Keeping Secrets

Chapter 1

"Heyyy, watch it. I'm trying to read a book here," Maya tried to intimidate the boys through the gaps in her fingers as she ducked behind her left palm, trying to shield her face and her book with it. The many charms and bracelets adorning her wrist danced to the rhythm of their own jingle and mirrored speckles of the bright sun. A large pair of sunglasses covered most of her face and her curly hair was tied up in a messy bun.

Kevin and Aryan just smirked at each other before splashing some more water at a very dismayed Maya. "How about you ditch the book and come have fun with us?"

She just rolled her eyes behind her glasses, before burying her nose deep into the dystopian classic she was reading. She could not wait for Nikki and the others to reach the resort too. It was hard to believe that all three years of college were already over and their entire group was able to finally make the trip they had been planning to forever. One big villa with a pool and the most beautiful view ever! They had booked both rooms on the top floor: one with four beds and the other one with a twin.

There was another group of three young men who looked like a boy band in one of the rooms downstairs, and two girls had booked the other. The pool was open to all, but each of the three parties could have their own gazebo and a bonfire setup. The villa also had a common dining area with a big mahogany table and about 14 chairs around it.

As a second jeep pulled into the gate, Kevin was the first to jump out of the pool, excited to greet his friends. His blue highlights looked stunning in the sun as he stepped out and stretched his lean biceps and broad shoulders. His charcoal eyes were bright with happiness. Aryan patiently finished his beer before pulling himself out of the pool. He was a little taller than Kevin, with coarse stubble and shy, dark brown eyes. He shook his long, wet hair before sweeping it back and reaching out for a towel, just in time to be joined by the rest of their friends.

Nikki was the first to emerge from the vehicle, leaving her doodled trolley bag mid-way to run towards her friends with open arms for a big hug. Her sheer shirt flew in the air like wings and her high ponytail swung wildly from side to side as she ran across the huge lawn in her baby blue sneakers with an excited squeal.

"Hold up. Don't start without us," Ryan said as he strolled in with Ruby. He was wearing a loose vest with a rucksack and was the tallest in the group. At 6'2", he almost looked like a giant next to his 4'11" friend. In sharp contrast to her petite, small size, Ruby was actually the loudest member of the group. Her fringes were swept to the side, and her short hair bobbed up and down when she walked. Her high-waisted shorts did make her legs look taller, but it was all in vain if she had to walk next to the tallest person in the group.

They all gathered at the poolside table to discuss plans for the evening that was just rolling in with the mist coming down from the hills in the backdrop. College was getting over soon, and they would all go away to chase the things they liked, but until then, they had each other. This was the family they had chosen for themselves, their home away from home. This was them, the wolfpack. They had come to be known across the college for their friendship. For the last three years, they had done everything together: lunch breaks, assignments, exam preparation, and of course, parties. Despite this, each of them had their own interests and shone in vastly different things. Kevin was a guitarist, Nikki was in the choir, Ryan played basketball, Ruby was in the debate society, Aryan was a dancer and Maya, an artist. Yet, whenever one of them was performing, the other five were bound to be there, cheering and hooting as loud as they could for their friend.

Life was perfect! Just like the sunset they were watching together.

So, it was decided. They were all going to freshen up, get dressed and meet up at the same place for an evening of cocktails and games before the bonfire at 8.

"Ok folks, let's all come back by 6.30 so that we can get this party started?" Ruby's voice easily pierced through the chatter, and everyone nodded in affirmation.

"Sounds like a plan. Come on girls, we need to move faster." Ryan threw his arms around Maya and Nikki, sliding between them as they walked back to the villa. His long legs did make it necessary for them to almost run if they wanted to keep up.

##

As Ruby and Nikki made their way back, Maya, Kevin and Aryan were already setting up a huge tub of fruits and olives to make cocktails while Ryan was trying to balance about four full bottles of vodka and rum along with some juice boxes. The two girls rushed towards him to help, dropping the intense conversation they were caught up in.

Once the first round of cocktails was served, time started going by faster. Aryan was the designated bartender. Everyone started drinking and sharing stories from the last four weeks. They had all been occupied with their own clubs for the annual cultural fest and had not seen each other in ages except, of course, all of them had gone to each other's events, to show their support and make sure their friends' performances had the loudest cheer on campus.

"Oh my God! You guys are never going to believe this..." Ruby started with her usual campus updates. Tiny as she was, she was known to never miss a juicy piece of gossip that was going around campus.

As Kevin settled down on one of the benches in the poolside gazebo, he could not hold back a smile. By now, all of this was so familiar. This is how it always began. Maya would refuse to drink until half the night had passed. Nikki would say it just tastes like juice with a terrible aftertaste and Ruby, who could not stand the smell of smoke sober, would smoke a whole pack before the night ends. They would always start with drinking games and then Ryan would be the first one to start singing mood music and Aryan would change the whole vibe to a Bollywood one. Then they would all dance till their feet could keep them up, and then plop down one by one to go back to singing all their favourite songs, till they started falling asleep one by one.