Chapter 8 : Spoiling

                                    

                                          
Sunny, with a mischievous grin, announced, “Alright, everyone, how about we play a game? Something a bit naughty to spice things up. How about ‘Truth or Dare’?”
The table buzzed with excitement, except for Arohi and Shivay, who looked visibly uncomfortable.
Nisha clapped her hands, clearly enthusiastic. “Great idea! I’m in.”
Sunny started off, spinning the bottle in the center of the table. It came to a halt pointing at Hardip. “Alright, Hardip, truth or dare?”
Hardip, grinning, replied, “Dare!”
Sunny’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I dare you to serenade Nisha with a romantic song.”
Hardip got up and, to everyone’s amusement, began singing a cheesy love song to Nisha, who played along with exaggerated swooning.
Next, it was Nisha’s turn to choose. The bottle landed on Sunny. “Truth or dare, Sunny?”
Sunny smirked. “Dare!”
Nisha, thinking quickly, said, “I dare you to give Rishi a piggyback ride around the restaurant.”
Sunny, laughing, picked up Rishi and paraded him around the restaurant, causing a scene and getting a few amused looks from other diners.
When the bottle finally pointed at Arohi, she felt a flutter of nervousness. Shivay watched her closely. Meera, noticing the tension, said, “Arohi, truth or dare?”
Arohi hesitated before finally saying, “Dare.”
Meera’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I dare you to give Shivay a compliment, but make it as creative as possible.”
Arohi gulped, looking at Shivay, who was giving her an encouraging smile. “Okay… Shivay, I have to say that your presence is like a perfect blend of warmth and mystery, like a book you can’t put down.”
Shivay chuckled, “Well, that’s a unique compliment. Thank you.”
The bottle spun once more and landed on Shivay. The group, eager to see what he’d do, looked expectantly at him.
Shivay, with a hint of hesitation, said, “Dare.”
Sunny, grinning, said, “I dare you to give Arohi a spontaneous dance.”
Shivay’s eyes widened slightly, but he stood up. He extended a hand to Arohi with a playful smile. “Shall we?”
Arohi, her heart racing, took his hand. Shivay led her into a gentle, improvised dance right there in the restaurant. The awkwardness began to melt away as they moved together, their nervousness giving way to genuine laughter.
The other diners watched, amused by the unexpected entertainment. By the end of the dance, Arohi and Shivay were both laughing, and the atmosphere at the table had lightened significantly.
As the game continued, everyone, including Arohi and Shivay, began to relax and enjoy the playful interactions, and the awkwardness slowly faded into a fun and memorable evening.
---- 
After a night of heavy eating and drinking, everyone was ready to leave the restaurant. The couples said their goodbyes and headed off, leaving Arohi and Shivay alone.
They looked at each other, a bit awkward, and Arohi finally broke the silence. “Do you have your bike?”
Shivay shook his head. “No, I don’t. I came with friends, and they took off.”
Arohi laughed softly. “So, looks like we’re both stuck here. Shall we try to catch a cab?”
They began walking together, enjoying the crisp night air. Arohi chuckled and asked, “How did you end up agreeing to this blind date?”