Song of the chapter is Ribs by Lorde

-10-
-Siya Malhotra-
-Present-

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Delmore Inn
11 November, 2030
11:38 pm

"And how exactly do you plan to ‘be seventeen’ again?"

The question popped off my lips as soon as Zoya's words settled in.

"Don't worry, princess. I've got a plan." Zoya smirked at me before looking at Kartik.

Fifteen minutes later, all of us were huddled up in Kartik's jet black bentley, that was parked at the Inn's parking lot.

"What's your plan, Zoya?" Kartik chimed once we had all settled in.

"Okay...so as you know, due to very fucked up circumstances, we couldn't really enjoy our last days of teen hood and that has left a huge void in us." Zoya voiced, shifting in her seat. Her and Veronica were sitting together at the back while Kartik and I sat with our heads towards their direction.

"And tonight is for filling that void. Doing things that we couldn't do as kids. Being.....just some normal seventeen year olds." Zoya finished.

"But we're twenty eight years old, Zoya. We can never truly be seventeen again." Kartik pointed out the obvious fact.

"Well duh, Mr. Obvious! Ofcourse, we can't physically be seventeen again." Zoya chimed in her usual sardonic tone. "What I'm saying is that we can do things that normal teenagers do!"

"Like what?"

"Like drinking cheap beer from the local restaurants, going skinny dipping at night, getting high and stripping on the road-"

"Okayyyyyy I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves." Veronica sat up voicing. "Zoya, you might wanna slow down a bit."

"Not tonight, V. No slowing down tonight." Zoya gave her a devilish grin before looking back at us.

"We start the night with truth or dare."

"Zoya, we're not seventeen-" Kartik interrupted earning a glare from Zoya.

"That's the point, you dumbass." She then turned towards me. "Seriously, how did you marry this dumb fuck?"

I chuckled watching my husband roll his eyes.

"As I was saying, we start with Truth or Dare. Everyone has to do whatever dare or truth they get, no backing out policy." Zoya instructed. "And...you can only pick truth twice."

"What the hell-"

"Because I know you guys are dweebs and you'll just keep choosing truth to avoid doing a dare." Zoya explained before Kartik had a chance to go on further with his complaint. "Agreed?"

The rest of us exchanged looks before agreeing along.

"Great, so who wants to go first?" Zoya chimed excitedly. It was almost adorable to see her be this happy.

"Um....how about the only boy in the group?" I suggested.

"Way to rat me out, honey." Kartik said in a sardonic tone as he gave me a sideways look. I chuckled.

"Perfect." Zoya said, turning to Kartik. "So Mr. Malhotra, truth or dare?"

Kartik pondered for a moment before saying, "Dare."

"Damn." Veronica muttered. "Could never be me."

"Interesting choice, Malhotra." Zoya said, smiling devilishly. "Start the car."

"Is that the dare? Easy!" Kartik chimed excitedly, starting the ignition.

"No you dumbass, that isn't the dare. How did you think I was gonna give you such an easy dare?" Zoya retorted.

"Fair point." Kartik merely looked ahead.

"Drive to Downtown Liquors. I'll tell you your dare once we get there." Zoya said.

"Alrighty ma'am." Kartik muttered, and exchanged a look of helplessness with me before slowly driving out of the parking lot.

In a span of twenty minutes, we were at the Downtown Liquors, a store in Delmore which was quite famous for it's quality of liquor and it's 24 hour service. The shop had dimmed lights and there were two customers outside the counter.

"Okay Zoya, here we are." Kartik said as he parked the car on the opposite lane. "Now can you tell me what my dare is?"

Zoya put an arm around him from behind. "Patience, loverboy. Your dare....is to make one of those customers buy two beers for you."

"Is that all?"

"No, you have to drink the beer in both the bottles within thirty seconds."

Kartik's brows knitted as he looked back at her.

"Where....where do you come up with these?"

Zoya merely smirked.

Kartik huffed. "Okay, but why do I have to make someone else buy it for me? Can't I do it myself?"

"No! Because teenagers can't buy their own liquor." Zoya explained. "Tonight you're 17, not 28."

Kartik's eyebrows rose as he nodded.

"Okay, go!"

"Goodluck, babe."

Kartik gave me a sweet smile before exiting the car. The three of us watched as he approached one of the customers, who I assumed from his stature, had already had some to drink on this fine night.

Zoya chuckled as Kartik struggled to keep the man straight and ask him for the favour. The scene indeed was comical. I watched as my well composed confident husband shift nervously as he handed the money to the man and asked him to do the task. I was pretty sure Kartik was thinking that the man was gonna rob him and just run away.

It took two or three tries but the man finally understood what Kartik was trying to convey and made the purchase while Kartik stood at a lone corner beside the street light so that the shop owner didn't see him. Once the man handed him the beer bottles, he put his arm around him in a overtly friendly way and started talking.

I chuckled as I watched Kartik nervously nod and hum at his explanations.

It took almost ten minutes before Kartik somehow bid the man goodbye and half jogged half ran the way to the car and got in. Zoya and I laughed out loud as his flushed face came into view.

"That was awesome!" Zoya chimed excitedly.

"No! That man was already super drunk and his breath stunk! Ew!" Kartik uttered with disgust as he settled in. "If I hadn't slipped from his grip, he would've gone on and on about his wife and six kids."

"He has six kids?!" Veronica gaped.

"So he said." Kartik looked back at her. "Don't think he was lying considering the state he's in."

Zoya chuckled even more. "Time for phase two of your dare!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Kartik retorted, unscrewing the lid of both the bottles. "Here goes nothing."

"Lemme time you wait!" I said, taking my phone out.

"Seriously, whose team are you on?" My husband asked, throwing accusatory glances at me.

I giggled. "No teams here. You know how competitive I am, babe."

Kartik nodded sarcastically as I continued. "Okay ready? And....go!"

He started gulping the drink faster than I could process. Zoya kept cheering him from behind as Veronica and I chuckled even more. My stomach was starting to hurt from laughing this hard.

He finished the first bottle within fourteen seconds and the next within the next fifteen seconds. As he finished both, he took a deep breath.

"And you have completed the dare, Malhotra!" Zoya  shouted.

"And that too with one second left!" I chimed as I stopped the stopwatch on my phone. "Amazing!"

Kartik tipped his invisible hat once he was done wiping the remnants of the beer from his chin.

"Okay, who's next?" Veronica asked.

"Oh that would have to be my lovely wife ofcourse!" Kartik chimed before I could.

"What? Why me?"

"Because I said so!" Kartik voiced like a kid. "You ratted me out, so you're going next."

I pouted. "You're such a kid-"

"Siya, truth or dare?"

As the question landed in front of me, I inhaled a deep breath. The memories of my seventeen year old self flashed in front of my eyes. Seventeen year old Siya would've done anything but chosen dare. She feared everything. She lacked courage. She loved to live in her comfort zone.

Seventeen year old Siya would've definitely chosen truth.

"Dare."

"Wow two dares in a row! Impressive!" Zoya crowed.

"I'll give her her dare." Kartik chimed in as soon as Zoya uttered her sentence.

He gave me an evil smirk and I immediately started regretting my decision.

"Soooooo....my lovely wifey! Your dare is....that-"

"Oh just spit it out already!"

He chuckled. "That you have to perform a karaoke song. We'll get to pick the song for you."

"Oh how noble of you!" I narrowed my eyes. "But I'm guessing that's.....not it?"

He smiled in a sweeter manner. "No."

"Ofcourse."

"You have to perform the song in front of a full audience."

I widened my eyes. "Kartik no..."

"Yes, my love."

"Kartik, you know I have a terrible singing voice." I reasoned. "Plus...where are we gonna find an audience at this hour?"

"That can be taken care of." Zoya chimed in from behind. "Kartik, let's head to Savaryn's."

"That club in East coast?" Veronica asked.

"Why yes, V. How come you know of that place?" Zoya inquired.

"Uh...I used to hear the girls from our class talk about it.....so." Veronica replied in an undertone.

Zoya nodded. "Anyways, let's go there. The club remains open till 4 in the morning. I'm sure you'll find an audience there."

"Oh my god." I sighed.

Kartik chuckled before starting the ignition. "Now don't be a spoil sport, babe. You chose dare. So you have to do the dare."

I gave him a sarcastic smile and looked out the window. The rest chuckled behind me.

And that's when my eyes spotted the hooded figure on the rear view mirror.

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well well well, wasn't this chapter sweet?

honestly, writing such chapters is so fun because only i know what's coming next.

hehe (cue in *evil laughter* )

anyways, if you liked the chapter, make sure to vote, comment and share the book as much as possible!

love,
Bosedisha