Soft music of clarinet filled my ears as I stood on the edge of balcony of this huge palace. Smell of fresh flowers and incense sticks teased my olfactory senses. I looked around and saw the love of my life Vivek getting married. Painful isn't it.

'Vivek weds Anushka', I read that in my mind again and again until my nerves turned tense. My brain signaled me to run away somewhere. I touched my earrings to adjust them but to my horror I felt my ears were bleeding and the blood had spread on my dress. I rushed inside and found myself in front of mirror exploring my ears.

"What the actual hell!", I shouted in shock as I saw my whole white dress drenched in blood. I just stood there looking at myself in front of my mirror.

"You should have told me!"

I turn back to see Vivek standing behind me. I look at him in awe. Damn he was looking pretty handsome in his saffron colored sherwani with a turban tied on his head adorned with jewels.

"What are you doing here Vivek?", I ask him.

"Answer my question first!"

"What!!! What I was suppose to tell you Vivek... Or When I was suppose to tell you, right after you proposed Anushka or after you nearly drowned me in your love?", I said.

"Lavanya! Why do you think I am here."

I look at him in suspicion and he starts walking towards me and holds my bloodied hand. I see him standing dangerously very close to me. His breath making me close my eyes and slowly I feel myself losing my each sense. My eyesight, my hearing ability, my olfactory sense, and now my hands feel numb.....

"Lavanya you OK"?????, I hear someone shouting my name and feeling water splashed around my face. I open my eyes slowly to see people crowding around me and I am lying on floor; but my dress was perfectly fine, there was no sign of blood anywhere. It took a time for me to realize I had been hallucinating. I couldn't believe what's the difference! Difference between dream and reality!

Hi, I am Lavanya and I stay in Goa. I grew up in Mumbai. I had met Vivek and Anushka in college. Describing Vivek is pretty simple, a guy full of dreams yet practical, now singer by profession. Anushka was tomboyish yet beautiful and now works in a multinational company. Then here I come, I am a lawyer by profession and work in my father's law firm.

We were in same class, we hardly talked to each other. Vivek's overall personality was captivating. Deep down I knew I had feelings for Vivek but I never expressed myself in front of him. Being in love was unexplainable feeling but scary at the same time.

At one point I had even decided to tell him about my feelings when my heart overflowed and couldn't take anymore. I will never forget that day. I had chose a perfect place to tell him. The terrace of our college building. I was very shy when it came to romance and love but I always knew Vivek was the one. I had seen him practising guitar on terrace after our daily classes. After finishing studies, I opened the gate of terrace only to see Anushka in arms of Vivek. It seemed Vivek had just proposed her. My heart nearly stopped beating at the sight. Pain was all I could feel and I didn't knew what was I feeling actually. Anger had disappeared and replaced by grief. I felt like crying until my eyes dry out but that night I couldn't even cry. Since that night I permanently had difficulty in expressing myself and would never disclose my feelings to anyone. Maybe it was the shock I could not digest.

Next morning I was a changed woman. I told about my future ambitions to my father and soon moved out of Mumbai to Goa at our beach house without informing anyone. I stayed there alone for a while and continued my work there trying to be as independent as possible.

One fine day, someone had visited me at my office and asked for my name but I was busy on a client call. When I came back, I saw a wedding invitation on my table. How ridiculous! Now they want me to attend their wedding.

That same night I decided to walk on the beach only to find Vivek roaming there. I looked again, yes it was him. Anushka was nowhere to be seen. I saw him walking towards me. I was steady like a statue when he stood closer to me. He spoke nothing but held my hand and we started walking into the waters.

"Why are you here!"

My voice fell on deaf ears as he continued to walk me towards waves. I shivered a bit after feeling cold water on my feet. I held his hand tightly, I couldn't stop looking at him, his face gleamed in the moonlight. I was afraid, my feelings were returning. Vivek kept on walking until we were into chest deep water.

"Madam! Where are you going!", someone called. I looked back to see a cop standing afar and calling me and to my horror Vivek had disappeared. I frantically searched for him. I walked towards shore perplexed.

"Madam, are you alright, what were you doing, don't you know waters are pretty deep at this time.!"

"I was walking with my friend."

"Madam, are you sure. There was no one with you, you were walking hysterically towards ocean alone."

"What!! How is that possible? I was walking with my friend Vivek."

"There was no one with you madam, I think you should go home and have rest. It's not good to stay here, there may be storm tonight."

I went home in utter shock. I couldn't figure out what just happened. I was now scared. I hastily removed my key and opened the door of my house only to see someone standing in my balcony. It sent chills down my spine. I switched on the lights to see Vivek standing there.

"What the fuck!", I nearly shouted at him.

"Relax, it was just a prank dear." he said walking towards me.

"That was not at all funny Vivek."

"Lavanya look at you.. Since when did you became all serious and work obsessed?"

I was quiet.

Suddenly everything went dark and there was a huge thunder noise. It made jump in Vivek's arms. I felt goosebumps forming all over my body. I could feel his natural warmth surrounding me. My heart was beating so fast that it could have jumped out of my ribs. Vivek held me tighter.

"Lavanya, don't be quiet. You should be happy. Your love has brought me here. I left Anushka and I've decided that I will stay with you forever.", he said bringing himself more closer to me.

I wanted to push him away but I realized I had always longed for this. My breathing had also fastened. Our bodies were so close that we could hear each other's heartbeats. This moment of passion was suddenly broken by lights getting switched on as the electricity was back however, as soon as the lights were back, strangely Vivek had disappeared again. It was shocking and very confusing. I searched for Vivek everywhere in the house but he was nowhere...

The next morning I woke up to find someone had sent me a bouquet of roses with a note attached. 'Happy Birthday beautiful'. It made me blush. Was this really happening or it's just a dream. Vivek remembered my birthday. God I was so happy.