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"I am very much straight okay?"

He rolled his eyes at the words, looking at Sona instead who was giggling at them. Pursing his lips, he wondered what was even funny? Well, at least she was smiling.

He leaned back into the couch, his eyes falling into the small mirror on the wall to see a pair of dark ones, he rolled his tongue inside his cheek and blinked.

How was he ever suppose to win Sona's heart?

Sona, Aksith and Tarni were huddled closely to each other on the couch as Abhay sat a bit further away from the trio, the former were busy scrolling through some marital website.

"He doesn't looks like he belongs here," Sona giggled, pointing her finger at the laptop screen. His lips twitched at her words.

"Thanks, Aksith for clarifying your sexuality," Tarni mumbled with a grin. "I would have really thought you didn't have any interest in girls, seeing you don't date."

"Shut up," he rolled his eyes with a small smile.

"I'll get something to eat," Sona stood up and dusted her pair of pyjamas.

He knew why there was no interest when it came to dating other girls, he liked Sona. He liked her. Didn't he? He drummed his fingers on the couch, looking at the direction of the kitchen were Sona was busing herself, maybe he should follow her in. What would he ever do now around these two people? Without Sona around, especially when he kept getting glances from the other man in the room.

"I need water," he stood up.

"Bring me one too!" Tarni demanded.

He rolled his eyes, messing her hair up in the process which made her curse nonstop. With soft steps he went into the kitchen, looking at Sona's back who was rushing from here to there.

"Need help?" he raised an eyebrow.

She snapped her neck towards him, a little surprised. Her face burned a little as she swiftly turned away. "N-No."

He knew she hadn't written back, he knew she was still very conflicted. So, how was he suppose to win her heart? It had been 7 years already, hadn't it? He had waited for so long, he couldn't wait for more. Not when her dad was happily ready to introduce her to other suitors.

"Aunty and Uncle aren't coming back?" he asked.

"No," she mumbled. "They went on some wedding and I couldn't take leave from the office."

"That is why Tarni brought alcohol from home," he mused with a small smile.

Sona laughed, biting on her lip. "Yeah."

He hummed, looking at her cook.

"U-Umm, do you need something?" she stopped and turned around.

"No," he titled his head though, his mind was screaming at him to say that he wanted her. He walked forward and took the rolling pin from her, jerking his head to the stove he said. "You see the paneer and I will make the chapattis."

She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. Their shoulders brushed against each other as they switched their positions.

"I am actually making my own recipe," she started gushing. "It's paneer and broccoli!"

"Oh?" a small chuckled passed his lips. "We could've just ordered, you know? You didn't have to work so hard."

"I just wanted too," his words seemed to get her back into her awkward shell.

He rolled his sleeves up, taking the dough and rolling it in his hands, then he dusted some dry wheat flour and shaped it. He had never made chapattis before, but goddamn he was ready to do it for her.

She glanced at him and he didn't complain, he remembered all the times she would do it when they were young. Even if things were different in between them now, some habits never went away. He wanted to look at her too, stare into her brown eyes but he concentrated on making the chapatti round.

"Wow! You are doing well!" she chuckled at him when she saw his handiwork, it wasn't very round but she looked impressed and that made his heart swell. Suddenly he felt so proud of himself.

"Thank you," there was obvious smugness in his voice.

"It looks like the India map!" she giggled.

His smile flattered, he coughed and dusted his hands. "Lets just switch places."

So they did. He did whatever she instructed to him while she rolled perfectly round chapattis. But soon Tarni came barging in, her expression sour.

"My water?" she rolled her eyes and helped herself instead, "You just wanted cosy time with Sona."

His cheeks tinted red while Sona threw an angry glare at her best friend. "You go and set up the plates! I want to have a nice dinner, okay?"

"But I want to get drunk!" she whined.

"Tarni," he spoke sternly. "Sona made dinner for all of us, act thoda grateful, huh?"

She just glared at him, aggressively drinking her water and stalking off.

"I better not see you both doing something you shouldn't do!"

🦋🦋🦋

The dinner was awkward, especially because Aksith and Abhay weren't really friends. He didn't even understand why he was here with them, why would Sona even invite him?

"It's so yummy!" Tarni's throat vibrated with a satisfying noise as she dipped in another piece of chapatti into the paneer broccoli recipe.

He looked down at his own empty plate, deciding to have another serving, his fingers went to reach the hot case just when Sona's did too. She fleeted away quickly, grabbing a glass of water instead. He looked at the chapatti, it was the India map he had made. He coughed slightly as he picked it up.

"I've never had paneer and broccoli," the intruder mused. Sona blinked and thanked him with a smile.

"Let's drink!" Tarni insisted. "And bhai you can't say no! If you want just go home, okay?"

In response he rolled his eyes. "I'll drink too."

"Really?" his sister's eyes widened. "No office?"

"No office."

Both the men were left to clean up the table, the hostility from each other radiating miles away as the women went to grab beer glasses. Soon they were huddled over the living room sofa, drinking their glasses to the brim. Though he made sure not to have more then two glasses, seeing Sona was actually getting crazy with the beer, thanks to Tarni's egging.

"Lets meet the Doctor tomorrow!" Tarni set the glass down, already appearing to be out of her sockets. He rolled his eyes as he snatched the glass off but that only encouraged her to drink from the bottle.

"Tarni," Sona took the bottle away. "Enough."

"Hey!" she yelled. "I want to get drunk when no one's home!"

"Our parents are just next door," her brother kindly reminded as he took the glasses. Standing up he went to dispose them in the kitchen. Till the time he came back, she was happily sprawling her head in Sona's lap with her legs throw over Aksith's.

"So, my suitor," she started blabbering. "He is tall, and has an MBBS degree, of course, he is very funny too that led me to wear an engagement ring. Of course, I have it back but he is like, kinda, serious about me? I don't know, he texts me everyday. So, that means he likes me right? He wouldn't leave me right? And break my heart like everyone else?"

In the end she had started crying and a disoriented Sona had to console her. "Guys are shit!" she screamed. He flinched from her tone, giving her a bewildered look, then he self-reflected on himself and soon the glass in his hand started shaking.

He had been very shitty to her, hadn't he?

"Yes, they are," Aksith agreed with a grin. Sona threw him a look but smiled, drunk Sona would still not get angry.

"I want to kiss a girl!" Tarni jumped from her sleeping position, after looking here and there for sometime she looked at Sona and then pounced at her. Both the men stood up, horrified, as Aksith tried peeling her away from her while Abhay rubbed his temple in worry.

Soon their lips had touched into a soft peck and Sona's eyed widened. "That was nice."

"Kissing is nice!" Tarni rolled over her body and landed on the carpeted ground as she giggled. "Wow! I took your first kiss!"

The men in the house were shocked at Tarni's brazen attitude but Sona only giggled along with her. Her t-shirt was falling over her shoulder and he went to set it up properly.

"Tarni," Aksith sighed. "I didn't come her to see both of you kissing."

"Why?" Sona giggled, her brown eyes hazy. "Do you want to kiss her instead?"

Abhay was already shooting daggers at him before she even completed her sentence. He made her sit down properly as Abhay manhandled Tarni to get up from the floor with a bitter expression.

It was clear that drinking had only been fun for the girls while he had heart wrenching seen Sona get kissed when he wanted to be the one to feel her lips on his, his eyes narrowed at the drunken Tarni who was still mumbling gibberish.

"Do you want to kiss me?" she whispered, grabbing his arm blindly with a smile. She seemed to have lost sense of who was who anymore. She would never ask him that. "I want to kiss again!"

He heart raced and he pulled Sona away, making her sit beside Tarni.

"Both of you behave," he pointed a stern finger. "All these years and roles still haven't changed."

But Sona had other plans, she pouted at him, her lips looking very detectable as her eyes clouded over. She raised her arms and he could only bend down.

"Hmm?" he raised an eyebrow with an amused smile.

"Kiss?" she smacked her lips on his cheek.

He moved away like her touch had electrocuted her, his hand on his heart. He didn't understand drunk Sona. But he took a deep breathe and closed his eyes; she was just drunk, she wouldn't have done it if she was sober.

"I will bring some blankets," the intruder said.

He clenched his fist and bit on his lip. "She's such a lightweight," he sighed. When he was drunk he was very calm and she was the complete opposite.

He settled himself beside her though, after sometime. How could he loose the opportunity to be close to her? Her head lolled over his shoulder and he grabbed her hand, fidgeting with her fingers. He had loved her for too long, had he not? Why did he seem to know each and every line on her palms?

Tarni's head was falling over the sofa at a weird angle and he moved to set it properly, that was when Sona's breath hit him so close to his face that it made him shudder.

"Sona?" he mumbled, his fingers combing her hair out of her face. She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, a little perplexed.

"Who are you?" she spluttered.

"Someone who loves you very much," he kissed her forehead.

Guys I forgot to ask you about Abhay's poem. Where you able to decipher it? It was written by a 21 year old Abhay. Comment here something that you understood/or a line that touched your heart⇒

did you have a wtf moment⇒

what is that you like about this book⇒

(if i don't get some answers i will start threatening everyone, no kiddings, swear to god)

btw i just wanna give @memorycraver a shout out for their amazing comments. While people are either crying and laughing (which i equally love) they are here making science jokes and also tempting me to end up Abhay with Aksith!! Aksith is straight guys (😭)

also sorry for a small chp, it was hard to write

also i feel i am addicted to the attention you all give me😔🤚