A slap landed on his cheekbone, "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH AISHA."
I kicked him in the shin, sending him sprawling to the ground. "MY AISHA."
He whimpered, struggling to rise. I delivered a harsh kick to his back, eliciting a chorus of grunts.
"YOU THINK...
Neon lights pulsated in the dimly lit club, casting vivid colours that reflected off the dance floor and bathed the crowd in hues of pink, blue, and green. The air surrounding the youngsters, was thick with sweat and perfume, echoing with the relentlessly pounding music. The rapid tunes of the Bollywood tracks prompted the dancing crowd to move with frantic energy as they were saturated in joy and hazed with alcohol.
Mahi and Aditi who were big Bollywood junkies knew the hook step to every song and hadn't left the dance floor since their arrival.
Feeling slightly out of place but pleased to see his fiancée enjoying herself, Kabir remained in a booth, smiling as he watched Mahi. For once, she wasn't stressed but fully immersed in the fun.
Although the girls had initially planned a night out just for themselves, Sam suggested inviting Kabir, agreeing with the idea that the more, the merrier. Kabir decided to invite Zeeshan, not wanting to be alone in the club. After some persuasion and having no choice left, Zeeshan agreed, unaware that Yuvi was eavesdropping on their conversation, excited about the upcoming event. He then jumped out from one corner and begged them to let him tag along.
That's how the party of the girls, turned out to be a night out for the boys as well.
"Guys! I am done for the night." Aisha settled on the leather beneath her, raising her hand to refuse the shot glass that was offered to her by Tara, Sam's cousin
"Oh, come on!" Sam exclaimed, rolling her eyes at her friend's behavior that she found obnoxious. "You have only had three shots."
"You have to drink!" insisted her other cousin, Divya, but Aisha remained resolute in her refusal.
Unlike her sister and best friend, Aisha couldn't fully relax, aware that she had meetings to attend the very next morning and prepare arrangements for Mahi's sangeet ceremony later in the week.
Plus she had already been in the club for an hour and her social battery was at zero. She wanted to magically travel back to the hotel within seconds and sleep. Aisha herself didn't know how much she had grown and how the stress of responsibilities controlled her days and mood.
"I am sorry guys, not happening"
Tara sighed in irritation, chugging down the drink she was offering her a second ago. The three went back to talking while Aisha sat there, unamused. She intended to join in the conversation but since the three were closer, considering the fact they are cousins, Aisha was clueless of the gossip they shared.
She leaned against the brick wall and scrolled through random applications on her phone, hoping to get distracted or find something much more enjoyable and entertaining than the club.
A set of sudden notifications flooded her screen, catching her attention. The messages from an unknown number flashed before her, covering a part of the wallpaper.
Confused, she tapped on the inbox and felt her anxiety spike instantly as she saw the unwanted messages.
"Did you really think blocking my number would help? As if I don't have other ways to contact you..."
Her fingers, hovering over the phone, went numb, frozen in place and icy cold. The boredom that had occupied her moments ago was gone, replaced by the pounding of her heartbeat, which now echoed through the room, overtaking the music blaring from the speakers.
Her widened gaze fell on each and every word of the sentence, again and again until it left her with a helpless and drained out feeling. It was if nothing mattered, as if the environment she was in didn't appear safe anymore, as if the people she was with knew everything, about what she hid.
Her phone buzzed again but unlike the previous time, it wasn't messages but call from the same unknown number which now wasn't very unknown.
It was too much for her to take in. She couldn't deal with it, especially now. She shoved her phone into her white bag and ran a shaky hand through her straight locks.
Her throat and head started to ache in pain as she attempted to hold back the tears from streaming down her face. It was all due to frustration; frustration of not being able to live in peace.
Uncomfortably, her mouth became drier than the Sahara desert and clenching her dress for support and reassurance didn't help anymore. Lifting her gaze she watched the waiter keep another tray of shots before them.
Astonishing her friends, she grabbed one of them and gulped it down instantly.
"YES! FINALLY!" Sam cheered in excitement.
"More," Aisha whispered "I need more,"
✩✩✩✩
"Can I get a virgin mojito please?" Aditi asked the bartender politely before looking over her shoulders to search for her best friend
After scanning through every booth, Aditi saw Aisha seated with Sam and two other girls, drinking shots and grooving in her seat.
Aditi smiled.
An hour ago, she was neither dancing nor drinking. Aditi was happy to see that she had let her guard down and was finally enjoying herself.
'It's nice to see her having fun' She thought to herself, turning back around. To her surprise, standing just a few inches away was Yuvi, holding the mocktail Aditi had ordered and raising it further in her direction.
"It's on me." He said, offering a small smile.
"That's not necessary–"
"No, it is." Yuvi interrupted in a soft tone. Tilting her head, Aditi watched the hesitant guy take a deep breath. "After what I did..." He sighed. "I shouldn't have stopped you from entering the dining hall, especially not in the way I did. I am really sorry."
Aditi was hazed by the unexpected apology. Upon remembering that night, she was reminded of her behaviour as well and how she wasn't the kindest either. The frustration of travelling caused her to yell at Yuvi, who in reality was just doing his job.
"I am sorry too, it wasn't entirely your fault," she admitted, prompting him to smile sheepishly.
"Now that we have both apologized, should we start over?" he suggested, setting the tall glass aside and extending his hand. "Hi, I'm Yuvi Oberoi."
Aditi laughed at his playful demeanor and shook his hand. "I'm Aditi Tiwari."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Tiwari."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Oberoi."
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Welcome back!!!🫶🏻🫶🏻 Who do you think the mysterious person is??🤔🤔
