The evening was incredibly pleasant despite the crowd. Goa was a popular place during this season for obvious reasons. We all were dressed for the beach as we met up in the lobby. Sarah was rifling through her huge bag and would have bumped into another hotel guest if Matt hadn't steered her away to safety. I smiled to myself as I looked on. Matt was a good guy. 

"What are you smiling at?" Vahni asked as she checked her new sunglasses out in a small mirror. 

"Nothing," I shook my head. 

I smoothed down the white dress I was wearing over my swimsuit. My own sunglasses were pushed back on my head. Sarah gave me an approving look but didn't say anything. I would never have worn such a dress a year ago. 

"There they are," Vahni said and pointed to the stairs. 

My eyes widened as I noticed Angad's attire. His shirt was identical in both colour and texture to my dress. It seemed as if we were dressed in a cheesy couple's costume. Which is not to say that objectively he didn't look good because he did. The shirt stood against his tan skin making him look better than he already did. His shorts exposed his shapely legs. 

I shook my head to break away from this chain of thoughts and prayed that nobody would notice our coordinated outfits. 

Too bad that was the first thing out of Yug's mouth.

"Whoa, Meera, Angad, did you guys plan this or something?" he said loudly drawing everybody else's attention to us. 

Angad stared at me and then back at his outfit. I blushed.

"Of course not!" I protested.

"Why so testy?" Yug laughed. 

Everybody had, by this point, made the connection and they were laughing in agreement. 

"Looks like the existing couples have some competition," Yug laughed, "Meera and Angad have coordinated outfits. What will you do to one-up this?" 

If my blush wasn't prominent enough already, it was now. 

"Har har, very funny. Let's go now. We need a good spot on the beach and we haven't sorted out transport." I said walking off. 

"So, were you spying on me? Is that how you knew I would be wearing this?" Angad asked as he caught up with me easily. 

"I could ask you the same thing," I quipped back and he laughed. 

He teased me about my dress till we were outside. 

Our hotel was a little distance from the nearest beach. We could have walked but we decided to rent scooties instead. Among all of us, we would need five of them. Siddharth suggested it would be more practical to rent a car and a couple of scooties so we could store our stuff in there and switch with whoever wanted to ride in either. 

I seconded his suggestion because it would be safer. 

***

We got to the beach well before the sunset. People milled about the area enjoying themselves. I breathed in the salty smell of the sea and smiled to myself. The breeze tickled my hair and for a moment I was truly at peace. 

It lasted a second because Angad and Yug instantly whooped loudly and ran towards the water throwing their shirt to the side. I stared after them amused at their antics.

The boys all followed suit and I could only guess that this wasn't the first time they had done this. Deepani paused for a second and looked back beckoning the rest of us. 

"C'mon guys! It's the first dip." 

We dumped our stuff nearby and stripped off whatever needed to come off and stay dry. My new swimsuit flattered my curves and to my surprise, I didn't feel conscious of the stares. I leapt and started running towards the waves where they all were. My feet dug into the loose sand and my hair whipped around in the wind. 

I hollered and Vahni echoed as we made took the first dip. 

We spent the next few minutes splashing around in the water, laughing as the guys tried to dunk each other. It made me so happy to see both of my friend groups meshing so well with each other. 

Suddenly an arm snaked across my waist,

"You look pretty dry," Angad's voice said near my ear and before I could process anything my legs gave away and my head went underwater. 

I emerged sputtering and coughing and looked around for the culprit. Everyone was laughing at my expense as I pulled my hair away from my eyes. 

"Angad!" I yelled furiously. 

He stood a little away grinning impishly at me. I stepped in his direction and he suddenly took off running. I chased him. 

We were both laughing and wheezing by the time we stopped. I grabbed him,

"Gotcha," I said and he looked down at me with a strange expression.

"You did," he said softly. For a second we both stilled and it was perfect.

Then I stepped back slightly and cleared my throat. This was not good, not good at all. This was the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. The proximity and his smooth bare chest directly in my eye line weren't helping me. 

"What that's it? I expected better, Meera."

His tone was playful again. 

"I realized I don't have an advantage in this situation. You best believe I am going to get back at you." I said.

"Oh, what do you have in mind?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

"You'll just have to wait and see." 

I turned away and started walking back to where everyone else was when suddenly Angad scooped me up in his arms. 

"What are you doing?" I yelled as he started running pretty effortlessly for someone who was carrying an entire human being in their arms. My skin flushed a bright red at the contact.

"Angad put me down!" I said as we got closer to our group. 

"As you say," he said and tossed me unceremoniously into the water once again. I emerged again seething as he laughed at my expense yet again. 

He dunked me a second time! Unbelievable!

"Better make revenge worth your while," he shrugged trying to stifle his laugh. 

"I am going to get you back," I promised with narrowed eyes. 

***

I grabbed the cocktail from the bar and turned to look at the beautiful sunset ahead. 

The others were getting the last of our stuff and trudging up to where I was sitting. A bunch of them had to use the bathroom and the others packed up our belongings. I really needed a cocktail so I had walked on ahead. 

From a distance, I saw Vahni walking with Angad as they carried the picnic blanket we had sat on. They were conversing about something and Vahni giggled. 

Had she finally gotten over her reservations? She was pretty engrossed in whatever he was telling her. I guess it was good for her. 

This is what she wanted right? To get closer to the man she had a crush on. 

This is what I wanted? Probably what Angad wanted too. He clearly had moved on from all the drama. We were back to our banter now, back to being friends the way were before. Vahni was nice and pretty. Two of my friends getting together should make me happy right?

Then why did my stomach feel queasy? What was this twinge of discomfort in my gut? 

Vahni tucked her hair behind her ear before giving Angad another smile. I realized the fruity concoction in my hand didn't taste like anything. 

"What's that look for?" Siddharth's voice startled me. 

He had come back from the washroom presumably and was ordering a beer for himself. 

"What look?" I asked.

"Like you've tasted something sour. Is your drink bad? Send it back if you don't like it." 

I shook my head and placed the glass back on the counter. 

"It's fine. Let's grab a table."

We all sat down at a nearby table and chatted till it was after dark. Chatting, relaxing and just having a great time. Thanks to Yug's detailed itinerary we knew we should conserve our energy for the club we were going to after this. 

As we were leaving Yug pulled me aside and asked if I could give him Neel's number. 

"Why would you need that?" I asked genuinely confused at his request. 

"Really? Not you too." Yug sighed shaking his head.

"Stop with the condescension and tell me," I demanded. 

He laughed, 

"Do you seriously not know that he is more my type than anybody else in the group?" 

"What?" 

"Don't tell me you think he is straight. Did you not see him checking me out?" Yug asked incredulously. 

"Clearly not," I said still processing this bit of new information. 

Yug rolled his eyes and asked for my phone. I sent him the contact still reeling. 

"So you knew? Why didn't you say something?" I asked. 

He chuckled and then checked to see if anybody was eavesdropping and then leaned down to whisper conspiratorially in my ear, 

"Because I was having too much fun. It was uncomfortable sitting between Angad and Siddharth, they're selfish and they hogged the armrest. When I saw the opportunity to let them suffer I took it. I am not above using jealousy to my advantage. I am not a saint you know?" 

I stared at him till he stopped and made me face him,

"Either you are acting dumb right or you are really dumb," he said. 

"I am going to have to ask you to spell it out for me here," I said running out of patience. 

"Meera both of those men are clearly in love with you," he said matter of factly and it felt like he had dumped a glass of ice-cold water on my head. 

Yug must have noticed my dumbfounded expression because he pulled me aside and announced that we would be taking the car back to the hotel. 

"By 'those men' you mean Siddharth and Angad?" I asked in confirmation once we were buckled in. 

"Obviously," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

"You say that like it is a certainty," I said and he rolled his eyes again. 

"No, let me reiterate," I began, "You are telling me that you know for a fact that Angad and Siddharth like me and you have known this for a while. You are also telling me that they were jealous of Neel, the nice guy who sat next to me on the plane and invited us to his show and after-party, who happens to be gay. You withheld this information because you think they were jealous of him?" 

"Yes!" Yug said, a little exasperated. 

I absorbed all of this and there was silence in the car. 

"You can't expect me to believe that this is the first you are hearing of this," Yug said. 

"I mean with Angad there has always been this... weird back and forth but Siddharth? No. Are you sure? You could be mistaken." I said finally. 

"Ooh, interesting. Now that we are finally talking about it, what is this back and forth you speak of?" he wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Yug! Answer my question." 

"I have known them for a while now, Meera. I am pretty sure I can tell when they like a girl."

I leaned against the window. 

Angad did like me but that was all over now. It had gotten too messy before it even began and we did what was best for both us, for the society, for everyone. But Siddharth? Could I take Yug's word for it? I hadn't even considered him in that manner. He was always just Siddharth. Nice, funny, kinda grumpy at times. 

"So you knew?" I asked and he hummed, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I respect boundaries. If they wanted to talk about it they would have come to me plus it was entertaining to see Angad and Sid bicker about something other than Red Wagon for once."

"Really?" 

"Okay, maybe Angad did mention something early on." 

"Tell me." 

"Secrets are sacred in this friendship, Meera. Not going to betray my best friend now." 

"Then why did you tell me about that in the first place?" 

By this time we were outside our hotel and he pulled into a parking spot.

"Because I am tired of seeing you act like a couple of middle schoolers. If you like him then go get him. If not then make it clear. I don't know. Just sort it out. Goa seems like a great place to get it over with. This is why I don't involve myself. It is messy." Yug finished and got out of the car. 

"Oh please, you live for this," I said rolling my eyes this time. 

Yug laughed. 

"Sure but it is getting boring. Go on do something! You are liberated beings in the 21st century. Make a move."

"Which reminds me," I said catching up with him, "you are making the first move with Neel? That is certainly bold."

"You know nothing about Date-Yug." he flashed me a smooth smile as we met up with the rest of the group in the lobby. I laughed at his Office reference. 

A/N

I am living for all of your lovely comments in the last chapter. It makes me feel so valued. There are people out there who enjoy the mediocre content I put out? 

Ah, thank you so much for all your comments and messages. You guys have no idea how happy you made me.