47. TRUTHDARE
Aadhya led them upstairs, stopping in front of a simple but cozy guest room.
“This is yours,” she said softly, opening the door.
Her voice had lost that usual spark… but she still tried to smile.
“Thank you,” Aarvi replied, still adjusting to the sudden shift in mood.
Vivan gave Aadhya a small nod.
“I’ll talk to you later,” he said gently—almost protectively.
Aadhya only hummed in acknowledgment and was about to walk away when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning back toward them.
"Are you both going to sleep tonight?"
The question hung in the air like an uninvited guest.
Aarvi immediately choked on air, her heart skipping.
Vivan’s eyes were wide, and his face was frozen in disbelief. What kind of question was that?
Neither of them could say yes or no without creating the wrong impression.
“A… Aadhya, what are you saying?” Vivan finally managed, his voice calm but tight with confusion.
Aadhya looked at their shocked expressions, and then her eyes widened in realization.
“Oh my delulus,” she said, her tone playful. “I was asking because tonight we cousins are doing a night out—meeting after years. It’s been so long!”
Both Vivan and Aarvi exhaled loudly, as if they had been holding their breath for the past few minutes.
“Oh… thank God,” Aarvi whispered under her breath, almost laughing at herself for the panic she’d felt.
Aadhya watched their reaction, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“But...” she teased, a sly smile forming. “If you two have other plans, we can always adjust…”
The words hit Vivan like a rush of heat. His ears turned bright red, and Aarvi—her face burning with embarrassment—looked over at him, a little unsure.
“U-uh… No, we’ll… we’ll also come,” Aarvi stammered, looking at Vivan for confirmation.
Vivan nodded quickly, his voice almost a whisper.
“Yeah, we’ll join.”
Aadhya, clearly enjoying the teasing, flashed them a wide grin.
“Great! See you in a bit!” she said, and with a playful wink, she turned and walked away, leaving them both standing in a cloud of awkwardness.
After sometime Aarvi changed into a simple green kurti and loose palazzo, her hair tied into a loose braid, a few strands softly falling on her cheeks. She looked light… softer… almost delicate.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she quietly said,
“You can change now,”
before slipping out of the room, her voice hardly above a whisper.
Vivan nodded, watching the door close behind her—
and for a second, he wondered why he suddenly felt the room grow colder.
The moment Aarvi stepped into the living room, the whole group turned to look at her.
Too many unfamiliar faces.
Too many curious eyes.
Her fingers automatically clutched the end of her kurti.
She swallowed, nerves buzzing.
“Come,” Aadhya said instantly, patting the space beside her.
That one warm gesture felt like a lifeline.
Aarvi walked over with a soft, polite smile and sat beside her.
Everyone started introducing themselves.
“Hi, I’m Aadhya’s friend Shivi,” a cheerful girl said.
“My name is Ansh, Aadhya’s cousin,” a boy waved casually.
“And myself Naman,” another boy grinned, “again—Aadhya’s cousin.”
Aarvi greeted all of them shyly, her smile small but genuine.
Just then—
Footsteps approached.
Vivan walked in wearing a sweatshirt and joggers, hair slightly messy from the towel he probably half-heartedly dried with.
His eyes scanned the room briefly—
And stopped the second they found her.
Aarvi’s breath hitched before she quickly looked away.
He went to her naturally, without thinking twice, and sat right beside her like it was the most obvious place to be.
Aadhya watched that—eyes narrowing, a teasing smile forming.
Then the group started discussing what to play tonight.
Several ideas came up, but Shivi squealed,
“Truth or Dare!”
Everyone cheered.
Aarvi’s eyes widened.
Vivan sighed under his breath.
But it was too late—
the game had already begun.
Naman spun the bottle and everyone leaned in.
It slowed… wobbled… and finally stopped on Ansh.
A loud cheer erupted.
Vivan raised a brow at him, smirking.
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare, of course,” Ansh said confidently, stretching like he was ready for any challenge.
Big mistake.
Vivan’s smirk stretched even wider—dangerously wide.
“So your dare is…”
He paused dramatically.
Everyone leaned closer.
“You have to leave this game.”
Ansh’s jaw dropped.
“What! No, no—this is cheating!”
Naman immediately jumped in, laughing.
“Then who told you to choose dare? Rules are rules, bro. Do it.”
“But—!”
“No coming back,” Naman added, enjoying every second.
Ansh glared at all of them before sighing in pure defeat.
“Bloody unfair people,” he muttered, but still stood up and left the circle dramatically, making everyone laugh.
The bottle spun again…
and landed on Shivi.
Aadhya leaned forward, smirking like she’d been waiting for this.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Shivi said calmly.
“Oh good,” Aadhya grinned.
“Are you in a relationship?”
Shivi froze.
Her eyes widened.
The entire group erupted with teasing squeals.
Shivi’s cheeks flushed a deep pink as she finally nodded.
Everyone screamed and hooted, smacking her arms playfully until she buried her face in her hands.
The bottle spun once more.
This time, the mouth of the bottle pointed straight at Aadhya.
Before Aarvi could even ask, Aadhya confidently declared,
“Truth.”
Aarvi smiled and asked the most normal question she could think of,
“Who was your first kiss?”
That’s when everything changed.
Aadhya’s smile slowly faded… like someone dimmed a light inside her.
Even the cousins’ and friend’s expressions dropped—
their teasing energy evaporated instantly.
The room suddenly felt heavy.
Tight.
Uncomfortable.
Aarvi’s heart squeezed.
She instantly thought she had crossed a boundary.
“I… I’m sorry,” she blurted softly, “If I asked something wrong—”
Aadhya immediately shook her head, forcing a smile.
“N-no… it’s okay. It’s just— I… I haven’t kissed anyone.”
Aarvi nodded gently.
But the hesitation in Aadhya’s voice…
the way her fingers twisted the end of her sleeve…
the way her eyes darted away—
It was clear.
Painfully clear.
She wasn’t telling the whole truth.
And Aarvi’s chest tightened with concern…
but she stayed quiet.
Everyone did.
Because somehow…
that tiny trembling sentence from Aadhya revealed more than any truth ever could.
The bottle spun again, wobbling… slowing…
and finally stopped at Vivan.
The entire group gasped and turned mischievously excited.
And in an instant, Ansh shot up, eyes shining with revenge.
“I’m giving him whatever he chooses,” he declared dramatically.
Vivan didn’t even blink.
“No. You can’t. You’re out of the game.”
“What! Not fair, yaar! I didn’t even get to play one proper round!” Ansh complained loudly.
“No means no,” Vivan repeated, calm but firm.
Ansh froze… then slowly smirked.
A dangerous, scheming, oh-this-will-be-fun smirk.
He stepped closer.
“Okay fine… at least tell us—truth or dare?”
Vivan leaned back on his palms, confident as ever.
“Dare.”
The room buzzed.
Ansh immediately bent down and whispered something in Naman’s ear.
With every second of whispering, Naman’s smirk stretched wider… and wider… and wider.
Finally Naman looked up at Vivan and announced:
“So your dare is…”
He paused for effect.
Vivan raised a brow.
“You have to kiss Aarvi.”
The world fell silent.
Vivan’s throat bobbed violently—
he swallowed so hard it almost sounded painful.
Aarvi stiffened beside him, her eyes widening in complete shock.
Vivan turned to her at the same moment she looked at him.
And in that single second—
something flashed behind her eyes.
A memory.
Kiara.
Him.
Their kiss.
Aarvi’s chest tightened.
Her fingers curled.
Tears pricked her eyes before she could stop them.
Vivan saw it.
Every bit of it—
because his eyes were already on her.
He opened his mouth—maybe to say no, maybe to tell her it’s fine, maybe to stop everyone—
But Aarvi stood up abruptly.
“The dare is for Vivan,” she said, voice trembling but steady,
“not for me.”
And then she walked away.
Leaving Vivan stunned.
Leaving the cousins confused.
Leaving the room in absolute silence.
To them, it was just a joke.
Just a dare.
Just a kiss between a married couple.
But for Aarvi…
It was everything she had been trying so hard to not feel.
Aarvi sat on the edge of the bed, her knees pulled close, her face buried in her palms. The room was dim, lit only by the corridor light slipping through the half-open door.
The door clicked gently.
Footsteps. Slow. Careful.
Vivan didn’t say a word as he stepped inside.
He closed the door behind him, exhaling shakily — he had never felt so helpless around someone, and the feeling scared him more than the dare itself.
He approached her quietly and sat beside her, leaving just enough distance not to overwhelm her.
For a few seconds, he only listened to her trembling breaths.
Then, without a word, he extended a handkerchief toward her — holding it out gently, as if afraid she might break further.
Aarvi looked at it, then at him. Her eyes were red, lashes wet, but she took the handkerchief slowly.
Vivan swallowed hard.
This softness — it wasn’t him. Not usually. Not for just anyone.
But for her…
He couldn’t bring himself to be anything else.
He looked down at his hands, rubbing his thumb against his palm nervously.
And then, in a low voice, he said:
“Aarvi… I… I never kissed Kiara again after that day.”
Her breath hitched; she turned to him instantly.
His eyes lifted to hers.
He gave a small, humourless chuckle — the kind you give when you're admitting something you’ve carried for too long.
“I know it doesn’t change anything,” he continued softly.
“And I’m not saying it to defend myself. I just… I felt guilty. I didn’t like how it looked. How it made you look at me. I just—”
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I wanted to get rid of that guilt.”
Aarvi didn’t say anything.
She didn’t lash out.
She didn’t get emotional again.
She didn’t even look away.
She just… stared at him.
Her expression wasn’t angry anymore — it was unreadable.
Too calm. Too still.
If anything, her silence made something tighten in his chest.
She finally blinked, looked down at the handkerchief in her hand, and whispered:
“Okay.”
Not forgiving.
Not forgetting.
Just… acknowledging.
But even that tiny word hit him harder than anything else.
Aarvi finally calmed down, breathing evenly.
Vivan watched her quietly for a moment… then said, trying to ease the tension.
“You know…” he said, tone casual, “for someone who ran out so dramatically… you didn’t even let me defend myself.”
Aarvi gave him a side-eye.
“Defend yourself? For THAT dare?”
He put a hand over his heart dramatically.
“Yes. I was going to protest. Fight for my life. Maybe fake a fainting episode.”
Aarvi stared.
“…You’d fake fainting?”
Vivan shrugged.
“Anything to avoid getting murdered by you.”
She scoffed but her lips curved up.
He leaned a little closer, teasing:
“You looked like you’d throw me off the balcony if I even stood up.”
Aarvi swatted his shoulder lightly.
“I was not going to throw you!”
He made a thoughtful face.
“No? You stormed out like a Bollywood heroine— I swear even my soul felt slapped.”
Aarvi hid her smile behind the handkerchief.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re dramatic.”
He nudged her with his shoulder gently.
“We both have talents.”
Aarvi shook her head, but she finally relaxed fully — shoulders no longer tight, eyes no longer glossy.
Vivan watched her, something soft flickering in his expression.
“You okay now?” he asked, voice quieter.
She hesitated… then nodded.
“Yeah. You?”
He grinned.
“I was fine the moment you laughed.”
She froze for a second — caught off guard — and looked down.
Vivan immediately pretended to look at the ceiling, as if he hadn’t just confessed something without meaning to.
And in that moment — without realizing it —
they slipped into an ease
that felt new… and safe…
and theirs.
Morning light slipped into the guest room as Aarvi slowly opened her eyes. She stretched lazily, only to freeze when she saw Vivan stepping out of the bathroom, hair damp, T-shirt clinging lightly to his shoulders.
He looked freshly bathed—freshly awake—freshly everything.
“Good morning,” he said with a small smile.
Aarvi swallowed, nodded back, and practically ran into the bathroom with her clothes, just to escape the awkward flutter inside her chest.
She closed the door behind her and turned the lock.
Or… tried to.
Click.
Open.
She frowned.
She pushed it again.
Click.
Open.
Her brows furrowed. “What the—”
She tried once more.
Click.
Open.
That’s when she heard Vivan from behind her, sounding half tired, half amused:
“What are you doing, Aarvi?”
She jumped slightly and turned.
“No—the lock… it’s not working. See?”
She demonstrated again, the lock sliding uselessly. Vivan walked toward her, and out of reflex, she stepped backward into the bathroom, giving him space.
He checked the lock once.
Then simply pushed it upward and—
Click. Firm. Locked.
He turned to her, expression deadpan.
“It works.”
Aarvi’s face burned.
“Oh! I—I was pushing it upward—that’s why—”
“Yeah,” Vivan muttered, already amused at her morning stupidity, “that’s exactly how locks work.”
She gave a tiny, embarrassed laugh.
He unlocked it and stepped out.
He was just about to leave the bathroom doorway when—
the room door suddenly swung open without a knock.
Ansh.
All three froze like someone pressed a pause button.
Ansh blinked rapidly.
Vivan stood in front of Aarvi, just stepping out of the bathroom, hair still damp, looking suspiciously… caught.
Aarvi stood at the doorframe, red-faced, obviously flustered.
And Ansh?
Ansh completely malfunctioned.
“I—I—uh—I will come… l-later,” he stammered, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
Vivan instantly tried to explain, hands half raised.
“No—wait—Ansh, it’s not what you’re think—”
But Ansh held up a dramatic hand like a man who had seen far too much.
“No. It’s okay. I get it. I mean—wow—please lock the door this time!”
And he fled.
Literally ran out.
Silence.
Aarvi was about to combust.
Vivan rubbed his forehead.
“Forget what he said. He’s… he’s always like this. You saw him last night.”
Aarvi nodded, staring down at the floor, her cheeks heating more and more.
“The lock is… fine now,” Vivan said, clearing his throat.
“You can… continue.”
She nodded quickly, nearly tripping backward into the bathroom.
Vivan left, shutting the door behind him.
The moment she was alone, she grabbed her face with both hands.
“OH MY GODDD!”
Her voice was a whisper-scream.
She turned on the tap and splashed her face, trying to cool the fire burning on her cheeks.
She replayed the whole thing:
Her standing at the bathroom door.
Vivan stepping out.
Ansh walking in.
That mortified pause.
That look on Ansh’s face.
That stupid lock.
And finally—
“Please Lock the door this time.”
She groaned.
“Why couldn’t the earth swallow me at that moment?”
She buried her face in the towel.
“And Vivan saw everything. Perfect. Amazing. Great start to the day.”
She sighed, paced a little, then whispered:
“Okay. Aarvi. You will walk out like nothing happened. Confidence. Grace.”
She paused.
“…Or maybe at least pretend to have.”
Whereas, Vivan walked out into the hall, running a hand through his damp hair, trying to calm the secondhand embarrassment crawling up his neck.
He muttered to himself:
“Great. Just… great.”
He leaned on the wall, taking a breath.
“This Ansh will be the death of me.”
He replayed the scene and felt his stomach drop again.
Especially Aarvi’s flustered expression.
He could still see how red she went.
And somehow that made his own ears heat up.
He covered his face.
“Now this man is going to tease me for the rest of my life.”
But then he remembered—
the way she kept backing away shyly, nervous, clueless about the lock…
And a tiny smile tugged at his lips.
Cute.
Annoyingly cute.
Annoyingly innocent.
Annoyingly… flustered.
He shook his head.
“No. Stop thinking.”
But his ears were still pink.