Chapter One Hundred Seven: Truth or Dare (And A Night of Surprises)
The night after Jog Falls, the hotel was buzzing.
Everyone was still riding the high of Shreya's memory. It was just one moment—just the fall, just the catch, just the teasing—but it was something.
And something was better than nothing.
Percy, as always, wanted to celebrate.
"TRUTH OR DARE! WE'RE PLAYING TRUTH OR DARE!"
Honey sighed. "Percy, it's late."
"LATE IS THE BEST TIME FOR TRUTH OR DARE!"
Akshi grabbed Chethan's arm. "I'm in!"
Chethan nodded. "Obviously."
C.N. pulled out his notebook. "Statistical analysis of truth or dare outcomes. Fascinating."
Rakii raised her camera. "I'm documenting everything."
Mica bounced. "I LOVE truth or dare!"
Calix grabbed her. "You always choose dare. I have to deal with consequences."
"CORRECT!"
---
They gathered in the hotel's common room.
Pillows everywhere. Snacks everywhere. Chaos everywhere.
Shreya sat in the corner, Mithun beside her. She was quiet, but she was watching. Taking it all in.
Jay sat beside Keifer, Keiran already asleep in their room with Rex and Ganesha on guard duty.
Percy stood in the center, holding an empty water bottle like a game show host.
"OKAY! Rules are simple! I spin, whoever it points to chooses truth or dare, and WE ALL ENJOY THE CHAOS!"
Honey patted his arm. "Babe, you're very dramatic."
"THANK YOU!"
---
The first spin landed on C.N.
C.N. adjusted his glasses. "Truth. I don't trust your dares."
Percy grinned. "OKAY, GENIUS BOY! Truth: what's the most embarrassing thing Rakii has ever caught on camera?"
Rakii gasped. "PERCY!"
C.N. thought. 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 spin landed on Rakii.
Rakii grinned. "Dare. I'm brave."
Percy's eyes lit up. "I DARE YOU to take a photo of Percy's face right now and make it your phone wallpaper for a week!"
Rakii snapped the photo. "This is going in the 'regrets' folder."
"NO REGRETS! ONLY GLORY!"
---
The game continued.
Chethan had to serenade Akshi using only words from Percy's vocabulary. ("Baby, you are... AMAZING! CHAOS! SNACKS! I LOVE YOU! THAT IS ALL!")
Akshi cried with laughter.
Felix admitted he'd learned a poem in Bridget's native language and recited it to her when she was sad.
Bridget kissed his cheek. "I love you."
Percy fake-sobbed. "SO ROMANTIC!"
---
Mica chose dare and ended up climbing a bookshelf.
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 crashed to the floor, laughing.
Percy cheered. "ROMANTIC RESCUE!"
---
Then the bottle landed on Ella.
She smiled. "Truth."
Percy leaned forward. "OKAY, ELLA! What's the most romantic thing Aries has ever done for you?"
Ella thought. "He remembered our anniversary when I forgot it. Planned an entire surprise dinner. Had flowers, candles, the whole thing."
Aries's ears went pink. "You forgot our anniversary?"
"I was busy!"
"It was sweet. You looked confused for an hour."
"I WAS CONFUSED!"
---
And then—
Ella's face went pale.
She stood abruptly.
"I'll be right back."
She walked quickly toward the bathroom.
---
Aries followed. "Ella? You okay?"
The door closed.
Everyone exchanged glances.
Percy whispered, "What's wrong with her?"
Honey shushed him. "Give them space."
---
Minutes passed.
Aries came out alone.
"She's not feeling well. She said to keep playing."
Jay stood. "I'll check on her."
---
She found Ella leaning against the sink.
"Ella? You okay?"
Ella looked up. Pale. Shaky.
"I don't know. I've been feeling off for a few days. Nauseous. Tired."
Jay's eyes widened. "How off?"
"I don't know. Like—" She stopped. "You don't think—"
Jay grabbed her hand. "When was your last period?"
Ella's face went white. "I—I don't remember. It's been a while. I've been so busy with work and—"
"You need to take a test."
"I can't just—we're in a hotel—"
Jay pulled out her phone. "C.N. is a doctor. He'll know what to do."
---
They walked back to the common room.
Everyone looked up.
Jay spoke quietly. "C.N. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
C.N. stood immediately. Followed her into the hallway.
Ella sat down, pale and shaking.
Aries took her hand. "What's going on?"
"I don't know yet."
---
In the hallway, Jay explained.
C.N. listened. Nodded.
"I have a portable kit in my bag. I always carry one. For emergencies."
"Emergencies?"
"Medical emergencies. This counts."
---
He returned minutes later with a small box.
Gave it to Ella.
She stared at it.
"I can't—what if—"
"Then we'll know. Either way, we'll know."
---
She disappeared into the bathroom.
The room was silent.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
---
Minutes passed.
An eternity.
Then—
The door opened.
Ella walked out.
Pale.
Shaking.
Tears in her eyes.
Aries stood. "Ella?"
She looked at him.
"I'm pregnant."
---
The room exploded.
Aries crossed to her in two steps. Grabbed her. Held her.
"Pregnant? You're—we're—"
"Pregnant."
Tears streamed down his face. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Percy screamed. "ANOTHER BABY! WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER BABY!"
Honey cried. "This is beautiful!"
Akshi grabbed Chethan. "BABY! ANOTHER BABY!"
Chethan held her. "I know! I know!"
---
Jay was crying.
Keifer held her.
"Another one," she whispered.
"Another one."
"Our family keeps growing."
"The best kind of growing."
---
C.N. stepped forward. "I should examine her. Properly. Make sure everything's okay."
Ella nodded. "Thank you."
He led her to a quieter corner. Checked vitals. Asked questions.
Then he stood.
"Everything looks good. Early stages, but healthy. You'll need to see an OB-GYN when we get home."
Ella hugged him. "Thank you."
He patted her back awkwardly. "I'm just doing my job."
---
Then he turned.
Looked at Jay.
Smirked.
"So, Mother—"
Jay's eye twitched. "C.N."
"You're going to be an aunt again. How does it feel?"
"C.N."
"Mother of the year. Aunt of the year. Soon-to-be—"
"I WILL END YOU."
He grinned. "Sharks, Mother? There are no sharks in this hotel."
"I'LL FIND SOMETHING!"
---
The room laughed.
But then—
A voice.
Quiet.
But clear.
"Stop, C.N. Jay will throw you into the sea as food for the sharks."
---
Everyone froze.
That voice.
Those words.
They turned.
Shreya was standing there.
Eyes wide.
Hand over her mouth.
---
Akshi grabbed her arm. "Shreya?"
"I—I don't know why I said that. It just—came out."
Jay stepped closer. "That's what I said to C.N. At Murudeshwara. When he kept calling me mother."
Shreya stared at her. "I remember. I remember you saying that. Threatening him. With sharks."
"You remember?"
"Just the words. Just that moment. But I remember."
---
C.N.'s jaw dropped. "You remember me being threatened with sharks?"
"I remember Jay threatening you. Yes."
He looked at Jay. "She remembers!"
Jay was crying. "She remembers!"
Akshi hugged Shreya. "Another memory! Another piece!"
Shreya looked around at all of them.
"I don't remember everything. But I'm remembering more."
Mithun took her hand.
"That's all we need."
---
The night shifted.
Celebration for Ella's pregnancy.
Celebration for Shreya's memory.
Double joy.
Double tears.
---
Percy was beside himself. "TWO THINGS TO CELEBRATE! THIS IS THE BEST NIGHT EVER!"
Honey wiped her eyes. "It really is."
Akshi hugged Chethan. "A baby AND Shreya remembering. I can't handle this."
Chethan held her. "We'll handle it together."
---
Later, much later, the chaos settled.
Everyone drifted to their rooms.
Ella and Aries, holding each other, whispering about the future.
Akshi and Chethan, curled together, still processing.
C.N. and Rakii, reviewing footage, smiling.
Felix and Bridget, quiet and content.
David and Freya, already planning.
Mica and Calix, finally still.
Percy and Honey, Percy crying happy tears, Honey patting his back.
Shreya and Mithun, sitting on the balcony, hand in hand.
---
And Jay and Keifer.
Finally alone.
On their own balcony.
The stars above.
The night quiet.
---
Jay leaned against him. "Today was a lot."
"The best kind of lot."
"Ella's pregnant."
"She is."
"Shreya remembered something else."
"She did."
"Our family keeps growing."
"The best kind of growing."
---
He turned her around. Faced her.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"You know that, right? Through all the chaos. All the grief. All the joy."
"Always."
He kissed her.
Soft. Sweet. Full of years of love.
---
When they broke apart, she was smiling.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just... happy."
"Happy is good."
"The best."
They stood together.
Watching the stars.
Thinking of the future.
A baby coming.
A sister remembering.
A family growing.
---
Inside, Shreya leaned against Mithun.
"I still don't remember loving you."
"I know."
"But I remember sharks. And C.N. being threatened."
He laughed softly. "That's a start."
"A weird start."
"Our start."
She smiled.
Didn't remember.
But felt something.
And for now—
That was enough.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Seven