The party lights dimmed a little as the Truth or Dare game began in full swing. Laughter echoed as secrets spilled and funny dares played out in the circle. Nitya sat with a calm smile, but inside, she was on edge—waiting.
And then the bottle landed on Aarav.
"Truth or Dare?" someone called out.
Aarav glanced around, smirking. "Dare."
Just as planned.
Right then, Nitya's phone buzzed. She picked it up, glanced at the screen, and suddenly stood up. "Guys, important call—I'll be right back," she said casually and walked out of the hall, her heels clicking behind her.
But what no one knew was… she hadn't gone far.
The call wasn't random. It was from one of her friends who was still inside the hall—and on speaker.
Back in the circle, her plan was already in motion.
One of her friends leaned toward Aarav with a mischievous grin. "Alright, Aarav, here's your dare: Within one month, you have to get close to a girl and make her your girlfriend."
Aarav raised an eyebrow. "And if I fail?"
A few exchanged glances before one replied, "You'll have to make fun of our strictest director during the morning assembly—on mic."
The room erupted.
"That's suicide!" Aarav laughed, but his mind was already calculating. The director they were talking about was a complete hardliner—this punishment wasn't just embarrassing, it was dangerous.
"Come on, you're Aarav," someone nudged. "You've got this."
"Yeah," another said, "You can totally go with Nitya. She's your best friend, and let's be honest—she's the safest bet. She wasn't even here when we gave the dare."
Outside the door, Nitya smirked to herself. Exactly how I wanted it.
Aarav paused. Nitya? Sure, they were close. But there was no feeling. No real connection.
Then... a familiar name drifted into his mind.
Anaya.
A silent war broke out in his chest. Could it be her? Would she even give me a chance again?
Just then, Nitya returned and took her place in the circle.
"Truth or Dare?" someone asked.
"Truth," she said, brushing her hair behind her ear.
A girl leaned forward. "Do you already have a boyfriend? And if not—what kind of guy would you say yes to?"
Nitya smiled, slow and smooth. "No, I don't have a boyfriend. But if I ever do—he has to be charming, smart, caring... and maybe a bit into technology and AI. Someone who understands me."
Her eyes flickered toward Aarav for just a moment too long.
The party wrapped up soon after, with sleepy goodbyes and half-eaten cake still on the tables. Everyone headed back to their hostels.
Aarav walked back alone, hands in his pockets, the cool night air brushing past. The dare echoed in his mind. He'd accepted it. But now came the real decision.
Do I choose Nitya… or Anaya?
The next morning...
Aarav sat up in bed, sunlight spilling across his blanket. His phone rested in his hand. He had barely slept, thoughts of the dare keeping him awake.
After much hesitation, he opened Anaya's chat and typed:
"Hey, are you free this weekend? Can we meet at the café?"
He hit send.
On the other side of campus, Anaya was still asleep—or trying to be. She had stayed up all night working on a design assignment, pouring her frustration and focus into it. Her eyelids were heavy, her body exhausted.
Her phone buzzed on the table beside her.
She groaned, rolled over, and peeked at the screen.
Aarav.
The notification lit up her face more than the morning light.
She didn't open it. Not yet.
Rubbing her eyes, she let out a soft sigh.
What now...
To be continued…