the next question. Thinking of a question which would be a little tougher to answer than the one asked before. A question that would let us fulfil the urge to knock at the doors of each other’s private lives. A question which would first make you struggle to think: should I ask or should I not? Or should I frame it in better words before bombarding the opponent. I let my inner naughtiness take over. ‘If I ask u 2 cum to my place rite now in watever u r wearing at this moment, so dat we sit n spend the entire night playing truth or dare in my balcony … wud u hv wanted 2 come?’ ‘I am shy!’ came the response. ‘That’s not the answer to my question …’ I wrote back. It took little longer for my mobile to beep the next time. The message read: ‘Yes I wud hv wanted to come bt nt wearin wat I m wearin rite now.’ I was happy to read her answer. I was glad that even though by sheer fluke I had mentioned that we were playing Truth or Dare that evening when Tanu had come to the balcony, Simar and I eventually ended up playing it. ‘Btw wat r u wearin at this moment?’ I wrote her back as soon as I read her message. She was fast to reply. ‘Haha. U cn’t ask 2 questions in one go. It’s my turn now’ ‘Hv u evr had ny naughty fantasies for any fem who was far older thn you?’ ‘Yes. My computer ma’am in college. My turn now … U can answer my previous ques!’ I wrote back. ‘A long white shirt till knees.’ ‘That’s it?’ I asked. ‘I am honest. Btw u r again askin 2 ques in one go,’ she replied. These were just the questions to turn a girl shy but also the ones to ignite a guy’s passions. It was not just the alcohol, but also the silence of the night which had turned the game sensational for both of us. That we were addicted was evident with the frequency with which we were exchanging messages. If not, then it became quite clear when I asked her: ‘You want to stop the game with a draw?’ She replied: ‘No! I don’t mind winning or losing bt don’t want 2 stop. If u wan 2 stop lemme know.’ It wasn’t just a game any more. It had turned into an opportunity to discover each other. Though it had turned a bit naughty, it had still made us candid and upfront, allowing us to open up and share things. It made us comfortable and, in that short space of time, had created an intangible bond between us. I remembered the last question she’d asked. ‘Now dat for the last question u hv answerd u r a virgin lemme gt bak 2 basics. Hv u evr kissed a girl?’ It was surprising for her to know that I didn’t have a girlfriend and that I was a virgin. Fortunately for her and for me, I answered positive for the question on kissing a girl. My answer gave birth to another conversation. I was answering her confusion of me not having a girlfriend and yet kissing a girl. I told her that I was honest when I said I didn’t have a girlfriend then. I did have one a few years back. She wanted to know about that girl. I took a deep breath and wrote, ‘I wud love 2 tell u about dat girl, but it is a long story and I don’t want to narrate it over d phone.’ She agreed and made me promise that I would tell her the entire story by the coming weekend. I accepted her offer. It was dawn when we finally slept. The two of us had still not called that game off. We mutually decided to continue this game till infinity, so that anytime anyone wants to ask a question, we could do so. That game of Truth or Dare had given rise to something beautiful between us—this fact was quite apparent. For the first time in years I slept with a smile on my face.
Twelve The next day we met for lunch. It was late in the afternoon. I had been excited the entire morning and had been looking forward to see her. When I met her, I felt that she was equally eager to see me. But there was a difference—she was mysteriously silent while I was talking a lot. I recalled the entire game we had played the night before.