Time For Some 'Tea'

Anika was very happy when she saw everyone's smiles at the arrangement. She had set up the fire already, spread blankets with pillows and shawls. Right in front of each of the blankets were bowls of marshmallows and other campfire food. Avni excitedly hugged Anika who laughed when she almost fell down.

After the initial excitement died down, they all settled down, Meera on one corner, Shivaay on the other, facing her. Vedant was beside Meera and Aryan and Avni beside him. Avni pulled Anika right between herself and Shivaay.

"So, how do we begin?" Vedant asked, looking at Avni expectantly.

"Well, since Aryan cannot stand horror stories, we'll have to do with good memories. Like, for example, the three of you. We could ask reference questions that would lead to stories?"

Everyone nodded and Aryan grinned.

"It will be so much fun, outing their secrets to their wife and girlfriend."

"Yeah well, you are about to get married. Also, you are the one with the most comical adventures." Vedant smiled brightly and Aryan rolled his eyes.

---

They didn't know how long had it been but Anika's anecdotes and the guys letting each others' secrets out kept them all entertained. Currently, they were talking about how Aryan and Avni had met, both giving their opinions on every interaction, contradicting their soon-to-be better half.

"I am hundred and ten percent sure you wanted to kiss me, okay?" Aryan smirked to which Avni showed him her tongue.

"I wanted to do no such thing. I had plans of killing you."

"Murder by lethal kissing." Aryan winked and Avni shoved him while everyone else laughed.

"Leave our story, Aryan is intent on ruining it by messing with it. Now that we have an interesting topic at hand, let's stick to it." Avni grinned and in the dark, face illuminated by the fire light, she did look something akin to the big bad villian. "Your first kisses?" Clapping her hands together, she looking at everyone. Not at Anika because she could imagine her exact expression anyway.

"Uh no." The voice came from Anika's direction but it wasn't her. Avni tuned to find Shivaay with a solemn expression. "Not a good idea. I mean, you guys are you know, I mean just no."

Vedant looked at Aryan who grinned. "Shivaay, we all trust our partners enough. I am sure Anika trusts you too. She did tell me she was best friends with an ex of yours."

"No. Just no."

"Oh shut up Shivaay!" Avni frowned. Turning her face away, she called out, "Meera?"

"Uh," Meera fumbled. "Well, I had only one boyfriend before Vedant. So, him."

Eyes turned to Vedant. "Well, Harvard first year when Aryan was trying to find a girlfriend for me." Vedant rolled his eyes.

"Well, Vidhisha Kakkar from Grade 11." Aryan answered and Avni frowned.

"Of course you remember everything about her."

"But I know my last kiss was you. You know in the morning-" Avni punched him and he took her in a bear hug, laughing.

"My boyfriend in 2nd year." Avni shrugged.

Eyes turned to Anika who awkwardly looked at Avni. "Shivaay." she mumbled and Aeyand and Vedant hooted.

Shivaay looked at her with a proud grin, not being able to keep the happiness off his face.

Before they could continue, Avni stood up and glared at Anika. "You guys kissed?! Why was I not aware?"

Aryan pulled her down and Anika looked at her apologetically. "Missed it."

"Haww. See Shivaay, your kiss was so inconsequential for her."

"No, I think she was smart not to give you details of our relationship."

Avni scoffed, muttering something along the lines of how it would have not even been a relationship if not for Avni.

"Chalo, tell yours now."

"Nope. I'll pass."

"This is not fair!" Avni and Meera both whined and Shivaay looked at his 'friends' for help. Said friends, just shrugged, supporting their other halves about how Shivaay shouldn't be a spoil sport.

"Was the first kiss so horrible?" Avni asked and Shivaay nodded.

"Come on Shivaay, you shouldn't be lying." Vedant chimed in.

"I am not saying a word."

"Then we will tell it to them."

Shivaay stared at Aryan for a few seconds before sighing dramatically, which was very much unlike him. "As you wish."

He was about to launch into the story when his face darkened. He looked at Shivaay who was innocently looking at him.

"Oh God." Aryan groaned and looked at Vedant who shrugged. "You wanted to tell the story."

Sighing, Aryan began. "Well, it's from our first year at Harvard. I was a playboy. And before Anika gets extremely scandalized, I did go around sleeping with a few giels every now and them."

Anika shrugged, surprising everyone. "Well, I have been around you enough now to accept these thing things when coming from you."

Frowning, he continued, "So, I and Shivaay were not really on good terms. He disliked my jolly nature, I hated his uptight one. We were roommates, because Vedant suggested we could buy a nicer flat and you know feel home because we were all Indians. I and Shivaay took two different corner rooms in the apartment. Shivaay's was near the kitchen and Vedant's next to mine. I loved frat parties, Shivaay didn't."

"You sound like you guys were the next big cliché at Harvard." Avni mused.

"One fine party night, I brought a girl with me. The next morning, I woke up and realised that the girl was clingy. Like really really clingy."

He looked at his fiancé to find her expression darkened and sneakily took her hand in his, hoping she would not get too pissed.

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Scroll to the next part. Wanted to change it into third person narrative :P