When you dare, things tend to change.
Either in your favour or against it, but the change is imminent.
And that's what happened that night.
"Why haven't I heard this story before?", she replied.
"Maybe 'cos I've never been this drunk"
"You are crazy!! Who would run naked outside their hostel for a bet of just 500 bucks?! I can't stop laughing!"
"It wasn't about 500 bucks. It was a dare. I used to be immature and stupid at the time."
"You are still immature."
People in college who knew Aditya could never expect this from him but this tale was from his schooling years. He used to be a crazy person in those days. Any and every fight in his school included him. He was so chaotic that no teacher allowed him to sit in the back so that he would be lost from their sight. He was always made to occupy the first seat near the teacher so that they could keep a keen eye on him.
"No No No! I've changed now!", Aditya exclaimed.
He waited a couple of minutes for her reply before he called Riya.
He's never called her at night, but calling her late at night wasn't him, it was the alcohol.
He drank, A lot; that's definitely his fault.
She didn't pick up the call.
He called again.
He was about to call her again when a message popped up on the screen.
"You called? what's the matter?"
"You were not replying."
"I didn't reply because I went to the washroom for five minutes. You claim you're a mature person now :p. Doesn't look like the sign of a mature person"
"No, this is love."
"Aaahhh Itna Pyaar :P"
"I love you so much na"
"It's late at night and you're not in your senses. Go sleep.", she said.
"I know what I'm saying. Say, that you don't love me if you're in your senses."
She sends laughing emojis.
"Don't laugh, this is not a joke!"
She again sent a message full of laughing emoticons.
"Don't laugh."
"You know what? These words will sound much better if you would say them in person and not on a call", she replied.
"Are you indirectly asking me to come to your place right now and say those words to your face?"
"Ahhann...You were always good at guessing."
"If I come then you have to say the same to me.", Aditya took the chat seriously.
"Okay, I will", Riya meant it as a joke.
In utter excitement, Aditya without a thought picked up the keys, wore a jacket and went to do something idiotic that he will realize much later. He'd never been to her place before. So he stopped at the square where she takes the college bus and called her.
"I am at Bengali Square. Tell me where your house is?"
"Oh really.", she laughed.
"Oye, I am not joking, I really am here at Bengali square, now tell me your address", He said.
She got dismayed after hearing that.
"Are you mad or what?! It was just a joke!' she said panicking while saying that.
"But now I am here and I will not go without seeing you.", he said.
"Have you really gone insane? Do you even realize what time it is? It's too late, everyone is sleeping and I can't come out of my house", getting even more anxious.
"I don't know anything, you asked me to come and now I am here and I will only go after seeing you.",
Riya had never heard such stubbornness in his voice. She knew that he will not go back and she's going to lose all her arguments that night but she was doing her best to win.
"What will you do by seeing me? Please go."
"No, I want to see you, no more discussions around it. Just tell me the address quickly.", he said with a heavy voice.
She realized that she will lose, so with no more excuses and arguments, she guided him to her home over the call. It took 20 minutes for him to reach her home. It was all black everywhere, only the road lights other than the moonlight were helping him find his way. He also turned off his bike's headlight because he didn't want to create any disturbance in the silent surroundings.
Finally, he reached her home. He parked his bike far away from her house. She was on her terrace. He waved at her to say hi, she did the same.
They both were stared at each other.
The moonlight was directly lit up her face.
"She's gorgeous.", Aditya said to himself.
He forgot that he was on the call. He saw her smile and realized about the call.
"I didn't say anything"', Aditya said.
"Yeah, I haven't heard anyone calling me gorgeous."
"You have seen me. Now go before someone else sees you here.": Riya.
"Are your parents asleep?", he asked.
"They are not in town, that's why I came to see you. They've gone out for a family function. It's only Rohan, Dadi and me."
Aditya was still warm due to the alcohol. He wasn't sure what he should do next or what to say next but he wanted time to stop at that moment. He wanted to look at her forever. On the other side, Riya had never done anything as crazy as this. She was still not sure why she was doing that.
"Why do you have stairs to your terrace from your Verandah? Anyone can jump over your door and enter your house from the terrace.", Aditya questioned.
"No, we also have a door on the terrace, that is locked from inside. The stairs are because we rent the room on the roof. It's for the tenant.", she answered.
"That's Smart. Can I rent this room?"
"No, dad doesn't rent it out to bachelors.", she laughed.
"Riya, can I co....?"
"What….?', she interrupted him, "Don't you even dare think about it."
To be continued.,,,
By Vaibhav Rai
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