Both of them had left behind the baggage of their past and had decided to shift into the same room at the hotel. The joke about booking three rooms had actually come true. They wanted to make their first night memorable. Sanaya was ready to melt in his arms that night as she knew Vikrant would never hurt her and would never break her trust. But she was still afraid to cross her limits. They were sitting in Vikrant and Yuvi’s room till the luggage was shifted to their room by housekeeping.
‘Oh honeymoon couples, don’t forget to join us for the party in a few minutes. I don’t want you putting a “Do not disturb” tag on the door and locking it when I come knocking,’ Yuvi teased them.
‘Shut up Yuvi,’ protested Sanaya throwing the AC remote-control at him. He escaped being hit by ducking at the right moment.
Once the luggage was shifted, Vikrant took her in the other room and they both lay on the bed looking into each other’s eyes.
‘I don’t want to go back to Delhi. I want to stay here with you. I want to spend my days and my nights with you. Please, let’s not go back.’
Vikrant nodded in agreement to make her happy. He didn’t want to spoil the moment. With every hug, their heart showered petals of love on them. With every kiss, their heart showered petals of trust on them. With every gaze, their heart showered petals of togetherness on them, and with every passionate moment, their heart showered petals of romance on them. They had a cosy cuddling session before Yuvi came knocking on the door. Sanaya rushed to freshen up.
‘Come in,’ Vikrant shouted.
Yuvi came in and told them to get ready as soon as possible.
‘Come on dude. You have the whole night to romance. Get ready otherwise we will not be able to enjoy ourselves and make the most of the night. I am going down to look at the menu and order drinks. Till then you freshen up and come down to the Veranda lounge. It has a wonderful ambience. Come soon,’ Yuvi said and left the room.
Sanaya came out with a towel wrapped around her body. Her hair were wet and water drops trickled down her body. Vikrant gave her a wink and asked her to come close to him. Sanaya pinched him hard and told him to control his feelings.
‘Vikrant, you better stop looking at me like this. Will you tell me what I should wear?’ Sanaya said showing him a couple of tops and shorts she had brought along with her for the trip.
Vikrant told her to wear a blue top—as that was his favourite colour—with black cotton shorts.
‘Shut your eyes while I change,’ Sanaya said with a shy smile.
‘It’s okay. I will look the other way,’ Vikrant smiled.
‘No. Don’t act smart. Shut your eyes and open them only when I tell you to,’ Sanaya ordered.
Vikrant followed her orders and kept his hands on his eyes till Sanaya changed her clothes. He knew she was merely teasing him by not allowing him to take a quick peak.
‘Vikrant, I want to tell you something,’ she said once she was done dressing. ‘I don’t want us to have sex before marriage. I am okay with getting cozy, but to a limit.’
Vikrant smiled and told her that he had no issues with it as his love was not restricted to physical attraction alone. He loved her mentally and emotionally as well. He knew her fears about getting physical stemmed from her painful past experiences with Anurag. Remembering those moments still made her shiver and gave her nightmares. She was not completely over it as the pain was so deep that it was not easy for her to forget everything in such a short span of time. Vikrant was aware of this fact because Yuvi had given him a hint about it.
‘Baby, I am not with you for sex alone. I love you for what you are. I want your support. You are my mental support. Your presence gives me a sense of security Don’t worry at all as such things won’t harm our relationship. I love you,’ Vikrant said kissing her.
‘I love you too.’
‘Come on now, we are getting late. Yuvi and Anamika will be waiting for us downstairs at the lounge.’ Vikrant locked the door of their room and led her to the lounge.
Time decides whom you meet in life, your heart decides whom you want in your life, but your behaviour decides who will stay in your life. Who knew Vikrant and Sanaya would go from being complete strangers to being in a relationship in such a short amount of time? Some things are so unpredictable.
‘Why have you come here alone? Where is Anamika?’ Vikrant questioned Yuvi taking the chair next to him at the bar counter. Sanaya also took a seat beside Vikrant.
‘She has a severe headache and told me to tell you guys that she will join us in some time,’ Yuvi replied. He called out to the bartender and ordered drinks for them.
‘What will you drink?’ Yuvi asked Sanaya.
‘No, you guys carry on.’
‘Let’s wait for Anamika then. What say? We should celebrate the reunion of VAYU,’ Vikrant suggested. He was expecting both of them to give him a positive nod.
‘Dude, don’t be so formal. We will celebrate our reunion once she comes. Till then let’s celebrate your union. Cheers!’ Yuvi smiled raising a toast to Vikrant and Sanaya.
Before coming to the lounge, Yuvi had doped alone in his hotel room and was carrying marijuana for Vikrant too. Vikrant looked towards Sanaya for permission and asked her if she was okay with it. Sanaya didn’t say anything. He realized Sanaya wasn’t too happy about it, so he politely refused Yuvi’s offer. He didn’t want to go against her wishes and put her off. After all, it was their first night together.
The lounge had a very romantic ambience. The bar was stocked with every imported brand one could ask for. The musical fountain in the middle of the lounge which changed its colour according to the beats of the music was also an added attraction for visiting tourists. The trance music being played took them to a different world. Sanaya requested Yuvi to sing their theme song for Vikrant and herself. But they had a different plan in mind.
‘So the rules are that if you don’t answer a question within 3 seconds, then you need to gulp down one tequila shot. We will ask each other a total of 5 questions and the questions can vary from person to person. Is everyone okay with it?’
‘I don’t drink like you all,’ Sanaya responded.
‘You don’t have a choice, darling. All you can do is save yourself by giving answers within 3 seconds,’ Yuvi laughed.
‘Let’s start with Vikrant. Sanaya you ask him the questions. That will make him more nervous,’ Yuvi teased him.
‘Ok cool. So Vikrant baby, here is your first question. What’s the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?’ Yuvi couldn’t stop laughing at her question. Vikrant stared at him, trying to think and change his answer. Yuvi picked up two oranges from the table and held them out to Vikrant, much to his embarrassment. Yuvi told him his time was going to be up and he must hurry. Vikrant gave an angry look at Yuvi and turned towards Sanaya.
‘Thighs. I love girls who have perfectly toned thighs,’ he answered changing the answer at the last moment.
‘Crap. You know you are lying. Who looks at girls’ thighs?’ Yuvi almost fell down laughing.
‘You ass. I will take my revenge. I will ask you the same question in front of Kashish and then I will see what your answer is,’ Vikrant said.
‘Ok chill. Time for the next question. What’s the worst thing you did as a kid?’ Sanaya asked him. It was a fairly simple question this time.
‘I stuck chewing gum in my teacher’s hair, the same one I hated the most for giving me low marks in exams. I did it just to take revenge and then she suspended me,’ Vikrant smiled.
Yuvi and Sanaya stared at him in shock. They couldn’t believe Vikrant could do such things. Vikrant promised them not to talk about that episode any further and that he will tell them the entire story some other time.
‘If you were to name one piece of clothing that describes you, the best what would it be?’ asked Sanaya.
‘Now that’s not fair. What sort of question is this?’ Vikrant said.
‘Your three seconds are over and here is your shot,�
� said Yuvi handing him the glass.
Within no time, Vikrant gulped down the drink. He felt a bit tipsy as he was not used to drinking tequila but he had no other choice.
‘Next one please,’ he said trying to keep his eyes wide open.
‘If you could have an unlimited storage of one thing, what would it be?’ Sanaya asked with a smile on her face.
‘I’d rather lose than answer that question. Give me the drink. I lose,’ Vikrant said.
His answer was blue films but he couldn’t have said that in front of Sanaya. The result of lying was that he had to gulp down two shots at a time for skipping the question on purpose.
‘Here is your final question. Which act of your girlfriend drives you crazy?’
Vikrant could feel the lounge spinning rapidly around him. Everything seemed like a blur.
He thought for a while and answered, ‘Our first kiss baby. It was so seductive. Your lips on mine and your tongue exploring mine. I want to kiss you right now. I love you so much.’
Sanaya told Vikrant to keep a check on control his desires as Yuvi was watching. Yuvi couldn’t stop laughing looking at Vikrant. They were enjoying themselves to the fullest. Vikrant hugged Sanaya and told her how much he loved her. In the meanwhile, Yuvi had downed more than six shots of vodka. He doped at the same time. After Vikrant, it was Yuvi’s ass on fire. He skipped the first couple of questions and had to gulp down 2 shots as punishment.
‘Yuvi, you have got to answer the next question. What is your wildest fantasy?’ Vikrant asked.
‘Now that depends on who the girl is.’
‘Bastard, I obviously mean with Kashish. Not with anyone else. Give me Kashish’s number. Let me call her and tell her that Yuvi’s wildest fantasy is not with her but with someone else.’
Vikrant was taking full advantage of teasing Yuvi.
‘If you don’t answer this question, you will lose,’ said Sanaya pointing to the tequila shot.
‘Ok, so here goes. My wildest fantasy is to make out on a beach during night when no one is watching,’ Yuvi answered. His answer made no difference as he had already lost by then.
‘Are you checking how much the bill is?’ Vikrant asked Yuvi. They had ordered too many drinks.
‘Chill dude. I have my Dad’s credit card with me. Why worry?’ Yuvi laughed.
‘Yuvi, here’s your final question. Which girl arouses you and makes you want to pounce on her that moment itself? It can be anyone—an actress or a model—but not your girlfriend.’
Yuvi thought for a while and answered, ‘Anamika’!
His answer left everyone stunned. Did he have a burning desire for Anamika inside him which he had kept hidden for long? Was he infatuated with her? Did he take her name just for the game or did he really meant it? Vikrant and Sanaya didn’t know how to react.
‘Anamika… Anamika… Where is she? Sanaya go and call her. Why is she not with us? I think she overslept because of the headache,’ Yuvi screamed.
He shut his eyes for a moment trying to figure out what he had just said. What was in her that awakened his fantasies? Or was it just after weed effect? He wanted to end it once and for all but didn’t have any way to do it. He wanted to grab her and ask her an answer to all those questions but didn’t have the courage to do so. He gulped another drink down.
Vikrant asked Sanaya to go and check on Anamika. Vikrant was surprised to see Yuvi in such a state. He had never behaved like that before and was used to smoking and taking drugs. Vikrant felt like he didn’t know this new Yuvi since he was behaving like a completely different person. Vikrant splashed some water on his face to get him back to his senses while Sanaya left the lounge to check on Anamika.
‘Ya Sanaya?’ Vikrant asked her over the phone.
‘Vikrant, Anamika is not opening the door and neither is she picking up my call,’ Sanaya told him worriedly.
‘She must have kept her phone on silent and gone off to sleep. Tell the receptionist to give you a duplicate key to the room. If you still can’t find her in the room, look for her near the pool side. She might have gone out for a stroll all by herself. Come soon. We are waiting,’ Vikrant instructed her and kept the phone down.
Sanaya did as was told. She went to the reception and told them the entire story. They handed her the duplicate key and asked her to alert them if something was wrong. Sanaya prayed it wouldn’t have to come to that. But as she climbed up the stairs, she sensed something was wrong. As it was night-time, the passage leading to the room was deserted and even the slightest sound was enough to make her jump out of her skin. She inserted the key in the keyhole and looked sideways to see if she could spot anyone. There was not a person in sight. She opened the door and to her dismay she found no one inside. The room looked untouched. The bed was neatly made up and the dress Anamika had decided to wear to the party was hanging in the cupboard. Anamika’s absence worried her. She went to the pool side hoping to find her there, but that area was deserted too. No one swam at this time of the night. With every passing minute, her worries increased. She had absolutely no clue about Anamika’s whereabouts. She ran to the lounge to inform Vikrant and Yuvi that Anamika was missing.
‘How’s that possible? Where can she go? She is not a child that she can get lost,’ Vikrant said trying to pacify the other two.
‘She must be with Anurag,’ Yuvi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
‘Anurag? Are you in your senses? What are you talking about?’ Sanaya was surprised at Yuvi’s answer.
‘Yes, I know what I’m saying. She must be with Anurag,’ Yuvi repeated again.
Sanaya was on the verge of losing her temper but Vikrant calmed her down by holding her by her waist.
‘How do you know? How can Anurag come all the way to Daman? He is in Delhi,’ Vikrant explained.
‘Yes dude, but he had messaged me that he was not going to leave her and me for how we had insulted him. Through his friends he came to know that we are here. I got a message from him saying he will kill us in Daman itself,’ Yuvi answered.
This was another shock for Vikrant and Sanaya. They were already worried about Anamika’s sudden disappearance and now this. They panicked, as they didn’t know what to do next.
‘See, we have no choice but to search for her. We don’t know anyone here and we can’t get the local police involved as it will create unnecessary troubles. They might alert our parents. Sanaya, you stay here near the gate and check the resort premises while Yuvi and I will look for her on the beach. She might have gone for a late night walk. Don’t get scared and keep calling her continuously. She might pick up the phone,’ Vikrant instructed.
Vikrant couldn’t believe what was happening. All he could do was wish that Anamika was safe and sound. It was his plan to get everybody to Daman and try and reunite the band. He had forced both of them to come along and now this incident had occurred. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that his decision would turn into a nightmare. Not showing how panicked he was, he regained his composure and began with the search mission. While Vikrant decided to look for her at Devka beach, Yuvi took Jampore beach so that they could cover two places at the same time.
‘Anamika… Anamika… Please come back. Where are you? Can you hear me?’ Vikrant screamed but did not get a response. He was sad, depressed, and low on confidence. He returned back to the resort hoping to find Anamika already there. He tried calling her but now her phone was unreachable. Yuvi was yet to return from Jampore beach.
Vikrant kept shouting her name at the resort as loud as he could but all he could hear was his own echo. The other guests at the hotel came to him and asked him what was wrong. He showed them a picture of Anamika and told them how she had gone missing. The guests promised to alert him if they saw her in the hotel premises. Just when Vikrant was about to call the police, he saw Yuvi approaching.
‘Did you see her anywhere or did she pick up your call?’ Vikrant asked Yuvi with a worried face.
Yuvi remained silent and didn’t
utter a word. He was looking down and avoiding direct eye contact with Vikrant which Vikrant found odd. Maybe he was doped out completely and had no clue where he was.
‘Speak up. What’s wrong with you? Did you see Anamika at the beach?’ Vikrant screamed trying to shake Yuvi from trance.
‘Vikrant, leave him alone. I don’t think he is in a state to talk. He looks completely doped out. Let him go to his room and sleep. In this state, he will not be of much help in the search anyway. Before he falls down here and creates a scene, take him to his room and put him to sleep,’ Sanaya suggested.
Vikrant took Yuvi to his room. He kept wondering where Anamika was. How could she go away without even informing anyone? Vikrant double-checked her room but everything was in place. She had not even taken anything with her. Not even her camera. He shuddered to think Anurag was involved in her disappearance.
Sanaya came to the room and said, ‘I think we should inform the police before it gets worse. We have looked for her wherever we could. There is no point in waiting till morning. If whatever Yuvi said is true, we should inform the police.’
Vikrant took all the blame on him. He should never have planned this trip nor should he have taken a step to bring everyone together. He sat on the couch weeping in Sanaya’s arms. He couldn’t find a way out and the night terrified him more.
Sometimes silence cuts deeper than a knife. Sanaya and Vikrant’s silence was getting to them. They had no clue whether to wait for Yuvi to regain normalcy state or walk to the nearby police station to file a missing complaint. Vikrant thought he shouldn’t have convinced Anamika to come along. What hurts worst? Saying something and wishing you hadn’t? Or not saying something and wishing you had?
‘I am uniquely different and I love to win.’ ‘Vikrant darling, don’t worry as I am always with you. If you don’t get your metro girl then we will be together.’ ‘Bhaiya or Bhabi ko badhai ho badhai. ‘Anamika’s words kept ringing in his ears. He looked at Sanaya who was fighting the tears in her eyes. They hoped and prayed everything would be fine by morning. Why is it that when things are going perfect for you, all of a sudden a million things go wrong and flood away the good? Life isn’t fair sometimes!
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