"Whoosh", went the bottle yet again, rolling and I found the leisure needed to look around at the people seated at the table. Some of them were grinning widely, enjoying the game to the fullest and coming up with dares to give to the other participants. Others acted indifferent but deep down prayed for the bottle to not stop at them while some others were too absorbed by their phones to know what was going on. And then there were some like me who just maintained a confused smile all along.
I broadened my vision to find the hall abuzz with young people who were either chatting away with both their long lost and new found acquaintances or acting as silent spectators to their little game and occasionally dropping off to the dance floor. I wondered at how exceptionally easy it was to categorize people you find at a New Year's Day house party.
"Truth or dare? Vaani, truth or dare?", Sunidhi's voice resounded through the gathering, startling me out of my period of observation.
"Uh, yes, truth", I managed to say, quickly gathering myself and looking back at my friend from work.
"Okay... ", went Rishita, the host and yet another friend from work, "Have you ever been madly in love?"
"Vaani Sehgal, the snotty no-nonsense HR? Madly in love? How on Earth!", chuckled Aryan.
But I hardly heard it.
"Love, yeah", my mind laughed and heart groaned.
My eyes closed and I went back, landing in the time when it wasn't me and him, it was us, regardless of how far I had come since then. Those flashes arrived.
Walking down the college corridors, files in hand, me bumping into him for the first time. The papers flying in like rose petals, an instance rather filmy yet dreamy.
Now we are sitting at the beach, holding hands, watching the sun withdraw into the sea. He plants a kiss onto my cheek and bestows upon me the gorgeous idea of forever.
It's Valentine's day and we are having dinner, looking into each other's eyes in the candlelight. That's when I spot a ravishing ring in the wine glass, making my heart go wild.
And then comes the final flash, crashing in.
A pleasant evening. An altar. Me sitting there. The fire in the altar is still burning, just like my faith in you. I keep brushing aside their truthful words only to realize that I was wrong. I feel our fragile togetherness break forever.
...
I opened my eyes and with a straight face, declare out loud, "No, never been madly in love".
"Now, if you'd please excuse me", I continued and rushed out.
I ran into the restroom and looked into the mirror and at once my tears sided with my heart's agony instead of my mind's staunch conviction, flowing out.
"Vaani, are you okay?", a familiar voice knocked on the door.
I immediately felt soothed.
Wiping my tears, I got up and cajoled myself to face the world yet again.
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