaggeratedly and sighed,

"Yaar badi sad news hai... tum dono ke liye."

Harman looked up anxiously, "Kya hua?"

Abhi made a fake sad face and announced,

"Flight cancelled ho gayi hai madam. Ab kal subah ki flight se jaana padega."

as if he didn't deliberately postponed it....

Harman froze, then blinked, then heaved a huge sigh of relief,

"Thank God! Mujhe laga sab gadbad ho jaayega."

Shubman, meanwhile, fought back a victorious smirk.

He didn’t even realise the deep breath he let out until Abhi caught his eye with a mischievous smirk of his own.

Caught you bro, Abhi thought.

Shubman quickly masked his face, pretending to be sympathetic,

"Arre, that's bad. But at least now you have more time to pack... aur thoda relax karne ka time mil gaya."

He tried to sound casual but internally he was doing cartwheels.

Abhi leaned in again, purposely adding oil to the fire,

"Relax? Arre relax toh hum Delhi mein bhi kaafi karte the na Harman? Yaad hai woh marathon Netflix binge sessions?"

Harman laughed, "Haan... aur main hamesha tujhe sula ke hi chhodti thi!"

Shubman stared at them — the familiarity, the ease, the old jokes.

He stabbed a French fry on his plate a little harder than necessary.

Abhi, noticing, added more wickedly,

"Waise Harman ko cuddle karte hi neend aati thi bro... true story!"

Harman's face turned red. "Chup kar Abhi!" she squealed, smacking his arm.

Shubman looked away, forcing a laugh, but inside, that ugly uncomfortable feeling churned stronger.

Why did he feel so... territorial?

He barely knew her.

Yet every word Abhi said felt like a punch.

Abhi was having way too much fun.

Finally, they decided to call it a day and leave.

"Chalo, dinner lounge mein milte hain 8 baje?" Abhi suggested casually.

"Perfect!" Harman chirped happily, grabbing her sling bag.

Shubman nodded wordlessly, stealing one last glance at Harman before standing up.

As they walked back towards the elevators,

Harman and Abhi laughed over some random joke, walking close together.

Shubman walked a step behind, hands stuffed in his pockets,

watching... noticing...

and without realising, wishing he was the one making her laugh like that.

They waited for the elevator.

As the door pinged open, Harman turned her head slightly and caught Shubman already looking at her.

Their eyes locked for a second longer than necessary.

A tiny electric jolt passed through her.

Shubman quickly looked away, pretending to fix his hair, heart thudding like crazy.

She bit her lip to hide her smile.

Without any words, something between them shifted — unspoken, yet loud enough for the heart to hear.

************************************************************************************************************

not abhi being a absolute  wingman

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