Married to you ✔

17• Do I like him?

"It's not my dare. So I am out of this." Navya contradicted as she got up from her seat. I held her right in time before she could run away.

"I too helped in Manik's dare. So you should too." I said with a smug smile as I pulled Navya by her hand. Tit for tat.

"But don't you think five minutes would be too much." Cabir said. The colors of his face had already drained out.

"Not at all." Manik added this time. "Five minutes are very less."

"Oh c'mon Cabir and Navya it's just a matter of five minutes." Alya too cheered while the silent guy Dhruv just sat there watching everything.

"What if we suffocate and die?" Cabir said yet again as he looked at the small cupboard.

"Two loads of this earth will be reduced so be relieved and go inside." Mukti pushed Cabir towards the cupboard.

So the dare was that Cabir and Navya had to spent five minutes in the locked cupboard. The cupboard was so small that hardly one person could fit in there. I made use of this useless cupboard which had been stored in the storeroom for god knows how long. I am great.

"Mukti." Navya hit her on her head and Mukti hit her back. Before they could start fighting I pushed Navya towards the cupboard.

"You can fight as much as you want after coming out of the cupboard." I said to which Navya made a grumpy face.

After much of a drama, Cabir got inside the cupboard, followed by Navya. Navya had to sit in Cabir's lap to fit inside the cupboard.

I was about to close the door when Cabir stopped me. "One minute okay."

"No chance mister." I laughed as I closed the door.

"How about three minutes?" Cabir shouted but I shut the cupboard door and locked it.

We sat on the floor in circle and laughed thinking the possible things they might had been doing. For few seconds Cabir and Navya did bang on the cupboard door but later the banging stopped.

"Could they be kissing?" Manik said. Pervert.

"If you are jealous Manik, you can do the same. We wouldn't mind or we can just close our eyes you know." Mukti said and others laughed while Manik gave Mukti a grumpy look. And I just felt too embarrassed.

Mukti pushed me towards Manik and I landed right on his arms. He looked at me and I looked at him. As I looked at him I realized he was actually handsome.

What am I thinking? I immediately got out of his hold and looked away. I must have gone crazy.

Five minutes later I opened the lock and as soon as I opened the lock Cabir and Navya got out, breathing heavily.

I could see a little pinkish color on Cabir's lips and I knew they had kissed.

"So how was your dare?" I nudged Navya and she immediately got out of the store room without even answering.

"What did you guys do?" Alya looked at Cabir. She was trying to pull their leg.

"It was the worst dare of all. I almost suffocated." Cabir said as he too got out of the room. He was flustered.

"I guess soon we are going to have one more couple in our gang." Alya said with a smug smile as we all moved out.

We continued with the game. Next up was me.

"What do you think about Manik?" Dhruv asked.

"He is a (perverted) monster."

We laughed, made fun of each other but then when again my turn came, Dhruv asked me the question that I never wanted to be asked

"Tell us about your first crush." Dhruv asked and it pricked my heart. I got silent at this question.

"C'mon Nandini."

"Uhhh Maddy was my first crush." I fidgeted with my finger as I slowly let the words slip out of my mouth. "He-"

"Guys I am sleepy and it's too late, so you guys should head back home." Manik interrupted in between. I looked at him and I knew he was doing this for me.
"But we aren't done yet." Mukti contradicted.

"Mukti it's already 10. So you must head back. And you remember right you have an early morning flight tomorrow."

"Oh shit." Mukti stood up with a jerk."Guys I need to go. Bye." Mukti took her bag and rushed out. Soon everyone left.

I was about to move inside the room but Manik held my hand and stopped me. I looked at him and raised my head slightly asking 'What?'

He smiled and shook his head in 'nothing'. What had gone into him?

I tried to get my hand out of his hold but right then he pulled me towards him, making my eyes go wide. My head slightly banged on his chest and unknowingly I held on to my breath.

"I am a monster." I heard him whisper. I looked at him and he too looked at me. I could feel my heart crashing against my ribcage and I feared if he could hear it. "Shall I prove it?"

What? I immediately pushed him away and stepped back. "Like seriously."

He slowly moved towards me and involuntarily I moved backwards. "Manik stay away."

My steps were soon stopped by the wall. I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt his presence just few inches away from me. My stupid heart thumped harder when he slowly traced his finger down my cheek.

This time my hands betrayed me. I couldn't push him away or it's better to say I didn't want to push him away.

I hate to admit this but his touch evoked thousands of spark within me. His touch felt so right. By any chance Do I like him?