The cacophony in the bar was camouflaging with the gaslighting demonic voices in Avinav's head. Once the alcohol was starting to kick in, it was calming him down, soothing his nerves in a numbing peace. He gulped down a few more shots of whiskey.. one.. two...three..four.. his head was buzzing already. He got up to walk towards the door.

Hardly did he mutter under his breath, "I'll still be able to drive back home, I guess", when he bumped into someone. He almost staggered and fell in their arms. In his half closed eyes and blurry vision, he saw that it's a man, quite more gorgeous than the average, his alcoholic sense of judgement said. Everything was becoming more and more blurry, he could hardly register anything and suddenly his consciousness snapped into complete darkness.

Avinav Sen, a 23 year old coming-of-age bestselling author. With an amazing height of 6', stunt body and abs, and a handsomely chiseled triangle face, he attracted a lot of girls at the bar but hardly hooked up with them. He didn't like the hookup culture as much but doing it once in a while sounded fun to him. Although his books were very popular among the young audiences, he himself didn't make much public appearances as an author and hence no one in the bar had recognized him or he'd have been surrounded by his fans. Earlier in the evening, he had called up his bosom pal Shaan for a night out.

"Shaan, I'm having a terrible writer's block. I need at least the smell of booze or I'll not be able to get even shit written down and I have been stuck in that same scene for almost three weeks now. And you know how much I like, rather love, discussing scenes with you while writing."

"I know. I'd be more than glad to help you. But I'm caught up in something. Um, my father is kinda sick and we've a doctor's appointment this evening. We can't miss that I'm sorry, hun. Like really really sorry."

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know about that. It's fine. I'll go alone then."

"Take care. Don't drink up too much and if you do, don't dare to drive back home alone. Rent a room and spend the night there."

"Okay, old grandpa."

"Shut up, you bloody fucker. You can screw someone too if you don't wanna spend the night alone."

"Ah, yep, gotcha. Bye."

"Bye."

Shaan Sengupta, a 23 year old biochemistry major, but professionally a photographer, was Avi's platonic better half. They'd been best friends since their elementary school. Except for their bachelor's degree years, they'd been together always. A little shorter than Avi, he's an epitome of soft pinterest aesthetic boy, unlike his mouth which was like a sizzling Thai level spicy hot red soup.

"Hey, man, are you okay? " The man, in whose arms Avinav fell, said. He made him sit on the nearest chair and asked the waiter for some water. He sprinkled it on his face a couple of times but Avi did not wake up. Necessarily, he went to the reception of the attached hotel and booked a room for themselves. He laid down Avinav on the bed and got out of the room and re entered the bar. He kept on looking for the guy he was trying to hook up with.

"Where the hell did this dude just fucking yeet off to? Wait- isn't that him kissing the guy I had hooked up a month ago? This shitty world is so fucking small, bruh." He said to himself and went back to have a few more shots. Being ditched and feeling dejected, he decided to go back to his room. He didn't wanna over-drink and get wasted unnecessarily.

He opened his brown leather jacket and black tee with the words imprinted "the next time someone asks my MBTI imma say LGBT" and kept it on the couch and went to lay down beside Avinav, but facing his back towards him. He turned back his face to catch a glimpse of the wasted man he just now helped.

"Beautiful", he whispered unconsciously and his lips broadened into a smile. He turned to face the wall again but something's just not right with him, he couldn't keep his eyes off him. Seconds passed, minutes passed, his fickleness and urge to keep gawking at Avinav multiplied. He turned towards him again, this time not just the face but his body too, and extended his hands in a way to caress the face.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Mayu. You can't do that. One, he's a stranger. Two, he's sleeping. Three, he's drunk and wasted", his inner conscience said immediately and he pulled back his hand.

"You're such a treat to my eyes, stranger. Will fate bring us together ever again? I really wish it does. You know, you're like those few special crushes you get in your life which stuck with you forever and even though you know you'll never meet them again, there's a tiny part in you which wants to meet them again." Mayu AKA Mayank said.

A little while later, he felt a soft toe creeping up his leg up to his thigh and Avinav dragging his body clumsily towards Mayank. Mayank didn't unwrap the legs off him, but neither did he get any closer.

"Baby" a whisper came out from Avinav's mouth, which was enough to send a frisson down Mayank's spine. Even though Avinav's eyes are closed, Mayank knew the eyes behind those closed lids are alluring, he felt it in his bones. But he thought he may not be able to keep his hands to himself so he went to the couch to sleep.

**

"Hey, man, wake up. It's morning already. I gotta go." Avinav had been trying to wake up Mayank since the past half an hour. This was the last time he's trying, if he didn't wake up, he'll just write a note and give him half of the rent and go. But probably he didn't need to do that anymore because Mayank had finally woken up and got flustered a bit because he was half naked.

He opens his mouth into a big yawn and said while looking into his eyes, "Good morning. Sorry, I like to sleep without my tees on." He knew his bone feelings were never wrong. The hazel brown eyes were sweeter with a hot sizzle than hazelnut itself.

" No that's fine. Thanks for saving me last night. I was boutta drive back home is all I remember. Thank God you didn't let me do that. It was so irresponsible of me to even think of that. Anyway, here's half of the rent.", Avinav said and extended his hands with the money in it.

Mayank said,  "Thank you" and took it and put it in his pockets and went to the door to see him off.

"Do you need a ride? I'd be glad if I could repay you my owe." Avinav suggested before going out.

"Um, not really, but if you could wait for a couple of minutes, I'd go. Actually, I sent my bike for a repair just yesterday evening."

"Sure."

Mayank slipped into his tee and took the leather jacket in his hand because he couldn't wear that jacket in Delhi's 38°C temperature, for sure, and then went out with Avinav. They got on board Avinav's car and Mayank began the conversation on their way towards his physiotherapy center, where he's a part timer.

"Hi. I'm Mayank."

"Hi. Avinav here. So you're a physiotherapist?"

"I'm a part timer over there. I'm a full timer dance teacher."

"I see. Interesting."

"Are you in any way Avinav Sen, the author of I'm me only when I'm with you, the bestseller of last year, if I'm not wrong?"

"Ah, yep. You guessed right. I'm that Avinav." Initial reluctance to acknowledge his professional identity is clear in his voice.

"Oh my god. Sir, I love your books. I'm so glad that I could help you last night."

"Hey, please don't call me sir. It's awkward. Call me Avinav or Avi. Let's be friends, man."

"My bad, Avi. Oh, my destination has arrived. Gotta go. It was nice meeting you. Bye." Mayank said and got out of the car waving him a goodbye. Avi waved back to him too.

As soon as Avi reached his house at Chittaranjan Park in half an hour, he got a mail from The Young Writers Association. If what he was expecting is the reality, it'll be one of his biggest dreams coming true. He opened the letter while his heart was skipping a beat, hands shaking and currents of enthrallment running across his body. 

"FUCK. DID I JUST GET NOMINATED- OH MY GOD. FUCK." Avinav leaped and yelled a couple more swear words before he hurriedly dialled Shaan and let him know about the good news. Following which, he informed his parents, who weren't really encouraging in Avinav pursuing writing as a career in his initial days by virtue of their reasonable skepticism of whether he'll be able make a decent living out of it, but seeing the fame and success and happiness Avinav has achieved, they were proud of him now.

Last night's alcohol and a good sleep and today's mail additively had boosted up his motivation and urge to write more. He took a quick shower and sat down to write. "Being the main character is all cute and fun until it's non-fiction."