Manik was slightly surprised to see me still roaming around in the club parking. It had been over thirty minutes since he sent me off, but he didn't seem agitated or irritated in any way. I looked away quickly, holding Navya to balance her. His gaze lingered on his jacket, that I was wearing. Being stared down by any man made me somewhat self-conscious but it being Manik threw my jitters like glitter in the air. I pulled the jacket taut, to cover myself. He pressed his smile and stood before her, flashing his teeth.

"Navya, hey." He waved and she smiled faintly. She tried to stand straight but tumbled into my arms. Manik rushed towards us and held her. My eyes traveled to his hand, scowling at him. "Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Chalo andhar. Humare saath party nahi karna hai? Chalo chalo." (What are you doing here? Come inside. Don't you want to party with us? Come come.) He managed to convince her and she was beyond happy to rely on him instead of me. He held her hand with one hand and the other was on her waist, constantly smirking at me for having his ways.

Maybe he knew I wouldn't leave if Navya wasn't coming. A possible theory could be that he wanted to hang out with me and Navya was one of his easy tricks to do that. So through her, he tried to coax me into staying with his group. I didn't want to be part of that group though; I wasn't ready to be bullied for 'wanting' to break into Fab 5, the losers.

I held her arm back. "She isn't coming anywhere. We need to go back home." I snapped and turned her towards the car but she pushed me away, and fell on another car. Then she fell on the tar underneath. 

"Nahi. Hume party karni hai. Tum jao. Amma wait kar rahi hogi." (No. I want to party. You go. Mother must be waiting.) She slurred, supporting herself with the car. Her eyes were shutting. God, how hammered was she? I looked at Navya's condition and then at Manik, whose expressions changed to portray his victory.

"Haan Nandini, Amma wait kar rahi hogi na tumhare liye? You go, no worries. I'll take care of her." (Yes Nandini. Amma must be waiting for you right?) His evil grin was apprehensive to perceive. What exactly were his intentions? By then I knew whether or not I was there wouldn't make a difference to him. 

I clicked my lips sadly. "I really wouldn't mind if it was concerning me. But agar Navya nahi aayegi mere saath, toh Amma daantegi." (But if Navya won't come with me, Amma will scold me.) Navya snapped her lips in dismay, agreeing to what I said. Manik's face fell.

"What's up, girls? Wanna play with us?" Cabir appeared from behind and I shook my head negatively. Given the location we were at, the parking lot, the last thing it looked like we wanted was to stay. "Come on. It's just Truth Or Dare." 

"Nahi khelna hume koi game. Navya, chalo na?" (We don't want to play any kinds of games. Come Navya.) I turned to open the car. Manik smirked and held my hand from the back. He locked it right above my butt and the length of his arm brushed my wounded back, earning a wince from me. Manik's grip loosened with concern. 

His smile remained evil. As he pulled me into him, he knew I would turn around to protect my back from anymore trauma. "Khelna toh hai hi, Miss. Murthy." (You gotta play, Miss. Murthy.) He murmured, closing his eyes as my palm rested rested on his heart. It became a sensual moment of some sort, with Manik hiding us from his friends. They were then at a fair distance away from us. 

Navya, too, lost her balance but Cabir came to her rescue. She put her arms around his neck and they had a moment of their own. 

Manik wrapped his arm around my waist, warming me up around that area while the other held my fingers. He ran his thumb over my knuckles, that felt soft to his touch. My eyes were open, studying his face up close as our foreheads met. "You know, you look... nice in... my clothes." His breath smelled like alcohol; I couldn't tell which one but I didn't like the scent. How drunk was he? Drunk enough to see the good in me or drunk enough to be seduced by me? We shared a tiny dance of our own, swaying from side to side. Nice? I looked... nice in his clothes?

The hand that rested over his chest pushed him gently and his eyes sprung open. In a split second, I was deprived of all contact with him. On some levels, I was worried about him too. I needed some answers, about our marriage, my dream that afternoon, his visions and expectations of the future. Maybe this is the perfect night to indulge in that conversation, I thought. 

The party hall on the other end of the club smell of booze floating around the room. I felt suffocated and nauseous. I followed the boys, to the girls who were already seated. Navya grabbed another glass off Mukti before sitting on a chair. "Take it off her, she already threw up at the parking." I gasped as I sat beside her, starting the circle. 

"So, let's start, since we have everyone we need. Everyone here knows the game already, right? So let's start with Cabir." Cabir's arms were around Navya's and Mukti's shoulders on either sides. 

"Of course dare, since truth is for losers." He slurred and looked at me and then at Navya. Navya giggled and high-fived with Cabir. God, all of these guys are alike. 

"Cabir, show us your sexy abs." Navya blurted before she could realise and everyone including herself gaped for a moment. The pain on my back became intense. 

"WHAT?" Alya screeched and Mukti and Cabir closed their ears with their palms. Honestly what the actual hell?

"Wow Navya ji. Kamaal hai." (Superb.) Manik mocked and she winked at him. Manik seemed unaffected by the gesture but I shifted uncomfortably, not only because of her but also because of the gang I was surrounded by. The wound on my back was beginning to terrify me. All this a couple of days before the wedding! 

Cabir lifted his shirt off his body and I seemed to be the only one to turn away. Manik was all smirks.

"Mukti, your turn." Cabir nudged.

Mukti smiled a sly smile. "Dare." 

"Go to that guy over there and seduce him." Manik challenged and pointed to a guy sitting with his phone, watching or playing something. Mukti nodded. She went over and ran her fingers on his face. She leaned towards him and moved her hand from his face, to his lips and then his chest and his thigh. He held her hand and leaned towards her but she let go of him. Her friends clapped at her and I sighed.

"Navya?" Alya questioned and she tilted her head up, confidently.

"Hum humesha sacchh bolte hai, toh make it truth?" (We always speak the truth, so make it truth?) The gang burst out laughing and so did she.

"Hahahaha... Who is the unlucky person you love?"

"Madhyam. Aur voh unlucky nahi hai." (And he's not unlucky.) 

"Manik." Mukti pointed and he crossed his legs and raised his knees to his chest.

"Dare." He looked at me through the corner of his eyes and saw me rolling my eyes. Maybe he was expecting something to do with me. I was sick and tired of those idiots.

"Kiss Alya." My eyes widened at Cabir's words. Manik eyed me with a cunning smile. Don't you dare, Manik Malhotra. But Manik leaned towards her and took her face in his hands as if she was the most delicate flower in the entire world. His lips closed against hers, locking gently. I couldn't believe my eyes. I grabbed the glass of liquid Mukti was holding and splurged it on their heads before stomping away.

***

"Nandini?" I heard some faint calls but I couldn't care much. I was just sipping my fourth glass of a pinkish liquid. It tasted sweet and airy and somehow, I was able to momentarily ignore those flashes of him kissing her.

"Nandini..." I heard another call but it was quite louder. I turned to the source and saw someone standing before my nose. My drink was grabbed in a fraction of a second and I pouted. I knew who it was but I tried to ignore.

"When I am talking to you, you do not behave like that." He tilted my chin to look at him. I jerked his hand away. He disgusted me.

"Kyun? Dard hota hai? Toh socho mujhe kaisa lagega? In front of your fiancée, you kiss someone else." I screeched my lungs out and he closed his ears. He tried to make me lower my voice but I had had enough.

"Nandini, listen... it's nothing like what you're thinking. It was just a dare." He stated calmly, trying to pacify me but he had crossed his limits.

"It was not just a dare, Manik Malhotra. I know it was not just a dare." I didn't know why I started crying. It hurt when he kissed her in front of me. Why can't he just understand me for once?

"Fine... whatever. Now will you come inside?" He accepted defeat and tried to convince me to not make a scene but obviously I didn't listen to him. I went on and on venting my frustration at him.

"Why do you care? Go kiss her na? Make out with her. Have..." I mimicked a dramatist and he shut me up. He grabbed my head in his hands and pushed me against a pillar. My hands protested but he was too good. In a matter of moments, I had totally forgotten about my anger. I threw my arms around him, grabbing his hair in my hands. He tilted my head slightly and locked his lips with mine, trying to use his tongue too. He slid his tongue in and out of my mouth and I submitted, helplessly. I dabbed his chest softly a couple of times and he left my lips.

"Never let those words slip out of your mouth, ever." He muttered, brushing my lower lip that had lost its color. The moment replayed in my head. I wasn't his. He couldn't just kiss me whenever and wherever he wanted. I had some self-respect. I pushed him away and tried to get away but he pinched the back of his jacket and clasped it, in an attempt to stop me.

"Ahh..." I yelped. He immediately panicked and pulled me towards him.

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