Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 21

Avni sketched furiously. Nope she wasn't angry. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been angry. It was just she wanted to capture Karan's crooked smile before the image became hazy. She had already tried three times it just wasn't coming out right. And she had the artist's frenzy where she could work at just one thing for hours till she had it the way she wanted it. She hoped her fourth attempt would bear her some fruit. She had thought with his well-defined features it would be easy to sketch him it was proving to be more difficult. Either that or she was losing her touch. She hadn't sketched in such a long time. She had when she had met Sahil but...even that had been two years ago. And then she had found out he hated any kind of art form so she had stopped. After that this was the first time she had been fascinated with a human face that she just had to put it in black and white on a paper. After three hours and some minutes she looked at her work and smiled. She had got it right this time. Though she had gotten carried away and made his eyes warmer than they actually were. She thought about it. But it seemed this shade suited him better than the one he wore all the time, besides this was her personal book it wasn't as if he was going to see it and comment so she could sketch him the way she liked. At least here she could rebel.

She sighed and then looked up as she heard a knock on her door. She looked at the clock nope she wasn't supposed to be anywhere but in her room. She quickly slid her sketch book and pencils in the night stand drawer and then went to open the door. It was Manya.

"Hi," she said and grinned as usual.

"Hi," Avni replied and smiled and opened the door wider to let her in.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she perched herself comfortably on Avni's bed.

"Nothing substantial," Avni replied and shrugged.

"I am so bored," Manya said, "you want to do something tonight," she asked.

Avni wasn't sure what Manya meant. They could do something now if she was bored now but tonight, what did that mean?

"I don't get you," Avni asked carefully.

"Have you ever gone clubbing?" Manya asked.

"No," Avni said wondering what that meant.

"Well, it actually means we hop clubs," the other girl explained, "we go to one have some fun, then hop to another and another till we drop," she said and smiled.

"Why can't you be just at one?" Avni asked wondering why go to different places.

"Well, you can if the party is really nice or you are with a large group of friends and are having fun," she said and shrugged, "but here in Manali you do have some good clubs but not a large group of friends. I have asked Riddhima too but she has to go out for dinner to a cousin's place so she cannot make it," Manya said with a pout, "come on Avni don't say no," as she saw Avni debate the sanity of such an event. "Please, it has been a while since I have had fun and it is perfectly safe too. We will be together so no worries there besides you have never been to a club it would be fun trust me," she said earnestly.

Avni wasn't sure. What time would they go? Or what time they would be back? She didn't know if Tej uncle or Nilakshi aunty would give them the permission. It sounded like fun for someone like Manya but for her she knew this was not the way she would enjoy.

"Manya I would love to but," she said speculatively, "I am not sure. See I have never been to such places and then what time would we go?" she said.

"Don't be a bore Avni," Manya said giving her her best smile, "the parties usually start by ten..." she said and would have gone on but Avni interrupted.

"Ten?" Avni said loudly in horror.

"Yes," Manya said confused at what was wrong.

"That's late," Avni said shaking her head, "do you think Tej uncle will approve?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me," Manya replied her eyes going round in her face as she bounced off the bed, "I am not even going to risk asking him," she said, "we sneak out and we sneak in," she told her.

"You mean..." Avni couldn't even formulate the words.

"We don't tell anybody," she finished for Avni, "look, the whole point of doing this is to have some fun while breaking a few rules. I know you are a stickler for them but I promise it will be safe," she told her trying to coax her into agreeing.

To Avni it didn't even sound rational forget about it being fun. She had never broken rules, never even bunked a class in all her student life. She had never been to such a place in Ludhiana ever. And she was sure outside of her knowledge these places were everywhere. The late night culture, with loud music playing inside such clubs, drinking and dancing of course she knew about them, but she had never been to one. And she wasn't interested. That was the bottom line. But as she looked at Manya's expectant face she couldn't say no to her either. She somewhere knew this was going to be a mistake. This was going to be a huge mistake. What if they were found out? What if something went wrong? What would they do then?

"How do you plan to go?" Avni asked.

"I have arranged for a taxi for ten thirty and that would take us around," she said grinning again happy with herself for convincing Avni to go with her.

"I don't like the sound of it," Avni said voicing her concern, "what if something goes wrong?" she asked.

"Have you never gone to a club in Ludhiana?" Manya asked.

"No," Avni replied in a small voice. There was nothing wrong in her admission but she felt outdated for some reason.

"Oh, no wonder you are worried," Manya said with a smile, "it is very safe. Just some rules you need to follow. Never talk to strangers especially if they are drunk or rowdy. Don't accept any drink from a stranger even if it is coke," she said categorically, "dance, drink, enjoy and leave. Okay, let us do it this way, we will go to one place and if you don't like it we will come back," she said hoping that would convince Avni.

Avni's instincts were warning her to not do this, to not give in but she couldn't say no. She didn't know how. She had never done it in her life. And she knew the importance of saying the word when she was not sure about what she was doing but. Avni sighed.

"You promise you will do that if I don't like the experience," Avni asked.

And Manya smiled at her victory.

"Of course," she replied then hugged her excitedly, "thanks for coming with me," she said then as if suddenly struck her she asked Avni, "you might not be having the clothes for it right," she said.

"Why what do you wear?" Avni asked suddenly worried.

"Not what you are wearing now," Manya said and smiled at Avni, "let's go to my room and try a few things. We are almost same size I am sure we could find something for you," she said then linking her arm with Avni's dragged her to her room.

And all the way Avni was questioning the sanity of this escapade they were planning. After trying several outfits most of which Avni had found very uncomfortable they had zeroed in on a long flowing black skirt, a beautiful lace sleeveless top and because Avni didn't wear much of sleeveless Manya had given her a matching scarf, jewelry and matched the make up for her too. Avni thought she was playing princess, a game she and her friends sometimes used to play when they were kids. She watched Manya's excitement as she started to look for what she was going to wear and Avni couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to regret it and yet she couldn't stop herself from going with Manya's plan.

What they both hadn't anticipated in their safe plan was that sometimes other people posed dangers than just the ones they could anticipate. And that no matter how smart you were you couldn't be fully prepared for all of them.

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