The next day, Mounika walked in slowly and looked very dull. Uday, in the same class as Mounika, kept shaking Anand and kept saying, "She looks sad, she looks dull, what happened? What happened, why is she like this?"

"Bro, chill. Maybe she has mood swings."

"Or maybe someone died in her family!"

Anand rolled his eyes. "Why are you like this? For god's sake stop shaking me!"

Uday stops as Mounika was sitting next to Akanksha. "What happened Mouni?"

"I've been dared."

"What?"

And Mounika whispers in Akanksha's ear. "Oh shoot!"

Uday, on the other hand, shook Anand again and almost shouted.

Anand loudly whispered, "Calm down you idiot!"

"What was she dared about?"

It was lunch time, and for the first time, Mounika didn't get her forks at the back of the cafeteria. Uday, who was waiting for Mounika to get something, was very confused. Anand, who knew Uday a bit too well, said, "Uday, I don't know if I should tell you this, but I think it's my responsibility to tell you."

Uday was even more confused. "You tell me all this fake news every single day, none of it is true. Like rememb-"

"I know what the dare is about."

Uday remained silent. He didn't move. He didn't want to know, because he thought he knew. He knew that Mounika liked someone, but didn't know who, but he thought it was either Aakarsh or Akshay, but his heart always said that Mounika is not that type. "Don't joke. You don't even talk to her."

"But I know her friends and Akshay's friends."

Uday was tapping his foot loudly, something he did when he was anxious in a negative way. He was blinking more than usual, trying to "dry" his eyes. "Shut up." Uday didn't even give eye contact.

"You have to admit it."

He gave a striking look to Anand, but he cooled down. "I don't want to know. Don't tell me."

"Fine, your choice." Anand always knew what was running on Uday's mind, so he never said a word to Uday.

It was the end of the day, and Mounika sees Aakarsh and Akshay with the prettiest girls in college, Ishika and Ishita. She was super scared to even look at him from afar, but she didn't know how to ask him out. But she had to, because if she didn't finish the dare, her friends would have posters near his room.

Uday runs out to at least get a clue about the dare, but he didn't want to. What is her dare? Why is she so scared? Wait, do I even want to know? No, I don't want to know. No, I do want to know.

As Mounika was nearing Aakarsh, Akshay started shouting, "Ishika, look at her! She's Mounika, and like her name, she is silent and makes herself a dustbin, hence the weight, hahahaha!" And everyone started laughing.

Uday was about to run up to Akshay, but Anand stopped him. "Watch."

Aakarsh stopped Akshay. "Let her say what she has to. Why are you here?"

Mounika looks down. "Tell me, I don't have much time."

Mounika saw Akanksha from the corner of her eye, giving her a thumbs up. "Um, uhh, I don't know how to say it."

"Just say it."

Mounika closed her eyes and said, "I like you."

Aakarsh stands up. "Say it again?"

"I like you."

"And what was the dare?"

"It is a dare, but it is true, I do like you."

Uday's heart stopped. Mounika's heart resumed beating as she let out her first breath after saying it. Aakarsh remained silent, for a while.