The Truth Game.

 

It was again Saturday, time evening 7:00. Usually, Saturday is all about dusting room, washing clothes and sanitizing every other equipment. Moreover in Sheldon Cooper’s language “Saturday is laundry day.”

Out of a whole day unstinting work, the evening is all about resting and pleasing self with some episodes of “Big Bang Theory” or “The young Sheldon” or some other regional movies. I get attracted to regional movies more often than any other high budget superstar movies for the reason as they epitomize the naked reality of society without saturating them.

Phone left to me blazed with the name “Miracle Knock”. A sudden ring chimed to seize all my attention, with no time wasting I grabbed it.

“Hey! Aanshi” I welcomed her without a Hello this time.

Aanshi: “Wow, Dev! So, you’ve saved my number.”

“Yes! of course. I did that on pretty next moment you hung up the call last time.” I said with a pleasant voice.

Aanshi: “Good. So Finally, you don’t have to wonder for a second who is on the other side.”

“Yes. finally.”  I nodded with her.

“So, how are you?” I asked after ending my last statement.

Aanshi: “I am doing good. How are you?”

“Yeah! Not so bad things are moving as usual.” With a haste voice I replied.

Aanshi: “Your voice seems to be a bit down, is it a good time to talk?”

“Nothing, was just shutting down my PC” I comforted her.

“Hey! Tell me about your Boss. How things are going now in between both of you?” I asked while shutting my PC on the other side.

Aanshi: “He was on annual leave for the whole week so I had one of the best weeks at work. Believe me, the office feels like a temple in his absence, such calm and pleasing”

“And with his presence?” I questioned her hilariously.

Aanshi: “Ahh! Definitely a metro city vegetable market.”

“Why? Does he scream all the time?” I asked with a giggle.

Aanshi: “No, but the way he escalates every single thing, feels like he is a patient of premature ejaculation.”

“Ohhh!” I hummed with no word.

Aanshi: “Pardon my French Dev”

“That’s ok. Let’s forget him for the time being” I rendered my ignorance.

“Hey! I have something important to ask you” I said pausing a second.

Aanshi: “Ohh! Go ahead”

“So, you might find it silly. Actually, post our last call I Googled about Bhopal pride march, discovered all those stack photos and some videos as well” She paused me here.

Aanshi: “Did you really do that?”

“Yes! I did” I added.

Aanshi: “Okay. Then?”

“So, my question is which one are you among all these photos?” I asked her out of my curiosity.

Aanshi: “Ohh! What if I say I have Mr India gadget so I am invisible?”

“I’d probably get a red coloured glass to find your presence” I replied to her hypothesis in her language.

Aanshi: “That’s romantic”

“Now, tell me how can I find you among all these photos?” I asked again.

Aanshi: “Look for a woman in blue saree.”

“A woman?” I sounded puzzled.

Aanshi: “Yes! you heard me.”

“Now let me dare to ask you this, how old are you?” pausing a second, I asked.

Aanshi: “Ohh! Hey, we have never spoken about our age. What if I say I’m 13?”

“Then you would lie, a 13 year can not be into insurance business,” I replied her with no time.

Aanshi: “Ohh! You are sharp! What if I say I’m 58?”

“Well! That’d make you even much elder than my Mom and I’d be addressing you as Aunty” I pulled out the humour.

Aanshi: “Aunty? No, I am of 25”

A laugh buzzed.

Aanshi: “How old are you Dev?”

“Well I am of 45, married and a father to one” I replied with no time.

Aanshi: “Married? Dev. I mean Dev Ji, you better be kidding.”

I chuckled within noticing how she changed From Dev to Dev Ji.

“No, I’m not” I replied controlling my laugh.

Aanshi: “Did you not say me on the first call that you had a recent breakup?”

“Ohh! You too are sharp! Yes, I did. That was an external affair I broke up with” I illustrated a fake story in support my first lie.

Aanshi: “Dev Ji. I’m sorry. I’ve to disconnect the call right now. This is against my moral to speak with a married man and I’m feeling very much guilty at the moment.”

“Wait, hold on. I was just pulling your leg the way you did” I spoke the truth finally.

Aanshi: “Then tell me how old are you?”

“I’m of 26 and happily single now. One more thing, please stop addressing me as Dev Ji” I said with a smile on my face.

Aanshi: “You won’t believe how guilty I felt for a moment”

Again laugh buzzed both sides.

“So now back to the question, how would I find you among all these photos?” I dragged my question again.

Aanshi: “You won’t find me there in any photos. I was basically behind the camera. I was a new joiner then and this Hitler Boss gave me the camera asking to capture every moment.”

“Had I known this before, would not have wasted my hours of time searching you on Google” I reverberated.

Aanshi: “It made me happy that you did your piece of research”

A strange smile blossomed.

Aanshi: “So Dev, if you remember our agreement over the last call, you are supposed to narrate your writings to me”

“Yes! I remember and if I am not wrong, you made a statement that time to come up with imagination or prejudgement about my writings. Didn’t you?” I gleed. 

Aanshi: “Yes! But now after all these jokes today, my urge is tempting me to know you better”

“To know me better? And how would you do that?” I questioned.

Aanshi: “Well, how about a truth game?”

“A truth game? I have heard about Truth and Dare, what is this Truth game alone?” I asked astonishingly.

Aanshi: “Simple. You remove the dare from that. We can not give a dare to each other, so only have to speak the truth. What do you say?”

“Sounds fascinating. Let’s do it.” I gave no grievance to her.

Aanshi: “Cool. So, the rules are followings, (one) you should speak only Truth. (two) you should not take a long time to think, things that strike to your mind instantly have to narrate them in its naked version as it is and (three) the last rule, you can't repeat the same question after me"

“Ok. Got it” I offered my acceptance. 

Aanshi: “Great! I will go first” 

“Now I am getting anxiety” I said with a trembling voice

Aanshi: “Oh! Common! Don’t be. It’s gonna be more fun”

“Time would say” I repeated after her.

Aanshi: “So Ok, be ready. Here is the first question for you”

“Fine, I’m ready” I nodded. 

Aanshi: “Great! So, the question is What do most people think is true about you, but it isn't?”

“Ohhh!” I started thinking for some seconds.  

Aanshi: “Dev, remember the rule. You’ve no time to think”

“OK, People think I possess a very dirty mind, maybe because I open myself completely in-front of friends but in reality, I spend a number of hours reading and searching mythology when I am alone” I offered an honest answer. 

Aanshi: “Dirty! All these times I am the one using cuss words. Never heard you using them” 

“You yet to discover a lot of me” I replied. 

Aanshi: “Excited!” 

“Common! Now my turn” I appealed. 

Aanshi: “Ok, but remember the rule, you can’t repeat the question after me” 

“yes, I Know” 

Aanshi: “Ok, then Go ahead”

“For you, the first question is, what is your unique beauty?” I asked with excitement. 

Aanshi: “Well, I’m very good at contemporary dance even though I’ve never taken training on that. You know, just by self-exploring” 

“Wow! Contemporary I always admire among all other dance forms. They are smooth and probably the most expressive format of dancing” I expressed my love for contemporary. 

Aanshi: “Great! By the way, do you dance?”

“A big No! Never tried and I am happy about that. I’m just an admirer” I mocked myself.

She chuckled.  

Aanshi: “Now my turn again. So, imagine you have a wish-granting machine that could grant a single personal wish. What would be your only wish?”

“I would probably ask to get me an island of my own” I took a pause before replying.

Aanshi: “An island! Like Swami Nithyananda made Kailaasa?”

“Funny!! I mean an empty island not fill with Queens, Princesses and Angels” I elucidated.

Aanshi (laughing): “Who knows what’s ruining in that dirty mind”

“Now you are embarrassing me” I whirred. 

Aanshi: “No! common. Just pulling your leg” 

A laugh droned.

“Now my turn” I broke the laugh.

Aanshi (pressing her laugh): “Okay, I am ready”

“Okay! Here is the question for you, what lie have you told that hurt someone?” I asked flouting noise. 

Aanshi (Pausing a while): “Shall I tell the truth?”

“That’s what the rule says. You do not have anything apart from the truth” I repeated norms to her.

Aanshi: “During my early college, my best friend fell in love with a boy and I felt jealous of her. I didn’t like her to be engaged until I was single. Then I fibbed her about the boy and finally, after months they broke up, I was happy then” 

“You devil lass!” I expressed outrageously. 

Aanshi: “Yes! I know that was devilish but you know what, later we heard the same boy has multiple relations. Even today also my friend thanks me for early alarming her”

“Wow! So, you are like an old monk with foreseeing eyes” I added some adjectives in appreciation.

Aanshi (with a smile): “Ha – Ha, you can say so. Sometimes I do predict things right”

A tiny laugh reverberated. 

Aanshi: “Hey! It’s already 35 minutes we’ve been speaking, didn’t realise though”

“Do you count them?” I asked.

Aanshi: “Not really! But I have to pick up one of my friends, she is new to this city”

“Ohh! Then you must be getting late?” I added.

Aanshi: “No I have 10 more minutes to leave. So, before I hang up one last question for you” 

“if you are in hurry, we can have this on another day” I whispered.

Aanshi: “No! this is an interesting question. Last time we were playing truth and dare game in the hostel and one of my friends came up with this hilarious question. Can’t wait to ask you the same”

“Okay, go ahead” I welcomed her. 

Aanshi: “So, the question is, if tomorrow morning you wake up as the opposite sex and you stay like that for next month, what would you do throughout the month?”

“Oh my god! By imagining myself as a girl it’s hard to control my laugh” I giggled.

Aanshi: “I know it’s hilarious, yet you’ve to answer”

“Ok so here is my hypothetical answer to this hypothetical question. To add this question, I'd also like my Ex to turn as a boy at the same time. Throughout the month I’d probably seduce him to fall for me harder by promising stars and moons and at the end of the month, I’d say him loud BAZINGA with a middle finger” with a relieving tone I articulated. 

Aanshi: “Never expected this answer. That’d be so tranquil, isn’t it?”

“Oh! I can’t tell how soothing that would be” I expressed my concealed happiness. 

Aanshi: “I am sorry Dev, I’ve to run now. It’s awesome speaking with you. After a great week at the office, this end touch will supply me some fresh breeze to face my Boss on Monday. Thank you”

“I owe many more Thank than you do” I rendered honest gratitude. 

Aanshi: “Will catch you soon on next weekend” 

“Shall be waiting till then” I added.

Aanshi: “Byee…” (She hung up the call)