24-05-2026, 05:48 PM
Chapter 16 — Truth, Dare & Old Tension
The rain outside had become softer now.
Inside the nearly empty banquet hall lounge, the four of them sat around a small circular table cluttered with:
half-finished snacks,
melting ice,
two nearly empty bottles,
and years of history none of them fully acknowledged aloud.
Divya leaned back dramatically in her chair.
“Okay,” she announced. “This party officially became boring.”
Karthik immediately pointed at her.
“You are the chaos.”
“Correct.”
Lokesh shook his head faintly while sipping slowly.
Shruthi sat quieter than the others, watching them all with tired amusement.
It had been a long time since she had laughed this much continuously.
A dangerous realization.
---
Then Divya’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Oh no.”
Shruthi immediately reacted.
“That face means trouble.”
“Truth or dare.”
Karthik burst out laughing instantly.
“We are not in college anymore!”
“Exactly why it’ll be interesting now.”
Lokesh sighed deeply.
“I already regret staying late.”
Divya ignored him completely.
“Rules simple. No escaping. No fake answers. Penalty for refusal.”
“What penalty?” Shruthi asked cautiously.
Divya grinned slowly.
“One full large peg.”
Karthik immediately raised his hands.
“I am already dead.”
---
A few minutes later, the game had officially begun.
The atmosphere shifted strangely after that.
Still playful.
Still friendly.
But something underneath had sharpened.
Like everyone suddenly became aware of things they normally kept hidden behind polite adulthood.
---
Divya spun a spoon dramatically on the table.
It stopped at Lokesh.
“Excellent,” she declared. “Truth or dare?”
Lokesh looked tired already.
“Truth.”
“Coward.”
“Correct.”
Divya leaned forward.
“Okay… during college, who did you first find attractive?”
Silence.
Immediate laughter from Karthik.
Shruthi looked away toward her glass instantly.
Lokesh rubbed his forehead.
“This is why adults shouldn’t play this game.”
“Answer.”
Divya’s smile remained playful.
But her eyes weren’t entirely joking.
---
Lokesh finally sighed.
“Shruthi.”
Karthik whistled dramatically.
“Straight answer!”
Divya raised her eyebrows slowly while smiling.
“Fast answer too.”
Shruthi immediately took a sip from her drink to avoid reacting.
But internally, warmth and discomfort arrived together.
---
“Next,” Divya announced immediately.
The spoon spun again.
This time toward Shruthi.
Karthik leaned back excitedly.
“This is cinema now.”
Shruthi narrowed her eyes.
“I already hate this.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
Divya smirked.
“Boring couple.”
Then after a pause:
“Have you ever enjoyed attention from someone other than your husband after marriage?”
Silence.
A very different silence this time.
Even the rain outside suddenly felt louder.
---
Shruthi looked at Divya carefully.
Divya smiled innocently while sipping juice.
Karthik suddenly became very interested in the table surface.
Lokesh remained calm externally.
Too calm.
---
Finally Shruthi answered carefully.
“Attention feels nice to anyone.”
Not direct.
Not denial either.
---
Divya immediately pointed dramatically.
“Diplomatic answer! Corporate training!”
Karthik laughed loudly, breaking the tension.
“Actually true.”
But Lokesh quietly glanced once toward Shruthi.
Small glance.
Still noticed.
---
Next spin.
Karthik.
Divya clapped happily.
“Oh this fellow definitely giving entertainment.”
“Please spare me.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Wrong confidence.”
She thought dramatically for a few seconds.
Then grinned.
“Okay. Message the last person you texted and say: ‘You are becoming dangerous for me.’”
Karthik froze.
Shruthi nearly laughed instantly.
“Who’s the last person?”
Karthik checked his phone.
Then immediately covered the screen.
“No.”
Divya screamed dramatically.
“Penalty!”
Lokesh smirked faintly now for the first time.
“One full peg.”
Karthik sighed like tragic hero.
“You people are toxic.”
---
As the game continued, alcohol slowly softened everyone’s careful boundaries.
Not recklessly.
Just enough for honesty to slip out more easily.
---
At one point, Shruthi finally looked at Divya suspiciously.
“You’re asking very targeted questions.”
Divya smiled sweetly.
“I am emotionally intelligent.”
“You are emotionally dangerous.”
“Also true.”
Lokesh quietly laughed into his drink.
And Divya noticed immediately.
That laugh.
That exact calm restrained laugh.
Years later, it still affected her slightly.
Annoying.
---
Another spin.
Lokesh again.
Karthik immediately leaned forward.
“Now my turn to ask.”
Lokesh sighed.
“This is revenge.”
“Yes.”
Karthik grinned.
“Have you ever been jealous in marriage?”
Lokesh paused this time longer than expected.
The atmosphere shifted subtly again.
---
Shruthi looked up slowly.
Divya observed both carefully.
Rain tapped softly against glass windows.
---
Finally Lokesh answered quietly:
“Yes.”
No elaboration.
Just yes.
---
Karthik blinked.
“Really?”
Lokesh nodded once while swirling the drink lightly.
“Everyone gets jealous sometimes.”
And though he said it casually—
Shruthi suddenly remembered:
Laila,
corridor conversations,
Karthik,
emotional distance,
recent silences.
The answer stayed with her longer than anyone realized.
---
Divya noticed the shift immediately.
Of course she did.
She always noticed emotional cracks faster than others.
And somewhere deep inside her, an old unresolved bitterness quietly stirred again.
Not because she wanted Lokesh anymore.
But because seeing him and Shruthi together— still emotionally connected despite everything—
continued irritating parts of her she thought adulthood had healed.
---
The final round became softer.
Less provocative.
More personal.
Questions about:
regrets,
old dreams,
college memories,
people they used to be.
And slowly, without realizing it fully, the four of them stopped behaving like adults carefully protecting themselves.
For one late rainy night—
they became old versions of themselves again:
vulnerable,
teasing,
emotionally reckless,
dangerously honest.
And somewhere in between laughter and half-serious truths…
new misunderstandings quietly began taking shape once more.
The rain outside had become softer now.
Inside the nearly empty banquet hall lounge, the four of them sat around a small circular table cluttered with:
half-finished snacks,
melting ice,
two nearly empty bottles,
and years of history none of them fully acknowledged aloud.
Divya leaned back dramatically in her chair.
“Okay,” she announced. “This party officially became boring.”
Karthik immediately pointed at her.
“You are the chaos.”
“Correct.”
Lokesh shook his head faintly while sipping slowly.
Shruthi sat quieter than the others, watching them all with tired amusement.
It had been a long time since she had laughed this much continuously.
A dangerous realization.
---
Then Divya’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Oh no.”
Shruthi immediately reacted.
“That face means trouble.”
“Truth or dare.”
Karthik burst out laughing instantly.
“We are not in college anymore!”
“Exactly why it’ll be interesting now.”
Lokesh sighed deeply.
“I already regret staying late.”
Divya ignored him completely.
“Rules simple. No escaping. No fake answers. Penalty for refusal.”
“What penalty?” Shruthi asked cautiously.
Divya grinned slowly.
“One full large peg.”
Karthik immediately raised his hands.
“I am already dead.”
---
A few minutes later, the game had officially begun.
The atmosphere shifted strangely after that.
Still playful.
Still friendly.
But something underneath had sharpened.
Like everyone suddenly became aware of things they normally kept hidden behind polite adulthood.
---
Divya spun a spoon dramatically on the table.
It stopped at Lokesh.
“Excellent,” she declared. “Truth or dare?”
Lokesh looked tired already.
“Truth.”
“Coward.”
“Correct.”
Divya leaned forward.
“Okay… during college, who did you first find attractive?”
Silence.
Immediate laughter from Karthik.
Shruthi looked away toward her glass instantly.
Lokesh rubbed his forehead.
“This is why adults shouldn’t play this game.”
“Answer.”
Divya’s smile remained playful.
But her eyes weren’t entirely joking.
---
Lokesh finally sighed.
“Shruthi.”
Karthik whistled dramatically.
“Straight answer!”
Divya raised her eyebrows slowly while smiling.
“Fast answer too.”
Shruthi immediately took a sip from her drink to avoid reacting.
But internally, warmth and discomfort arrived together.
---
“Next,” Divya announced immediately.
The spoon spun again.
This time toward Shruthi.
Karthik leaned back excitedly.
“This is cinema now.”
Shruthi narrowed her eyes.
“I already hate this.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
Divya smirked.
“Boring couple.”
Then after a pause:
“Have you ever enjoyed attention from someone other than your husband after marriage?”
Silence.
A very different silence this time.
Even the rain outside suddenly felt louder.
---
Shruthi looked at Divya carefully.
Divya smiled innocently while sipping juice.
Karthik suddenly became very interested in the table surface.
Lokesh remained calm externally.
Too calm.
---
Finally Shruthi answered carefully.
“Attention feels nice to anyone.”
Not direct.
Not denial either.
---
Divya immediately pointed dramatically.
“Diplomatic answer! Corporate training!”
Karthik laughed loudly, breaking the tension.
“Actually true.”
But Lokesh quietly glanced once toward Shruthi.
Small glance.
Still noticed.
---
Next spin.
Karthik.
Divya clapped happily.
“Oh this fellow definitely giving entertainment.”
“Please spare me.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Wrong confidence.”
She thought dramatically for a few seconds.
Then grinned.
“Okay. Message the last person you texted and say: ‘You are becoming dangerous for me.’”
Karthik froze.
Shruthi nearly laughed instantly.
“Who’s the last person?”
Karthik checked his phone.
Then immediately covered the screen.
“No.”
Divya screamed dramatically.
“Penalty!”
Lokesh smirked faintly now for the first time.
“One full peg.”
Karthik sighed like tragic hero.
“You people are toxic.”
---
As the game continued, alcohol slowly softened everyone’s careful boundaries.
Not recklessly.
Just enough for honesty to slip out more easily.
---
At one point, Shruthi finally looked at Divya suspiciously.
“You’re asking very targeted questions.”
Divya smiled sweetly.
“I am emotionally intelligent.”
“You are emotionally dangerous.”
“Also true.”
Lokesh quietly laughed into his drink.
And Divya noticed immediately.
That laugh.
That exact calm restrained laugh.
Years later, it still affected her slightly.
Annoying.
---
Another spin.
Lokesh again.
Karthik immediately leaned forward.
“Now my turn to ask.”
Lokesh sighed.
“This is revenge.”
“Yes.”
Karthik grinned.
“Have you ever been jealous in marriage?”
Lokesh paused this time longer than expected.
The atmosphere shifted subtly again.
---
Shruthi looked up slowly.
Divya observed both carefully.
Rain tapped softly against glass windows.
---
Finally Lokesh answered quietly:
“Yes.”
No elaboration.
Just yes.
---
Karthik blinked.
“Really?”
Lokesh nodded once while swirling the drink lightly.
“Everyone gets jealous sometimes.”
And though he said it casually—
Shruthi suddenly remembered:
Laila,
corridor conversations,
Karthik,
emotional distance,
recent silences.
The answer stayed with her longer than anyone realized.
---
Divya noticed the shift immediately.
Of course she did.
She always noticed emotional cracks faster than others.
And somewhere deep inside her, an old unresolved bitterness quietly stirred again.
Not because she wanted Lokesh anymore.
But because seeing him and Shruthi together— still emotionally connected despite everything—
continued irritating parts of her she thought adulthood had healed.
---
The final round became softer.
Less provocative.
More personal.
Questions about:
regrets,
old dreams,
college memories,
people they used to be.
And slowly, without realizing it fully, the four of them stopped behaving like adults carefully protecting themselves.
For one late rainy night—
they became old versions of themselves again:
vulnerable,
teasing,
emotionally reckless,
dangerously honest.
And somewhere in between laughter and half-serious truths…
new misunderstandings quietly began taking shape once more.
-Pickup, drop, escape.
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