I really want to continue this book. Trust me, I want to take it to a 50 chapters as I had planned and not just give it an incomplete end at 30 chapters. But that's possible only if you guys show me some love and support and tell me that y'all would love to read ahead.

I'm ready to write, but would y'all read? If yes, drop in some comments this chapter and let me know.

I know I'm an annoying writer most of the times, always asking for more but if you really want to read this book ahead, let me know, please.

You and I can together make this work, I promise. x

Happy Reading and I'm sorry I couldn't upload on Friday, I've been really sick through the week.

~•~

N A N D I N I

I was turning twenty one tomorrow.

The idea of spending my birthday together with him for the first time made me happy and nervous at the same time. It was one full year since I've known Manik and the fact that we've been through so much mostly together made my head spin.

There was a part of me that hated him for doing whatever he did to my father, and there was another part of me that hated all the other parts of me because they couldn't hate him. If there's anything my heart did, it was to love him.

I was embarrassed about my heart not being able to hate him after all he did to me, but I was never ashamed of it. How can one be ashamed of love?

And today, it seems all worth it. The pain, the hatred, the tears, the anger, the holding on and the letting go, the love and the promises, the laugh and the frustration, the darkness and the light, the truth and all those lies were all worth it for a minute of me with Manik and I had much more than a minute with him.

I had a lifetime more, and I knew he'd always be a part of my life now.

There was no going away. I didn't see a future with him. But I saw him in my future. Surely, there was a difference between the two and I was okay with it. As long as he would be there, everything would be alright.

A few knocks disturbed my thoughts and I left my notepad aside. Sometimes, on days like these, I loved writing and was even going to pick up writing as my profession. But I didn't, because I loved adding realistic touches to everything I write and the audience wouldn't be ever happy with that.

Every person chooses books to escape the reality for a while, to live a fairytale in someone else's shoes. No one liked reading about the darkness in real or accept the truth that fairy tales exist only in books, because even in real life, even the most beautiful stories end in grave.

But a girl like me who craved reality, wanted a happy ending of her own too. If this was Manik and my story, then deep down, I knew my heart fluttered by the idea of having a happy ending. This story wouldn't be of a princess and a princess charming that started with 'once upon a time' or end with a 'happily ever after'. It would be a story of a boy who was tainted and a girl who loved too much, a story that started with hate and ended—... well, I'd never want it to end. This would be our story, and I'd have it no other way.

I realised I had zoned out again. "Hey!" Mukti sat near me and I smiled at her. I agreed to leave from Zubin's because Mukti wanted to dress me up and it was a difficult, difficult task to convince her brother to let me and Mukti leave with Zubin. After a thousand warnings to not hurt either of us, he let us go.

"Hi!" I smiled and Zubin entered too, with a white box in his hand.

"So, what are you wearing tonight?" She asked. If you think her obsession about clothes would have lessened over the years, then you're totally wrong. She was still that clothe obsessed silly girl with a little more maturity.

"No idea, I haven't thought anything yet. First, I thought I would go out shopping, but I'm nearly too broke and I do have a few dresses in for nothing. So I don't think I'm doing anything until I get back to job, and I have decided upon continuing my studies once life settles a bit again," I smiled and Mukti blinked her eyes at Zubin.

"Look what we got you," he forwarded the white box and I nodded negatively.

"No! I'm not accepting any gifts from you. It's your hard earned money, I want you to spend it on yourself or invest for your future. I'm not taking this!" I argued before he could say anything.

"First of all, I have a lot of money and so do you. You have all that your father left, so I don't understand how you got broke? And secondly, Manik asked me to go get this for you because he didn't want you to go out alone!" He shrugged and I squeezed my eyes at him.

"I thought you weren't really fond of Manik," I asked taking the box from him and keeping it away.

"I don't know, it's a mixed feeling," he said. "I'm guilty for not trusting him but this man right there isn't even my best friend anymore. He's different but I don't blame him, anyone would change with what happened to him. I want to really apologise for not trusting him once but I don't know how, I told you right, it's a mixed feeling, of not knowing your best friend anymore," he said and I pressed his hand slowly.

I think I knew exactly how he felt, and had that thought not even crossed my mind, I saw Mukti looking at me and the moment my eyes flickered at her, her face was already hanging in guilt. I pressed her hand too and gave her a smile.

"Okay, we need to go, get dressed up fast, orelse Bhai might just come and eat both of us for not letting you get dressed!" Mukti smiled and fled out of the room, leaving me and Zubin alone.

He came ahead and hugged me, kissing my temple. "I want you to know you're very important to me, and I love you the most, okay? I know Mukti's back but she'd never replace you, you're the most important person for me, like my little sister. And I still mean it when I saw it's you and me against the world, okay?" He asked and I was teary.

What did I ever do to have him in my life? It's like he can read me without even saying anything. "Okay," I nodded and he wiped away the tear that barely flew off.

He walked outside but stopped and turned. "And you were right," he nodded, "that guy, he might be a monster for the world, and I was against your crazy love for him and everything he put you through, but he was worth it all, you both were worth everything," he smiled, walking away as I shut the door.

Smiling to myself crazily, I opened the white box to reveal a red dress inside and yellow note, I picked the note first, reading it carefully.

Nandini Murthy,

Thank you for agreeing to come out with me. I'm just saying this so that you like it, not that I mean it, you know you had no other option than to come out with me.

But you can take this dress as a note of thanks. I couldn't choose it myself, so Mukti's done that for me. You know how much I suck at this stuff, right?

I'm not perfect and I don't promise to be. But I can promise to you, and to myself, to never let the smile disappear off your face.

I don't know if I've told this to you before, but your smile makes my dark days so much better.

Now, don't keep me out for too long.

I'd be waiting for you, and only you this time.

Yours,
Manik Malhotra.

I stared at every word of his beautiful letter in his shabby writing for a long time before folding it and carefully placing it in between my notepad. He forgot using a 'dear' before my name and used full names instead of our firsts but I'm proud to agree that it's this little things he does that makes me crazy about him.

I unwrapped and changed into the one sided dark green dress that fit perfectly by my curves and had a slit till my upper right thigh, wore my gold shimmer heels which made me a few inches taller atleast and kept my hair open naturally. I ditched make up for a simple black and gold eye liner with a smokey eye look and I looked at the mirror, impressed by myself. I didn't look like me, I looked like some Five and a half feet model and it made me enthusiastic about my looks.

Happy and confident, I walked down happily. "Mu—....," my words dried in my throat as I saw Aryamman standing below with Zubin, and Zubin's eyes were wide. I pushed my lips.

"My phone!" I shouted covering up. "Mera phone dekha hai, Zubin?" I asked and he breathed in relief.

Aryamman looked sad and distorted. He wasn't his usual charming face, he looked broken and vulnerable and the moment my eyes fell at him, guilt spread over every part of my body.

I was so happy that I almost forgot him. I forgot he was living in the same house with his step mother who happened to be a serial killer, he was still sad over his sister's death who was alive and was struggling with the absence of his friends who were busy with his step-brother who happened to be his enemy. Oh my! What was his life? I could totally write a book about him.

"Hi Aryamman," I smiled side hugging him but I couldn't look into his eye. I felt miserable and to save me, there was a car honk outside which took all our attention.

"Listen!" Zubin leaned closer. "I would have loved to wish you first, but he's stealing my girl. So still remember I'm wishing you first, happy birthday!" He smiled and I kissed his cheek, squeezing him in a tight hug. I liked feeling his height. I waved Aryamman also, giving him a hug and walked out without anything else.

I felt so guilty and bad but I pushed it away. Today was a happy day, and I wasn't letting anything destroy it. Selfish or not, I was happy after a long time and I would let nobody change it, not even myself.

I sat into his car which was driven by the driver. "Saheb ne yeh diya aapko," the driver gave me a package and I nodded, thanking him as he drove off. I wanted Manik to be here, but till then, I read the second letter he had dropped.

Nandini Murthy,

I know you're wondering why I haven't said 'dear', god I know, I need to learn to be more of a gentleman.

But what can I do? I am no gentleman. You know me, I'm a monster.

There are parts of me I haven't showed anyone, and I want to show no one, not even you.

Because they're parts of my past.

And you and I are here for a future better than my past. It wouldn't be without problems or with no pain, but if you and I are together, it will be better.

You know, the dark of our lives is over. And this time, the stars will shine upon us.

I can't promise you happiness. But I can promise to be there with you through the pain.

I can't promise you no darkness. But I can promise to be your light in times of your darkness.

I can't wait to see you.

Yours,
Manik Malhotra.

I smiled as I held the letter close to me and stared out at the city lights, lost in my own imaginations until the car stopped and the driver informed me we were here.

The place was not extravagant or decorated as anyone would expect. It was simple and isolated on the far edges of the city, a small lake between the woods. The shores of the lake had thousands of floating lighted lanterns and there was a shamiyana, a small platform white white curtains that were glittering their way to my eyes and the entire thing was decorated with warm yellow fairy lights.

Without noticing, I had walked my way inside, but the man my eyes were finding was no where to be seen.

The sky was painted into intoxicating shades of purple and blue with clouds radiating their colour and thousands of stars reflecting their light upon the water and us, and the lighted lanterns copied them, forming an aura of light everywhere around me, leaving me speechless. It was like heaven around me.

"I promised to be your light amidst the darkness," there was a whisper near my ear and I flinched in reflex but immediately calmed down knowing the source as I turned around to the man of my dreams and nightmares looking dapper in black as I made my way into his arms.

He embraced me with all the affection. "It's beautiful," I whispered and he stroke my hair, putting a loose tuck behind my ear.

"I know, very beautiful; but still not more than you," He whispered and I laughed, flushing at his compliment.

"Manik, I never knew you had such a different side, these decorations, your words, all so impressive and romantic," I teased pulling away and he winked.

"Now that I have promised you our story, I have to learn to be the Prince Charming to your Princess, isn't?" He gave a breathtaking smile and I frowned.

"No!" I scoffed. "I don't want a Prince Charming, I like the monster. And you're not Charming, you're sinfully breathtaking, and I like you the dark way, no princess charming!" I nodded negatively.

"Then how about the beauty and the beast?" He asked and I pretended to think.

"No, the beast was ugly, and again, you're not ugly, you're beautiful in every human way possible. And I'm no beauty, I am not as selfless as her, I am selfish for the people I love, you being the most. So no Beauty And The Beast!" I disagreed and he thought ahead.

"But a guy with a tainted heart like me can have no story of his own. What should we do now?" He leaned on the table, his hands holding my waist and my hands on his chest, as we both pretended to think.

"Well, why should we copy other stories? We have a bit of every story in us. I left my family like Beauty, you tortured me like Beast; we danced in Aryamman's party like Prince and his Cinderella; everyone is against us being together, like Romeo and Juliet; I have long hair like Rupanzel and you rescued me from Aryamman's house like Flynn. We have bits of all of them in us, isn't it why we're so unique?" I raised my eyebrows and he stared at me for a minute and then nodded.

"But, what is the name of our story?" He asked and I nodded. Well, this is a nice question.

"You wanted to write a story of your own, so I give you the chance to name it yourself!" I pouted at him and he nodded thoughtfully. It was crazy how I was so comfortable in his arms with no hesitation.

"So, I'd like to name our story, Humesha," he whispered and his eyes twinkled brighter than any other star in the sky.

"Humesha? Why so?" I asked.

"Because you and me are no ordinary. We're imperfection in perfect and we've learnt to be fine with that. We're like fresh water in an ocean of salt, we don't fit into the stereotypes of the society because we can build a world of our own, right here, just by looking into each other's eyes. We've been through hell, and not by our own choices, we've tried letting go of us a hundred times and yet those stars bring us together as if they want us to be, you and me, together. And our story is one such story. They remain in everything, unseen but present everywhere, like air. Everytime you close your eyes, as you feel the air around you, you'd even feel me. And such stories can not be wiped out by anything, be that time or death. They remain, they find their way out and they live long after we die. Such stories last forever, Humesha," he smiled looking into my eye and my smile had vanished as I was left starstruck by the intensity of his words.

"So Humesha it is?" I asked, and he embraced me again.

"But this is not a love story"

"Done act like a child, princess. Fairy tales don't exist"

"I don't believe in forevers"

"Humesha," he whispered and I knew this was not the end, it was just the start to something beautiful ahead.

> Believe in love, and it will believe in you <

~•~

I have planned so much for their date that I'm feeling it's my date now lol x

Do you think Manik will confess his love? ;)

Let me know what you feel, I'm waiting for your feedback's.

Love and love to all of you.