7 days

September 28

POV: Shubman Gill.

‘ Didi, do you think he will be okay?’ Shubman whispered to Simran.

Both of them lay in bed together, both too lost in their own thoughts to fall asleep.

‘ Who?’

‘Ibrahim..’

Shubman watched as Simran wrapped a few strands of hair around her finger.

‘ I …he's a military man, he will be okay’ she answered after a while.

‘ I don't want to be with these new men,’ Shubman complained.

He turned around to face her and poked her arms. She let out an annoyed sigh and turned to face him.

‘ They were hand-picked by Ibrahim, I'm sure they are good men'

‘ Yeah, but they aren't Ibrahim’

Simran rolled her eyes and tried not to think about how worried she was. She didn't want to let Ibrahim go alone, but she couldn't come up with any reasons to stop him.

‘ We should go with him…’ Shubman quietly said.

‘ Absolutely not. It could be dangerous!’ she answered in anger.

‘ Exactly Di…it could be dangerous, and we are sending Ibrahim alone…I know he's a soldier, but still…’ he tried to explain.

‘ Don't be stupid, Shubman’ she said in a huff and turned away from him.

Simran didn't want Shubman to see how worried she was, or how she was almost tearing up.

‘ I don't know Simran Di…if Ibrahim goes and something happens to him, I can never forgive myself…even if I can't help him with anything, at least I am there for him..’

Shubman played his cards and watched as Simran's body stiffened. She sat up instantly and turned on the lights.

‘ Are we going?’ Shubman sat up excited.

‘ Wait…we, we need to come up with an excuse to give dad…also we need to convince ibrahim.' she said.

Both of them sat, legs crossed trying to come up with an excuse.

‘ Uh, I will talk to Ibrahim, he won't say no to me ... .you can, you can convince Dada," Shubman hesitantly said, looking at her.

Simran glared at him and pushed him away. Shubman laughed a little and settled even closer.

‘ Let's say that …you are tired of being home, and maybe the change of scenery would help you’ Simran tried to plan it out.

‘ Yes…and uh, people will see me, and my fans will know that I'm okay. I can make a post here and there?’ Shubman added.

Simran nodded and looked at Shubman who was smiling widely. Maybe Kolkata will help him heal a little.

‘ What if …what if it gets dangerous?’ Simran worried.

Shubman shrugged and let out a sad sigh.

‘ It can't be worse that this’

Simran nodded and kissed his hands.

‘ Talk to Ibrahim now, if he agrees now, I can convince dad tomorrow’

Shubman nodded and got off the bed. Simran gaze fell on his back and it ached her heart. There were bandages where the claw marks had appeared. Several other places had purplish bruises.

‘ Are you coming?’ Shubman's voice snapped her back to reality.

Both of them stood near the kitchen counter and watched as Ibrahim finished reciting the last few verses of the Surah he was on.