The Next Morning
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was Manya lying on the floor. My head was pounding, like someone was beating drums inside it. I couldn't remember a thing from last night—I had been too drunk.
I hurried to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. That's when I saw it. My lips—red, swollen. As if someone had kissed me… passionately. My heart raced for a second, but then my eyes caught sight of an empty bottle cap near the sink. Memory clicked. Right. I had been playing around with it and pressed it to my lips. That must have been the reason. Not a kiss, just stupidity, I told myself, trying to calm my nerves.
When I went downstairs for breakfast, I saw Sarthak and Aarne holding hands. For a moment, it stung, but I pushed it aside. Right now, my real concern was that breakfast would be over soon. So I quickly grabbed food, even a sweet with milk—completely forgetting that I'm allergic to it.
Just as I was about to take a sip, Manya snatched the glass away and yelled:
"Do you wanna die, idiot? Have you forgotten you're allergic to milk? Truly, you're impossible!"
I blinked, embarrassed. "I forgot… sorry."
"You were in such a hurry you didn't even realize you were risking your life!" she scolded, and everyone at the table burst out laughing.
"Sorry," I repeated, shrinking into myself. "I said sorry, why are you making it such a big deal? It's a small matter."
"A small matter? You could literally die!" Manya shot back. Then her eyes narrowed. "By the way… why are your lips swollen? Did someone kiss you?"
My face heated. "No! No one kissed me. I… I just put the bottle cap on my lips. That's all!"
From across the table, Sarthak started coughing into his water, then giggling. I glanced at him, confused, but let it go. It wasn't my business anymore.
After a while, he asked, "Have you both eaten?"
"Yes, brother," Manya replied, curious. "Why?"
"I have a meeting in my room. If you want to explore, go with the others. Or go study."
"Okay, we'll go with them," Manya agreed.
"Sorry, Manya," I cut in. "I'm not feeling well. My lips…" I hesitated. "They're too swollen. I'll just stay in and study."
The moment I said it, Sarthak started giggling again. I frowned. "Brother, why are you laughing so much?"
"Nothing," he smirked. "Just remembered something."
"Oh… okay." I let it slide and went back to my room.
Inside, I turned on the AC and sank into thought. Were my lips really swollen just because of that bottle cap? Or… did something else happen last night? The question gnawed at me. I shook it off and went to take a long shower.
Afterward, I sat at the desk, opened my books, and tried to focus on homework. Not long after, Manya popped in.
"Hey, you're actually studying?" she teased, grabbing her bag.
I looked up. "Didn't you go exploring?"
"Just came to take this. I'll be back at night. Please pack the bags—we're flying tomorrow morning. Bye!"
"Okay, bye." I waved, and she disappeared.
Two hours later, sleepiness took over. I was about to lie down when Sarthak knocked.
"You want something to eat? I'm heading out for lunch with a client. I can bring you something."
"No thanks," I muttered.
"Alright then." He gave a half-smile and left. I collapsed onto the bed and slept.
By the time I woke up, it was 7 in the evening. Panic hit—I hadn't packed yet. I started throwing clothes into my bag in a rush. Just then, Manya returned with a box of pancakes.
"Here, eat these," she said, then noticed my half-packed bag. With an exasperated sigh, she sat down to help.
I got lost in the pancakes until the doorbell rang. Opening it, I found Sarthak standing there, holding a takeaway bag.
"This is for you," he said simply. "I thought you'd be hungry." He handed it over and left.
Curious, I opened it and found lasagna—my absolute favorite. My heart warmed a little as I ate every bite.
But when Manya saw the empty container, she exploded. "Why did you finish it without me?!"
We bickered until it was almost 10:30, and only then finished packing. Sleep didn't come until nearly three in the morning.
The Departure
The next morning, the sound of the doorbell yanked us from our sleep. Sarthak was at the door, arms crossed, clearly annoyed.
"It's 7 a.m.," he snapped.
We scrambled, dragging luggage and other things in our nightclothes straight to the car.
At the airport, Manya groaned, "Does anyone even believe we're your sisters like this?"
Sarthak shrugged. "If it mattered, you both should've woken up earlier."
"Stop, Sarthak," I yawned, leaning against the seat. "You scolded us in the car too. Please, no more."
"Shut up, sleepyhead," he muttered, picking me up. "Walk on your own till the boarding gate."
Eventually, we boarded the plane, exhausted and messy, leaving for our country.