"So guys. Let's have a mini cocktail party then, shall we?" Tunisha changed into a pair of casual shorts and sat on Sumedh's lap.

"Oh yeah! Great idea." Sidd got up and walked past her, heading towards her bar room.

"Woah, you have your own wine and bar room!" I looked at the elaborately carved ceiling which was metres above us and awed at the different types of drinks that were displayed impressively.

"Red, white or -"

"The color of your lips." Sidd replied seductively, making her blush.

I looked at him in confusion. Why was he even attempting to flirt with Tunisha?

Oh well. Why am I feeling jealous? I don't care.

"Hey - isn't Marjería the wine brand which was so ancient that people travelled the world in search of it? How come you have it so easily?" I eyed the special wine displayed in a dim spotlight.

"Oh - well, my father owned a business. He was really wealthy you know."

"Wow, a business for....?"

Tunisha straightened up after pouring my glass of wine.

"Well, the thing is - I don't know myself."

"What?! You don't know?" Sumedh choked on his drink with a slight chuckle.

Tunisha however didn't reciprocate the laughter.

"My father died young. I was too young to remember any incidents before that." Tunisha spoke barely above a whisper.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said.

"Na, it's okay."

"How did he die?" Sidd asked, interested.

"Due to business mishaps I guess. You know - the same old strokes and health issues." She said quickly.

"Ahh, I'm guessing he had Liver Cirrhosis." I said, nodding my head.

Tunisha jerked her head up.

"How did you guess?" She asked me in astonishment.

"Err... those are common symptoms - of - liver cirrhosis..." I said surprisingly, not expecting such an astonishing reaction from her. I didn't get what was so unusual.

"Oh," she sighed.

Suddenly, as she came and tried to pull the lid off the bottle with a bottle opener, she screamed.

"Tunisha! What happened?" I got up and realized her hand had been hurt and was now bleeding.

"Oh.... don't worry - just a...."

"JUST?" Sidd went over to her and picked her arm in his hand quickly. He blew air at it gently which soothed the septic mess.

"It's alright, I'll take her and manage." I calmed a rather dumbstruck Sidd down.

I led her over to the bedroom and helped tie a bandage to her hand.

"Is that better?" I asked comfortingly.

"Yeah - very." She smiled back.

"By the way, I love your house. It's so grand and historical!"

"Historical?" She asked me confusingly.

"I mean - there's so many secrets and mysteries to find out about."

"Well, not really. It's just a house. My house. How can my house be mysterious?!" She giggled.

"I mean - it seems so ancient, and imagine your father living here with his business."

I saw Tunisha look tense again.

"Oops. I'm sorry, I keep forgetting."

She smiled reluctantly.

"Anyway - let's go join the guys." She lead me down.

As we stepped down the open stairs, we saw Sidd perambulating side to side in her living room, anxious about her.

"I'm fine, Sidd." Tunisha laughed.

"Phew." Sidd sighed in relief.

"C'mon mate, what about the cocktail party?"
Sumedh picked up two bottles in his hands and shrugged with a puppy face.

"Of course!" We all shouted and begun to pour out drinks once more.

💓

It was probably midnight, when we finally finished all the chattering and gossip that remained since University.

"Alright then, we'll get going." Sidd played with his car keys in between his fingers.

"What?!" Tunisha jerked in surprise.

We all turned to look at her.

"Uhh - well - I...I mean - so soon?" She glanced at us.

"I would love to stay longer but ...." Sidd leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Um. Okay." I interrupted. "Let's get going then Sidd, shall we?" I eyed him.

"Yes."

We hugged Tunisha and Sumedh, and they stood in the doorway watching us get into the car. I settled myself comfortably when my eyelids were on the verge of sticking together.

Just then a large sound woke me up with a start.

"Huh, we reached already?" I looked around startled.

To my surprise, we were still in the exact same place; Tunisha's driveway.

Sidd was trying to turn the car key but the engine just wouldn't start. It had failed.

"URGH." I slammed my head against the head rest.

"Relax, its fine."

"Well - no its not. Otherwise we would have been home by now." I rolled my eyes.

Tunisha and Sumedh came over.

"Guys, if it ain't working - why don't you stay over tonight? And anyway - you won't find a taxi at this time of night."

Me and Sidd exchanged glances.

"Um..."

"Reem, you look so tired." Sumedh came over and blinked in my face.

"That's cuz I am mate."

"Alright. We'll stay." Sidd sighed.

"Yayyy!" Tunisha clapped her hands in excitement.

I saw Tunisha's and Sidd's eyes lock for a minute and she blushed, blinking away.

As soon as she showed us our bedrooms, Sidd pounced on it and took up all the space.

I stood there.

"Um. And where do you expect me to sleep?" I taunted him, putting my hands on my hips.

"On the bed." He said tiredly, his voice muffling under the pillows.

I rolled my eyes and somehow rolled to one side, avoiding being touched.

💓

Darkness was in my room when my forehead cringed with tiredness. I aroused and tried to see if there was any water on the bedside table.

I yawned and walked down the stairs quietly, towards the kitchen.

I looked around at the same house which I had been in earlier, flooded with light; and now it had a mystical eeriness to it which gave me a chill down my spine.

My head was facing to my right when I bumped into someone and I screamed, gasping for breath.

"ARGHHHHH!" My high pitched scream echoed around the hollow kitchen.

"Shhhh!" The voice bellowed back in a whisper.

I rested my hand on my chest and I was exhaling loudly.

The figure drew out a torch and to my surprise, it was only Tunisha.

"Oh.... phew!" I rolled my eyes.

She looked me up and down.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"What are you doing here?" She responded.

"Oh - I was just searching for water." I walked past her and picked up a jug.

Tunisha's mouth dropped. "Err! No!" She said hesitantly.

"Excuse me?" I asked her in confusion.

"I mean - errr - you know it's not good to drink water on a - on an empty stomach.... that's right!" She panted for breath.

I paused and burst out into giggles.

She didn't laugh back.

"I don't believe in such things." I sighed and walked past an astonished Tunisha with the jug in my hands.