Not My Little Sister

Chapter 20- Never have I ever

"Two truths and a lie," Farhan declared, sipping his beer. The game night was being held at Anay's apartment with dim blue lighting and Indian instrumental music in the background. Ria entered fashionably late drawing everyone's attention.

Farhan, blinked at her. "Ria, you look beautiful."
A possessive feeling arose in Vinaya.

"Thanks!" Ria responded with a hint of a secret smile. "I went on a date."

"Oh, spill the details!" Farhan teased, intrigued.

Ria blushed, unveiling the romance. "Cute guy, met him on Bumble. This was our third date."

Anay chimed in, curious. "Why didn't you tell us about it earlier?"

Vinaya, bewildered, sensed a pang of discomfort. Ria dating others felt like a betrayal, conflicting with the emotions Vinaya thought Ria harbored for her brother.

"Remember the chaos from my last date?" Ria narrowed her eyes at the men.

Intrigued, Vinaya probed, "What happened on your last date, Ria?"

Ria shook her head, recounting the absurdity. "These guys all showed up at the restaurant, and one idiot kept texting me incessantly." She glared at Farhan.

"No one asked you to check your phone," Anay laughed.

"The guy was a loser. We did you a favor," Nithin said, offering comfort with a pat on her back.

"That was for me to decide, not you," Ria argued, her irritation still evident. Abruptly changing the subject, she proposed, "Aren't we playing 'Never Have I Ever'?"

"We were going for 'Two Truths and a Lie,' but 'Never Have I Ever' works too," Anay conceded.

"Okay, whatever, let's just play," Ria challenged, defiance in her eyes.

"Sure sure, change the topic," Farhan rolled his eyes.

"We're going to find out one way or the other, Ria, so you might as well tell us now," Nithin teased.

Vinaya, still nursing a hint of jealousy on her brother's behalf, sat in silence, observing the unfolding dynamics with a mix of curiosity and unease.

"Okay, so everyone here knows how to play 'Never Have I Ever'?" Anay inquired, glancing at Vinaya. She shook her head, having watched a series by that name on Netflix but unsure of the rules.

"Alright, it's simple. You say something like 'Never have I ever eaten a burger,' and those who have eaten a burger before would take a sip of beer," Anay explained, adapting the game to their setting.

Vinaya, feeling a bit uneasy about the drinking part, looked at Nithin, who was engrossed in conversation with Ria.

"Why don't you go first, Vinaya?" suggested Farhan.

"Okay, never have I ever cheated on an exam," Vinaya said cautiously, not wanting to reveal too much.

Anay and Ria took a sip of their beer, while Nithin remained unaffected. Vinaya couldn't help but smile, finding unexpected joy in that revelation.

"Never have I ever found... 'the one'," Anay grinned widely, taking a sip.

Nithin, realizing the implication exclaimed, "What?" The friends' attention focused on Anay.

Vinaya, uncertain of Nithin's reaction, took a sip as their eyes met. His gaze was intense, his expression unreadable. A pang of insecurity hit her as she realized that Nithin hadn't sipped his beer. Was she not 'the one' for him, or had Anay's revelation distracted him?