Arpita was extremely sad and upset. She wanted to be alone, but if she went home, her father and brother wouldn't let her have any peace. So without telling anyone, she left Delhi and came to Mumbai.
Arpita loved the sea very much, but she had never been able to visit before. She sat down by the shore and began watching the waves coming and going. Looking at them, she felt as if even the waves were mocking her.
Suddenly, loud music started playing, drawing her attention. It was an open bar where people, drunk and trying to forget their sorrows, were dancing wildly. Arpita stood up and went toward the bar. She ordered a drink for herself. Sometimes she looked at the sea, and sometimes at the people lost in their own world.
Gradually, the alcohol began to affect her. She got up and joined the others on the dance floor. Two boys noticed her and began looking her up and down. Even though she was wearing a suit, as they say, if someone's intentions are bad, it doesn't matter what you wear. The two boys came near her and started dancing. Under the pretense of dancing, they began touching her.
At first, Arpita was lost in her own fun, but when it kept happening repeatedly, she looked at them carefully and angrily pointed her finger at them.
"You! Stay away from me. If you touch me again, then…!"
She made a fist to threaten them. The boys didn't want to create a scene in front of everyone. They also knew that if she made noise, they would be the ones beaten up. So for now, they stepped away—but their eyes were still on her.
Arpita again lost herself in dancing. After a while, she got tired and came back to the bar. She finished another glass of wine in one go, took out money from her purse, placed it on the counter, and walked out humming, "There are only four moments left to live, useless days…"
Seeing her leave, the two boys followed her. When they were far enough from the bar and there was no one around, they stood in front of her.
Squinting her small eyes, she stared at them and said in a staggering voice, "You two again? I told you to stay away from me. Didn't you understand? Seems like you both failed seventh grade, that's why you didn't get it." She started laughing loudly.
The boys looked at each other strangely. One said, "Looks like she's fully drunk. Won't have to try too hard."
They smiled and moved toward her. One of them said, "Yeah, you're right. We failed seventh grade, how would we understand?"
Arpita laughed and said, "It's okay, I'll explain it to you properly. I'm a doctor, and I've studied a lot for that."
Seeing her lost in her own words, they grabbed her.
"Let me go! I haven't explained anything yet!" she said angrily.
One of the boys smelled her and said, "We understand everything now. And now it's our turn to explain things to you."
He signaled the other boy, and they began dragging her away.
"Leave me! I'm not going anywhere with you. Whatever you want to explain, explain it here!" she cried.
Annoyed by her constant talking, one of them slapped her hard and shouted, "Shut up! You've been nagging since we met. Quietly come with us."
Tears filled her eyes, and she started crying loudly. "I won't go with you. You're very bad. You hit me!"
Ignoring her screams, they kept dragging her.
Meanwhile, near the shore, a man was sitting on the hood of his car, drinking. His eyes were even more intoxicating because of the alcohol. Suddenly, he heard a girl crying. He looked in that direction and saw two boys dragging a girl who was resisting and crying.
He smashed the bottle on the ground and walked toward them.
Seeing their path blocked, one of the boys shouted angrily, "Move out of the way!"
When the man didn't move, one of them tried to hit him. The man punched him so hard that he fell two feet away. His teeth broke, and blood came out of his mouth.
Seeing his friend's condition, the other boy trembled in fear. Arpita felt his grip loosen, so she bit his hand hard, freed herself, and ran behind the man for protection.
The boys ran away.
The man turned to her and coldly said, "They're gone. Now you go home."
Tears filled her eyes. Innocently, she said, "I don't want to go home. They're not good people. You chased those boys away like magic. Can you also remove the pain from my heart?"
She placed his hand on her chest and said, "It hurts a lot here. Please fix this too."
He looked at her tear-filled, sad face but gave no answer.
"Tell me, will you reduce my pain?" she asked again.
He pulled his hand back and said, "You're drunk. Go from here."
He walked to his car and sat in the driver's seat.
She watched him sadly, then suddenly ran after him, opened the passenger door, and sat inside.
"Get out of my car," he said angrily.
Like a stubborn child, she replied, "Magician! First fix my pain, then I'll leave."
"I'm not a magician. And if you're in so much pain, go to a doctor."
Laughing drunkenly, she said, "How do you know I'm a doctor? Oh, I'm so silly—you know everything."
Irritated, he picked up another bottle from the back seat and started drinking.
She looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, "I want this magical juice too."
"You can't drink. Get out," he said bluntly.
Angry, she quickly snatched the bottle and gulped down half of it before he could react. He stared at her angrily, then ignored her and opened another bottle.
Soon, they had finished ten bottles between them. Their eyes turned red from intoxication.
Laughing, she said, "Magician, let's go home now."
"My name is not Magician," he slurred.
"Then what is it?"
"Virat Kapoor."
"Wow, your name is very lovely—like me," she smiled.
"Yes, you're very cute. What's your name?"
"Arpita Singh."
"Your name should be Bunny, because you're cute like one."
"You can call me Bunny," she smiled.
He nodded.
"Virat, let's go home. I'm sleepy."
"Okay. Rest your head on my shoulder."
She did.
He drove to his apartment, where he lived alone. After parking, he tried to lift her, but because he was drunk, he almost stumbled.
At apartment number 101, he tried unlocking the door but struggled. Apartment 102's door opened, and a tall, beautiful girl in a nightdress stepped out. Seeing Virat, her face lit up.
"Virat! You're back?"
"No," he replied bluntly.
Ignoring him, she said, "I've been waiting for you. See what I'm wearing for you. How do I look?"
Arpita stepped forward and said, "Like a circus clown. And that face plastered with makeup—makes me want to throw up."
The girl, Shalini, clenched her fists angrily. "How dare you talk to me like that?"
She tried to hit Arpita, but Virat stepped in. "Go away."
"But she insulted me!"
"She's right," he said coldly.
Shalini angrily asked, "Who is she to you?"
"None of your business."
Finally, the door opened. Holding Arpita's hand, he said, "Come on, Bunny."
As they entered, Arpita teased Shalini and slammed the door on her face.
Inside, Arpita laughed cheerfully. Virat looked at her lovingly. He moved closer, placed one hand on her waist and one on her cheek, and said softly, "You're very naughty."
She laughed.
He looked at her smiling lips, which seemed soft and tempting. Intoxicated, he couldn't control himself and pressed his lips against hers. Arpita was shocked and didn't know how to react. Perhaps because of the alcohol, she wasn't fully aware of her senses.
Slowly, she began responding. The kiss deepened, and the sound of their heavy breathing filled the apartment.
After a while, Arpita began struggling for breath and hit his chest, but he didn't seem ready to let go. He held her hands behind her back.
To be continued…
What is the reason behind Arpita's sadness? Will Shalini harm her out of anger? Will Virat and Arpita cross their limits in intoxication? Stay tuned to find out in the story.