It was clear to her that this was not a private lounge as it was shared by a couple of rooms.
"As you can see there's no cockroach, so you can go back to whatever the heck you were doing."
"Nothing," he lapsed into a pillow on the opposite side of the table, "Just Scrolling through some sports on the television."
"Yes that," she said, her eyes going back to the dark garden as though she would start crying the minute his door closed.
Instead of the half-open door, Shivay moved towards the mini-fridge.
He pulled out two bottles of cold wine and placed it on the table."
"SHIVAY?"
"What? Is this less?"
"Keep it back!"
When he stared at her, he could see how much she wanted to punch him. He still had the guts to speak, "Our drink off is incomplete, Annika."
It pained Annika, the reason why and the things that happened after came rushing back, but Shivay cut her out of it, "So, Shall we continue or do you accept defeat?"
She eyed the bottles, then Shivay. She could tell him to get lost and he would leave.
But what else did she have on her to-do list? She was just going to wallow in her sadness, instead, she could get drunk and wallow in her sadness with this guy- enemy friend person.
The plan that involves alcohol just sounded better. She snatched the bottle, chipped off the cover and took a neat sip as she murmured, "Never."
***
With only one-fourth of the bottle left, they were neck to neck now. On the scale of winning as well as drunkenness.
"I-I thought this wine was bad. Because of the packaging," Annika mumbled, almost drunk.
"Never judge a book by its cover," Shivay was a lot more saner than her, "It might even be worse," he said staring at the bottle.
She laughed, coughing, "Cold. It's too cold."
Annika almost put the bottle away.
"So do I win?"
Annika sipped from the bottle again, "Not a chance Malhotra!"
Shivay squinted his eyes, "Malhotra?"
"That's your surname right?"
Shivay's drink fizzed up his nostrils as he laughed, "Yes, that is my surname for sure."
By the next minute, Annika had almost finished the bottle, "This is too boring. Let's play truth or dare noww."
Shivay nodded, reaching his last sip too, "So Truth or dare?"
"Hmm, Dare!" Shivay chose.
Annika gave it a thought, but started with a simple one, "Find the most beautiful thing in this room."
"Just find?"
"Okay kiss the most beautiful thing in this room," she said, imagining Shivay kissing the fire hearth or the wine bottles.
But he held on to his face, "How do you kiss yourself?"
Annika wheezed, but then started showing him how. She was so stark drunk.
But it doesn't happen. Shivay copies her but ends up pouting like a fish.
"This is not possible," Shivay said giving up, "give me another dare."
"There's no interesting dare here Shivay," she tilted to her left, her head falling.
Shivay extended his bandaged hand forward, holding her head upright, "Okay then I choose truth."
"For Truth, hmmm," Annika blinked, her head was still bent on his palm, "Tell me the last thought you had."
"Nooo," he waved it off.
"What? Tell me," she said, "Rules are rules Shivayyy."
"You'll laugh at me."
"Maybe but rules," she was almost asleep when he said, "Okay."
Shivay removed his hand, and came closer to whisper it, "You know when you asked me to kiss the most beautiful thing, I - I thought of you."
Annika looked at him, his eyes. He was not lying. She bent closer, whispering something back, "I'm-I'm not a thing Shivay."
Shivay almost laughed, "but you are the most beautiful."
Annika felt more of the angst. Right in her guts. Everything was rolling upside down in her. Like someone was stabbing her with a knife made of her favorite dessert. Like her heartbeat was playing on full volume and everything else was on mute. She felt like she was on a falling rollercoaster with no end. She felt un-earthed.
Annika stuttered, almost backing away, but Shivay stayed there. Both of them were so dazed in alcohol.
She almost felt like she was this close to him before everything felt torn within her.
She swept closer, unable to use her conscience, "I don't know why, you seem like someone I know. Like someone, I've lost. You don't seem like the enemy. Why?"
"Because I'm not." He held her soft face.
"We aren't just two crazy people who hate each other because there's something more we feel. we were together, Annika." He winced.
She blinked, not getting a word.
"I was so crazy for you!" He laughed, "Of your blush, that went redder when you were angry, that was mostly around me. I was crazy over your stupid antics to call me at work. Stupid me to think I could stay away after I picked up your call. But the most I missed you when you forgot who I was. And it's my fault. Everything. I should've never -" but then he couldn't speak because she kissed him.
She backed away, a second later, "I-I don't know whatever this but you have amazing lips," she said, staring at his shocked face.
"Thank you?" He said, puzzled. He touched his lips and whispered, "We should probably never do this again."
But Annika was too lost, "Hmm?" She whispered, her eyes moving to his face, that beautiful white face, she held, "Or, or, or. Hear me out. We should do it again?" She asked with a lopsided smile.
There was a second of hesitation in Shivay's spine, "Yeah, good thinking," he said before he kissed her again.
***
Words: a perfect 1500
This is a super low-key chapter. Not much drama, only them<3. Next week, the drama continues.
Now I shall vanish, into a parrelel universe called my real life.
If you're still reading, thank you! You just made my day sunshine!
See you next week!
Chapter 15 - Two adorable Owls
Start from the beginning
