" So? "

Devasena was eight glasses down, and Amarendra just had to get up and snatch the ninth one from her hand.

" So?  What do you mean by that?  You are my guest! And I cannot let you fall sick now! "

Amarendra walked back to sit.

" Sick? When has someone fallen sick of alcohol? Alcohol drives out sickness rather! " , Devasena uttered in a slurred nasal tone. She had by then messed up all the cushions on the sofa. " Mental sickness."

Amarendra raised his brows and smirked, as if uttering a silent "really?"

" One second, who decorated this house so beautifully? It was locked for centuries right? " , Devasena said, looking around, trying to pick up a glass once again.

Amarendra softly smacked her hand and she uttered a nag. And fell back on the sofa.

" I did. Within a day. I've good contacts here. And I cannot live in a mess. "

Devasena laughed and lay down on the sofa, the drink was surely taking over her now with every passing second.

The rain had stopped for the time being, and Amarendra got up to bring an emergency light.

" Power cuts happen mostly when the rain ceases. So peculiar! " , he said walking away.

And Devasena immediately grabbed the whole bottle and gulped away all at once.

Amarendra turned sensing it, and stood with hands on his waist.
" Such a hopeless you are! Who drinks this way for the first time? "

He came back to the table and shoved away all the articles, while Devasena laughed like a lunatic.

" stop laughing! "
He said in a soft yet commanding tone and walked away.

Devasena got up and followed him, missing steps and balancing. Amarendra brought down an emergency light from the top of a shelf while Devasena stood behind holding onto the staircase railing. And giggled.

" What's so funny about everything now? I don't like disobedient people. "
Amarendra walked past her to the sofa and she followed again, giggling.

And she tripped over a stool, which turned Amarendra back in a split second, making him let go the light from his hands and hold her instead, by her waist, softly. The light fell and broke.

The eyelock lasted for another split second, and was followed by another frantic feat of laughter by Devasena. Amarendra made her sit on the sofa, and nodded his head hopelessly.

" Devasena! Behave!"

Devasena immediately stood up in attention, but fell back again. She then leaned against the sofa and stared deeply at Amarendra, who stood before, watching her.

" I'm beautiful. And you're handsome. This is a beautiful night, and we are alone. But, you are sober, and I gotta trust you. "
Devasena then cupped her face with her hands and made a weeping sound. " I don't want to keep my trust in a single piece. "

Amarendra let go a long breath, smirked and settled before her again.

Devasena removed her hands from her eyes, and looked into him. " What songs do you listen to? Ghazals? "

" What!?" , Amarendra asked, startled.

" Songs!!!! "
Devasena forced a clear pronunciation through her entangled tongue.

Amarendra smiled again. " Doesn't matter what I listen to. You can play your wish. "

Devasena giggled again and began searching for her phone in clumsy moves. Amarendra picked it up from the ground and threw it to her. She forcefully opened her eyes wide, and clicked on her playlist.

Seconds later, the hall began reverberating.

Amarendra smiled as he heard the music play, while Devasena got up clumsily.

" Do you know I'm a Chainsmoker too? "

Devasena had by then comfortably settled by his side. And he couldn't do anything but look at her lovingly.

'Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you
I drink too much and that's an issue but I'm okay....'

Devasena winked at Amarendra while he nodded again, and looked away.

' Hey, you tell your friends it was nice to meet them
But I hope I never see them again...'

Devasena lay on Amarendra's lap, neither could he resist nor scold her, she kept giggling and singing along.

' I know it breaks your heart
Moved to the city in a broke down car
And four years, no calls
Now you're looking pretty in a hotel bar
And I can't stop
No, I can't stop.... '

Devasena got up, and looked intensely into Amarendra's eyes, who too couldn't break the eyelock this time.
Her eyes had a plead, and Amarendra felt as if looking away would be the greatest sin on earth. As if she silently screamed, " Didn't you just say you've loved only me? "

' So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
We ain't ever getting older

We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older....'

Devasena knew she had lost control altogether long back, and she didn't mind too. She had almost owned this man from the very first day and she didn't need a permission, at least at this point of time. She slid her hands around his shoulder, moved as close as she could hear him breathe.
And Amarendra choked.

' You look as good as the day I met you
I forget just why I left you, I was insane... '

Amarendra didn't really know when his hands had slid around her waist, her enigmatic drunken eyes were so magnetic, that he couldn't just let go...

And yet he couldn't give in. She was officially her no one, at least now...

Devasena felt a turmoil rise through her chest, as she could see her man not giving in when she just wanted him to open up and take her in. 

' Stay and play that Blink-182 song
That we beat to death in Tuscon, okay

I know it breaks your heart
Moved to the city in a broke down car
And four years, no call
Now I'm looking pretty in a hotel bar
And I can't stop
No, I can't stop... '

The turmoil ran upto her eyes now, welling them up while she realised that Amarendra had released his grip around her waist. She felt as if the sea was receding back after a tide, and she couldn't wet her feet. Her eyes let go off the river it contained.

" You don't love me anymore Amarendra? " , did she just utter that?

'So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
We ain't ever getting older

We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older...'

That broke away everything. Within a split second, Amarendra cupped her face in his hands, and slowly, softly  like a sea on fire, planted a deep kiss on her lips, making her lose consciousness, bit by bit, into oblivion.

' So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder

We ain't ever getting older
No we ain't ever getting older..... '

The rain consumed Bhopal, once again.