AN: Owing to my own mess of a personal life, this took me forever to write and publish. I apologize to my dear friends and readers and everyone who has always supported me and my story. this chapter is for all of you! hope you all like it.

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Chapter #1

Wrapping up the day's work, Naina pushes back her desk chair. Stretching her limbs, she almost smiles, realising it's time to call it a day.

"Ash must already be here! I've finished my work. So I'll be heading home now... Okay, Ruu?" she calls out to Ruhana, who's sitting at a desk next to her.

She hears nothing but silence in response. Ruhana remains typing away at her keyboard, absorbed in her work. Work is always hectic for journalists. Naina wonders if it's the power of love that's propelled her to finish her job early for the day. She checks her wristwatch. 5.30 pm.

"Uh... did you hear me, Ruu? I said I was leaving..." Naina tries addressing her best friend again, to which Ruhana just shrugs and chuckles derisively.

"Why are you telling me this? Did you care to inform me when you hooked up with him?"

Ruhana's words sting but Naina knows there's no actual bite behind them.

"Ouch."

With a shake of her head, Naina lets out an exasperated sigh. Now standing next to her desk after grabbing her handbag, she looks at Ruhana. "It wasn't a hookup, Ruu... We just... fell in love. And you weren't around... it's not like I didn't want to tell you!"

Ruhana doesn't look at her but acknowledges her statements with a simple phrase — "oh yeah?"

Naina sighs again. "Okay, I'm leaving..."

As she turns to go, she's sure she hears Ruhana's faint murmur. "Sorry for being snippy, Nain. Go, be happy with him... I wish you nothing but happiness."

Naina looks back at Ruhana, but she's typing away at her keyboard, looking like she didn't speak at all. The girl has lost all faith and interest in love... She's turned bitter, but one day, she will be her normal bubbly self again.

Murmuring her thanks to her friend and sending out a prayer to the heavens, Naina steps out of the office room. She runs down the stairs because the elevators are full.

When she reaches the lobby, it's no different. Most of the journalists and other staff are leaving, but a batch of seniors stay, their asses rooted to the row of chairs framing the side entrance.

These people aren't journalists, they are literally gossip mongers, indulging themselves in some fun whenever they can, both on and off the clock. Naina tries taking the main entrance to avoid their eyes but too late, they have spotted her from a distance, their target easily shifting to her. Yeah, she is their favourite target!

Something needs to be done about these people. They act like those spoiled kids at the university, picking on their juniors for no reason. Ragging is a heinous crime, deemed to be illegal. Now, what laws would apply to these grown men?

A few whispers reach Naina's ears and she hurries her pace, but getting away isn't easy owing to the crowd.

"There she is! The renowned Naina Parker! Somehow she wrapped up project Zohra and also bagged a billionaire boyfriend while on the way! The guy comes around to drop her off and pick her up each day, like a dog wagging his tail... One wonders how she's ensnared someone such as him ...."

Naina grits her teeth, pausing in her tracks. So they are insulting outsiders too, now? People who've got nothing to do with the agency. She can't let them off for doing that, and for passing crude comments on Ash.

Pushing her way through her colleagues, who are crowding the lobby, Naina moves to where the older men are seated.

"You guys are bald-headed bullies!" she yells at them, causing them to cease their snickering.

Not all of them are bald, but her voice is loud. And now everyone passing through the lobby has paused in their tracks, looking at the scene unfolding before their eyes with interest.

"Do you want to lose your job?" Naina continues, unfazed, her voice echoing in the lobby. "You should stop picking on juniors for fun if you want to keep earning your bread!"

The eve-teaser journalists pale visibly. Some stroke their greying beards while some look elsewhere.

"Everybody at NF is sick of you! They won't hesitate to join me and vote to kick you out of here. You'll be jobless, penniless! And all that harassing will land you in a jail cell!" Naina finishes, turning on her heel. Remembering something, she turns to face her seniors once again. "And my boyfriend isn't a dog! He's a man way above your stature! Just because nobody says nothing doesn't mean you can sit here and insult us each day! If I were you, I'd exercise extreme caution!"

Uttering those sassy words and flicking her wavy chestnut hair over her shoulder, she turns around, only to hear a chorus of loud cheers and clapping from almost all of those present in the lobby. Thank heavens, the agency isn't full of meanies! Unity is strength. This show of strength surely will have a positive effect on things from now on. From the corner of her eye, Naina can see the old bullies scampering away through the side entrance, muttering a few curses and swears.

Ash is sweet to drop her off and pick her up each day, but a bunch of no-good old men and those jealous females (that's another kind of bullying that's rampant; those girls are vicious) are turning this sweet thing between lovers into a nasty experience.

Naina clicks her tongue, but she feels grateful to step out of the entrance and onto the stairs. Her entire spirits perk up when she spots Ash waving a hand in greeting and walking towards her. He's dressed in his favourite blue blazer, white shirt and slim-fit grey trousers — his most usual outfit. Those side-swept bangs of his look as alluring as ever, and those storm-grey eyes promise to sweep her off her feet. Naina giggles as they both rush to meet each other halfway.

"I heard what you said!" He beams while she feels embarrassed for being so loud. "That's my girl! Let those morons chew their shoes!"

Naina laughs. She can't believe this is the same old, broody, mysterious Asher Neves. He's open to read these days, easygoing and sweet, but she knows he can still be a tough man when he wants to be.

She beams at him, feeling like giving him a hug, but keeps her emotions in check, happy to loop her arm in his. Ash grins at her and pats her hand, and the two of them make their way to the parking lot.

Ash's car isn't anywhere in the parking slots reserved for the visitors' vehicles. Naina turns to him, a question in her eyes.

"Why are we here?"

Ash chuckles, producing a key from his pocket. For a moment, Naina is caught in the spell cast by the sparkly silver globe that forms the key chain.

"Today we're riding that!" It's only when Ash points to a motorcycle faintly gleaming under the open skies that she gasps and smiles.

"Do you want to take the reins?" Ash has a twinkle in his eye as he asks. He's already decided how this would go. Naina nods her head. She rode a scooty before, but riding a bullet — she's never done that, but there's a first for everything. It's good she's worn her jeans today and paired them with a ruffle top, and abandoned her long skirt.

With a smile, Ash reaches for the two helmets, freeing them from the helmet lock fastened to the back of the motorcycle. He hands one to Naina. They put on their helmets and take off, riding the ever-busy but charming Mumbai roads bathed in the evening orange glow of the sun.

***

At first, Naina hesitates to pick up speed, but she figures things out thanks to Ash, pointing out a few things. After riding for a few minutes, she giggles as she shifts the gears and speeds up. The evening breeze rustling her locks is just as wonderful as Ash's solid presence behind her back. His hand on her shoulder is reassuring, and his soothing voice echoing in her ear, followed by that occasional raspy chuckle... She never pictured Ash as the kind of guy who could take the backseat, allowing someone else to take the lead, but here he is, letting her take him wherever she pleases.

This moment is oh so sweet.

The hours following that is a blur. They stop by a coffee shop to have a quick evening bite and share some great coffee. Finding a cosy corner in the cafe isn't hard and they have a gala time before stepping out.

They ride back to Ash's office.

This time he takes the front seat to save her from too much exhaustion. The ride is just as enjoyable. They soon shuffle into his chopper, chatting up on random topics and laughing over anything and everything. Strapping into their seats, they let their hearts sour just the same way as their chopper.

Arriving at the Zohra HQ in Goa, meeting everyone is fun. Naina can't help but think spending the weekend with all the familiar men of Zohra, Bruce and Liza is a pleasant experience.

***

That Sunday, Ash takes her to an abandoned church on the outskirts of the for a quick visit. This church is nestled in a patch of woods near the coastline. It isn't very far from the HQ and they've only been driving for a few hours, but Naina has no clue why Ash has brought her here.

She takes a step inside, flanked by Ash on her side. Walking ahead of him and looking at the pews, the worn-out but otherwise intact stained glass windows, and the crucifix itself, she recalls this is the same church she had visited as a kid. The same one she'd spent her summer vacations, waiting for her dad to pick her up and take her home, yeah.

Somehow, those memories don't bring despair now, but joy. Before she can stop, she's standing near the front row of the pews, looking around and exclaiming. "Ash! This is the same church! The same one I'd visited as a kid. This was also my mom's favourite!"

Ash chuckles, and Naina looks at him. It hurts her heart that this church isn't well looked-after anymore, but she shakes off those gloomy feelings and smiles. "I'm so glad to be here again!"

Ash looks taken aback at her declaration, but soon he smiles and watches her run up the stairs into a room in the attic.

"This room..." Naina exclaims, looking at the dust-covered, cobweb laden walls and flooring. A little broken bed, a few broken ties littered on the floor and a large stained glass window that gives a view of the outside.

"Wow! This room is still intact... Yeah, kind of old, but everything is still in place. This was the room I spelt in, Ash. I was the only one and the other kids would huddle together in the outhouse. The noise from the wind used to be so loud up here. I'd have been a sad, lonely crybaby if it weren't for the..." she trails off as another thought pops into her head.

Why did Ash bring her here? Is this a crazy coincidence or?

Naina looks at Ash as he chuckles, observing his girl. He takes a step towards the large stained glass window and presses his palm against the dusty surface. Bringing out his pristine white handkerchief from his trouser pockets, he wipes it clean.

"Once there was a lonely girl..." his voice sounds like it's far off, but it clearly rings in Naina's ears. "She was so weak, or so she thought. Dark clouds hung over the ceiling of her house obscuring the light. She was scared and lonely alone in the darkness. A powerful gust cleared the clouds, and the moon shone brightly. The girl smiled at the filtering moonlight that gave her strength. She heard a ballad that turned her into a brave knight..."

The words that leave his lips, and silence enfolds the space surrounding him. Naina finally finds her voice. "That's exactly what the boy said on the first day while he tried to comfort me, and on the second day—"

"He said he was sent by the angels to look over you?"

Naina nods. "Yes. Wait, what?"

Ash smiles at her while she looks thunderstruck. Naina gapes at the man and finally asks, "how... how do you even know?"

Ash grins with a shrug of his shoulder. He's feeling nostalgic today. How time passes and life goes on — all but in a circle and he's here, back where his journey had begun.

He says, "because I was the boy who'd said that?"

It's more of a statement than a question. Naina can't believe what she heard. As she processes the meaning behind those words, everything becomes crystal clear. So she met Ash way back then. They'd met as kids and had even bonded. And that boy (the current ash) had been the first-ever boy she befriended. It was him as she met Samrat later on.

"This... this means..." she trails off, suddenly too emotional to speak.

Ash swoops in to aid her. "It means it was fate... destiny that we met again, mohtarma. It means... we were always meant to be together..."

Hearing him say that is too much. Naina chokes on her tears now. She wants to run to Ash, crush him in her embrace though there's barely any distance between them, but her legs are frozen. Ash has the kindest smile on his face now, not the one that shows mischief. Before she can speak, he's suddenly down on one knee.

He produces a velvet box out of his jacket, inside which the world's most beautiful ring sits regally. Naina looks at the pale blue sapphire sitting in the middle of the band made of white gold, and the twin diamonds that sandwich it. She stares at the ring — his promise of eternity to her.

"Let's seal our destiny forever, my love..." Ash says, "let's get married. I want to be with you. I want to love you until the day I die and beyond that..."

That's the most straightforward proposal there ever can be, it renders Naina speechless.

Ash smiles. He isn't the overly emotional type, but everything scrambles when he's around Naina. He's planned a lot, prepared a lot for this moment in advance, but he's nervous. And this isn't a fancy proposal, but it's definitely one that can touch her heart. It came from his heart. Did it make it to hers?

He raises an eyebrow. How long would she keep him waiting? "Well...?"

Naina tries to move her trembling lips, but she can't form words. Ash is still waiting for her answer, and the happy tears leaking from her eyes won't stop. She finally brushes them back and gives him a big nod.

She can't give him a chance to slip the gorgeous engagement ring onto her finger. She can't even admire its beauty.

"Yesh!" she screams and bends down, kissing the still kneeling Ash smack on his lips.

Ash kisses her back, one hand holding the velvet box that contains the ring, his other hand resting lovingly on the lady's cheek. That's the most enthusiastic yes there could ever be. He's happy and his heart is racing with many emotions. As much as he wants to keep kissing her, he knows he can't. They pull back at once.

Naina grins at him as she straightens up, and Ash slides the ring into its rightful place.

He's up on his feet, goofily grinning back at her for a moment before she grabs a fistful of his jacket and kisses him again. He holds her close as they share one long, passionate kiss before resting his forehead against hers.

"So... marriage, huh?" Naina whispers, catching her breath but remaining in the arms of her fiance. "Imagine my surprise... you didn't even give me a clue..." her each word followed by giggles, which she tries to suppress. "And how long have you known I was that girl?"

Ash pauses. For a moment, he considers lying, but he decides to be honest. "When you told Zain the story back in the day during our visit to the dargah..."

Naina pulls back and gapes up at him again. "That was way back! Even before we got together! And you've known it for that long..."

She pouts, which he finds adorable. She questions him why he didn't disclose the details earlier, to which he cheekily replies because it'd play a key role in coming up with a proposal.

Naina blushes at hearing those words. "You thought of a proposal way back then..." she whispers the question, but when Ash's lips move to give her the answer, she clamps a hand to his mouth. "Ah, don't! I will be better off without knowing. You will give me an answer that'll make my heart race. So later... my poor heart has already reached its HR max."

Ash laughs while pulling her into a tight hug. "I'll tell you later, but you should know the answer, anyway. I'm a man who makes a lifelong commitment. So, of course, I knew if I'd ever admit the truth that I loved you either to myself or you, it would lead us here."

His sweet words fill Naina's heart to the brim with happiness. She hugs him back. As he pulls back, she kisses him on the cheek for being such a sweet fiance.

Ash touches her cheek and looks at her affectionately. Her blushing but cheerful face is a sight that makes his heart soar, but the sweetness of the moment breaks when he hears a ticking noise.

"Hear that?" he whispers, pulling her into a protective embrace.

Naina rests one hand on his chest, and twists her head to look around. She strains her ears to catch any sounds. At first, she hears nothing but a few moments of straightening. She can hear the beep beep, like the ticking of a clock or... the timer set on a time bomb! Time bomb! It's scary, but it's a good thing these people aren't muting the ticking, isn't it?

"Ash!"

Naina screams and looks at Ash. He releases her from his embrace, but still glances around the attic. Hearing her voice, he tightens her grip on her hand.

"Say, are you afraid of heights, Naina?" he asks, now looking at the stained glass window.

Naina follows his gaze and bites her lip. "I remember I told you when we did that crazy kartab. I'm terrified of heights..."

"Too bad, we're still jumping out that window despite that. Taking the stairs can be dangerous. We must jump if we want to be alive."

Naina wants to ask if we will be alive if we jump, but before she can even move her mouth, Ash pulls on their joined hands. He plunged into action, moving forward and slamming his shoulder into the huge glass pane.

Naina can see the shattered glass exploding around them in a riot of colours, but Ash quickly shields her face, pulling her close as they take a dive. She buries her head in his chest as they fall and swirl, hoping and praying they'd land safely and that this happiness they found together wouldn't shatter to bits just like that stained glass in the attic.

*****

Tagging RuVineet  Hiding_is_fun and @__celineruth__

my lovely buddies and readers who've always loved and supported my work. I couldn't tag you guys earlier. My special thanks to all of you for being such a great support.

Double thanks to birthday girl RuVineet May all your wishes come true dear. Happy birthday.

And to anyone who read this chapter-- thank-you.

Please Vote and comment!

The upcoming chapters will be more interesting... especially with Ash's family entering the picture.

What will happen to Ash and Naina? can they make it to the aisle and find their happy ending?
stick with this story!

another surprise coming soon for my dear friends and all you lovely readers! zohra will soon be a paperback and I will try my best to post the sequels and spinoffs!  so stay tuned!