The Dark Side: Anthology of Short Stories exploring the dark side

Lust, Lies, and the Unseen

The road to Goa was filled with anticipation, excitement, and an underlying tension that no one could quite place. Rohan, Rueben, Neha, Samaira, and Rubina had finally made the trip they'd promised each other eight years ago. The time since college had changed them all, but the bond they once shared—the late-night parties, the secrets, the intimacy—was about to resurface in ways they could never have imagined.

As the sun set over the vast ocean, their car pulled into the secluded farmhouse, nestled in the greenery away from the bustling streets of Goa. It was perfect—private, isolated, and a place where they could relive their youth without the burden of adulthood weighing them down. Or so they thought.

The first night started innocently enough. Drinks were poured, old stories were exchanged, and laughter filled the air. But as the alcohol flowed, inhibitions began to drop and buried feelings and past actions resurfaced.

Rohan, the self-proclaimed leader of the group, was the first to make a move. He had always been the charming one, the guy everyone admired, but beneath that charm was a hunger that had never been satisfied. Neha, with her mysterious allure, had always caught his eye. They had shared a brief, passionate encounter during their final year of college, a night she thought was a mistake, but one he had never been able to forget.

"Remember that night after the graduation party?" Rohan leaned in close to Neha as they sat by the pool, the moonlight reflecting off the water. His hand brushed against her thigh, and she shivered.

Neha tried to laugh it off, but the weight of that night, and all that had happened since then, lingered between them. "That was years ago, Rohan. We were drunk...it didn't mean anything."

He smirked. "Didn't it?"

She didn't respond, but the tension between them thickened as Rohan's hand slid further up her leg. Across the pool, Rueben watched them closely, his face hardening with jealousy. Rueben had always been the silent protector of the group, but he and Neha had shared something deeper than anyone knew. They had been together briefly after that same night, but Rueben had never told anyone—especially Rohan, who would have seen it as a betrayal.

The sexual tension was palpable, but it wasn't just Neha and Rohan. Samaira had her past with Rueben, a secret affair they'd hidden from everyone, even though they both knew it was wrong. Samaira was a wild spirit, always chasing the next thrill—whether it was men, drugs, or adventure. Rueben had been a forbidden fruit, and she had indulged more times than she cared to admit.

Then there was Rubina, the quiet one, the sensitive one—at least, that's what everyone thought. But Rubina had been hiding more than anyone. Bisexual, sexually fluid, and deeply troubled, she had been with both the girls and the guys in the group, a web of lust and betrayal that no one had truly uncovered. Her hookups were secret, discreet, and often fueled by the drugs she had fallen into in her darkest moments after college. She had stolen from the group to fund her habit, lied about it, and let her relationships spiral into chaos.

On that first night, as the drinks and drugs began to take hold, boundaries blurred. They shared more than just old stories; they shared bodies. Rohan and Neha were the first to slip away into the shadows of the house, their heated whispers lost in the night. Meanwhile, Samaira and Rueben reignited their old flame, sneaking into one of the rooms, and locking the door behind them. What none of them knew was that Rubina had seen it all.

She watched, her body trembling, feeling the rage and jealousy boiling beneath the surface. Rohan had been hers, too. They had shared nights back in college—nights she thought meant something. And Samaira, her best friend, had been hers once as well. Yet here they were, pretending as though the past didn't exist.