Islanders took us to the place where the games were being organized.
I could feel the love in the air - not just from newlyweds glowing like fresh roses, but from couples who had grown old together.
A seventy-year-old man arrived with his sixty-eight-year-old wife, holding her hand as if he were afraid the wind might steal her away. They were still whispering in each other's ears, smiling like teenagers.
My heart melted.
I wanted that kind of love.
I instantly imagined myself as an old woman, wrinkles decorating my face, stubbornly wearing bright red lipstick on my thin lips. I could almost see it - the sunset, the breeze, me leaning forward to kiss the love of my life...
And then-
Three old men bent forward at the same time to kiss me.
"Yukkk!" I squealed out loud.
I snapped out of my dream, aggressively wiping my lips with the back of my hand as if the imaginary kiss had actually landed. I even checked my shoulder dramatically, just in case one of them was still leaning there.
"What happened?" Karan asked, startled.
"Nothing," I said, forcing a laugh. "I think I swallowed an insect."
I made a face, sticking my tongue out slightly as if I could still taste it.
"Have some water," Karan said, offering me a glass, clearly unconvinced but too polite to question my sanity.
"We're doing some final preparations. Sorry for the delay. We've arranged some snacks for you. Please enjoy them until the round begins."
A man approached us carrying a tray full of snacks.
So many colors.
My eyes widened in pure awe. I genuinely did not know food could look like a festival. Red, yellow, green, orange - it felt illegal to eat something this pretty.
My mouth filled with saliva. I swallowed shamelessly.
As I stretched out my hand, ready to attack a bright orange sweet, another woman suddenly grabbed the man by his collar.
I gasped.
"Violence? Against the person who serves tasty food?" I clutched my chest dramatically.
A queen inside me rose to her feet.
"How dare you do this in my reign?" I declared, narrowing my eyes like I owned the island.
Karan pressed his lips together, clearly trying not to laugh. His shoulders were shaking, and he pretended to scroll on his phone as if nothing ridiculous was happening beside him.
The woman stared at me, stunned.
I cleared my throat.
"I mean... what are you doing?" I softened my tone, adjusting my imaginary crown.
"This man serves food so his competitors will feel lazy and dizzy," she explained seriously. "That way, he and his wife can win easily."
I blinked.
The man panicked and ran away with his tray before I could even protest, clutching his colorful treasures like a criminal fleeing a crime scene.
I watched him disappear, slightly heartbroken.
But honestly?
That was the moment I realized how seriously people were taking this game.
It ignited the spirit of competition in me.
"If they were playing dirty... then we should do something too," I said, turning toward Karan.
Karan looked at me, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"You're so worked up... it's turning me on," he joked.
I gave him a flat look.
"Why are you so lost in your phone? What are you even looking at?" I asked while gently removing a small bug from his hair.
"I was looking for those videos," he said casually.
Before I could question him further, he turned the screen toward me.
Slow-motion videos.
Frame one - I stretched my arm around Karan's arm.
Frame two - My hand was holding Varun's, my fingers slipping neatly between his.
Frame three - Arun was squeezing my cheeks, and I turned to kiss his hand.
My eyes widened.
Thank goodness I had managed to balance everything that day. Back then, I had been so madly in love with Varun that I could have very easily been partial, I thought.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked.
"It looks fine to me."
"It's not the video," he said.
He scrolled slightly, then tilted the phone again.
"It's the comment section."
I took his phone and slowly scrolled through the comment section, bracing myself for whatever was waiting there.

"Ohh... this is the bad one," I said.
"She can't even type without mistakes, but she has such strong opinions about me."
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.
But in my mind?
I had already challenged her to a duel and defeated her with my imaginary sword.
Clean. Swift. No witnesses.
I scrolled further.

My smile slowly fading.


"THAT'S ENOUGH INTERNET FOR TODAY," I said, handing Karan his phone back.
"There are some good comments too. You should look at those," he replied calmly. "In some sections, we're getting trolled - not you."
I smiled.
"Shouldn't you have shown me that first?" I asked, giving him a look.
He laughed.
Then he pulled me closer.
His eyes were showering something soft... something warm. The way he looked at me - like I was some tiny, harmless puppy he wanted to protect.
And slowly, without realizing it, I felt myself getting comfortable with him.
Too comfortable.
But the real question was-
Would he stay like this after we left the island?
Or would he turn back into that authoritative Karan... the one whose mere presence could make people uncomfortable?
"ALL THE PARTICIPANTS, ARE YOU READY FOR ROUND ONE?"
A voice echoed from afar, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"HELL YEAH!" I shouted without thinking.
Karan instantly put his fingers in his ears. His knees bent slightly, and he shifted his body away from me as if protecting himself from a blast.
He stared at me.
"Something has possessed you on this island."
I laughed, knowing he wasn't wrong. There was a shift in my energy. Something about this place made me louder... bolder... a little unhinged.
He shook his head, still smiling, then held my hand.
And together, we walked toward the center.
Round One.