KHUSHI

"This calls for a celebration." Ananya said excitedly as she held the contract in her hand and jumped up and down like she had won a lottery, it was none less than a lottery because after struggling for so many years she finally got her big modelling contract.

I just smiled staring at her, Ananya and I were friends since I shifted to Mumbai six years back to start my career in the fashion industry as a model and although I struggled a bit in the beginning, the journey hadn't been as difficult as it had been for her, until today she was just struggling with small stuff while I was touching the sky.

I would say I was lucky because I dint have to face a lot of trouble like so many girls in this industry did, I hadn't been a part of any sort of casting couch or anything terrible, maybe God knew I had been through a lot earlier in my life so he chose to make at least one thing easy for me.

I was a well-known name in the industry now, I was the top most model and everyone wanted to work with me, so when my career reached at the peak, I decided to buy myself a house, it wasn't big compared to what the other models lived in, but it wasn't small either, it was just a small mansion at the best place in the city, I dint really want a huge mansion or anything because I was the only one going to live in it but then the things we models had to do to just for show off.

So once I was ready to move in, I asked Ananya to come along, she had been my only friend and we were so close, I dint want to lose her or stay away from her and luckily she agreed so it was the two of us living in this house.

"You see, I told you one day I would do this on my own, that's why I never allowed you to help me." She smiled brightly. I stared at her with the same smile plastered on my face while she continued dancing on her own.

Ananya was really gorgeous, she had long brown hair that almost matched the color of her eyes, she was almost as tall as me and I always wondered how she was still struggling, I had even offered to help her in one way or the other but she refused and said she was going to work hard and earn it and today she actually did and I guess it was the power of her hard work and her beauty, I mean this girl was absolutely beautiful for heaven sake! Who wouldn't anybody want her as a model?

"I am glad you did, come we'll go to the most happening club tonight and dance like there's no tomorrow." I suggested, I was really happy for her, finally after struggling so much she had got a chance, and I wanted to make this day memorable for her, I mean what are friends for after all.

"Sounds like a plan, let's get ready and leave in half an hour?" she asked excitedly.

"Sounds good." I smiled as we both headed to our specific rooms to get ready, I was so happy for her, she was getting her due finally after all the struggle she had been through.

I stood in front of my cupboard and looked at hundreds of dresses that were hanging there, it was always difficult to decide what to wear when you had a lot of options or half of the times you had a stylist deciding everything for you.

After standing in front of it for over five minutes I finally decided to go with a white dress, it was a one shoulder mini dress, and it fit me really well, it was perfect for clubbing.

I changed into it and grabbed a pair of matching heels and did my makeup and left my hair open hanging to my waist in loose curls, as I walked to the hall I found Ananya seated on the sofa waiting for me, I don't know how she always managed to get ready so quickly, it took me ages to just get into the right dress.

"Ready?" She smiled at me excitedly, she was dressed in a beautiful red dress and heels, her hair was straightened and left open, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

We headed outside where the driver was already waiting for us so we hopped into the car as he drove us to the club, I sat silently which was so unusual because I was a chatter box, I couldn't just stop talking.

"Is everything okay Khushi?" Ananya looked at me worriedly.

"Yeah, it's just been long since we went clubbing, I'm a bit nervous, I hope I haven't forgotten dancing." I giggled. I mean I was always so busy I rarely had any time for myself so doing this was actually making me excited and nervous at the same time but that wasn't exactly what was worrying me at the moment.

"Okay let it out, I am your friend I know when something is bothering you." She turned to look at me with serious expressions.

"I was just thinking, not that I'm not happy for you, I really am but now you'll start getting a lot of work and you might decide to buy yourself a house and not live with me anymore, I don't want to live all alone." I pouted.

Seriously, she was the only person I had in life whom I could trust and depend on, she was everything for me, my mother, my sister, my friend and now the thought of her moving away was scaring me. Of course even if she moved out, our friendship wasn't going to end but I guess I was used to being with her always, I dint want to live without her.

What was I going to do in this huge mansion all alone? Having no one to talk to when I needed someone or anything, Ananya had always been there for me whenever I needed someone and likewise I had always been there for her too.

"Don't worry, even if I become a better model than you, I'm not going to leave." She smiled at me, trying to assure me but come on, everyone wanted a house of their own like I did and maybe I was just being selfish by wanting her to stay with me forever.

"I'm serious." I pouted at her.

"So am I... we've been in this journey together since the beginning Khushi, when you had the chance to leave, you dint leave me alone so why would I? It doesn't matter where I live, as long as it's home and this place is home for the both of us." She smiled genuinely and that smile told me that she was saying the truth.

I was so happy I wanted to jump because hey, my best friend wasn't going to leave me alone, it meant a lot to me, a lot more than words could explain.

"What would I do without you in my life." I pouted at her as she giggled, at times, I could be a drama queen, for example right now, I was acting all this way and Ananya was just laughing at me. The driver parked the car outside the club and Ananya and I stepped out staring at the entrance.

"Jeez, I'm so excited, let's go in." Ananya said excitedly as she grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, once we were inside, the music literally got me in the moods, this place played the best music in town.

We headed to the bar straight and bought some drinks, the place was fully crowded, it had to be, it was a Saturday night and everyone was here having fun.

We grabbed our drinks and headed to one of the couches as we settled down and looked around while sipping on our drinks, this place brought back so many memories of the days when I came here initially after I shifted from the tiny village i used to live in, and met Ananya, we used to come here a lot, since then, it's been one of my most favorite places.

"See any hot guys?" Ananya asked as she turned her gaze from the crowd of people to me.

"Nope, none that suits my taste." I giggled eying the crowd actually trying to find a hot guy, what? Don't judge me, I was a girl, normal human being doing normal things.

"Oh who suits your taste? Adi?" She teased as I blushed, Adi aka Aditya Kapoor, he was also model and I had met him a few months back when we had a shoot together and after that I have no idea how he got my number but he wouldn't stop texting me so I finally gave in, he was hot anyway, too hot to handle at times.

We both started dating just last month and since then, Ananya never lets go off a chance to tease me, she thinks I'm madly and deeply in love with him. Anyway Adi and I weren't really together because of love, we were just two individuals who were attracted to each other so we were dating, it was more of a friends with benefits kind of thing just that we weren't friends, we were dating but there was no love either, it was complicated actually.

"How come you always find hot boyfriends and all I get are lame guys." She pouted.

"At least those lame guys have true feelings." I said. I mean all I ever wanted in life was a guy to love me truly, a guy whom I could love truly because I had everything but love.

"Like duh, who is even looking for feelings?" She rolled her eyes.

"I am."

"Oh so old school Khushi, this isn't a Bollywood romantic movie, it's life and life my dear isn't like those movies." Ananya said, it was bitter but maybe it was true. It was difficult to find someone who actually loved you and not just lusted for you, in today's world when you could have one night stands and forget about them the next day, who was looking for love anyway?

Maybe the stupid me, who still believed that someday I was going to meet a guy who was going to fall in love with me and vice versa, I had been here six years, nothing of such sort had happened until now anyway so I guess I dint have hopes of it happening in the future either.

"Don't judge me for looking for something I've never got, at least you have lots of people who love you, I don't even know what it feels like to be loved." I said as some terrible memories flashed in my mind which I had tucked in a corner of my mind that I rarely visited.

Having grown up in a family that dint really want me at the first place wasn't something that i wanted to think about in a club where i was supposed to be partying.

"Oh so my dear Khushi wants love, she doesn't want to just date for fun, so tell me Khushi what kind of love do you want?" She looked at me seriously but I knew she was just teasing me as usual.

"Love that's deep, crazy in it's own way, someone that would love me in ways I can't imagine and do things I can't believe, a crazy, stupid, mad kind of a love." I smiled as Ananya busted out laughing, I knew it was crazy, but well it was all I wanted and I knew it was something that wasn't really going to happen, but hey, it wasn't bad to dream right?

"We should dance before you start writing a novel about the kind of love you want, remember we were here to celebrate?" She said changing the topic.

"Sure we would but before that let's finish the drink." I smiled as I sipped my drink looking around the place.

There was a couple busy making out in the corner besides our couch, I looked away from them to the crowd once again remembering the first time I was here in this club, it was with my ex-boyfriend and we were acting just like them.

I brushed off the thoughts as I gulped down my beer trying to be ready for the dance floor, it had been ages since I came to a club, I had been so busy with work off late I hadn't been out for a while so I needed to be really drunk before I headed to the dance floor.

"This dint help, I think I need a few shots" I said to Ananya as I stood up and walked to the bar, I stood there looking at the bartender impatiently as he served me the drink.

I gulped down three of them turn by turn when I was suddenly distracted by a voice, it belonged to a man that was seated behind me.

"Enough." He said in a serious tone.

"Oh come on, it's a Saturday night, let me have some fun." Another one replied.

I picked up my shot glass before turning around, the second voice I heard was beautiful and I wanted to see the man with such a beautiful voice, my mind had already made up a face too and damn, he was hot.

"You woman! Enough of your drinking, let's dance." Ananya said as she walked towards me and pulled me away before I could look at the guy.

"Can I use the washroom before we dance?" I pouted.

"You are such a kid at times." She made faces at me but then nodded so we both headed to the washroom.

After freshening up we both headed straight to the dance floor which was already crowded, I was glad because it meant nobody could really watch me dancing in case I had forgotten how to dance, a lot of guys usually came to clubs to do that, sit in a corner and watch girls as they danced.

CHARACTERS

KHUSHI

ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA

ANANYA

AMAN MEHRA