Thousand Years | A Shubman Gill & Ishan Kishan Fanfiction ✓

Ishq Express, thodi dheemi

Winter, 2021 AD, Patna

It was the year-end. Ishan had the urge to look at the photos he had favorited throughout the year. As he gently scrolled through the pictures, allowing him to take a digital trip down the memory lane, he found a few screenshots, pictures from and of Dubai, but most of his favorited photos had Shubman in them.

There were all sorts of captures.
Candid photos. Goofy snaps. Adorable pictures. Full of swag.

There were even group pictures starring the two young men yet in every picture they were by each other's side.

Just taking a look at the pictures made Ishan feel a sense of contentment that was topped with happiness. He zoomed in to see his face in every picture and realised that in half of them he was laughing with his mouth open. Something about Shubman's company made Ishan feel safe enough to be every version of himself. Shubman seemed to have access to both Ishan's inner child and Ishan's inner man.

Ishan sighed, wondering what good deeds of his had brought him a bestfriend like Shubman.

Thank God, he was going to see Shubman tonight at the New Year's Eve party for he couldn't wait to laugh with him.

*****
Monsoon, 2022 AD, Trinidad.

Ishan was unpacking his suitcase when he noticed Shubman looking at a pale blue printed shirt of his with longing. When Shubman saw Ishan had noticed, he met his eyes and said,

"Merepe zyada acchi lagegi Aisa mujhe lagta hai." Saying that he thought the shirt would look better on him.

In order to annoy him Ishan hmmed in response.

Shubman made a sad face and decided to unpack his suitcase too.

"Saari duniya ke saath cheezien share kar sakta hai. Kabhi shoes share karega toh kabhi glasses." He mumbled under his breath annoyed at Ishan for sharing things like shoes and sunglasses with the whole world.

Ishan smiled, trying to hold his laughter as he said.

"Mayank se jealousy ho rahi hai, meri Jaan ko?"

Shubman kept taking his shirts out, all the more irritated when Ishan asked him if he was jealous of Mayank.

"Dekh Ishu, I'm immune to 'meri Jaan' now. It is not going to work on me." He said attempting a poker face.

Hearing this Ishan immediately got up and walked to Shubman, stopping only when there was hardly any distance between them.

"Kya hua, Man? Sab theek?" He asked using a rare nickname of Shubman. Whenever Shubman felt the heaviness of meri Jaan, he would resort to shortening Shubman's name and still calling him a version of Jaan by making use of 'man' which meant heart.

Shubman let out a long sigh whose warmth fanned Ishan's eyelashes.

"I am sorry for lashing out. My feed is full of your and Mayank's bromance for some reason, I don't understand why!! I haven't liked a single reel, haven't searched anything related to either of you two, yet! Virat Bhaiya was right. My life is better when I'm off the gram."

Ishan took each word of Shubman's as a testimony of how adorable this guy could be.

"Besides that, I really liked the shirt." Shubman said, a sheepish smile peeking at Ishan from the corner of his mouth.

"All you have to do, not just today but anyday, is ask, Shubman." Ishan said, using Shubman's full name to stress on the seriousness and sincerity of his words.

Shubman smiled. "Can I borrow the shirt?" He asked.

Ishan went back to the suitcase, took the shirt in his hands and answered, "All yours, meri Jaan."

*****

Winter, 2023 AD, Johannesburg

Shubman could not believe his eyes. Since the last seven days he had been talking to Ishan, revealing to him that he was considering getting a tattoo.

The two would send each other screenshots. Shubman had started with the desire of getting a small, minimalist tattoo but deep down he had the feeling that he wanted something grand. Every time he looked at a magnificent design, his heart raced and screamed : yes!

It was Ishan who was responsible of being the rational one and taking Shubman through the different stages of having a tattoo. The reverse had been true when Ishan was getting, "Trust the struggle" tattooed on his chest. His initial plan was to tattoo a song lyric but Shubman had made him realise the hazards of doing so.

And so now it was his turn to ask Shubman to describe why he liked the tattoo and whenever Shubman did not have a concrete answer and would realise that it was excitement that had made him like it rather than the design, they would discard the design.

Yesterday, Shubman had narrowed in on the phoenix's wings. Even after Ishan's incessant questioning, Shubman was certain that he wanted the tattoo on his chest. And his certainty brought some relief to his bestfriend who had been on his toes in India, wishing he was there to discuss a decision of this big a magnitude, in person.

During their last night's call Shubman had mentioned that he had been following a local tattoo artist and had chosen to get the tattoo done from him. He had secured an evening appointment for the next day.

Little did Shubman know that Ishan Kishan would fly all the way to Johannesburg to be there with him when he got his first tattoo.

Even though two hours had passed since Ishan had reunited with Shubman, when he sat down to get his chest tattooed and Ishan held his hand, reassuring his friend with his eyes that he was there to ease any pain he felt, Shubman teared up.

Throughout the duration of getting the tattoo, Shubman couldn't stop thinking about Ishan. A thought occurred in his mind.

Life would pass so blissfully if he had Ishan by his side.

And in that moment Shubman knew that he had fallen in love with his bestfriend.