The night arrived like a flash of glitter—music, lights, and excitement swirling through the air. The party was arranged in a grand hall lit up with colorful lights and buzzing speakers, filled with Computer Science students dressed in their best.
Aarav entered the hall in a sleek black shirt and tailored trousers, looking effortlessly sharp. Many heads turned—but one pair of eyes watched him a little longer than the rest.
Nitya.
She walked in moments later, and for a second, the whole room seemed to pause. Her gown shimmered like starlight, her confidence walking ahead of her like perfume. She smiled at the compliments thrown her way, but her eyes kept scanning for just one person.
Aarav.
Some boys approached her, asking for a dance, but she politely refused. Her focus was locked.
The director soon arrived and took the stage, beaming with pride.
"You all made this department proud," he said, raising a toast.
The crowd clapped and cheered, a wave of laughter and whistles filling the room.
Soon the dance floor opened. Beats dropped. Lights swirled. Everyone rushed in.
Nitya managed to pair up with Aarav.
They danced in rhythm—elegant and sharp, perfectly in sync. The others watched and whispered, admiring the picture-perfect pair. Their eyes met mid-spin, and Nitya's heart pounded in her chest like it was going to burst.
This is it, she thought. This is how it begins.
But Aarav… he smiled politely, moved along with the beat, but felt nothing. No spark. No shift. Just movement.
Across town, at a different college campus, Nyra and Karan sat outside their game lab after a long day of project work. A few new students had joined them for a coding discussion, and one particular girl seemed to be laughing a little too much at Karan's jokes.
Nyra noticed.
She wasn't sure why it irritated her so much—but it did. She pretended to scroll through her phone, ignoring the way Karan's face lit up when the girl complimented his design.
Karan, on the other hand, had been silently fuming earlier when one of Nyra's classmates handed her a hot chocolate with a note saying, "For the girl with the brightest brain."
Neither of them said a word. Both felt it. Neither confessed it.
Back at the party, everyone settled around tables for dinner. Nitya sat with her usual group, but her eyes followed Aarav as he got up and walked toward the restroom.
She leaned in close to her friends and whispered, "Listen, this is important. I like Aarav. And I'm not just going to sit and wait."
A few eyebrows raised.
"I need your help," she continued. "If we're playing a game tonight… and he picks dare—I already know what dare to give him."
The night wasn't over yet.
As students finished dinner and gathered again near the center of the hall, Nitya stood up and clapped her hands.
"Let's spice up the night with a game," she said cheerfully. "How about… Truth or Dare?"
Cheers erupted, a circle quickly formed, and the game began.
People laughed, teased, revealed crushes, and accepted silly dares. But Nitya's gaze was fixed on one person only.
Aarav.
She was waiting.
Watching.
And ready.
If he chooses dare, she thought, everything begins tonight.
As the bottle spun and the game heated up, Aarav's name was finally called.
"Truth or Dare?" someone asked.
He smirked. "Dare."
And just as planned, Nitya's friend leaned in with a grin, ready to deliver the pre-decided challenge.
Nitya's eyes gleamed.
This wasn't just a game anymore.
It was her move.
Her test.
Her chance.
But what exactly was the dare? And how far was she willing to go to win Aarav's heart—no matter the cost?