PART ONE
"Come on everyone, let's a play a game" ordered Kunj as he exited the kitchen holding a jug of greenish-brown coloured fluid, gathering the family members around the living room. The elders took their place among the sofas whereas the younger generation scattered themselves across the floor, everyone curious to know what was going on.
"What's the game Kunj?" Asked Cherry, already enthusiastic about his victory.
"Game's simple. It's called Never Have I Ever,' all you have to do is say something that you have never done before and everyone who has done it has to drink this lovely Kunj special mixture that I've just created" he replied very proudly.
"Eeeh Kunj, what is this?" a disgusted Twinkle enquired, taking in the horrid look of the beverage her husband was so proud of. Attempting to smell the liquid for a better indication, Twinkle immediately pinched her nose and covered her mouth. "Yuck! Did something die in there?" she exclaimed. Looking at Twinkle's reaction and taking in the concerned and worried faces of everyone else, Kunj couldn't help but laugh.
"Relax everyone, it's just a bit of this and that which I found lying around the kitchen. No one will die, or they shouldn't anyway" Kunj pretended to ponder. He let out a laugh once again looking at the scared expression plastered across everyone's faces. "Come on, it'll be fun!" He encouraged. After some hesitance, everyone finally agreed and so the game began.
Kunj went first since he was the one who came up with the idea. "Never have I ever... bunked classes" he said with his eyes on Twinkle, waiting for her to make fun of his good behaviour during his school days. He wasn't disappointed. She laughed a lot. She finally gave up the teasing when she saw him narrow his eyes at her, "drink up Twinkle", he said watching her take the glass in her hand.
Twinkle and Cherry drank the glass in one shot. Their scrunched up faces reflected how vile the so-called drink' was. "Kunj, if I die tonight, my ghost will come back to haunt you I promise" Cherry threatened, still trying to digest the taste of that thing.
Next up was Twinkle. "Never have I ever... smoked a cigarette" she said raising her eyebrows waiting for everyone's dirty secrets to come out in the open. Kunj face-palmed himself. He wasn't a smoker but there was this ONE time he tried a fag back in London. Twinkle's eyes widened in response. "Kunj!?" she asked in disbelief of her husband, who had never bunked a class but had tried a ciggy? Raising his glass, Kunj downed the liquid in one go along with Cherry and Anand this time.
"Yuck!" Kunj spat out. He knew his master chef skills weren't up to scratch but he didn't think that it would taste disgusting to this extent. Composing himself, he saw Twinkle smirk at his plight. She would pay for this later, he thought to himself.
"My turn..." Cherry started next. "...Never have I ever... been married!" he completed as he burst into crackling laughter knowing that everyone in the room would have to drink up now. It was only fair since he's drank twice already. His antics were met with disapproval by the elders more than anyone else. Leela, Manohar, Usha and Surjeet all looked at the glass cautiously before downing the contents in God's name. Twinkle, Kunj and Anand also took their shots. If looks could kill, Cherry would be dying in his grave all over again.
Eventually, all tired and retired to their rooms. As fun as the game was, whatever Kunj had mixed in that drink was not settling well with some people.
"Let's continue playing" Kunj said to Twinkle once they were alone and settled in their room. He needed to get Twinkle back for the teasing about the bunking and cigarette. Twinkle knew Kunj would try to get her back at some point, his desperation to continue playing pretty much conveyed how badly she had won over him. But she was Mrs. Twinkle Kunj Sarna after all. She wouldn't be the Punjabi Patakha if she didn't spice things up a little.
Watching him get up, to probably get that gross thing he made, she stopped him in his tracks. "What happened? He asked her.
"Let's make things more interesting Mr. Sarna. Ever heard of strip poker?"
The change in Kunj's facial expressions told her that he had.
"The game remains the same but instead of drinking whatever it was that you wanted to kill us with, you have to remove a piece of clothing, deal?" she said putting forth her rules.
Kunj couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Twinkle was crazy but this was just something else. Did she really just suggest that they strip in front of each other? There had to be a catch. Unless she thought she would win? She'd already seen him shirtless so technically that was nothing new for him. Trying to understand his wife's chain of thoughts, an idea sprang to his mind which reflected in the huge smirk that had adorned his face now.
"Fine... But I have one condition" he stated, carefully reading her face.
"What condition?" Twinkle replied, now glaring at him, knowing that this wasn't going to be in her favour.
"We get to choose which piece of clothing the other removes" He casually finished, his eyes glinting with mischievousness.
Twinkle's mouth flew open. He was being serious. She could tell from the look he was giving her that he was a hundred percent serious about this. He was trying to throw her off. If she backed out now, he would've won over her and she couldn't have that. But what if he chose clothing that she didn't want to take off? She had never undressed in front of him before. Even though things were fine between them now, they hadn't reached that stage of intimacy yet. Kunj was her husband and it wasn't that she minded him looking at her but the whole situation was completely new to her.
Watching the storm brewing inside her, Kunj knew his plan had worked. There was no way that she would agree to this. Smirking to himself, he was just about to call the deal off when Twinkle finally answered.
"Fine. Let's do this."
*****
Part Two - Page 6
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
