Chapter 268

She was six foot tall, with straight blond hair with cat eyes and a slim figure. She had a white ruffled skirt that barely touched her knee reveling her tender bare legs which were a absolute feast to any bachelor's eyes. Her blouse stuck to her skin reveling all the secrets within and the tank top that was layered inside didn't quiet do its job rather arouse curiosity in ones mind. She had purple eye shadows on her eyelids blended with pink ones that brought out her eyes. Her lipstick matched the wine glass that she was holding in her hand and also her bracelet. She had used extra lashes to make her eyes look better and somehow it didn't suit her that well.

She had been mostly quiet in most of the conversations except when the topic had moved into last one which she had charged into like a lioness waiting to pounce on anyone trespassing. Akshar had been a little shocked by her reaction and had tried to explain to her that she had misinterpreted what he had said but it had developed into a much bigger one and he had been put on a spot to lead the men when the women had taken her side. He had tried to keep quiet and let the others talk and eventually the discussion had ended when one by the one the families had left. But amazingly she had continued to discuss it with him and in the end it had been just the two of them and even Patrick and his wife had retired to bed. She was not willing to let go of him and he had even been tempted to say something’s and had bit his tongue.

Somehow she herself had changed the topic and the last ten minutes had been quiet nice and she indeed was quiet interesting but just a little sensitive on certain topics. He had said his good buys and had given her a peck on her cheek and had turned around to leave. She had walked with him to the car and they had talked for about ten minutes and she had been quiet pleasant. He had felt that something quiet familiar about her, her behavior and the way she talked and had felt quiet comfortable. Looking at the time he had said good bye and as she leaned forward instead of kissing him on his cheek she had kissed him on his lips and had surprised him completely.

Chapter 267

He was on his way home after an interesting evening at his friend’s house. His wife had wanted to throw a surprise birthday party in the event of him turning thirty five. It had been a relatively small event, just five families including friends and family. Patrick was one of the oldest among his friends and Akshar had known him for almost eight years now. He had met Patrick when he was on his way back from work. Patrick had bumped into Akshar's car and it was a minor scratch. He had suggested that he take care of it right away and avoid the cops. As it had been a minor incident and things had gone smoothly. When Patrick had received the bill for the fixes the amount was about two hundred dollars more and it claimed that all those issues were fixed on the car. Patrick had been furious and had called Akshar to enquire about it. Akshar had also requested a receipt of the work that had been done and that was about two hundred dollars.

After talking to each other both had realized that something was going on and had decided to go over to the garage and find out the truth. Akshar had insisted that he join Patrick as they had tried to cheat him too. Patrick had arrived an hour earlier and his questions were not answered but were totally rerouted. What had been surprising to those guys were that they were trying to pin all the work done on Akshar, but when he had showed up they were completely baffled. After a sit down with the manager and with Akshar doing all the talking, finally it was confirmed that there had been some mistake and everything was cleared out. Patrick had been extremely impressed and from then on they had become friends.

Today, more than the fact that it was a nice homely event with him turning thirty five, his wife's sister, Elizabeth or shortly Liz had made the day very interesting. After they had finished their dinner and the cake the topics that they were discussing had been very interesting and had kept the day going. The topics started in real estate as one of the couple who were there were interested in buying a house in the nearby area and had moved on to local county maintenance and school districts and education and in the end he was not sure how had ended in the topic that "Men are from mars and Women are from Venus".

Chapter 266

One by one almost everyone had left when she approached the waiter in the restaurant requesting if he could call a cab for her. GG walked over to her and suggested that he will drive her home. The waiter also suggested that it would be the best thing to do, as it was quiet late and that would be much safer than taking a cab. Out numbered, Diya reluctantly, but finally agreed to go with GG and she walked over to use the bathroom. She wanted to call Pryag and tell him how great time she had tat day and that she will be a little late and it would have been great if he had accompanied her but considering how late it was she decided against it.

GG was still waiting outside for her with her coat and was talking to the waiter who was cleaning everything up and arranging the chairs. He had a mop and spray in his hand and continued his conversation while working. He used the towel that he had on his shoulder to occasionally wipe off everything. He was precisely arranging the chairs and the tables and the salt and the pepper shakers. By the time she got out he was done with almost everything except a couple of tables. She walked over and GG helped her into her coat and thanked the guy and tipped him for all his help.

He suggested that Diya can wait outside while he gets the car as he had parked it a little farther. She refused and suggested that she would walk with him over to his car. Once they stepped out, he kept talking and it seemed that whatever he said had a hidden meaning and an agenda in it. Finally he suggested that she spend the night as the hotel he was staying in was close by compared to where she lives, which was basically across the town. His body language was very clear to her and she was quiet irritated and decided that she would rather take the risk of taking a cab than getting into a car with him. She turned around and walked away controlling every itch she had to hit him making it clear to him that he was going home alone.

Chapter 265

They were having so much fun, chatting, catching up, pulling each other's legs, going down the memory lane. She was so excited to see everyone and was having so much fun she hardly paid any attention to what she was eating and drinking. She was quiet surprised that she seemed to be the only one who had come there alone that day. When she was confronted John had apologized that it was his fault and it had been much easier for her not give an detailed explanation. On and off she had been ignoring GG, but he was really starting to annoy her as he didn't seem to get a clue that she was not interested him. At one point when everyone was eating, she even showed him her ring and made it clear that she was engaged and was happy. That seemed to have helped a little as he was a little distracted and disappointed.

Everything seemed smooth for a while until Sara got a phone call and within minutes John and Sara apologized again that they had to leave and sounded sad as they gave a ride to Diya. Considering it was an emergency as their son had been taken to the hospital due to food allergy, Diya asked them not to worry. GG volunteered that he would drop her off and since he had been quiet okay for a while that didn't seem like a bad idea either. After they left they all got back into their party mode and were having a great time. They all danced and drank and were having a blast and they didn’t' really notice what time it really was until someone pointed out that it was past midnight and they were the only one out there and was time to leave.

By the time everyone started to leave it was close to one. Diya decided to call a cab but GG insisted that he will drop her. She was not to keen on that as she had noticed a couple of things while dancing earlier. He seemed a little comfortable holding her in his arms and brushing against her. He was a little drunk, not too much but still she didn't think it was a good idea to drive. He had remarked something earlier by saying maybe she can spend the night as it was quiet late. She knew what he had meant even though he had denied it. She was not comfortable getting into a car with him. He was charming and attractive but he always likes to get his way and that hadn't changed over the years.

Chapter 264

When she was out of the shower she had three messages on her phone from Sara and John. She laughed out loud and decided not to mess with them anymore and called them back and agreed to accompany them. She walked over to her closet and picked out her Swirl-Print V-Neck Dress from her Armani collection. It was a swirl of rich color and an easy fit giving the dress an elegant every day appeal with three-quarter puff sleeves, a smocked waistline hitting the knee. She felt satisfied looking herself in the mirror. She didn't bother much about doing her hair so just straightened it. She applied a very light makeup and grabbed her Steve Madden Club B-Clutch purse that had a frame closure with clasp and studded details with satin lining with open pocket. She had some difficulty in picking out a shoe but finally settled in for a Nine West "Gallivant" Tall smooth leather Boot that made her look very tall and sleek and beautiful.

They were on time to pick her up and it took about an hour and a half to reach there. They were excited to meet with their classmates and they talked about it all the way. It was absolutely wonderful to catch up on thing and know about their current life. They teased each other about their past flings and dates and it felt as if she were transported all the way back to those years. She learnt more about John that day than she had before. He had been in touch with almost every one of them and he had been the organizer along with Mosess, whom Diya dated for a short while. She had never thought Mosess was smart enough to be an IT consultant, nerveless to do anything but it was not surprising that he was still single. It was exciting to meet everyone and it was relatively a small crowd about only seven as opposed to fifteen as she had expected. John had mentioned that few of them won't be able to make it and he had estimated about ten of them to show up. She was not surprised about the compliments she got from Vikram who was highly impressed by her industry accomplishments. He had been more of a intellect guy than a glamour guy and it was interesting to find out that he had perused a career as a lawyer and then went into medicine. His wife looked very homely and traditional but smart. She was a math teacher in a nearby school and they had three kids. Two of them had glasses on just like their dad and looked smart but luckily their daughter had taken her mother's features and looked very adorable in traditional attire.

Mosess, who was popularly known as GG, no one really knows how he got that name walked over to her and said, "I lost patience waiting for this beautiful girl to walk over and say hello to me. So I decided to interrupt and do that myself." She got up and gave him a hug and he kissed her on her cheek. He had an expression on his face that said she was hot. She was elated by that expression, especially from a guy she used to date after all these years but didn't show it on her face. After saying hello to everyone they all took a seat and GG made sure he sat right next to her as his eyes were totally set on her for that night.

Chapter 263

While she was wondering who had sent the flowers, she heard a knock on the door. She walked over and opened the door and this time it was the UPS guy standing there with a smile. He said "Can you please sign there? Are you Diya Sharma?" He handed her a gift wrapped box. She was puzzled and turned around to walk in with the box and the card. He asked her again, Excuse me. This was on your door-step" and gave her a tiny card that was almost the size of a credit card. She figured that it must have fallen from the flowers that she had received earlier and thanked him and closed the door behind him.

The gift box had a card glued on top and she couldn't really read who had sent it, at least not without opening it. She kept the card that had fallen off from the bouquet and curiously opened the card on the box. It was an invitation to an get together for that afternoon and it was somewhere in Connecticut but she figured it would take about at least an hours drive to get there. She hurriedly opened up the box and it looked like her high school year book. She opened it but, but it had been updated with all her classmates pictures and what they were doing today. She was excited but she still didn't know who had sent it to her. She had missed the front page which had a pink slip attached to it.

Once she noticed it she went back and it was from Sara and John and it also said that they will pick her up and drop her back as they had missed her name in the original invite. She was a little upset that they had missed her name, but was happy that they were willing to pick and drop her off as an apology. She didn't want to Call Sara right away but she decided that she will go to see all her friends. She looked at the clock and she didn't have much time so she went right ahead to take a shower completely forgetting about the flowers she had received and all the thoughts that were on her mind from last evening.

Chapter 262

Her eyes were closed and the words were beautiful and her pace was slow and she could see him, his blue eyes looking straight into hers and it was the moment she was desperately trying not to think about. She forced herself to open her eyes and looked up at the TV. They were dancing there too so gracefully and in a ball room. Different pairs and it was the advertisement for "Dancing with the Stars". She was not sure if she was hallucinating or more people had blue eyes and all the men that were dancing looked handsome. She switched the channel and took a seat on the couch facing the TV with a glass of water in her hand. The news cast was talking about contact lenses and was saying blue and green contacts were quiet famous and they went on and on. She turned it off and took her hands behind her hair and relaxed on her couch and closed her eyes.

She had a head band tied across her head holding her hair back. Her face was a little red with exhaustion after a heavy workout and her neck had wipe marks as she had wiped her sweat hard, her light blue and white sleeveless tank top was sticking to her body as if it had glue on the other side. The bow in the front of the sand shorts with a cute pink bell in the front dangled as she lifted her hands revealing her navel. It was clear she was still thinking about last evening and was desperately trying not to. Her thoughts were distracted when the door bell rang and she walked over to the door and opened it up. A man in a white and blue uniform stood there with a beautiful bouquet in his hand and enquired if she was Diya Sharma. She nodded in agreement and in surprise. He handed her a beautiful vase filled with flowers and wished a good day as she closed the door behind him wondering who might have sent the flowers.

It was a 30-stem sensational bouquet of red, white and pink tulips! A note that hanged in a corner said that the 30 red, white and pink tulips were shipped overnight to ensure freshness and were gathered by their expert growers from select floral farms in Holland and were picked at the peak of perfection to arrive fresh. It was a stunning gift, so terrific she loved it. It was beautifully arranged in a gorgeous green ceramic ribbed vase. She didn't know who it was from and she looked for a note but couldn't find one. There was something in a small print just below the section that said how to preserve it. It read, "Many cultures consider the tulip to be the symbol of 'perfect love.' In fact, the ancient Turks used the tulip to brew a love potion!"

Chapter 261

She didn't really feel like herself in spite trying many things including listening to the news. Finally she decided to get on the treadmill and exhaust herself. She picked up some CD's that Pryag had left there the last time he was there and turned on her ear plugs and she started warming up. She hadn't really heard them before but it didn't matter as she was hardly paying any attention to them. She was watching TV, listening to music and was now at elevation five and had started to run. In spite of all these happening around her, she was not paying attention to any of them. The more she tried not to think about it the more she thought about it and the more she increased the speed. She was almost getting breathless and realized that she needed to slow down.

She continued to walk at a much lower pace trying to catch her breath and slowly her concentration was on the calories burned that appeared on the treadmill and a little on the music playing on the CD. The music was not bad so she tried to listen to the lyrics and it wasn't impressive. She continued at a much lower pace as the running had seemed to have helped and she could hear her heartbeat. She had not realized that it had been so long that she was already in the cool down face of the program. She was sweating and her thoughts seemed clearer and she closed her eyes and continued with the last five minutes of cooling down. The next song started playing and it was a romantic classic and was extremely melodious and soothing and it helped along with the cool down.

The breeze murmured your name

Waking me up.

When the waterfall hugged me

I feel your presence.

The cuckoos lovely songs

Sounds just like yours.

The beautiful blue sky

Reminds me of your eyes.

The rosy petal of a rose

I feel your lips.

The golden rays of the sun

Are the touch of your hair.

The bamboos brushing against each other,

The colorful rainbow after a rain,

Makes my heart race like a humming bird.

Our lips don't seem to meet

Like the banks of the river.

I neither know heaven nor hell

I feel like I am living in both!

I have neither tasted nectar nor poison

But it feels like both!

Chapter 260

The rest of the ride was awfully silent. She insisted that he gets dropped first and she had gotten away with it. He was thinking about all the things that had happened that day. How his sister’s comment and Carissa’s comment were exactly the same. He thought about it and it actually made sense. He and Carissa were engaged and we so in love. They had planned to start a family and had dreams. He knew she loved him and he was starting to realize that she still cares about him very deeply especially after today’s conversation. He played what had happened on the dance floor. Her expression, she was blushing and when she had realized that she had been scared. He had noticed that and had controlled his every urge that prevented him from being a gentleman.

He played it over and over in his head the way she had looked at him before she broke of. He liked her more than he was willing to admit Carissa. He liked her for many reasons. It was more than her looks; her intelligence, her persona and it was so much more. It was something much more than that, which attracted him to her. He had liked her from the first time he met her, especially after their conversation. But today he had felt a change; as Carissa had said, given a choice he would love to get to know her and date her. He wasn’t sure why he was thinking about all these but somehow she had made an impact on him. He felt bad but he couldn’t help feel that way.

He distracted himself by thinking about his questions regarding Carissa. The more he thought about it, the more it got complicated. He knew she still felt the same way about him and that has not changed. He remembered how they had broken up and she had not been herself and not it was actually clear but at that time he was angry and devastated and he had failed to trace to the reason behind it. He was not sure if he has changed and regrets her actions or it was something more. She had never said anything to implicate herself or indicate that she wants to be back in his life. But something told him there were more secrets in her life that he had no clue about.

Chapter 259

Rest of the evening went pretty smooth and they said their good byes to each other and went their separate ways. Akshar and Carissa got into the limo and neither of them said anything. Akshar had finished a bottle of bear and seemed more interested in the alcohol than to have a conversation. Carissa was a little tired, but she was the one who broke the silence by asking him if he had a good time that day. Akshar had originally planned to ask her the question that was nagging him. Now he was so distracted that was the last thing on his mind. He nodded his head indicating that he had a great smile. Carissa remarked “You like her don’t you?” Akshar had not expected such a question and he looked at her in surprise but didn’t say anything.

She smiled and told him, “I know you too well Akshar. You can’t hide anything from me. This is what you do when something is on you mind. You go a little overboard on alcohol. I am glad you are not driving and I think you have had enough and you better stop.” She grabbed the bottle from his hand. In his defense he said, “She is nice. But I don’t think I quiet understand what you mean. Come on. Free drinks and I don’t have to drive.” She smiled and said “You don’t just like her, you really really like her. If she were available you would have asked her out on a date. Am I right?” He replied, “They love each other and they are going to get married soon. I am happy for them.”

“Yes. I know he loves her very much. I saw the way he looks at her. He adores her and when I was chatting with him, I could sense how much he loves her.” She said. “You know, it reminded me of those days when we were in love. But things changed and we went our separate ways and I am glad at least we are still friends.” There was silence for some time. Neither of them spoke anything and they both looked out the window. Finally she said, “Just because they are together doesn’t mean it’s meant to be. Things could change you know. You know that. How we were and where we are. If you really like her, just hang around, stay in her life somehow. You never know what will happen.” He was both shocked and surprised and he just starred at her.

Chapter 258

She tried to get away from his hold but it seemed like huge task. The timing was perfect as the song ended and she tried to walk away but he was holding her left hand with his and looked at her with the same expression he had earlier. He looked absolutely charming which made it more difficult for her to say anything. She cooked up some energy and in a gentle voice said, "I am gonna go power my nose". He nodded and walked right behind her and walked over to the table while she walked into the restroom. He looked around to see what was happening and he saw Carissa and Pryag walking over to the table with their plates. They had picked up some extra food for the both of them as the line was quiet long.

Before Akshar could say anything Carissa said, "The food is good and so is the line to get to it. Go ahead. Help yourself. We got plenty." And turning around she asked "Where is Diya?". Pryag looked at Akshar and said, "Thank you very much. Diya loves to dance. But I have to take things slow. I can't stay out long and I need to keep things simple and as normal as possible. I have been feeling guilty that I haven't been able to take her out anywhere. Thank you very much for today. I am pretty sure she had a great time." Akshar smiled and said "Anytime. I hope you feel better soon. Take good care of your health and you can dance with her on the floor pretty soon."

Akshar excused himself to get a drink and walked over to the bar. It didn't take long to get his drink and he turned around to walk over to the table. He noticed that Diya was still not there. It had been about ten minutes and she was still not there. He remembered her face on the dance floor just before she had walked over. He had wanted to say that she looked absolutely wonderful but she had excused herself and walked away. Now is neither the right time nor the right place to say it and he knew that very well. He had struggled hard to keep the conversation more generic earlier on the floor. With Pryag thanking him he even felt bad about the way he was feeling and finished his drink in a gulp and turned around and walked over to the bar to get another.

Chapter 257

She smiled and said "Thank you. You are not so bad. You seem to know your way around the floor." She somehow felt very comfortable dancing with him. She was not sure either it was because he was a good dancer or it was the two rounds of alcohol she had had earlier. She looked around and said "There seems to be a long line for food over there. I don't think we will ever get to eat today" and laughed. "You are already hungry? I thought maybe you would do me the honor of couple of more dances" said Akshar with a surprised look beneath his eyebrows. "Oh no! I am not really hungry." With a smile on her lips and her eyebrows raised she added "Couple of more dances, mmm... you must be pretty good at this. How come your girlfriend bailed out on you?" She tried not to ask the question but the circumstance was perfect for asking so she did.

Akshar said "Actually I am not sure why. Just like you she loves to dance but I guess she is not upto it today." He turned around and looked in the direction of the table and he didn't see her. "I guess they are standing in the line for food. And by the by she is not my girlfriend but a very good friend." Diya said, "A model as a friend and not a girlfriend? Interesting...." with an exclamation and a surprise on her forehead. Akshar laughed. He wanted to tell he was more interested in her but knew it was not appropriate and let it go. In order to change the subject he asked her how was work and they continued talking about other things. During the conversation Akshar's hand had gently tightened around her waist and she had moved closer to him and neither of them had realized that.

Much older couple who had finished their meal joined on the floor and the music changed into a much lower pace. They were distracted from the conversation and looked around the floor and smiled at each other with an understanding why the music was much slower now and continued dancing. They had moved much closer to each other and to the center of the dance floor. Diya looked up, straight into his eyes; his Mickey Blue eyes shimmering in the light, his French beard and his rosy lips bearing a handsome smile that was close enough to kiss her; she felt a lightening bolt go through her spine. She felt completely paralyzed but somehow she was gliding with him. She looked both pale and flushed.

Chapter 256

The tempo on the dance floor had changed and it was playing Macarena. They joined the other dancers and continued with the rhythm and the lights dazzled across the floor giving a dramatic effect. In the mean time the waiters were heating up the food in the buffet that was neatly arranged at the other end. People had already started to form a line and Pryag asked Carissa if she would like to join the line and both of them walked towards the end of the line, which by the time they reached had extended to the other end jut a few feet from the bar were eyes started preying at her as if an eagle had marked its target and was waiting for the right time. Pryag and Carissa were deeply engaged in a conversation neither of them noticed the soaring eagles around them nor did they notice the dance floor.

After a couple of songs it turned into a melodious tune with romantic lyrics while the lights dimmed all over the room just letting the Chinese style lantern candles that were lit on each table to bring in the romance in the hearts of everyone that were seated. There were recess lights just above the buffet giving enough light for everyone to look at their food yet providing a soothing surrounding for a nice meal and a pleasant conversation. The food looked delicious and the aroma triggered ever ones appetite and it was evident as the line was moving very slow.

Akshar took Diya in his arms gently gliding his left arm onto her waist with his right arm holding her left as her right clinging on to his back and they glided gently on the dance floor along with the others. Slowly the song changed into an even more slower and melodious and he changed his hold on her arms and held her with both his arms at her waist. She glided her hands across his shoulders and around his neck they beautifully danced to the melody of the song that was playing, sung by Barbara Streisand. The light was so dim they could hardly look at each other; she looked over his shoulders as he held her in his arms. In order to break the silence he told her that she was a good dancer. She turned around and looked at him and their eyes interlocked in each others.

Chapter 255

Diya knew he was telling the truth, but that didn't really make her feel any better. She empathized with Pryag but was still a little annoyed. She looked at him and smiled and gently stroked his hand to make him feel better. She was not jealous anymore that Pryag was looking at her, but was curious to know how Akshar came in with her and why she was familiar to Pryag. After the first song was over, when she was trying hard not to be irritated yet trying to help Pryag not feel bad Carissa and Akshar walked over back to the table. Carissa looked quiet tired and Akshar helped her to a seat and walked over to get her something to drink. While he was getting something to drink for himself he started wondering about Carissa.

Many things were off with her. To begin with she was staying away from alcohol, her hair was more of a really dark color and the texture felt quiet different. She had always been proud of her hair and he had felt her hair and played and twirled it so many times he could say something was different or not with his eyes closed. Her outfit, not just today but ever since she came back into his life has been very different. She loved to wear strapless gowns and sleeveless tops and skirts that show her legs. But lately it had all been full arms, even today’s evening gown with an unusual full arm. It could have been a special designer gown that she was wearing but when he held her on the dance floor, she smiled and had gently moved his hands so that he holds her by her fingers or by her elbows rather than her shoulder or arms. She had become tired just after one dance.

He picked up the drinks and walked towards the table. He noticed Diya looking at the dance floor and sipping her drink. He remembered how naturally she had glided down the dance floor last time. He knew she would love to dance but with Pryag just recovering, considering he might get dizzy, he thought about it for a moment and walked over and handed a pinacollata to Carissa and asked her if she was doing okay. The music had changed and the next song was playing and the buffet was getting ready. He asked Pryag if it is okay with him he would like to dance with Diya. With Pryag's instant approval he walked over to Diya and took her by her hand and walked over to the dance floor with her as his sisters words echoed in the back of his mind.

Chapter 254

Akshar held Pryag's hand and their conversation continued for about more than five minutes before he turned towards Carissa to introduce her to both Pryag and Diya. Pointing to Diya he said "She is a good acquaintance of mine and this is her lucky how who will be marrying her pretty soon." He then looked at both Pryag and Diya and asked them if they could join them and before they know they were getting acquainted. Diya didn't say much as Pryag was doing most of the talking. He couldn't contain himself anymore and said to Carissa, "You look so familiar but I don't seem to remember where I have seen you." She criss crossed her leg revealing he fully leather lined, fully padded D'orsay pump in fine crepe that had about 3 1/2" covered heel. She ran her fingers through her triangle tote from the Zoah Collection in custom print Italian canvas with rich leather trim with custom sculpted brushed brass hardware and gave out a gentle laugh.

Akshar looked at Pryag and said, "I didn't know you are into fashion. He is a model, not any model the number one preferred and paid model whose face has appeared on almost every single magazine." Their conversation was interrupted when they announcement over the mike came in regarding a toast from the best man. After a nice toast the bride danced with her father and the bride and the groom stepped on to the floor for their dance. The music was melodious and after about ten minutes everyone was asked to join the bride and the groom on the dance floor. Akshar and Carissa got up and Carissa looked at Pryag and Diya and asked them if they were joining them on the dance floor.

Pryag nodded his head indicating they were not and waited for them to go to the dance floor. The music started and all the couples started dancing and it seemed like lot of fun as it was not the usual ballroom music but more of casual free style. Pryag turned towards Diya and look her hand and said,” Probably you are a little annoyed with me and I don't blame you for that. I know I have been looking at Carissa, I am so frustrated that I couldn't remember her but I am so sure I know her from somewhere. Unable to remember is very frustrating and is upsetting, especially bits and pieces of your life. You don't know how it feels, that frustration is far worse than any pain. I am sorry if I upset you. I am honestly telling you, I don't and will not look at any women the way I look at you."

Chapter 253

She got up and decided to go get a drink as she was a bit irritated. From the bar she saw her from the back and she got even more irritated as she looked absolutely perfect. She changed her mind about the drink and asked for a Bloody Mary and a coke for Pryag. When she was about to get to her table she was distracted when she noticed someone standing next to her. She peered through the folks around her to get a glimpse of the guy but as she couldn’t see anyone she got back to her table where Pryag was. When she got there Pryag was talking to a couple of guys and introduced her to them and their dates. Soon after that, the groom walked towards them with his bride and hugged Pryag and enquired how he was doing. It was a reunion for the guys and she just stood there smiling, gently sipping her drink.

It wasn’t that long she heard someone, a dark skinned medium set woman with a loud voice hugging the pretty damsel and she clearly heard her saying “I am so glad you could make it dear. Come on let me introduce you to my daughter and my son-in-law”. Before she knew it they were all at her table. She introduced the pretty women as Carissa to Jonathan and her daughter, the bride. Diya looked up hearing his name, when Carissa introduced her date as Akshar, she almost choked on her drink. She was both relieved and shocked at the same time. She was relieved that there was someone she knew and she could talk to, but he was with the impossibly unbelievably gorgeous women every man in the room was drooling on.

As if reading his friends minds, Jonathan turned around and introduced her to his friends and excused himself and walked away with his bride to greet the others. She excused herself and turned towards Akshar and wondering where they are going to be seated and in that exact moment he noticed Diya and bearing a surprised look on his face greeted her exclaiming, "What a pleasant Surprise" and instead of extending his right hand to shake her hands as she had expected, leaned forward and gave a peck on her cheek and turned towards Pryag and shook his hands congratulating him with a firm shake and a happy smile.

Chapter 252

When Diya got back after powdering her nose, she noticed Pryag’s expression and turned towards the direction he was looking. It was not just him but many men’s eyes were turned towards the woman dressed in a V Neck Sheer Beaded Insert Silk Satin Dress, singing the “Feel the wave of romance”. One couldn’t count the turning heads at her in the miraculously sexy dress in silk satin, where some eyes said “I will even kill for you baby”. It was a plunging V neckline with a sheer embroidered net insert with intricate embroidery made it look as if she were draped in a real princess robe. The carved out silhouette further added a dose of interest and sophistication to her dress with a floor length skirt and embroidered V back. She was definitely the talk of the town among the men there in which sure endowed abundance to their mind and body.

The Sexy, fitted evening dress with the deep V front and back totally ruched and hugged her body while its lines created a flattering look and with its front slit almost revealing her left thigh made it hard for anyone to take their eyes off of her when she turned in the direction of Diya, her beauty unraveled even making her a little jealous with her bluish green dress highlighting her green eyes and every feature on her face was speckles with her slightly and perfectly painted lips looked scrumptious making every guy in the room wish he could kiss her.

Diya tried to get Pryag’s attention by giving out an artificial cough and it a couple of them to get him to turn towards her. But his expression remained the same which annoyed her and she asked him a question. “May be you know someone, a girl maybe?” Pryag shook his head and was lost in thoughts turning towards the gorgeous women occasionally and said “She looks so familiar. I know her from where. I just don’t know where? My memory is killing me here.” Diya didn’t like the fact that he was starring at him to begin with and now the fact he might know her, she was intimidated a little.

Chapter 251

The tables were decorated with a rose and yellow topiary as the center piece. The tables in the center were circular seating ten people. The chairs had white slip covers on them with bow tie at the back and fringes hanging near the four legs just below the seat leaving the legs bare. The dinnerwares were arranged beautifully in reactive bands of colors in sweet flavored hues marked in caramel swirl along the rim. The edges of embossed rims broke through the glaze to add subtle contrast to a hand-spun look and were accompanied by a cappuccino stemware ready for toasting. The tables along the corners were more of a square, seating eight people comfortably with the topiary more along the wall leaving more space for conversation.

They were more than an hour late and the place was crowded by the time they walked in. Her Nine West "Luxious" Slingback Peep-Toe Pump with her matching purse that added instant drama in its ruched metallic sling back also by Nine West complementing her olive green gown next to Pryag’s dark blue suit with golden cufflinks giving a feel as if they were a set. They looked for their name on the tables and unable to find the tags, spoke to one of the attendants and indeed they had his name on the list but didn’t have a name tag place on any of the tables. Pryag knew why, as he had mentioned that he will make is if he was doing well, so the attendant asked them to take a seat in one of the tables around the corner.

They decided to take the one next to the one at the back corner as it was empty and they didn’t really know anyone over there that seemed liked a good choice. The bride and groom were already on the stage posing for pictures. Pryag held her hand and smiled, “Look. Maybe someday it would be us standing up there. I and Jonathan knew each other from out first grade and I never thought he would be the first one to get married. They seem to make a nice couple out there and I hope couple of my old buddies show up today. She looked around to see if she recognized anyone, saw some women and men all dressed up and chit chatting, obviously none looked familiar.

Chapter 250

Last week hasn’t been that crazy and she seemed a bit relaxed. She remembered that she has another couple of hours to get ready before Pryag comes to pick her up. In spite of her objections, he had insisted that he was completely back to normal and would come over and pick her up. He had been completely back to normal for a while, but still she just didn't want him to stress himself. She understood his wanting to be completely independent and agreed to his request. In a way it gave her enough time to work on a couple of thing she had wanted to do so for a while. Her thirst to grow and capture more vendors was bubbling, especially after the last symposium she had attended a few months earlier. She remembered the lectures when she was going through the materials and was trying to put something together for her business and this week had given her time to do that.

She had decided earlier that day what to wear for the evening considering the occasion. She had picked out one of the JS Collections off Shoulder Laser Cut Gown with Form-fitted stretch, a satin gown in olive green that crisscrosses at the bodice, just above the stunning laser-cut tiers. It was a flattering mermaid-inspired design with a slightly longer back. It also had a satin bow that prettily encircled the waist. She didn't want to look like on of the bride’s maids or the bride herself by choosing something much grander in scale. This was a perfect evening gown that was flattering enough to wear for a wedding reception.

All that was left for her was to do her hair, which she had decided to straighten but leave some curls at the end to look more natural. She knew it wouldn't take her more than half hour to get ready, but she didn't want to keep Pryag waiting so she decided to just spend one hour to get ready which left her with one more hour to work on her papers. Somehow in spite of last week being relatively stress less she had forgotten to change the clock an hour forward last week due to daylight savings time so it showed five instead of six.

Chapter 249

She sounded excited and he was happy about that considering all the questions he had about her. She asked him to guess where she was right now and he miserably failed in all the attempts. She couldn't bear to wait any longer and exclaimed in excitement that she was in New York. He was surprised, well the few days have been quiet a surprise for him starting with Diya, then Nichole, his sister and now her. She told him that she was there for some product promotion in conjunction with a photo shoot. She asked him if they could meet sometime as she will be in between schedules over the next week. She added that she was aware that he has a demanding job and a busy life and asked him if he was free the following Saturday.

He agreed to her invitation without even thinking, as he knew he was going to be busy during the week and meeting her would only be possible on the weekend. He had plans with his friends to driver over to the country side over the weekend and maybe go with his niece for horse riding and some fruit picking in a farm which he had promised that he will take her sometime next month. He had thought about doing it over the weekend as it was his sister's fifteenth wedding anniversary and would be a nice time for the two of them to go somewhere. Without thinking of anything he had agreed to meet her, and she had ended the conversation saying that she would call him back later that night.

It felt good to hear her voice, as she was cheerful and he quiet relieved as it gave a sense that after all his suspicions were wrong. If they were true she would not have sounded the way she did, definitely actively participating in public events. But he had to find out for himself in person and ask her just to make sure. He decided that this time he will not hesitate and confront her when the time is right, but delicately handle the subject so that she won't get upset. He didn't know where they were going to meet, but he thought that it might be some place where she would just want to hang out. Based on how cheerful was he suspected that he might be her date to some public event? He picked up the phone and dialed his friend to cancel next weeks plan.

Chapter 248

There was one thing that his sister mentioned, was bothering him. He had been thinking about it on their way back. She did talk about the last girl she had seen him with, the one who unexpectedly joined them for Thanks giving dinner. She had even remembered her name and had asked him if he was dating her. He had sensed that she liked her very much and was disappointed when he mentioned that she was getting married. What she had said after that, had taken him by surprise. It had been totally unexpected coming from her. Her words were, "Just because someone is engaged to be married doesn't mean she is off the radar. If you really like her, you should do something about it. If you don't you may regret it in the future. Who knows what will happen."

He wondered why she had said that. He had not really responded to that since he was to surprised by her remark. Their conversation had been interrupted by the distractions around them and he had danced with Nichole. He had somehow, unknowingly pictured her with her fiancé dancing last night as he was dancing with Nichole. They had left early and he remembered him being hazy due to the alcohol and he slowly tried to get a grip of where he was and tried to open his eyes that refused to open. The sun was up and he didn't like the brightness and pulled over the pillow and closed his eyes back and much tighter to avoid the light.

He was feeling a bit hungry and thirsty so in spite of the brightness, he squinted his eyes and pushed his pillow and got up and walked towards the bathroom rubbing his eyes. He washed himself up and came out in his robe as he heard his phone ring. But before he could get to it, it had gone to the voice message and he ignored it and walked over to the kitchen to see if he could whip something up for a quick breakfast. The phone rang again and this time he could hear the voice on the answering machine. He knew who it was, he ran towards the phone and grabbed it, but he was too late. He immediately called the number back and someone picked it up on the second ring. He completely forgot he was hungry when he heard her voice on the other end.

Chapter 247

Surprisingly, it had turned out to be a quiet evening. The wedding was simple and sweet and Nichole looked simple and elegant Strapless Lace gown with Charmeuse Bow that was quiet charming in lined lace with a vintage-inspired feel. It had a scalloped strapless neckline, boning at bust and an empire waist with a contrast solid ruched silk band with embroidery at waist that flowed through the floor. The work on the dress indicated the expensiveness along with the diamond necklace that adorned her neck. She had chosen a hairstyle that complimented her and her dress. Her bangs had a small sweep and the tresses were just allowed to naturally flow down with some touch. The ends were lightly curled out producing a complimentary style with the veil. It was a nice wedding hairstyle for a woman like her with medium length hair.

Everything was elegant and simple and as she had mentioned, it was a very small gathering. Somehow his sister hadn't bored him too much with marriage talks so it had turned out to be quiet nice. He had noticed that his sister was disappointed by the size of the crowd and all young women who were there were already married. They had left right after dinner and Nichole had thanked him with a special gift which he was yet to open, that was safe in his suit pocket. Since he was not driving he had helped himself to the varieties of alcohol that were served and had continued to do so in the limo. All he wanted to do was to go to bed once he had reached home.

He had remembered to remove his elegant suit and place it in the suit rack but had completely forgotten about the tiny little gift box that was safely hidden his left coat pocket. His shoes were lying next to the front door besides his socks while his tie was on the kitchen counter right next to the half glass of water. His shirt was hanging from the chair with one arm touching the floor and in the moon light it looked like some one was trying to reach for something that was on the floor. He had not had any patience to change into something so he lay there on his bed with whatever that was left comfortably cuddling the pillow with one hand extended above his head.

Chapter 246

He thought she was crazy. Wedding, tonight, he was so relieved that he just has to show up and nothing else. A date at the last minute that would be impossible. Especially to take someone to a wedding, they must be really close and that should mean something. He currently didn't have a girl friend and he was definitely not going to pick up the phone and randomly call some one, definitely not on a last minutes notice. But what he said stuck on his mind. He definitely didn't want to feel out of place, especially it was going to be a very small wedding and mostly people from his side. He was probably the only one from hers. He didn't want to disappoint her so he started thinking what to do.

He looked at the suit that was hanging, it was an excellent piece of work and he loved it. He went into his closet to look for a nice shirt and a tie to go with it. It was all neatly arranged and organized. He smiled remembering his sister's a few days earlier and his eyes brightened and he walked over to the coffee table and picked up his phone and dialed her number. After three rings he heard his niece on the other end and she refused to hand over the phone to her mother. After talking to her until she was satisfied his sister was on the other end of the phone.

After a short discussion he had a date. He was relieved. He knew the downside of taking his sister to a wedding but at least he will know someone there other than the bride. Especially considering it was a wedding, he knew what the topic he would be discussing with his sister, after all she has been after him to get married and settle down. He had extended the invitation to the whole family, but considering his niece’s age and unfamiliar ground, his brother-in-law opted to stay home with his daughter. Well, considering it was a last minutes notice things couldn't go better.

Chapter 245

In about fifteen minutes, someone was there knocking on the door. There were two men with huge bags. The older man proudly said, “Our suits are impeccably tailored in Italy with hand-finished details and a clean, modern fit.” After quiet a debate between Armani and Ralph Lauren’s Anthony Gabardine she finally settled on Armani. She picked out the Collezioni navy striped wool-blend that was textured, tonal striped wool blend; Three button front with notched lapel and three decorative button cuff and besom pockets, slim fit through the torso with unvented back. The jacket was fully lined, trousers front lined to the knee with extended button closure on waistband and with angled front pockets and button-close back pockets; a slightly tapered leg with an unfinished hem.

One of the men said, looking at the suit Akshar was trying on, “The body width is lean, arms are slightly narrow and pant is cut slim with a lower rise. It is a very good fit for you sir.” Pointing at the pant he added, “It has a finished curtain waistband and unfinished hem ready for custom tailoring.” Akshar, enquired how much the cost was, but she cut into their conversation and answered, “It is not of your concern and sky is the limit. I want you to look your best. Tell me if you like it and it is yours and no questions asked.” It was a great fit and he loved it but knew it must be very expensive and he was not sure why the rush, he probably has something he can fit into, or maybe even rent one.

She gave them further instructions and closed the door behind them and turned to Akshar and kissed him on his cheek. She said “You look absolutely ravishing in that suit.” He asked her when and where the wedding was. She realized she had forgotten to tell him that and said it was that evening and gave him the invitation with the address and all other details. He stood there totally surprised and looked at the time. It was fifteen minutes past noon and the wedding was that evening. She said, “A limo will be here to pick you up around six today evening. I know this is last minute but it is a really small ceremony, just about 30 people.” She grabbed her bags and gave him a hug and walked towards the door. She turned around and said, “One more thing, you might get bored so I recommend that you bring a guest. Any guest of yours is a guest of mine. Sorry for the last minute notice. Love you”.

Chapter 244

He sat there unable to react, surprised and shocked. She went on explaining to him all the events that had let to it and why she was marrying him. He hardly said a word, it was quiet overwhelming and it felt like he was watching some movie, unable to believe it was actually someone’s real life story. It was too much information, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know more, but he was listening, understanding, and was slowly starting to get worried. She stopped and looked at him, he had a blank look, with wide spread eyes, she smiled and turned his face towards her and shook him a little. He blinked his eyes and exclaimed, “Wow!” That kind of summarized his expression and she smiled and took his hand in hers and said, “I have a favor to ask you” and paused.

He turned towards her wondering what it could be, thinking that she had and will have anything money could buy, and what he could do to help her in any way. His forehead wore a question still trying to comprehend what she had told him earlier; yet curious to find out what she was going to ask. She opened her bag and took something out, and said, “Something borrowed, something blue….. well I seem to have almost everything covered, except someone to walk me down the aisle.”

“I was hoping if you would do me the honor of walking me down the aisle. I know you are not in par with this, but it would mean a lot to me if you would do it”. He smiled and nodded his head indicating that he will be there and will walk her down the aisle. She was so delighted; she hugged him and kissed him on his lips as if she were a child who escaped an expected punishment and in turn got a candy! She immediately called someone over the phone and made an appointment and gave them his address. He was not sure what was going on and was waiting for her to fill him in, with a hazy look in his face.

Chapter 243

She was dressed in a long black umbrella skirt and high beige boots, a long sleeved purple cashmere sweater with intrinsic embroidery around her neck. The flare armed sleeves of her top revealed the diamond bracelet in her right hand and the five thousand dollar designer handbag with pearls hanging from them. When he opened the door, she shook her head, pushed him aside and walked in and went straight to the couch and started talking. "I know you don't approve, I could see that in your eyes, I know you were shocked, you can't hide your feelings from me, I know you too well". He closed the door and walked in and sat on the chair besides the couch she was sitting on. When he opened his mouth to say something, she cut him off and continued, "I know you, don't say anything, you think he is old enough to be my grandfather, you don't know anything about him, he is a wonderful man, he loves me very much and he will do anything for me. He will even get the moon for me to sleep on as a bed."

He said with a serious face, "I don't think that's a good idea..." and before he could finish she interrupted by saying "You don't like him don't you" and stared at him. He said, "Actually I was talking about the moon". She gave him a puzzled look and he continued, “See the moon has craters and the surface is quiet hard, so i don't think it is a good idea to have the moon for a bed. You can't really sleep you see". She starred at him and her face instantly changes and she started laughing and slowly the laughter changed and tears rolled down her eyes. He got up and sat beside her and hugged and gave her a shoulder to cry on. He passed on the tissue box that was hidden under the coffee table and it took about seven minutes and three tissues for her to talk again.

I haven't told you everything. I met a guy in a bar a few months ago and we started dating. We started spending a lot of time together, but I didn't know he was married and he was cheating on his wife and I was the other woman. It would have been easier if that were the case, I got pregnant, well, I still am. He was actually okay with it and I thought that things were going smooth between us. One day I get a call from someone, actually it was a threat from a woman to stay away from him and she claimed to be his wife. I asked him about it and he said that they were separated and they were getting a divorce. What I didn't know was she was the daughter of one of the local Mafia's and my life was in danger.

Chapter 242

He couldn't believe his eyes, the girl he grew up with, played with, whom he practically knew all his life, felt like someone he met for the very first time. He was old enough to be her grandfather and as always she was vibrant, young and enthusiastic. He had not expected that from her and hence it came as a shock. He knew on some level she was seeking his approval, and probably wanted to talk to someone whom she knew will not judge her. He felt bad at his reaction, she wanted a friend to talk to and the expression on his face after meeting him, how much ever he had tried to hide had been judgmental. It was quiet difficult for him not to react that way, maybe if he didn't care much he could let go, but he knew her so well, it was difficult to accept it for him. He figured that she would never call him again, especially after seeing his expression, she knew him equally well, he can't really hide anything.

He felt like apologizing to her and he remembered that she had given a missed call on his cell and picked up his phone. There were three numbers without any name and he wasn't sure which was hers, but anyway he decided to try them all. He tried the first two and they were not hers. He was about the dial the third one, to his surprise he received a call from the same number and picked it up instantly and called out her name. It was her on the other end and she wanted to meet him. She asked him if he was free and he instantly replied he was. She sounded a little upset and asked him for his address and said she will be there in about forty minutes. He was not very keen on having her in his house as it was a total mess since he hadn't had a chance to clean up in the last couple of weeks. But she didn't wait for his response and had decided to visit him and had disconnected.

He cleaned up his house; at least straightened it out like a humming bird gathering honey from as many flowers as possible before the sun sets. He rushed into the shower and took a bath so fast it was like a child who is scared of the swimming pool splashing some water over instead of actually jumping into the pool. He hadn't cooked anything in his kitchen in the past couple of weeks and in was spotless. His laundry basket was full as he hadn't done his laundry, but closet was well arranged as his sister had stopped by sometime last week and had taken care of that. He grabbed a glass of milk and a toast as a quick breakfast and before he was done the door bell rang.

Chapter 241

He was thinking about the previous days events. Two women, similar events, but somehow he was disturbed by both of them. He wanted to be happy for both of them and the news they had shared, to some extent he was, there were really nice women, but somehow he felt disturbed. It was quiet clear why he was disturbed about one of them getting married, but the other, he wasn't sure why. That puzzled him more and he woke up quiet early, at least according to his time considering it was a Sunday. The evening’s conversations lingered on his mind, disturbing him, especially Nichole. She had disappeared from his life for almost three years now and yesterday, out of the blue moon a call from her completely surprised him.

There have been best buddies since kindergarten. They knew everything about each other, and shared everything with each other, were there when one was in trouble. They kept each other in touch even when Nichole moved a lot. Her mother was in Embassy and they used to constantly move but they wrote letters, spoke over the phone and when they grew older and in the last ten years email had been their main source of contact. He had continued emailing her with his contact but all of a sudden she had stopped replying him back. Since his mails never bounced, he continued to drop a line, a little less frequently.

Yesterday, he was surprised and eager to meet her. They had spoken about so many things, caught up on that past three year's events. He was especially delighted when she told him that she was getting married. She spoke about how he pampers her, takes care of her and how many villas he had purchased for her and on and on for quiet a while. She had spoken about her fiancée for so long and how wonderful he is but knowing her almost all his life he knew she was not in love with him. When he had asked the question she had refused it and completely ignored the subject. He had noticed the droplet of tear forming in the corner of her eye. He had changed the subject and continued to talk happy things. Towards the end when she got a call and when he had walked her to the car to meet her fiancée, he had tried his best not to express his shock. He knew why she was not in love with him, but he was not sure why she was marrying him.

Chapter 240

She had tried to ignore the noise she had heard earlier but now it was too loud to ignore. She slowly moved away from his arms, reluctantly and tried to open her eyes and the sound was getting louder and now she could hear as if it were right next to her. She slowly turned around and she heard the noise of something dropping to the floor. She slowly rubbed her eyes and slowly opened her eyes and she was not sure where she was and it was clear that someone was at the door. She got up and she was confused. The book she had been reading was that one that fell of just now and she was on her couch and that someone was ringing the bell and knocking on the door and also calling her on her cell.

She had about four missed calls, all from Pryag. She got up, unbelievably confused and walked over to open the door. When she opened it, Pryag was standing there and she really didn’t know how to react. She was in shock, and confused, since somehow all that had happened earlier seemed so real and yet it was a dream. And on top of it, she had dreamt about someone else and not Pryag and yet somehow she had been thinking it was him and it was a little scary. He rubbed his hand on her head and walked in with her and said “Hey, sleepy head, everyone is waiting for you. Go get ready, we were supposed to go for a wedding remember?”.

She remembered yesterday’s conversation that they will all be going together. She forced an apologetic smile on her face and hurried to get ready. She was in the shower and ran her fingers around her neck just to make sure it was all a dream. She had had dreams before, but nothing like this. This felt different, so real, as if she was living it, every minute of it, everything was wonderful and so in love. Somehow she thought she had been dreaming of Pryag, but when she saw him in flesh she knew it was someone else. It was confusing and scary, she was trying to figure out who that was, but she was scared to find out. She felt guilty, she felt as if she had betrayed Pryag.

Chapter 239

Her eyes sparkled at the beautiful gift he had got her. She ran her fingers through them and instantly got up, turned the light on the nightstand and walked over to look at it in the mirror. It was a 14k Gold Small Diamond Heart Pendant. One inside the other positioned at an angle and it looked as if the heart inside was completely suspended and for a minute she looked closely to find out how it was actually attached. It was not too large quiet small and cute; the pendant drop was about 1/2 inch. It was gleaming with round-cut diamonds; she smiled and walked towards him. He was not a sentimental guy, but the gift reminded her of the song “The way to her heart… “.

He had positioned himself comfortably on the bed under the sheets, smiled and said “It would be nice if were wearing it with your birthday outfit”. She smiled and looked at the clock, it showed twelve ten. Her eyes brightened even more and she gleamed with happiness. “Turning to the mirror, running her fingers over the pendant, “Yes I do have a nice outfit for tomorrow, Well technically today to wear, and I will wear it” and she turned around with a smile having the satisfaction of pleasing him. “mmm… I was talking about the outfit you were born with” and before he could finish his sentence, she turned around, her face turned red with blush, and she pretended to be angry and grabbed a pillow and started hitting him.

As if he was expecting her reaction he lifted his hand and tried to take the blow from the pillow on his arms. How much can a down pillow hurt? She hit him a couple of times since he continued to laugh. He ducked down grabbed her by her arms and pulled her over. She fell on him completely with her hands above his head with the pillow. He took the pillow from her and threw it in the direction of the night lamp and it dutifully did its job and fell on the brass stand of the touch lamp which proudly supported the flowered glass frame that stood on the night stand and turned it off.