I woke up feeling a little pain around my neck and realised I wasn't on any bed rather on a rocking chair having Manik sleeping on the next one. The scenes of the last night played in my mind just like a movie and a soft smile appeared on lips as I saw Manik sleeping like a baby being all curled up. I covered him with the duvet and his shivers changed into gentleness. I glanced at the view before which were sitting last night and the snowy mountains looked so beautiful from his glassed window. I picked up my shawl and left his house and kept walking amidst the heavy fogs.

^^^^

I stood before mirror trying to match the scarf with my jacket while Navya kept mysteriously gaping at me and Arya paced across the length of the room.

"I will kill that Aaliya, how dare she do that to you!" Arya roared.

"I told you already Arya, it cannot be Aaliya. I don't think so." I picked up another stole from the bed and tried it.

"Really you think so? Nandu I have seen that stupid girl almost killing you the other day in the classroom and you want me to believe itna bada kaand usne nahin kiya?" Arya huffed.

"Arya what's wrong with you, why are you always after her? You have asked your secret men to fetch the information about that man na, then let's wait without jumping into conclusions" I mouthed and my eyes through the mirror fell on Navya who was still staring at me.

"God knows what's wrong with you. Anyway I'm going downstairs and waiting for you girls, make it fast." Arya went out while I danced my brows questioning my Navya.

"It's good.." she voiced.

"What's good?" I was clueless.

"That you are opening up to the happiness you deserve" she explained while I stitched my brows.

"Is your top floor working?" I questioned while she made faces.

"There has been some change in you Nandu which is good. Agar pehli ki baat hoti toh you would've simply sat in some corner crying your lungs out but see instead you are getting ready for Cabir's party, I'm loving my Nandu this way" I smiled.

"Because someone told me crying doesn't help you get over your problems rather facing them does." I said.

"And who's this 'someone', mind sharing with me?" She asked while I looked away biting my lower lip.

"I...must've read somewhere... chalo na.. aren't we getting late now and I hate when Arya shouts" I held her hand pulling her along with me.

^^^^

"Cabir ke garib-khane mein aap sab ka swagat hain" Cabir bowed in a typical welcoming gesture which made Navya go 'aww' while I and Arya rolled our eyes. I accept I was happy not knowing the reason though and don't know why when I entered into his apartment I caught a brief look on everyone around not knowing in whose search I was. At some point, I expected Manik to come but his absence left me little indifferent.

There were some 20 people, some of whom I knew while some I didn't. I took one champagne glass from the waiter and kept plastering fake smiles to everyone around who made an effort to converse with me. I wanted to take some fresh air and thus came out gulping down the champagne. I stared at those pine trees which were devoid of leaves and covered with snow allover.

"People say when a girl is silent, it's dangerous" I smiled hearing the voice as till then it wasn't difficult for me to know who that could be. I sipped my drink still looking at those snows while he stood beside.

"Toh... Do I look dangerous?" I jeered and he smirked.

"Yes... but dangerously beautiful" he mouthed and my eyes turned towards him in astonishment. I saw him looking like a prince in white jacket, blue t-shirt and dark blue denims paired with his warming high boots, he held a bottle of red wine for Cabir probably.

"Are you always this good with words?" I taunted playfully.

"Depends what I'm seeing before my eyes" he mouthed.

"Won't you go inside?" I inquired.

"Well that again depends on what you are doing" he winked and nodding my head in incredulity, I gestured him to get inside along with me.

"Have you gone outside to have a sparkling entry with this hottie Nandu?" Navya commented making me go crimson. She with her stupid remark grabbed everyone's attention on us and I glared while Manik bowed down his head as a thank you for being called a hottie. Arya seemed to be quite bewildered seeing me with some man as it was very unlikely.

"Guys join us" Cabir invited us.

"So what are we having here apart from these bombs?" Manik picked up few nuggets.

"Conversation" Cabir spoke.

"What! That's so boring." Manik rolled his eyes.

"Sun toh le, we all are playing a game. I'm sure you all must have heard about truth and dare" Cabir couldn't complete as Manik threw few decoration pieces at him.

"It's the game of kids" Manik remarked.

"Oh no my friend there's a twist" Arya intervened and continued "To each dare, we'll be picking up one topic and you will make to make a confession regarding that topic. But the twist continues, that confession should include at least one person sitting over here" he completed.

"Interesting" Manik pronounced.

"And if I don't have any confession to make, then?" Navya asked broadening her eyes like those cute dolls.

"Then you lose" Manik informed and Navya made faces. Manik tingled his glass and announced the game to be on.

"I'm not playing it.." I stepped back.

"Oh c'mon, you don't have a choice" Arya pulled me in and I was left with no choice.

^^^^

The bottle's mouth pointed towards Navya while its end was towards Manik. Navya seemed to be more than excited.

"And I like it now" Manik laughed dramatically looking at Cabir who begged Manik.

"So Navya ji, truth or dare?" Manik asked impishly.

"Nahin baba mere liye truth hi thik hain because I don't have any confession to make" She spoke while I smiled at her innocence.

"Have you been intimate with any guy other than Cabir?" My mouth opened hearing his question, how could he ask such a private thing before so many others whom we never met earlier.

"Saale marwa diya" Cabir hit Manik though he himself longed to hear the answer. Navya cleared her voice after a while and looked at everyone of us.

"Okay so there's this guy called Abhimanyu whom I met during my family trip to Nainital, he was one decent guy and we had..you know a little chemistry and there's a time when we kissed" Cabir for fee seconds slipped into coma. I knew about it for my bestie never hid anything from me but Arya even seemed to be equally shocked. It was not about kissing anyone, it was about a thing about your bestie that you never knew. Manik splashed some water towards Cabir playfully.

"C'mon Cabir, it was like a goodbye kiss" Navya pushed Cabir who made a sad face.

"Okay then, up for the next spin?" Manik spun the bottle and it pointed towards Arya, the asker being me.

"Okay Arya, truth?" I asked.

"Okay" he nodded.

"Not that I don't know but still how many times have you fallen in love and do you ever plan to get settled with someone?" I questioned and was quite enjoying the game by then.

"Uh pyaar...bohot baar hua and about being settled, don't worry if I don't get anyone which possibly I will not then I'll end up marrying you" we all laughed but there's someone who didn't seem to like Arya's witty answer.

"Anyway, next" Manik spun the bottle and it faced towards Manik and the asker being another girl.

"Truth or dare?" She answered while Manik in order to be more macho chose dare.

"Cool and I choose the topic love" the girl spoke and Manik gave a small smile looking at me while I somewhere stayed curious about his confession.

"I don't know what love is like, but when for the first time I saw her, I got tied to her through some unseen threads. She makes me happy. She makes me sad. I love spending my time with her and hope to spend all of the times on this earth with only her" he said without breaking his gaze upon me and I felt this electric feeling inside, his words melted a little portion of my stiff heart.

"Okay and so who's the person in this room? That was the rule na!" Cabir played on while he kept staring at me as we sat facing each other in a round.

"Uh...she's here only.." Manik stated and my heartbeats raced.

"And who's she?" Navya asked looking at me.

"Uhh.. my champagne!" He raised his glass while we all laughed at his cleverness though some part of my heart pondered over his confession.

"Next" Cabir spun and it faced Cabir, Arya being the asker.

"Dare" he shrugged his collar.

"Okay, cops and bars is your topic" Arya directed. Manik and Cabir broke into chortling while we gawked.

"Last year this stupid Manik gave me one person's address who was the dealer of second hand pricey bikes who actually was a policeman and without verifying this duffer's statement, I went to the person and...." he paused while Manik laughed keeping his hand on his heart.

"Aur yeh... janaab went to the police...himself and asked are....you a...dalal?" Manik spoke between his laughs and we all bursted laughing.

"Aur jo maar isne khaye....uff" Manik teased as Cabir made faces hitting Manik's shoulder.

"Shut up you ass" Cabir warned Manik.

"Aww my baby" Navya cupped his face.

"Achha next" To cut down the embarrassment, Cabir spun.

"Okay Nandu, Navya will ask you" Cabir stated.

"Dare haan Nandu...please" Arya requested.

"So Nandu your topic is...angel" Arya hit Navya for having asked such a fairytale wala question and I looked at the floor.

"It's okay if you don't want to" Cabir eased.

"To me an angel is one who fixes our wings and teaches us to fly again. One who protects us as a shield. My Ayyappa may sometimes be busy and so he sends his angel to save me whenever I'm in trouble" I completed while everybody around me stared at me.

"And is that person over here?" Navya smiled ear to ear since that was the rule.

"I would like to confess something guys, as many of you know I had been in deep trouble last night and the person who protected me as an angel...uh.. is...Manik and not only once but many times" I blinked looking at Arya and Navya while Manik seemed to almost have choked on his drink. I knew he would think I was some crazy person as I only requested him not to disclose before my friends that we knew each other and it's me only who spilled the beans, well he deserved such recognition. I smiled at him while he stared deeply at me and the others around gulped the fact slowly.

"And...you stayed with Manik, the whole night?" Navya questioned.

"The confession's over guys" I managed.

"Dance guys?" Cabir proposed.

Everyone chose a partner and danced as if they were at some ball. I stood holding another glass of champagne while Manik approached me extending his hand.

"Shall we?" He decently asked and I thought of denying but Navya from the dance floor pleaded me to accept his hand and let go of everything and slowly I did.

You're in my arms, and all the world is calm.
The music playing on for only two.
So close, together.
And when I'm with you
So close, to feeling alive

It was after ages that I danced with some man and he was so so gentle. He held my hand putting his other on my waist and for a second even I couldn't withdraw my stare from him and kept moving slowly to the rhythm.

So close to reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
Now youre beside me, and look how far we've come
So far...we are so close

There were some magic in the dim light or the lyrics or maybe his eyes that our eyes locked as if there was no other existence around. Some girl tapped on my shoulder borrowing Manik for a dance and being a little disheartened I gave up.

I stood a little away gaping at Manik who's dancing with that girl, a smile played on my lips seeing him enjoying.

"Nandini what's happening to you, how can you let your guards down?" My mind ranted making my face fall.

"You can't forget Maddy" it scolded and worries engulfed me but soon my phone buzzed to life.

"Hello?" I spoke.

^^^^

I don't remember how long had I kept walking in that chilly weather without informing anyone at the party about my departure. I walked faster squashing the pebbles under my boots and walked faster knowing where I should go. I swung the door with a force making one earth crashing sound.

"I can not believe this. You could stoop so low?" My heart pained.

"Never ever in my scariest dreams even I had thought that you would do that to me. I loved you." Tears rolled down my eyes as the person who stood facing me smirked.