Chapter Seventy-Nine: Truth or Dare (And Pregnancy Chaos)
The evening after Shreya's collapse, the mansion was buzzing.
Not with tension anymore—with relief. With joy. With the kind of energy that comes after a storm finally passes.
Shreya and Mithun sat together on the couch, holding hands like they were afraid to let go. Akshi kept staring at them and giggling. Chethan kept making exaggerated kissing sounds until Akshi smacked him.
Percy, who had refused to leave after the emergency, was vibrating with excitement.
"WE NEED TO CELEBRATE! Something FUN! Something CHAOTIC!"
Honey sighed. "Percy, it's 8 PM."
"PERFECT TIME FOR CHAOS!"
Aries raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"
Percy's grin widened. "TRUTH OR DARE!"
---
The living room erupted.
C.N. immediately pulled out his notebook. "Statistical analysis of truth or dare outcomes. Fascinating."
Rakii raised her camera. "I'm documenting everything."
Yuri already had his phone out. "Content. Pure content."
Mica bounced. "I LOVE truth or dare!"
Calix grabbed her. "You always choose dare. And then I have to deal with the consequences."
"CORRECT!"
David was already planning. "I have SO many good dares."
Freya patted his arm. "Please don't traumatize anyone."
"NO PROMISES!"
Felix and Bridget exchanged glances. "This should be interesting."
---
They gathered in a circle on the living room floor.
Pillows everywhere. Snacks everywhere. Keiran had been banished to bed with strict instructions to stay there (Rex and Ganesha on guard duty). Keigan had retreated to his room, claiming he was "too mature for this" but definitely planning to eavesdrop.
Jay sat beside Keifer, one hand on her still-flat stomach. "I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm pregnant."
Percy waved dramatically. "PREGNANCY IS NOT AN EXCUSE!"
"It absolutely is."
"FINE. You get mild dares. BORING dares."
"I accept boring."
---
The game began.
Percy went first. "C.N.! Truth or dare?"
C.N. adjusted his glasses. "Truth. I don't trust your dares."
"WISE. OKAY—truth: what's the most embarrassing thing Rakii has ever caught on camera?"
Rakii gasped. "PERCY!"
C.N. considered. Then smiled slightly. "The time David tried to impress Freya by doing a backflip and landed in a trash can."
The room erupted.
David pointed at him. "THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SECRET!"
Freya patted his arm. "It's okay, babe. It was endearing."
"I looked like an IDIOT!"
"A loveable idiot."
---
Next: Rakii.
Akshi took over. "RAKII! Truth or dare?"
Rakii grinned. "Dare. I'm brave."
"OKAY! I dare you to take a photo of Percy's face right now and make it your phone wallpaper for a week!"
Percy preened. "I'M PHOTOGENIC!"
Rakii snapped the photo. "This is going in the 'regrets' folder."
"NO REGRETS! ONLY GLORY!"
---
Chethan's turn.
Mica leaned forward. "CHETHAN! Truth or dare?"
Chethan looked at Akshi. "Dare. I'm feeling brave."
"OKAY! I dare you to serenade Akshi using only words from Percy's vocabulary!"
Percy was outraged. "MY VOCABULARY IS EXTENSIVE!"
Chethan stood. Cleared his throat. Looked at Akshi.
"Baby. You are... AMAZING! CHAOS! SNACKS! I LOVE YOU! THAT IS ALL!"
Akshi was crying with laughter. "THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!"
Chethan bowed. "Thank you. Percy's vocabulary is surprisingly effective."
Percy nodded approvingly. "I HELPED WITH ROMANCE!"
---
Felix chose truth.
David asked, "Felix, truth: what's the most romantic thing you've ever done for Bridget?"
Felix's ears went pink. "I... learned her favorite poem. In her native language. And recited it to her when she was having a bad day."
Bridget's eyes went wide. "You MEMORIZED it?"
"For two months."
She kissed his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Percy fake-sobbed. "THEY'RE SO CUTE!"
---
Bridget chose dare.
Freya, surprisingly, took charge. "Bridget, I dare you to teach Felix a dance move. Right now. In front of everyone."
Bridget grinned. "Felix. Stand up."
He stood nervously.
She grabbed his hands. "Okay. Follow my lead."
What followed was the most adorable, clumsy, beautiful disaster of a dance.
Felix stepped on her feet. She laughed. He spun her wrong. She fixed it. They ended in a dip, both laughing.
Everyone applauded.
Percy was crying. "BEST DARE EVER!"
---
David chose dare.
Calix grinned. "David. I dare you to let Freya put makeup on you. Whatever she wants."
David's eyes went wide. "NO!"
Freya's eyes lit up. "YES!"
"You wouldn't!"
She was already grabbing her bag. "Oh, I absolutely would."
What emerged fifteen minutes later was... spectacular.
Bright pink lipstick. Blue eyeshadow. Blush everywhere. Freya had gone FULL glam.
David stared at himself in the phone camera. "I look like a clown."
"A BEAUTIFUL clown," Freya corrected.
Percy was on the floor. "BEST DARE! BEST DARE!"
Mica was crying. Calix was laughing.
Even C.N. cracked a smile. "Statistical anomaly: David's embarrassment level: 94%. Entertainment value: 100%."
---
Mica chose dare.
Calix sighed. "Whatever it is, I'm going to have to deal with it."
Yuri stepped up. "Mica! I dare you to climb the bookshelf in the library!"
Mica was already running. "ON IT!"
Calix ran after her. "MICA! NO!"
"YES!"
Five minutes later, she was on top of the bookshelf, posing like a queen.
Calix stood below, arms outstretched. "Get down before you break something."
"I'M INVINCIBLE!"
"You're going to break your neck!"
She jumped. He caught her. They both crashed to the floor, laughing.
Percy cheered. "ROMANTIC RESCUE!"
---
Calix chose truth.
Mica asked, "Truth: what's the most annoying thing about me?"
Everyone tensed.
Calix thought. Then: "Nothing. You're perfect."
Mica's eyes went wide. "That's—that's the sweetest—"
"I lied. You leave your hair everywhere. It's in my food sometimes."
She hit him. "I TAKE IT BACK!"
"Too late. Truth told."
---
Akshi chose dare.
Chethan grinned. "I dare you to do an impression of Percy. For one minute. Non-stop."
Akshi stood. Took a breath.
Then: "I'M PERCY! I'M AMAZING! CHAOS IS MY MIDDLE NAME! HONEY, WHERE ARE YOU? I NEED SNACKS! EVERYONE LOOK AT ME! I'M THE MAIN CHARACTER! I—"
Percy was screaming with laughter. "THAT'S EXACTLY ME!"
Honey nodded. "It's scary accurate."
Akshi finished, breathless. "How was that?"
Chethan grabbed her. "Marry me faster."
"DEAL."
---
Percy chose truth.
Honey asked, "Truth: what's the most embarrassing thing I've ever caught you doing?"
Percy's face went red. "You wouldn't."
"I absolutely would."
"FINE. That time you walked in and I was dancing in my underwear to Bollywood music."
The room lost it.
Honey smiled. "I walked in on purpose. It was cute."
"YOU TRAPPED ME!"
"Love trap."
---
Honey chose dare.
Percy was gleeful. "I DARE YOU TO LET ME DO YOUR MAKEUP!"
Honey paled. "Percy. No."
"PERCY YES!"
She sat. He worked.
Twenty minutes later, she looked in the mirror.
Somehow, impossibly, she looked beautiful.
Percy had actual talent.
"YOU'RE A MAKEUP ARTIST?"
"I HAVE HIDDEN TALENTS!"
Honey kissed his cheek. "I'm keeping this look."
"MY LEGACY LIVES ON!"
---
Aries chose truth.
Ella asked, "Truth: what's the first thing you noticed about me?"
Aries was quiet. Then: "Your confidence. You walked into that room and owned it. I was intimidated."
"YOU? Intimidated?"
"For about three seconds. Then I wanted to know you."
Ella kissed him. "Smooth."
"Truthful."
---
Ella chose dare.
Aries considered. "I dare you to arm wrestle Percy."
Percy flexed. "I'M READY!"
They sat across from each other. Hands clasped.
Percy's face turned red. Ella's didn't even change.
She won in five seconds.
Percy stared at his hand. "I've been defeated."
Honey patted his shoulder. "It's okay. She's strong."
"I'm WEAK!"
"You're normal. She's exceptional."
---
Yuri chose dare.
C.N. said, "I dare you to hand your camera to someone else for five minutes."
Yuri clutched it to his chest. "NO!"
"Five minutes. You survive."
"It's my BABY!"
"It's a camera. Hand it over."
Yuri reluctantly passed it to Rakii. He sat on his hands, twitching.
Rakii filmed him. "How does it feel?"
"TERRIBLE! I'M MISSING EVERYTHING!"
"You're missing nothing. We're all right here."
"BUT ANGLES!"
---
Jay chose truth.
Everyone leaned forward.
Percy asked, "Truth: what's the weirdest pregnancy craving you've had so far?"
Jay thought. "Pickles. With peanut butter."
Silence.
Then chaos.
Mica gagged. "That's DISGUSTING!"
"It's DELICIOUS!"
C.N. made a note. "Pregnancy craving: pickles and peanut butter. Statistical anomaly."
Keifer kissed her cheek. "I love you. Even with weird cravings."
"You're the one who has to buy them."
"And I do. Happily."
---
And finally—
Shreya.
Everyone turned to her.
She blushed. "What?"
Akshi grinned. "SHREYA! Truth or dare?"
Shreya looked at Mithun. He squeezed her hand.
"Dare."
The room gasped.
Percy was on his feet. "SHE CHOSE DARE! FIRST DARE OF THE NIGHT FROM THE NEW COUPLE!"
Akshi whispered with Chethan. Then grinned.
"OKAY! Shreya! I dare you to—" She paused dramatically. "—kiss Mithun. For as long as you can hold your breath."
Shreya's face went red. "AKSHI!"
"It's a DARE! You have to!"
---
Shreya looked at Mithun.
Mithun looked at her.
He raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
"You're enjoying this."
"Immensely."
She took a breath. "Fine."
Then she grabbed his face.
And kissed him.
---
The room counted.
"One... two... three..."
Mithun's arms wrapped around her.
"Ten... eleven... twelve..."
She melted into him.
"Twenty... twenty-one... twenty-two..."
He kissed her back with everything.
"Twenty-eight... twenty-nine... THIRTY!"
She finally pulled back, gasping.
The room erupted.
Percy was on the floor. "THIRTY SECONDS! NEW RECORD!"
Akshi was crying with laughter. "I'M SO PROUD!"
Shreya buried her face in Mithun's chest. "I can't believe I did that."
He kissed her forehead. "I can. You're brave."
"Stupid."
"Brave and stupid. Best combination."
---
The game continued for another hour.
But eventually, the energy began to fade.
One by one, people yawned, stretched, started thinking about bed.
Jay, who had been leaning against Keifer for the past hour, was completely asleep.
Not just resting. Fully, completely, dead-to-the-world asleep.
On his lap.
Snoring slightly.
---
Percy noticed first.
He pointed dramatically. "LOOK! THE PREGNANT ONE HAS FALLEN!"
Honey shushed him. "Percy, quiet!"
"BUT SHE'S SLEEPING! ON KEIF! LIKE A CAT!"
Mica giggled. "She's so peaceful."
Calix nodded. "Pregnancy exhaustion. Hits hard."
Akshi cooed. "That's so cute. She's just—asleep. Everywhere."
Chethan pulled her close. "That'll be you someday."
"Hopefully not for a while."
"Agreed."
---
Keifer looked down at his wife.
Her face was soft. Relaxed. One hand resting on her belly.
He brushed a strand of hair from her face. She didn't stir.
Everyone watched.
Percy whispered loudly, "THIS IS THE MOST ROMANTIC THING I'VE EVER SEEN!"
Honey whispered back, "Percy, whisper quieter."
"THIS IS MY QUIET WHISPER!"
"It's not!"
C.N. made a note. "Subject: Keifer and Jay. Observation: Keifer looking at sleeping wife with expression of pure adoration. Statistical probability of true love: 100%."
Rakii snapped a photo. "For the album. 'Pregnant nap.'"
---
Shreya leaned against Mithun, watching.
"They're so perfect," she whispered.
"They are." He kissed her hair. "We'll get there."
"Eventually?"
"Eventually. No rush."
She smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Percy fake-gagged. "THEY'RE DOING THE LOVE THING AGAIN!"
Honey covered his mouth. "Let them have their moment."
"BUT—"
"Moment."
---
Felix stood quietly. "We should probably wrap this up. Let them sleep."
Bridget nodded. "Good idea."
David yawned. "I'm exhausted anyway."
Freya took his hand. "Come on, babe."
One by one, they filtered out.
Quietly.
Respectfully.
Percy was the last to leave, still whispering loudly. "GOODNIGHT, SLEEPING PREGNANT ONE! GOODNIGHT, KEIF! GOODNIGHT, EVERYONE!"
Honey dragged him away. "Percy, GO."
"I'M GOING! BUT I HAVE FEELINGS!"
---
The room emptied.
Just Jay and Keifer remained.
She slept on.
He watched her.
"Love you," he whispered.
She murmured something in her sleep.
He smiled.
This was his life.
Perfect.
---
End of Chapter Seventy-Nine