"Let's play a drinking game," Manav called out, he had been staying in Madison, Wisconsin for last three years and he had to come to his cousin's housewarming party cause it just two hours driving.

"We are grown up adults, we should play something else," said Arjun.

"Let's play 'two truths and a lie," Manav's wife Vedika piped in. "That always yields some interesting confessions."

"What could anyone possibly confess," asked Aditi, "that we don't know about each other already?"

"I never understood that game," Dhruv grumbled quietly to himself.

"Of course you do," Vedika said. "The idea is to bury an embarrassing confession to a series of implausible statements. The more implausible the lie, the more implausible the confession."

Arjun nudged Aditi's shoulder and leaned closer. The proximity of their body did not help Aditi, but it only started to flush her cheeks.

"You don't have to play if you don't want to," he whispered in Aditi's ear.

"No. I think it'll be fun," Aditi said, nudging him back. Arjun gave her a half smile before responding to Manav. "So how do we play?"

Manav strutted into the center of the circle, addressing everyone as if he was the proof the game.

"It's simple. You say three things about yourself or your life. Whatever, and one of them has to be a lie. We will try to guess which one is the lie and if we get it wrong..." he, said as he grabbed the bottle of cola from the table.

"We have to drink."

He glanced at Arjun who gave him a chuckled. "Like I am saying. you don't have to play."

"Yes, he will play," Aditi insisted with a twinkle in her dark eyes.

"No. It's cool. I wanna play!"

"That's like my Arjun Bhai," Ditiya grinned. "Listen, I'll go first and show you all how it's done. Since we all know each other pretty well. You can't give any hints." she said, pointing to the rest of the circle. She paced back and forth, tapping her cheek with a finger in thought.

"I speak four languages. I lost my virginity to someone in this room, and emm... I have a mole just above my belly button." Ditiya declared proudly. Everyone looked at Aditi almost at once, putting her on the spot.

"What? I just say which one I think is the lie?" She asked to stall for time.

"Yup," Her one other cousin sister replied with her hands on her hips. "Which one do you think it was?"

She glanced to Ditiya for help, giving her sister a cute poured face elbow in she wouldn't give her a clue. All of the options seemed weird for her. So she opted for the one she considered impossible.

"You didn't lose your virginity to someone in this room," I said slowly.

"Nope!" She swiftly unzipped her sweatshirt and lifted her top till her belly button and there was no mole.

"Wahe Guru, Ditiya," Vedika laughed beside her husband. "Any excuse to before you taking off your clothes."

Dhruv's cheek managed to grow hot, gut twisting. And oh god, did she just declared that Ditiya lost her virginity to him? He needed to leave this game, get some fresh air, and call Shreya.

Aditi looked a little displeased, and said, "you lost your virginity?"

"If you say so, Di," Ditiya said, shrugging. Dhruv caught the smirk on her face, and he didn't know whether he would rather slap her or kiss her.

"I will go," declared Arjun.

"Three things okay.... I know how to play tennis, I love my wife very much and I cheated on my university papers."

The game did not last much longer, which was good for Dhruv as his levels of concentration were nearly nonexistent. Ditiya's heavy gaze was leaving it extremely hard for Dhruv to think about anything else other than her skin and lips and hairs, Ditiya hands in his, whispered I will miss you. Dhruv wanted to die.

He escaped out onto the balcony as soon as they broke apart. He took some quality minutes to get his thoughts back in order, and just as he was about to call Shreya, but at that very moment he senses Ditiya beside him, he didn't turn around, elbow against the railing, brushing against Dhruv's arm. "Hi. Do you mind me standing?"

Dhruv looked at her, took in her smell and the light reflecting from her eyes. Everything in him screams I miss you. Screamed, why the hell do you keep leaving?

"Yeah... No... I mean Yeah...Yeah, of course."

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Done what... show my toned belly in public?" Ditiya asked, the words out of her mouth before she could realize. He held his breath and looks at Ditiya expectantly.

Dhruv sighed, and leaned over the balcony, looking down at the lightly snowy street below. "Yeah, that as well."

Ditiya waited for listening what mistake she did, and when none came, he says, "So, what I did wrong? I mean, you looked little annoyed after the game."

"Actually I was frustrated with me," Dhruv said instantly, tilting his head to look Ditiya in the eye. "It wasn't you. I just felt a little weird, and I don't know how to talk to you about it. I'm sorry. It is your life and what you do with it, is your choice, I totally understand."

"No," Ditiya said, shaking her head, "tell me, what did I say that made you angry."

Dhruv's eyes soften. "Nothing." He waited for a beat, and said, "I was just shy about you basically telling the entire party that we had sex."

Ditiya laughed a little, face heating. "Don't be like that. I just said I lost my virginity... and one doubted it was you. It's just a game, right?"

"Yeah, you are right." Dhruv said, a frown deepening between his brows, "I guess it's just a little - weird, is all. Since, you know, we haven't even really talked about it."

"We've talked about it."

"The bed beside me was empty next morning," Dhruv said. "I was cold and after three hours I just received a message saying you have safely reached Hammond."

They laughed remembering it even though the memory was anything but funny. "Yeah, but like, it happened almost three years ago, so..." Ditiya wouldn't even know how to address that issue on a regular day.

Dhruv scratched his fingers lightly along the freshly painted railing, back and forth, eyebrows knotted together. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"I mean, what was there to really say?" Ditiya asked, softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess." Dhruv raised his head, looking her directly in the eye for the second time. "For what it was worth," he smiled, leaning closer, voice dropped just above a whisper, "I still miss you sometimes."

His words knocked the air out of Ditiya and she felt her stomach plummet. All she could do was laugh obnoxiously, and avoid Dhruv's eyes, "funny... isn't it?"

To Ditiya's surprise, Dhruv began shaking his head. He laughed, and then he laughed some more but his words stayed lodged inside her chest. Ditiya was sure it was not true.

Dhruv did not have a clue what he was doing. There was Dhruv, with now more experience in life and a life partner, and while it was not something he would ever want to admit out loud, there was no comparison to what he got with Ditiya in few days. No matter how badly he had wanted to find it, and tried for it time and time again, nothing comes close. He often felt guilty because there he was now married to Shreya for two and half years, and loved her since he was eighteen, yet no matter if they were just talking, eating, getting intimate or doing nothing, something never felt quite right. Dhruv hated himself for having felt the way he did now.

The balcony door opened and Aditi stepped out, she took both of them into her arms and gave them a hug and a kiss on Ditiya's cheek. "I am so glad that you manage to come, you should have got Shreya along with you, Dhruv."

"Shreya was not feeling well," He faltered an awkward excuse.

"I will call Shreya on Monday to inquire about her health?" He gave Aditi a quick smile, but she could see how strained he looked and it worried her.

Aditi turned around to her left toward Ditiya and looked at her with a very, very upset, or concerned, or worried face.

"Mom had called me, asked me to ask you if you have considered your marriage plans."

"Well, I don't know. Maybe eventually!"

"What kind of an answer is that?" Aditi drew back and looked up at her younger sister, perplexed, her battle with a worried face "Don't you want to get married?"

"I don't know. My life is all right the way it is."

Aditi studied Ditiya thoughtfully for a moment, and then said, "Could I ask you something, Ditz?"

"Didn't you always?"

"You won't get mad?" Aditi asked, looking at Ditiya with questioning eyes.

Ditiya studied her sister for a moment or two before saying, "I don't usually. Why would I now?"

"All right. Here it is." Aditi brushed her palms together as she leaned against the railing of the balcony, "Has someone broken your heart, so have this attitude towards marriage?"

As soon as she heard the questions her sisters asked, she got very agitated. "What kind of a question is that?"

"Well. I was just wondering, that's all. 'Cause you seem unhappy ...well. I don't know . . . Different than you used to be. I guess. I mean. You need some affection and love in your life"

Ditiya colored, and said, "I can't believe Di, you would do something like this when you know what happened to you."

Aditi looked away from Ditiya, ashamed at what she had said. "l figure you must. I mean, you have changed so much since last years. It's okay. You can tell me and I won't be angry if you did anything wrong."

"Nothing is wrong!"

"Then why wouldn't you want to settle down? I am not saying marry our parents choose for you, marry someone of your choice."

Dhruv felt uneasy when they spoke about Ditiya's marriage. Granted, he wasn't love in Ditiya, but he was a man, and has had sex with her. That meant he didn't want to listen to talking about how she should get married.

He needed Shreya. He needed to talk to Shreya.

Dhruv locked himself in the master bedroom, he took a seat on the edge of the bed; the coldness of the bedroom floor underneath his bare feet gave him a chill. He took a deep breath, grabbed the phone, and dialed his wife, Shreya. It was quite late in the night and he knew she could be sleeping.

The thing was, they were supposed to come here together. They were supposed to come to his brother's house together early in the morning to attend the party and then spend the next day with his family. But then, they had gotten into a fight. Dhruv couldn't even remember how it all started. Something stupid and insignificant, the way Dhruv praised her cooking does not ring true because he was exaggerating, and then he was getting blamed for God knows what, like it was a bad thing that he was being a supportive husband. Somehow that turned into how Dhruv's family supposedly hated Shreya because they thought Aditi was the better daughters-in-law and they argued back and forth until Dhruv said, "Fine, then don't come!" to which, Shreya replied loudly, almost shouting, "Fine, I won't!"

After the third ring, Dhruv began to think Shreya had already slept. Shreya picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello,"

Oh, hey babe, did I wake you?" He asked.

"Not quite." She complained, "But I was quite comfortable. Why are you calling anyway?" she implored tiredly.

"Are you alright? Are you home?" Dhruv asked, choosing his words carefully, trying not to sound bossy.

"Yeah," Shreya replied in a disinterested tone.

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to give you a call and let you know that love you a lot and tell you I'm sorry for the morning."

He waited for a response from his wife. After a long moment of silence, his voice cracking just a bit, he said, "Babe, you there?" He thought, by now he should have a better read on Shreya, but her reactions and moods are so irregular, ranging from completely screaming and shouting, to too sweetest, and everywhere in between.

Her voice was low, and he had trouble hearing her, "I know. I love you very much Dhruv. I'm sorry too."

"I wish I was there though. It sucks staying on my own. And I love you more than I should and in more ways than allowed I love you." She took a deep breath and continued to speak.

"I know, babe. I wish you were here too." It was not really a lie. Except, well, and then things would be pretty weird and tense with Ditiya.

"Is -" Shreya began but, then stopped herself. There was a long pause, and Dhruv waited for it, chewing on his lip. "You know what? Never mind. Just enjoy your night okay, Darling? I don't want to fight. I'm too tired."

"Okay, yeah, me neither," Dhruv said, a little surprised. "Do you want me to come back home now?"

"No. No, it is okay. I think I am just going to go to bed."

"Well, I am missing you. I love you. Save a kiss for me."

"You too, Dhruv. That kiss belongs to me, remember?" She was just joking, Dhruv knew that, but that felt a little raw.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course."

Then Dhruv and Shreya said good-bye to each other and hung up the phone.

For a few seconds, he stayed very still looking fixedly at his phone, unsure of to what to think, and Dhruv wondered what it would be like when he would be home.

Dhruv spots Ditiya almost immediately once he re-entered the party, Ditiya sat Viva on her lap, she whispered something to her niece and giggled as she tickled Viva's stomach, and the little girl laughed and laughed. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Ditiya had their children on her lap. And felt guilty again for his thoughts.