IF KNIFE sharpening was a skill, then Arundhati Shah was the master of it.

"Who deeply wronged you this time?" Her sister, Mini asked.

Mini wasn't exactly her sister, but she might as well be. They'd been inseparable ever since the accident with Mini's family and she moved into the Shah Residency. Aru and her biological sister, Kara, had welcomed Mini with open arms. They'd even gone out to Taco Bell to celebrate.

But there was no Taco Bell anymore. There were no 'accidents' either. There was no Shah Residency, no welcomes and no celebrations.

She cursed in pain, accidentally cutting her finger with the force of her knife—sharpening.

People in the human world would say it was strange for a seventeen year old to be sharpening knives as a hobby. But in the Otherworld, in the cruel rule of the immortal Apsaras, everything was strange.

For starters, Aru and her sisters were the only humans currently living in Lanka.

"Can't a girl sharpen knives for fun?" Aru answered her sister, setting down the knife.

"Not the way you're doing it."

"Yet if a man did it, no one would blink."

"Men are wronged by leaves rustling in the wind. I know you have more sense than that," Mini took her seat next to Aru. "Do you want to tell me what's the matter?"

"I don't think that's needed," Aru crossed her arms. "The problem will present itself in three seconds."

Just then, Kara burst into the room. "The King requested us to be in the Gathering, we're leaving in three minutes. Get dressed."

"How did you know?" Mini asked Aru, astonished.

"Heard it in school," Aru got up, throwing open her closet only for half of it to fall on her. "They didn't even notice me. So much for the 'being able to detect the scent of human blood' rumor."

"It isn't a rumor, you're just sneaky."

Aru shoved the clothes back into her closet, pulling out an old dress she'd been wearing for the past four Gatherings. Unfortunately, Kara noticed.

"You are not wearing that, Arundhati Shah."

"Why not?"

"I don't want us being gossiped about as the unhygienic mortal girls. Or the dirty mortal girls. Or the poor or cheap mortal girls."

"Mortal girls," Aru repeated, the words bittersweet on her tongue. "You say it like a bad thing."

"In a world like this?" Mini shook her head. "It's like untouchability in the human world."

"Both are stupid."

"Doesn't mean everyone thinks that way," Kara sighed. She rummaged through Aru's closet, pulling out a black dress that Subala (affectionately nicknamed Boo), her adoptive father and friend of her biological father, had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday. "Hey, this looks new. Wear this."

"Maybe I've grown out of it?" She piped up hopefully.

Kara put a hand on her shoulder. "Not a chance, sorry."

Aru sighed, changing into her dress. Kara braided her long hair into a French braid.

"You have such beautiful hair, Aru," Kara said wistfully. "You resemble Mom that way. I live for the day you want to leave it out instead of braiding it."

Mini walked in, wearing a long purple dress. "I think she looks beautiful either way."

"Of course she does," Kara winked. "Her last name is Shah. Runs in the family."

Aru forced out a laugh but it sounded bitter to her own ears. Kara was gorgeous. She'd been born in Lanka, unlike her and Mini. Kara belonged here. Her skin glowed. Her hair shone. Her eyes were gold, like honey. She had naturally rosy cheeks and a lovely smile. She was kind, thoughtful and smart. Sure, beauty ran in the Shah family line, but it had stopped at Aru. Their mother was stunning. Their father was handsome. Kara was beautiful.

Aru was just...ordinary.

Her best friend, Mini, was gorgeous too. She had golden skin and chocolatey brown eyes paired with dark brown hair. Her voice was bell-like and had a sweet tone to it. That's why most people left Mini alone though she was mortal.

However, they never failed to make Aru's life miserable.

What Mini was, Aru wasn't. She had normal brown skin and dull brown eyes. Her voice had a sarcastic tone and she was bitter. Perhaps the only thing pretty about her was her hair, which Kara insisted was like their mother's.

"Girls," Boo called. "Hurry."

Kara walked out first. Mini smiled at Aru, offering her arm and Aru hooked it with hers, just like the second grade.

The Hall was large and was filled with guests. The moment they walked in, as usual, the crowd started murmuring. "There's those mortal girls..."

Mini shrunk a little while Kara's smile faltered. However, Aru tipped her head up with pride and walked on confidently. Better being mortal than a whispering bitch, She thought.

The High King Ahmaar sat on his throne, overlooking his kingdom. "Welcome my subjects, both immortal and," with a sneer in their direction, "mortal."

Mini stared at the ground and Aru squeezed her hand, glaring at the King openly. Gods, she hated royals.

Next to the King, Prince Aiden, or the Heir, stood. For a second, he made eye contact with her when the King said "mortal", no doubt thinking about how disgusting she looked. He himself looked breathtaking—as all in the Otherworld were. He smiled at the crowd, his dimples flashing. Aru spotted a classmate of hers faint and she rolled her eyes.

On the other side of the King, his nephew Prince Rudra stood, clearly enjoying all the attention. He winked in their direction and Mini blushed—it was obviously intended at her. Aru raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

As far as she hated the princes, she was forced to go to school with them everyday. To be mocked because she wasn't worthy to be in the same class as them, but honestly, what did they mean? "You aren't worthy enough to learn two plus two with Aiden Acharya."? Well, that sounds like a him problem.

"Welcome to The Third Gathering of the Fall Season," The King announced. "The leaves have long fallen from their branches and the time to embrace cold and snow is near. Winter is approaching and for that, we toast to nature!"

The crowd cheered, raising their glasses. Boo raised his too, but made no noise. Aru scoffed. What was the nonsense this King was saying? "The leaves fell and now we're going to freeze to death, hurrah,"?

But then, he was an Apsara, so he had nothing to worry about.

Then came the dances. Aru and Mini would slip away at this part, because here the mockery would begin and the prejudice of Apsaras that wouldn't permit them to dance.

When Aru hit the bed, she dreaded another day in this world.

hey besties chapter one is hereeeeee

how is it

-Loife xx