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Sona groggily woke up, nursing a very bad hangover from all the drinking. She moaned as she clutched her aching head, it felt as though someone was hammering her to break her skull. Blinking her eyes she peeled them open only to see a blur of someone's frame.

"What are you doing in my room?"

Thud.

She feel off the bed, straight on her butt with her mouth wide open.

His eyes narrowed as he sat in a regal pose, his eyebrows arching up as he saw she was close to tears.

"Y-Your room?" she mumbled stupidly, the headache and the situation in hand making her eyes well up.

He nodded his head as if he was talking to a child and repeated her words. "My room."

"I d-drank too much. . . " her lips wobbled as her face turned red in embarrassment. She sat pathetically on the floor with a hungover, she dreaded to know how pathetic her appearance was. She touched her face, her chapped lips smacking together as the dryness hit throat. She was in Abhay's room. Abhay's room! What was she doing here? The last time she remembered she was at her house.

"Then, you should take responsibility, no?"

"R-Responsibility?"

"Yes," he nodded his head. "Responsibility."

Sona didn't see the amused smile on his face as she fretted over all the life decisions she made. She clutched her head, very disoriented and confused. She tried remembered what happened yesterday but every memory was like a broken mirror, she couldn't even piece them up together. But why was she here? At her neighbour's house? She didn't drink so much that she ended up here, did she?

"By marrying me of course."

Her eyes widened and she snapped her head towards him so fast that her head spun, screwing them shut she clutched her head that was still going round and round like it was on a mrry-go-round.

A humourful laughter followed after his words. "I am joking."

"H-How?" she opened and closed her mouth, looking around the foreign place. Yes, it was definitely not her room or even her house. "W-What happened?"

"Expect for the fact you tried to kiss me. . . . ." he trailed off. "You also weren't safe to be alone at home."

She flushed, trying to remember yesterday night.

". . . It wasn't the first time though," there was obvious teasing in his voice. "I perfectly remember everything when I am drunk."

Her already red face only got redder. Gosh, was he talking about that years ago incident, wasn't he? When she tried to kiss him when he was drunk on the Shimla trip? And yesterday, too? Why couldn't she remember?

"Don't worry. . . I didn't sleep here so you don't have to sneak off from my parents," humour laced his voice. "Wash up and come downstairs, there is medicine by the bed."

He shut the door with an eyebrow raised, his actions clearly poking fun at her. She bit her lower lip, trying to swallow the frustrated scream. She made a fool out of herself, didn't she?

She feel back on the soft bed, his cologne strong as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She had been trying to be civil with Abhay, act civil like a human being and not like a drunken monkey.

He didn't expect her to fall in love with him after reading his letter did he?

Her heart clenched as she thought about it. He had written back too, he loved her like how she loved him too, but what was she supposed to feel? After telling herself he didn't feel the same way, she had moved on. She had moved on from his dark eyes and his dark hair. Why was everything so tangled up? It wasn't even his fault.

Sona closed her eyes, her aching head made her cry, or was it Abhay, she didn't know. But as tears rolled down her cheeks, she looked up at the ceiling.

Why so late, Abhay?

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"Perfume!" Tarni rummaged through her makeup bag. "Which one? Sona, help me decide."

"I don't know," her temple was still throbbing. "Tarni, what did I do when I was drunk yesterday?"

"We kissed," she spoke nonchalantly as she sprayed some perfume on her wrist and rubbed them together, bringing it closer to her nose to smell them. "White musk, perfect!"

"What?" she stood up from her bed, her heavy dupatta slipping off her shoulder. Tarni was dressed in a mustard yellow kurti and long skirt, while Sona wore pink. They were having guests over, precisely Tarni's sex-god-doctor suitor.

Sona tried remembering her kissing her deranged best friend and bits and pieces came back to her, she slapped her forehead. "My first kiss!" her fingers regretfully touched her lips.

"You said you liked it," Tarni giggled as she stared at the mirror for another minute. "Do I look okay?"

"More than okay," Sona grumbled with an 'okay' sign.

"Will he like me?" she fretted as she shook her head with her face in her hands.

"Of course he will," Sona rolled her eyes as she pressed her shoulder and pushed her out of the room. "Isn't that why his family coming? Because both of you liked each other?"

"Yes," she bit her lip, her kajal filled eyes watering slightly, she waved her hand over them like a fan. "I-I am just really nervous."

"It's okay," she squeezed her shoulder in comfort, feeling her heart dip a little at her words. "You'll be okay, Tarni. I won't let anyone break your heart."

"Sona, what if there is no guy that is good for us?" she asked, "I will just marry you."

Sona rolled her eyes with a smile. "No, thanks. I don't want to marry you."

"But I want to!" she emphasised. "You can cook! That also damn good! Who will not want to marry you?"

Sona grumbled nonsensical words under her breath and dragged Tarni to the living room. Abhay was sitting with his dad, looking over some file as he sported a black kurta and jeans. Her eyes moved to his pulled up sleeves and then to his serious face, she peeled them away with much power and looked at her parents.

"Do you want tea or something?" she scratched her arm, acting like Tarni's home was hers too, which it kind of was.

"You aren't even married here and yet you are acting like we are intruding in your life," her mother snorted.

Sona blushed deep red and yelled. "Mom!"

Just then the doorbell rang and Tarni started jumping on her toes in anxiety, then swiftly instead of opening the door she dived into the kitchen to where her mom was. Sona could only unlock the door open, a smile plastered on her face as she pulled it open.

"Aksith?" her smile flattered a little in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Your dad called me," he gave her a charming smile, patting her head like a kid. "Damn, Sona. You look really pretty."

Sona's smile brightened and she opened the door wide. "I know," there was obvious sass in her voice as she flipped her hair. He shook his head with a tilt of his lip as he walked in only to be stopped by her.

She clutched his arm, now her mood overturned a 180 degree as anxiety washed over in her brown eyes. "Aksith, Aksith, Aksith, did I do anything stupid yesterday?"

His lips curled up in laughter as he looked at her fussing. "You really shouldn't drink."

"What did I do?" she exasperated.

"I won't tell you," his voice was laced with teasing.

Sona's mouth fell open and she hit him on his shoulder. "T-Tell me!" she demanded as her lower lip slightly pushed out. "Abhay said I tried to kiss him! Tell me, it's a lie!"

He raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't know, I went home."

"No! No! No!" she looked horrified. "It wasn't the lips, right? Not the lips!"

"Lips," he nodded solemnly. "Tarni, yes."

She sighed a little. "Cheek?" she bit her tongue, her nails digging in his forearm.

To that he only gave her a look and it just scared her more. Okay, she did try to kiss Abhay! Even if it was the cheek, she did try it! Oh, no! How was she suppose to face him like a civil human and not a drunken monkey? How? How? How?

"Don't worry," Aksith tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

"Tell me it was you!" she cried in frustration. "I kissed your cheek, not Abhay! Oh, god! How should I face him, then? After my indirect rejection I almost sexually harassed him! What even is wrong with me? I am never in my life drinking again!"

"I don't know, Sona," he said seriously. "Just don't let your mind run wild again, come on."

He squeezed her shoulder in comfort, dropping a kiss on her cheek. "There, all better?"

She gave him a flabbergasted look as she rubbed the wetness away, before she could say anything her dad had come.

"Ah, that's why you were taking so long," he laughed as he looked at the two of them. "The Rai family is on their way."

"Rai?" Aksith asked.

"Uhuh," Sona was still holding onto his arm out of habit. "Dr. Shreyash Rai."

He coughed, his eyes widened. "My cousin?"

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It had turned out that Tarni's sex-god-doctor was in fact none other than Aksith's cousin, Shreyash Rai, from his mother's side. To say he was disgusted would be an understatement, he was horrified to learn about his sex life from Tarni way before he knew who the 'he' was.

"He can't be that good," he whispered yelled the same thing again he had been doing since the past one hour. Sona elbowed him, smiling at the guest who's eyes seemed to be sharper than an eagle's.

"Shut up," she smiled through gritted teeth.

"It's still funny to know our Aksith knows your daughter!" Shreyash's dad jested, "The world is sure small, is it not?"

"Yes, yes," Sona's dad seemed to be getting along with him. "Aksith is a good kid."

"Then is he already off the market?" Shreyash's aunt laughed. "I would've thought my sister would have told me already! I was busy looking for girls for him!"

"Aunty," Aksith chipped in with a forced smile. "Nothing like that, we all are good friends."

"Yes, yes," Tarni nodded. "We are all best friends, since college!"

Sona frowned at her talk and how lovesick she looked as she gazed at Shreyash. Weren't her words rude? But as she looked at Aksith he didn't seem to mind at all, instead he was already looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" he whispered discreetly. She shook her head, biting her lip, maybe she should ask him? What would go wrong?

". . . I don't see anything wrong in him," Sona's dad seemed to be singing praising for Aksith. "In fact, he and my Sona do look good together."

"We aren't forcing them, anyways. Let the kids decide who they want to marry," her mother said. Sona scoffed at her words, finding them 20 per cent true.

While Tarni was making bedroom eyes to Shreyash, Abhay was being the protective brother as he intimidated him with questions he threw left, right and centre. The elders also were busy in their own tune, the topic of marriage getting diverted to politics and Sona found the perfect opportunity to slip off.

"Bored already?" Aksith followed her with quiet steps. "Now they will definitely marry me off to you, seeing me talk to you and everything."

His sarcastic words made her laugh, she pulled him inside the kitchen and started making tea.

"Isn't Tarni suppose to be doing the bahu stuff?"

"Let her have fun," Sona said. "If she comes in the kitchen, she will burn water."

"Yours and hers house look so similar from outside," he commented as his eyes roamed around the place. "But it is different from the inside."

"Yes, they renovated their house."

"Aksith," she closed the sugar container as she turned towards him seriously. "You don't like Tarni?"

Her words seemed to have thrown him off-guard, he looked a little uncomfortable but he laughed. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Does your heart not hurt, Aksith?"

"No, it doesn't," he said, but Sona didn't know if he was lying or telling the truth, his amber eyes were filled with emotions she couldn't decipher.

"She is making bedroom eyes to your cousin!" she said, "You don't care?"

"I don't," he shook his head. "Sona, just like how you got over Abhay, I am over Tarni."

She bit her lower lip, looking at him from her eyelashes. "Don't make me question if I ever knew you, okay?"

She suddenly turned back to the stove, her eyes watery as she thought of her words. She knew Aksith right? Why couldn't she believe his words then? Was he lying about not being over Tarni?

"You're the only person who knows me, Sona," he smiled but she couldn't see it. "Even I don't know myself sometimes, but you do."

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The day was over and Sona helped Tarni's mother clean up the table while her best friend gushed over her sex-god-doctor-suitor in 30 different languages. She was trying to convince her dad that he was the one for her.

"I think Aksith is better than him," he frowned and that ceased all her laughter.

Tarni stood up abruptly, blinking her eyes. "I don't like Aksith like that."

"So what?" her dad said. "You will like him after you get married."

"Dad!" she scoffed, "I am not old fashioned like you, okay? I want to like my husband before he becomes my husband."

Her dad rolled his eyes and then they started bickering nonstop.

"They are always doing that."

The deep voice startled Sona, she was just disposing the garbage when Abhay came inside the kitchen, still looking damper as usual. She tried to remember Aksith's soothing words on acting like a civil human. She turned and gave him a very civil smile.

"I have to admit," he spoke again, making her stop in her movement. "I am jealous of Aksith."

Sona almost slipped off the marble floor, clutching on the counter she looked at him in perplexity. "He is my best friend."

"I can be your best friend," he smiled, clearly meaning something something too. Sona looked at him appalled wondering if slapping a pan over the head was considered civil.

"Sona."

She counted till three, running the water in the sink as she started cleaning the cups. He came behind her, so close that she could feel his heat without even touching him.

Then, unimaginable to her she felt a pair of lips on her cheek, and with a smooch Abhay moved away.

"Had to give you your kiss," he said, like he wasn't trying to make her hop on a flight to the most farthest island, to a place where no single soul was named 'Abhay'.

Her soapy hands paused, she wondered if rinsing someone's eyes with it was also considered civil.

"Will you make me wait for long?" he said, yet again. Sona never knew Abhay could talk so much, much worst even survive a monologue.

"Abhay," she cleaned her hands and turned around, wiping them on the apron. "We will not talk about yesterday, okay?"

"Okay," he smiled and she suddenly found him just like his sister. Evil.

"Act civil!" she snapped, moving out of the kitchen with Abhay on her tail.

She was just going home after biding goodbyes when he stopped her at the door, thrusting a packet in front of her.

"The clothes my mom found in my apartment," he rolled his eyes with as smile. "It was for you. Wear it on the date this Sunday."

She didn't even have time to retort when he closed the door at her face. Was he trying to woo her or tick her off? She scoffed at him, looking inside the cover to see the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen.

It reminded her of a butterfly.

how was the chp? any wtf moments? ⇒

what do you think of abhay? he keeps changing tactics⇒

what do you think of aksith?⇒

what do you think of sona?⇒

the next chp will blow your mind.