I MEERA I

After we were caught snooping, thanks to Remya, introductions were made and we were asked to make Pooja feel right at home. So we walked back to the summerhouse with Pooja and Raj. We tried making small talk and Pooja, who looked rather shy did try to answer all our questions. Raj was silent the whole way except for giving short responses when Pooja asked him something.

Vinash was also surprisingly silent, maybe because Raj didn't bother to introduce him to Pooja. But maybe the fact that Pooja didn't even know that Raj had a twin and she was surprised when we made some comment about it, hurt him the most.

When we reached the summerhouse we introduced her to everyone, which was kinda awkward obviously. All this time Raj didn't utter a single word to us. He just nodded at us once in the cabin. He's been silent ever since. And honestly, we were not that eager either so we didn't mind. But I could see that it bothered Vinash who was hurt that his twin brother didn't even talk to him, much less introduce him to his girlfriend, who didn't even know he had a twin.

Two hours later..

"Everyone's going to the cabin. Are you guys coming?", Karthik asks poking his head inside my bedroom after knocking, when the three of us were having a very intense battle of fruit ninja. It's been going on for almost an hour.

After Pooja and Raj was properly settled in , they went out hand in hand excusing themselves for the evening. So after two trips from the kitchen to my room with hands full of snacks and drinks , half of which we stocked inside the mini fridge, we settled in my bed in our old pajamas to play fruit ninja while munching on the snacks in between matches. So far in cross matches, Remya is on the lead with twenty nine points and me, just behind her with twenty seven points and Vinash, the sore loser that he is, is still at ten points.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. We'll swing by later", I tell karthik just as I win yet another point against Vinash. Obviously.

"Yes! Seems like you're going to be our bitch, this week", I say as Vinash flops back on the bed. We had this rule whenever we played games, the loser had to do everything the other two asked them to do, for a week, sometimes less. It was nothing serious, the loser just had to make the other two a drink, bring their food to them, throw their dirty clothes in laundry bin and such.

"Alright", Karthik says, chuckling as he closes the door on his way out.

We played fruit ninja until our fingers are numb and can't play anymore. Every time one of us has to sit out for the match between the other two, we remind ourselves to go to the cabin like we promised Karthik. But then we're already in the next match and it's forgotten. Vinash was helping our dads put up a tent in the beach for sangeeth night for the bride and groom to sit in, so he was pretty tired. Plus, he was having a shitty day what with Raj behaving the way he did. So we didn't wake him up when he fell asleep. He was the loser anyway. I think Remya and I fell asleep in the middle of a match.

* * *

I VIKRAM I

"Cherai beach", I tell the cab driver as I close the door after hauling my bags inside. I take my phone out of my pocket and dial Karthi's mobile before putting the phone against my ear. With my other hand I pull out the band holding my hair and shake my head making my hair to fall down my shoulders.

He answers on the first ring,"Vikram, where the hell are you? You were supposed to be here before noon."

"Hello to you too Karthi. And I'm sorry it's just I had some things to take care of and lost track of time. But I'm here now. I'm in a cab heading towards the beach house. I just called to let you know", I say.

"We're at the cabin right now. No one's at the beach house. Wait, let me talk to Shraddha ", he says and a few moments later he's back, "You head to the beach house first, drop your things there in the living room. I'll show your your room later and freshen up if you want. There's a bathroom in the ground floor and the towels are in there too. Just come to the cabin after you're done, it's close by".

I hear Shraddha yelling something at him and a second later he says,"Shit, sorry dude, don't drop your luggage in the living room. You are sharing a room with me. It's the first room on the left of the dining room, so drop your things there."

"Would you look at that, Karthi being all domestic and whipped", I smirk.

"Fuck you", he mutters but doesn't bother correcting me , we both know it's true.

"She's just really stressed right now, what with the wedding plabs and everything. Hell, we both are. So don't drop your luggage in the living room, if you can't find my room, just hide them under the dining table or something", he says.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll throw my bags into the sea before leaving them in the living room, is that all?", I ask sarcastically.

"KARTHIK, DID YOU TELL HIM TO COME HERE STRAIGHT AFTER DROPPING HIS THINGS AT THE SUMMERHOUSE?", I hear Shraddha yell and almost drop my phone.

"Jesus christ, woman! I can hear you fine, stop yelling", I hear Karthi say.

"WHAT?", she yells again and Karthi curses under his breath.

"NOTHING, I SAID I'LL TELL HIM", he yells back and I almost burst my eardrum.

"OKAY"

"Do you guys have to flirt with each other when I'm on the line? Save it for the bedroom", I chuckle.

"Fuck off", he scoffs, laughing.

"Why is she yelling at you? Did you piss her off? Wait, of course you did. Better question would be, what did you do?", I ask him as the driver takes a turn into a less crowded road from the main road.

"Fuck you very much. And I didnt do anything this time. We were swimming in the sea all day yesterday evening and her ears were clogged. But yesterday night, we went swimming again and well it got worse. And it's kinda crowded here, so she thinks she has to yell louder than usual", he says with a laugh and I join in, imagining the scene in my head.

"It's cute, not so much when she's yelling so close to my ear", he says with a love-sick happy sigh that makes me happy for him and disgusted at the same time because of the sappiness.

"Alright then, I'll call you after I've settled in. And don't give Shraddha a kiss for me, I'll give it to her myself", I say knowing he's probably rolling his eyes at me.

"Yeah right, see you later asshole. Varun is wasted", he says right before he hangs up and I laugh. Wasted Varun is hilarious... and dangerous. Alcohol is like a truth serum to Varun. He'll spill out all the secrets that he'd take to his grave if he were sober, when he's drunk. If the CBI or FBI ever caught him, all they have to do is get him drunk and he'll talk.

After a few minutes, we reach the beach and I pay the cab driver before throwing a bag across my shoulder and holding the other in my hand. Just as I walk a few steps, the beach house comes into my view.

It's pretty big. It also looks more like a bungalow than a beach house. Its three storeys and I'm sure I counted more than twenty windows. Most of it is closed though I see a few of them open in the first floor.

There's a small garden on the right side of the house and you can see that it extends towards the backyard. Although you couldn't probably call it a garden, it's just a lot of potted plants clustered together and some thick bushes protruding in between, trimmed to perfection.

Overall, the house was pretty grand from the outside and with beach right next to it, I don't even have to bother saying anything else. Perfect place for a beach wedding.

As I reach the front door, I drop my bags on the ground next to the potted plant and try to turn the door knob but it doesn't open. I try a few more times just in case and when it still doesn't open I realise I forgot to ask Karthi where they kept their keys.

I debate calling him but decide to check if the back door is open, just in case. He probably left it open for me. I walk around the fence of the garden until I reach the backyard and in under the street light, I notice there are a few vegetables planted in the backyard, alone with those potted plants. I try turning the knob of the back door and I'm almost sure that I heard a gasp then. But Karthi told me noone was home, so I must've imagined it.

Before I spook myself, I walk to the front door and turn the door knob once again before, in hopes that it would magically unlock. Then just for the fun of it, I rattle it two more times, enjoying the sound it makes. I'm dialling Karthi in my phone when I hear a crash from the inside. I quickly disconnect the call before pocketing my phone.

Looks like there's someone inside.