114.
Everyone was gathered in Shaurya's room that night, sitting in a loose circle on the floor, playing Truth or Dare.
"Trust me, this game gets scary once you become a parent," Aarohi said seriously.
"It was your idea," Aarav said rolling his eyes, shifting uncomfortably. "And why are we sitting on the floor again? My ass hurts."
"C'mon bhai, give Aarav your hands—at least he'll get some cushion," Veer suggested with a grin.
"I don't mind," Shaurya said immediately, already leaning in and trying to slide his hands under Aarav.
Aarav swatted him away.
"Your hands are not comfortable," he said flatly, shooting him a glare.
Shaurya placed a hand over his chest, offended. "Your words are breaking my heart."
"Ohkayyy, can we continue?" Eve cut in, clapping once. "I'm actually enjoying this."
Before anyone could respond, the door banged open.
All heads turned.
Ravi stood at the entrance in his bodyguard uniform, posture straight, expression composed. His eyes quickly scanned the room before he stepped inside and gave a slight bow.
The casual atmosphere shifted—just a little.
"Sir, I need to talk to you," Ravi said, looking directly at Shaurya.
"Why is he getting so formal?" Veer whispered, raising an eyebrow.
"Damn... he looks really good in that outfit. Look at his hair," Eve murmured, elbowing Yug lightly.
"My boyfriend..." Yug muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on Ravi.
Eve blinked, confused. Yug wasn't even blinking.
Okay... that was new.
She slowly stopped talking.
Shaurya got up and walked over to Ravi. The two spoke in low voices, just out of earshot of the others.
"Alright, take a break. I'll send someone else. It's beyond your shift anyway," Shaurya said.
Ravi nodded and turned to leave.
"Hey, Ravi! Join us—we're playing!" Veer called out.
Ravi paused and glanced back.
Veer sat there casually with a packet of chips. Anirudh looked half-drunk already. Aarohi and Eve were deep in conversation.
And Yug... was still staring at him.
"C'mon, bro. What are you even thinking?" Veer added.
Ravi didn't reply. He simply took off his blazer, walked in, and sat down next to Roy.
"Alright! Let's continue," Veer said excitedly, spinning the bottle.
It slowed... and stopped.
"OHOOO—it's you again," Veer grinned.
Roy sighed. "Of course."
"C'mon, at least show some strength," Veer teased. "Let everyone see how well-built my bodyguards are."
Roy rolled his eyes, but a small proud smile tugged at his lips.
Ravi's eyes shifted to Roy—who had already started unbuttoning his shirt.
"You told me you were busy," Ravi said, voice low and serious. "This is what you meant by busy?"
Roy paused, offering a sheepish smile before glancing helplessly at Veer.
"Bhai, tell your secretary to stop bullying my bodyguard," Veer said, pouting.
"He's serious about his job," Anirudh added, sounding impressed.
"No, he just enjoys bullying people. I'm used to it," Aarav said casually. Then, looking at Ravi, he added, "Dude, relax, alright? Give yourself—and others—a break sometimes. You're the head bodyguard, I get it. But don't be this intense all the time."
"I really don't understand what you even do the whole day," Yug muttered.
"Sabzi bechne jaata hoon. Want to come along?" Ravi shot back dryly.
The room fell silent for a second. Aarohi gave him a disappointed look.
Yug gave him a flat look. "Asshole."
"So sweet," Aarav said, nodding. "You're definitely dying single. Don't mind him, guys—budhape mein dimaag thoda slow ho jaata hai. Roy, continue."
"Don't tell me you still couldn't take a shit. You took your meds, right?" Shaurya asked quietly, leaning slightly toward Ravi.
"I did," Ravi replied. "Yours are... quite effective."
Meanwhile, Roy flexed dramatically, earning whistles and laughter from the group.
"Okay, okay—enough," Veer laughed. "Spin it!"
Roy spun the bottle.
It slowed... circled... and stopped at Aarav.
"I'm choosing Truth," Aarav said quickly, clutching his shirt. "I'm getting married in two days—I'm not risking anything."
Everyone chuckled.
"Alright, my turn," Eve said, leaning forward with a grin. "Answer honestly."
Aarav shrugged. "Go on."
"Who was the better boyfriend—your ex, or Shaurya?"
The room went still.
Aarav shot her a glare.
Shaurya didn't say anything. He just looked at Aarav, calmly sipping his wine.
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"Definitely my ex," he said.
"He was a genuinely nice person," Aarav continued, voice steady. "We ended things on good terms. It was... circumstances. Royal duties."
Shaurya looked completely calm after Aarav's answer.
"Wow, Shaurya bhai... you're not going to say anything?" Aarohi asked, surprised.
"Well, I don't mind," Shaurya said casually, raising his glass. "At the end of the day, I got Aarav. So I win." He smirked slightly. "I'm the better husband."
Yug snorted.
"So dramatic," Eve muttered under her breath.
"Self-centered, arrogant old man," Aarav added, throwing him a side-eye.
Shaurya glanced around the room.
Ravi, meanwhile, looked like he was about to throw up. Roy was quietly rubbing his back.
Shaurya opened his mouth as if to say something—then stopped.
Yug, noticing Ravi, pushed the packet of chips toward him.
"Here—"
"Oh, he doesn't eat that," Roy interrupted. "Ravi doesn't like tangy things."
Yug froze for a second.
He slowly pulled his hand back, something tightening in his chest.
He didn't even know that.
Across the room, Aarav caught the moment and subtly winked at Roy.
Ravi immediately shot him a sharp look.
Aarav rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat and quickly spun the bottle.
It turned... and stopped.
On Ravi.
"I'm not getting naked. No dares," Ravi said instantly.
"Save that for your boyfriend," Veer shot back. "Fine—truth it is. Actually, two questions." He leaned forward. "Tell us... what's the longest you've gone without showering?"
Everyone made a face.
"Stop with your weird questions already Veer", Aarohi said.
Ravi didn't even hesitate.
"A week. Maybe more."
Yug choked on his breath. "What?"
"Care to explain?" he added, staring at him.
"I was on training. On an island," Ravi said simply. "We got stuck there for a while after our base was attacked."
The room went quiet.
"Don't look at me like that," Ravi added, unfazed. "It's normal."
He leaned back slightly.
"If your mind is clean... you don't really need to get shower to stay clean".
Roy gave an exaggerated bow, clearly impressed.
"Wahh, Shree Ravinder Maharaj... Jai ho," Aarav chimed in dramatically.
Then, turning to Yug, he added with mock seriousness, "Bro, please reconsider your life choices."
"Next question," Eve cut in quickly. "I'll ask." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Have you ever fallen in love with a man before? And no—my friend doesn't count."
Yug groaned, immediately wanting to disappear. "Can you stop bringing that up?"
Beside them, Ravi quietly looked down at his drink and took a slow sip.
"I have," he said calmly.
The group went silent for a second.
"But we didn't date," he continued. "I never told him."
Yug's chest tightened. He knew.
"Why not?" someone asked.
Ravi shrugged lightly, his tone casual but his eyes distant. "I didn't think he felt the same way. And... it would've ruined our friendship."
"Wow," Aarohi muttered under her breath. "Devdas."
Ravi chuckled softly at that, shaking his head.
"Alright... let's just continue," Veer said, clearing his throat, trying to break the sudden heaviness.
Aarav narrowed his eyes at him, clearly suspicious—but let it go.
The game resumed, laughter slowly returning, questions getting sillier, dares getting bolder. The night stretched on like that—somewhere between chaos and comfort—until, one by one, they all eventually drifted off to sleep.
-------------------------------------------
The next morning~
Everyone was still asleep.
Roy was the first to wake up.
He blinked a few times, taking in the chaotic scene around him.
Aarohi was curled up comfortably in Veer's arms. Anirudh had somehow fallen asleep while sitting upright. Yug and Eve looked completely lifeless—like two corpses dropped on the floor. Aarav had one leg thrown over Anirudh in the most inconvenient way possible.
And then...
Roy's gaze shifted.
Shaurya and Ravi.
Ravi was curled up against Shaurya's chest, fast asleep, one arm loosely draped over him. Shaurya's hand rested near Ravi's face, almost protectively.
Roy raised an eyebrow.
Well... that was new.
A slow grin spread across his face as he quietly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
Then, very carefully, he nudged Veer awake.
Veer squinted, confused at first—then followed Roy's gaze.
His expression lit up instantly.
Oh, this was gold.
One by one, they woke the others.
Aarav yawned, rubbing his eyes lazily. "What is it-..."
But no one answered him.
They were all staring in one direction.
Aarav frowned and followed their gaze.
And then he saw it.
Ravi—sleeping peacefully like a princess—on Shaurya's arm.
Silent.
Not even snoring for once. Which was unusual given Ravi being famous for his snores.
"Did you guys hear something break?" Veer whispered dramatically. "Oh wait... that's Aarav's heart."
"Are we sure they're just... friends?" Yug asked slowly, not taking his eyes off them.
As if on cue, Shaurya shifted in his sleep, his fingers brushing lightly across Ravi's face.
"Baby... did you grow your beard overnight?" Shaurya mumbled. "Not cute..."
"I think he's still drunk somehow," Eve whispered.
Aarav's eye twitched.
He leaned forward and kicked Shaurya lightly on the back.
Shaurya jerked awake.
He blinked once... twice... then looked down.
Ravi.
Then up.
Everyone.
And finally—
Aarav.
Who looked ready to commit murder.
Shaurya immediately slid his arm out from under Ravi and sat up, clearing his throat.
Ravi stirred a moment later, stretching lazily before sitting up.
Shaurya didn't say a word. He quickly buttoned his shirt fully, stood up, and walked straight out of the room.
Silence.
Then—
Roy turned his phone toward Ravi, showing him the picture.
Ravi looked at it... and smirked.
His eyes flicked toward Aarav.
"It's been a while since I slept that well," he said casually.
That earned him two deadly glares.
From Aarav.
And Yug.
"I'm firing you, Ravi," Aarav snapped, getting up and storming out.
The room burst into laughter.
Veer leaned back, grinning. "Now this... is getting interesting."
--------------------------------------------------
Yug pulled out his phone and opened ChatGPT.
He typed slowly.
How to be romantic???
He stared at the screen for a moment... then sighed and deleted it.
"I never thought I'd have to ask a bot," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Is my smile not enough to win people over?"
He paused.
"No. Focus, Yug. This is Ravi. You might end up losing your teeth instead."
He stood in front of the mirror, studying himself.
"Ravi's right... I don't think I've ever actually smiled at him properly," he admitted quietly. "Yeah... I need to fix that."
He straightened his posture slightly.
"Mission: get your hundred-dollar smile back... and win Ravi over." He stopped. "No—wait. He probably already likes me." A pause. "Okay, new mission: make Ravi happy."
A knock interrupted him.
"Can I come in?" Roy's voice came from the door.
"You're already inside. Just come—sit," Yug said, gesturing to the chair beside him.
Roy walked in and sat down, watching him curiously.
"What can I do for you?" Roy asked. "It's surprising. You don't usually ask anyone for help except Kabir or Ravi."
"This is something they can't help me with," Yug replied. "So let's get straight to the point." He leaned forward slightly. "What does Ravi like?"
"You," Roy said instantly.
Yug smiled for a split second... then forced his expression back to serious.
"I'm serious. I mean—what does Ravi like doing?"
Roy thought for a moment.
"Hmm... something Ravi likes doing?" He nodded slowly. "Oh—he's really good at beating people up. You should see him at the Unit around 9 a.m."
Yug blinked.
"...Why?"
"He beats people up at that time. It's scheduled," Roy explained casually. "Not everyone though. My brother isn't crazy—only those who are our enemies... and sinners."
Yug blinked, unsure how to respond. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck.
"Right... well, I'm pretty sure we can't include that in a date," he said awkwardly.
Roy nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... probably not."
"I seee... hmm," Roy hummed, pretending to think harder than he actually was.
"Why are you asking me all this, though?" he added, glancing at Yug.
Yug hesitated for a second.
"Sorry... uh, actually, yesterday when you said Ravi doesn't like tangy food... I felt bad," he admitted.
Roy's lips curled into a slow smirk. "So you're jealous."
"Jealous my ass," Yug shot back instantly. "I just... felt bad that I don't really know much about him. And he's been taking care of me constantly." His voice softened slightly. "I want to do something for him."
Roy nodded, clearly trying not to smile.
Casually, he already way before unlocked his phone, hit record, and captured that entire confession—then sent the voice note to Aarav.
A second later, Aarav replied with a thumbs up.
"Honestly," Roy continued, slipping his phone back, "I don't really know what Ravi likes exactly. He either sleeps... or goes on trips with Shaurya when he's free."
"With Shaurya?" Yug's brows furrowed.
"Yeah. Whenever Shaurya travels overseas for business, Ravi goes along. They make sure to explore the place too."
Yug frowned. "You're not helping me at all."
"Then why don't you just ask him?" Roy suggested.
Yug exhaled. "Yeah... I think that's the only option left."
There was a brief pause.
"Hey... can I tell you something, though?" Roy asked.
Yug looked at him and nodded.
"If you're doing all this thinking it's some kind of competition... then you should stop." Roy's tone was calm, but firm. "Don't get me wrong—but that's a businessman's mindset. Trying to win someone over like they're a deal."
He leaned back slightly.
"People aren't things, Yug."
Yug stayed quiet.
Roy's expression softened just a little.
"He loves you," he said simply. "He's probably just lying to himself because he hasn't said it out loud yet." A small pause. "But yeah... he does."
Yug smiled faintly, his gaze dropping for a moment before lifting again.
"I won't disappoint him," he said quietly. "I know I might've hurt him with my actions... but I never meant to." He paused, exhaling softly. "And what I feel for him... it's not simple. Not something I can brush off."
His voice grew steadier.
"I know what my heart wants. And I won't deny it. I want to take care of him too... maybe for the rest of my life. Even if it means sacrificing parts of mine."
He looked around briefly, then back at Roy.
"I want to be closer to him," he admitted. "I want to belong here."
Roy's expression softened. He pushed himself up from the chair, stretching slightly.
"Then start simple," he said. "Why don't you just show him your smile? I think that alone would be enough for him." He smirked lightly. "Your magazine covers are famous for it, you know."
Yug immediately flashed a wide grin, all teeth and confidence.
Roy squinted dramatically and covered his eyes. "Oh my God—I'm blind."
Yug chuckled. "Cool, right?"
"Yeah," Roy said, peeking through his fingers. "Brighter than pearls."