Sorry guys! Couldn't update yesterday as I was back from a long road trip and was too tired to update..

Bhumi's POV!

Aryamann is in Bangalore with his brothers. They left two days ago, and he hasn't even bothered to drop a text message yet.

Ansh went to Pune from there for some business matters.

How rude!

Couldn't he just come back to Mumbai to spend some quality time with me? After all, we have been apart for eight long years.

And Jai. I have no idea where he is. The last I saw him was the night before my wedding. Though he said he would be there for the wedding, he didn't show up. I haven't seen or heard from him since.

Couldn't he at least send a text message saying that he is fine and doing well?

And poor little me is sitting all alone in this giant mansion doing nothing.

It's around six in the evening, and I have nothing to do since I got fired from the café and hired to do a project with Aryamann. And for some unknown reason, he doesn't want me there for the project either.

What is even happening around me?

"So what, Bhumi? What if you are alone? You have been alone for the better part of your life. And you did survive, didn't you?" My subconscious mind asked me, and I had to agree to it.

Since when did I become so needy?

"Just do what you always do when you feel alone," I told myself.

I took the paperback of the novel I bought recently.

It's about an Italian Duke falling in love with an English woman.

Ha! I have an addiction to these Harlequin series. The sexy romantic heroes, who have it all: wealth, status, incredibly good looks. Everything but the right woman.

Isn't that exciting?

I was halfway through the book when I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I groaned, as I hate it when someone disturbs me when I am reading.

"Coming!" I called out and opened the door to see Aditi standing there in a black halter neck tight-fitting dress reaching her knees.

She looked absolutely gorgeous.

The gorgeous gene seems to be abundantly given to the Mehrotra family.

"Hey, Aditi. Come in, come in," I said, and she walked past me straight to my bed.

"I heard that you have been cooped up in the house for two days," she said, and I groaned.

"Tell me about it. Your darling brother had me fired from the café and asked me to work with him on a project. And he himself left for Bangalore. I am going crazy doing nothing. I am not used to sitting idle," I said, and she chuckled.

"Why worry when Aditi is here? I have the perfect solution for your problem. Get ready, darling, we are going for a party," she said excitedly.

"Party? Is it someone's birthday? But I don't know your friends, Aditi. How can I come?" I asked hesitantly.

"It is not a birthday party, Bhumi. It is a college party. You know? The rich college kids, who have too much pocket money that they don't know how to spend it. They arrange such parties so that we can go and enjoy," she said.

"I know what a college party is," I said defensively.

"Have you attended any party before?" Aditi asked in confusion.

"No, but I have read about it in many books. You know? These bad boy romance books. Where the nerdy good girl, who never attended any party before, is forced by her bestie to go to the party and there she meets the bad boy and they fall madly in love eventually—" I said dreamily.

"Blah blah blah. God! Bhumi, you are so addicted to books. And what rubbish? Bad Boy and nerd, seriously?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! They are the best. Haven't you read any bad boy love stories before? You should, Aditi. You will simply forget the outer world," I said matter of factly.

"Not interested," she said, waving me off.

"You won't say that once you read about Elle and Noah. Or Tessa and Hardin," I said with a dreamy sigh.

"Who the hell is Noah Hardin and whatever?" Aditi asked.

"They are the infamous bad boys in the world of novels. There are more. Like Tyler, Ethan, Wade, Chase, Ryde. The list goes on and on and on," I said.

"Wait a second. Didn't you just say Noah and Elle. Tessa and Hardin?" Aditi asked.

"Yes."

"They are from the Netflix shows Kissing Booth and After series, right?" Aditi asked.

"Yes. They are Netflix shows. But they were novels in the first place. Made into movies later on. I am one among the readers who read those books long before they were made into movies," I said proudly.

"God! I don't know how Aryamann bhai deals with this every day?" She said, throwing her hands up in frustration, and I grinned at her.

"How lucky he is, isn't he?" I said, winking at her, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Now, come on, let's get you ready for your first college party," she said, pushing me into the walk-in closet.

Aryamann's POV!

I kept dialling Bhumi's number time and again, but she wasn't picking up my calls.

Where the hell is she??

I am on my way to my mansion from the Mumbai airport.

I tried Rey's number, and he picked it up on the second ring.

"Good evening, Mr. Mehrotra."

"Rey. Is Bhumi okay? She isn't picking up my calls. I have been trying to get a hold of her for more than an hour now?" I asked, straight to the point, without wasting time on pleasantries.

"Hmm, Mr. Mehrotra, Bhumi isn't here," he said.

"What? What do you mean she is not there? Where is she then?" I asked in worry.

"She left an hour ago with Ms. Mehrotra," he said, and I felt relieved.

"Aditi?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, Mr. Mehrotra."

"Did you send a guard with Bhumi?" I asked.

"I am sorry, Mr. Mehrotra, but Bhumi refused to take a guard with her, stating that Ms. Mehrotra already has her guards with her and that would be enough," Rey said.

Rey, the man who never compromised on formalities with his employees, calls Bhumi by her first name. Because Bhumi wouldn't have it any other way. And eventually, Rey bowed down to Bhumi's stubbornness. I shook my head with a smile.

I hung up and tried Aditi's number.

She picked up the third time.

All I could hear was loud music and chattering.

What the hell is going on?

"Aditi? Where are you? Where is Bhumi?" I asked, without even greeting her.

"Aryamann bhai, we are at a party. At my friend's place," she said, and I could barely hear her voice through all the background noise.

"What party?? And why the hell did you take Bhumi to a college party?" I asked her furiously.

"Hold on a second, bhai. Let me move out of here," she said, and I heard shuffling sounds from the other side.

"Ha, bhai. Tell me now. What do you want?" She asked.

"Where is Bhumi?" I asked straight to the point.

"Aww. I love you too, bhai. I am doing fine too," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Aditi," I called in a no-nonsense voice.

"Come on, bhai. She might be married, but she is young. Younger than me. She deserves to enjoy life a bit," Aditi said.

"You shouldn't have taken her to a college party, Aditi. What is she doing now??" I asked in exasperation.

"Oh, we were playing truth or dare. You called me right when the bottle stopped on Bhumi. I didn't even hear whether she chose truth or dare," she said, sighing in disappointment.

"Obviously, she will choose to dare," I said without thinking.

"Damn it. She will choose to dare. Where the hell is this stupid party happening, Aditi?" I demanded, wondering anxiously what new trouble Bhumi is going to land herself in now.

I don't even want to imagine what sorts of dares these college boys would issue. And no doubt she wouldn't back out of the dare.

After all, she is the dare queen!

Party Venue

The place was filled with the pungent smell of alcohol, and there were scantily clothed girls and boys rubbing against each other.

I could even smell the weed.

I weaved through the crowd and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight in front of me.

Bhumi was standing on a table in the centre stage, singing rhymes.

Seriously?

Rhymes?

And is she drunk??

Hell!! She is drunk!

And the stupid boys around her are recording her video.

I came out of my frozen state and rushed past the crowd towards the wooden table.

"Bhumi, come down now," I called out.

"Man. Back off. She is damn interesting and hot," said one of the guys who was taking the video.

I turned around and gave him a grave look, and he instantly backed off.

"Bhumi. I said come down now," I said strictly.

"Oh! Maann," she shouted in her slurred voice.

Maann? Who the hell is Maan!

Oh goodness. She is calling me Maann!

How much alcohol has she consumed already?

"What the hell, Bhumi! Come down," I said again.

"No. I am celebrating Mann," she said, grinning widely.

"Celebrating what??" I asked in irritation.

"Celebrating my first alcoholic drink," she said, clapping her hands and starting singing again.

"Five little ducks Went out one day Over the hill and far away Mother duck said 'Quack, quack, quack, quack.' But only four little ducks came back." She sang out loudly.

"Bhumi, come down," I tried again.

"No, Mann. Say Quack Quack," she demanded cutely.

"Quack Quack. Now come down," I said irritatedly, trying to pull her down.

"Not now. Say Quack Quack when mother duck says quack quack," she slurred.

"Four little ducks Went out one day Over the hill and far away Mother duck said," Quack, quack, quack, quack. " Say Quack Quack, Mann," she whined like a little girl.

"No, Bhumi. Now come down. Let us go home. Stop creating a damn scene here," I said angrily, and she started sobbing.

"You don't like me. You hate me," she said crying loudly.

What the hell?

Who said I hate her?

"No baby. I don't. Now come down like a good girl," I said, changing my tactics a bit.

"You don't hate me?" She asked with a hopeful look on her face.

"You know, I don't. Right baby?" I said, buttering her up a little.

"Then come on the stage and sing with me," she said, smiling widely.

"What??" I looked at her in absolute horror.

"You hate me," she cried out loud again.

"No no. I don't. Now stop crying," I said, climbing on the table with her.

"You do," she cried again.

"Three little ducks Went out one day Over the hill and far away Mother duck said 'Quack, quack, quack, quack.' " I sang out loud, earning an ear-splitting grin from her.

And that hit me like a punch in the gut!

"But only two little ducks came back," she sang.

"Two little ducks Went out one day Over the hill and far away Mother duck said.."—I sang.

"Quack Quack Quack Quack," she completed for me.

"But only one little duck came back," I sang.

"One little duck Went out one day Over the hill and far away Mother duck said—"she stopped there waiting for me to continue.

"Quack Quack Quack Quack," I sang.

"But none of the five little ducks came back," she sang sadly, as if she was hurting for the mother duck.

She is too cute for her own good.

"Sad mother duck Went out one day Over the hill and far away The sad mother duck said 'Quack, quack, quack.' And all of the five little ducks came back." We sang together, and she threw herself onto me and clung to me like a little koala.

"Whoa whoa," I said, hugging her back.

Damn woman!! Does she have any idea what her touch is doing to me?

Hell no!

"Sleepy Mann," she mumbled, placing her head on the crook of my shoulder.

"Let us get you home, baby," I said, picking her up bridal style and got down the table only to see Aditi looking at me as though she saw a ghost.

I glared at her. All this is happening because of her.

"Did you just sing rhymes with Bhumi? Am I drunk? I am seeing things obviously," she said, still in a daze, and I rolled my eyes.

"We will talk about this later, okay sis? I need to get Bhumi home. Don't think I will forget this ever. You got it?" I asked glaring at her.

"I am sorry, brother. The boys dared her to drink three cans of beer. I told her not to, as she never had alcohol before." Aditi said.

"She is under age for alcohol, Aditi.." I said furiously.

"She was being stubborn. Something about a dare queen. I am sorry, bhai. This won't happen again," she said in panic.

"Of course, it won't happen again. Because you are banned from my house," I said, and she looked at me in horror.

"No, you can't do that," she cried.

"Of course, I can. I just did," I said, walking out of the party with a knocked out Bhumi in my arms.

Of course, I won't ban her from my home. She is my little sister after all.

But the beauty in my arms is totally another case.

Maybe I should simply lock her in a tower and throw the keys away.

A/N

Cringe! Cringe! Cringe!

I actually forgot what all I had written in this book. Now reading it again while editing is making me want to 🤮 .. I shouldn't have started posting this in wattpad. Now that I have started, I couldn't leave it halfway since there are readers for it. Please bear with the stupidities I wrote when I was barely out of my teenage days..🥲

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Love,

SF❤️