N A N D I N I :

Did I yet express how passionately I hate waking up early in the morning? Everyone does I guess; barring some. I do it with all of my heart especially when I'm awoken by a stupid someone buzzing me so early.

My sleeping calmly on my stomach was greatly disadvantageous when it came to discover the ringing goddamned phone but with all the difficulty popping my head out of the duvet, my hunting hand found it sensing from where the vibration was felt. Ugh, I hate applying so much of brain so early!

Not caring to look at the caller, straightaway, I received the call keeping my eyes closed with frowns allover my disturbed face.

"The person you are trying to call is super sleepy, so please dial again when the Sun is properly up." In a hoarse and sleep deprived tone, I snarled.

"Good morning to you too, Ms.Murthy." The phone slipped my hand and my eyes just popped out.

Did I just snap at my boss? Did my boss himself call me?

Call me?

Sitting straight up like a spring, my hands searched for my mobile which I lost inside my large duvet. Damn it. I could hear the caller say something but all I did was panic for being unable to lay my hands on it. Argh.

Finally, like finally when I discovered it, I stuck it to my ear and breathed covering my lips not letting the caller hear anything.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for snapping. It was just... anyway, so you were saying?"

"I was saying look at outside, most of the city is under water due to constant rainfall.." I stumbled while getting out of the duvet during stepping out of the bed and when I pushed the thick curtain covering my bedside window aside, I saw the sky to be devoid of Sun and rains that kept falling without a pause. "Do you think you can manage to come to office today because I'll be taking you to a post production conference then?"

But all that my eyes witnessed was water logged everywhere just right down my complex. Society people who went grocery shopping or something had to pull their bottom clothes up a little  and walk in that dirty water. Ew.

But I wanted to make it to office, maybe, partially because my mind didn't want to throw an opportunity of getting to see my favourite superstar around. And I hoped I'd be able to convince Aaliya to help me.

"Um, y-yes Sir. I'll be at office on time." I expected him to say something but before anything else, even a simple acknowledgement of what I said, I heard the beep tone in response. I gaped at my phone which came back to the usual home screen and sighed.

I examined my call logs but to my dismay, the number was private.

Grey Petals.
11:30am:

I won't blame anyone at office for gawking at me like I belonged to Jupiter because anyone would get that look who enters a polished shiny office totally drenched in rain. Some gossiped about me, some gave that 'pathetic' look while others simply overlooked. Most of the office, I realised, wasn't populated like usual days; granted, they all availed their rainy holidays.

The lift man even threw me a displeased look as I was messing up the dry floor of the elevator. To my escape, I just shrugged giving him an apologetic smile.

I waited for approval from the person on the other side of the door after I knocked and it came quickly.

"No no no. I want the name of that editor right now. He can't just go on writing such things about me." Manik was talking over phone facing the giant window while I soundlessly stood near the table. I shivered a little for I was so disgustingly wet and the air conditioner was making it worse.

"More than repetitions, it's just....." Soon as my boss turned around facing me, his jaw dropped slightly. He studied me from tip to toe while water still dropped from me endlessly and I clutched the files closer to my chest fighting the urge to look at him. "I'll talk later." He disconnected the call pulling his comfortable chair to sit. All along, I bet, not for a nanosecond even his eyes stopped wandering over my wet clothes and me in them.

"What's up Ms.Murthy?" He seemed more and more amused learning that a creature like me existed in the same planet he did.

"Um hello Sir." I had to do something to cut my embarrassment which only and only escalated. I stretched my hand passing him the file and dropped few droplets of water from my elbow on his table and laptop. "Ah the list of all post-production expenses."

Manik forwarded his hand to grab the file but seeing water dropping from it too, he withdrew.

"Never mind." He looked like someone who didn't know what next to say or do. I drew my hand back instantly biting the inner walls of my cheek. He looked up at me desiring to say something but before anything else, he showed me his long slender index finger and pressed his handkerchief to his nose and sneezed. And again. And again. And again.

Flashes of him last night getting drenched under the rain and staying super stubborn for not leaving his car had got him to this stage.

"God bless you." I pressed my lips.

"I think I need that." He sneezed again and shook his head as if he wanted no more sneezes. Seeing him not notice me, I chuckled covering my lips.

He sniffed his blocked nose deeply putting hand on his chest before sneezing again.

Manik Malhotra who seemed to have control over everything on universe was struggling against a petty cold, I tittered.

"You do one thing." He blinked his eyes at me to keep them open properly. "You go home. In fact, we both should go home."

"But I can work." I whined.

"Ms.Murthy no.." and there he had to sneeze again. "argument. I'll ask one of the office cars to drop you. Just..just get out of the office." He stood up grabbing his jacket planning on leaving.

Before him, I turned to leave grabbing the knob on the door but my boss called me back.

"Yes Sir?" I asked clutching my arms tighter. All I wanted to do was run out of that chilled room.

"Oh my bad." Seeing my clutched arms and teeth which were almost at the edge of cluttering together, he got his hold on the remote and turned it off. Good riddance. Not that it was of immediate help but it still the gesture that counted.

"You know Ms.Murthy, I was saying if this rain comes to any betterment and we both stay fit and fine at mercy of the nature, do you..do you think I can take you out for a dinner?" He put forward nonchalantly.

"WHAT"

Did I just yell right at my boss?

The intensity of my shrill tone was so piercing that he took a step back assuming he said something terribly wrong.

"How about a sophisticated no?" He said being super conscious. I widened my eyes.

"N-no. I'm so sorry that it came out wrong. You said it so suddenly that I... um, we can um no I mean, you can." He creased his brows in confusion.

"I-I mean Sir you can take me out for the dinner." I said clearly to shoo his confusion and his face resembled satisfaction. He nodded lightly.

"Okay then, Abhimanyu will text you the details blah blah." I ducked and he left hugging the jacket.

Wow. What did just happen?

The two of us?

Only?

I fought with my urge to jump like I was on some trampoline because words wouldn't be enough to express my happiness and the energy couldn't be contained inside and thus I screamed.

Shortly, I realised people gave me ridiculous stares and I apologised before dashing hell out of the premises.

~•~

I entered the lobby not knowing exactly how I was supposed to feel. There were The times when Manik was extremely sweet to me like the last day and then the other previous times. I still was struggling to know his real face. I was few minutes early so I thought about taking in the view. The floors were polished that I could see my own reflection.

I got the feeling that I was being watched which to be true sent a whole new different spark down my body. I reached into my purse and took out my phone to not appear out of place.

Almost immediately upon retrieving my phone it buzzed in my hand, and a text message popped up from a private number.

Miss.Murthy, you're looking beautiful in that red top.

Seconds later followed another one.

And that hairdo makes you classy.

I blushed trying to contain it within myself and turned around, searching the place until I met a pair of brown eyes staring intently at me. Manik was interestedly staring deep at me like I was showcased their for his study with a subtle smirk on his face dressed in a dark grey suit with a black shirt and a black silk tie. Gosh, he was all decked up compared to me who was wearing a cream coloured pencil skirt reaching my knees, a red ruffled top inside of a same cream coloured slim fitted blazer.

I hope I didn't appear stupid or anything.

I stood there unsure in place, not knowing what exactly to do and how exactly to approach. How I wish I went to some dates in my high school days to get into the practice.

But, date?

Perhaps, he learnt my uncertainty and approached me dipping hands in his pocket.

"Hello Ms.Murthy." He greeted me and I somehow managed to tell a hi back without melting on the floor.

I widened my eyes seeing him advancing his hand towards me leading the way and with loudness of all my heartbeats, I held him like I never meant to leave him. Ever.

"Mr.Malhotra. Your usual table, Sir?" The guy in a suit managing the large register asked politely.

We were taken to our table at the rightest corner separated from all the busy tables but I could see few of the envious eyeballs piercing at me. Sorry ladies.

It didn't take me long to be conscious of the fact that I was most definitely the most underdressed person in the place as All the women were wearing designer dresses.

My phone vibrated with a text message from Randhir and I read it placing it under the table. I lied to him that I was somewhere else because I didn't want him to ruin this evening by suddenly showing up at the doorstep. No offence.

"So Ms.Murthy,"He began with a smile. "Tell me." He smiled subtly.

"What?" Like a super naive, I quizzed.

"Anything you want to talk. About..your life before joining Grey Petals?" He asked watching the time on his branded watch.

"Well... I used to take care of the little cafeteria owned by my mother. It's a small one called Rainbow Cafe and after school I sometimes used to sit there by the window and watch the cars driving by at speed. Or, during my vacation, I used to stay there all day and spend my time reading books at the little library attached to it." I mouthed.

"From what I have seen, I have noticed you are an avid reader." He spoke.

"You noticed me?" I smiled and his face became totally confused and.... a little conscious?

"Um..well.." he fixed his tie "Yea. It's no biggie,y-you see considering the fact that we both work under the same roof so...and yeah that day when we were locked in my cabin you were reading then as well. So yeah." He waved his hand in air and breathed in deeply.

I knocked the pepper shaker and chuckling at me, he leaned over the table picking that back up.

"The look on your face tells me differently." I teaser him a little.

"Well to be true, there are lots of things about you to notice which are more interesting." He smirked.

"Like what?" I questioned.

"Your curves?" He replied shortly making my lower jaw hang in air.

"You really didn't say that. Did you?" I was shocked.

He winked at me sipping water from his glass and God knew what my face held up hiding the hurricane I had inside my chest.

The waiter came to take our order for the main course and Manik let me me to make my own choices which I was grateful for because that restaurant, I heard was famous for the dishes I preferred. He looked kind of satisfied knowing that I don't eat pork because he hates it. Only if he knew since I was in college, reading interviews of the man sitting before me, knowing about his likes and dislikes in food my food chart was prepared of which Amma used to get so hell irritated.

I usually don't booze much with strangers but with Manik being the stranger, I knew I was in safe hands.

Time and again I could hide my blushes as his eyes touched me gently with no lust in them as if he was studying minute details about me while I was talking out of my own mind. Clearly, any day if I'm given the liberty, I'll sell the entire company only with my talking.

Hope, I didn't think out loud.

Each moment I felt a layer of his mask that he kept wearing all the time was falling off with every passing eye lock and there were like thousands of jasmines blooming inside my chest.

If anything at all, this man deserved to come out of the darkness he was in. He didn't deserve that.

He clapped before my face and I realised I was probably talking in my thoughts not paying any attention to what he was saying.

"Do we have you here?" He asked.

"People don't know this side of yours." I spoke softly. He raised his brows.

"Really? Mind explaining?"

"This..you know. The way you are. That you care." Suddenly his face turned a shade paler, God knew what for.

"I.. think we should leave." He proposed and although I didn't want our night to come to any end sooner, I half heartedly had to get up.

He glared at me when I slipped my credit card over to him and he shoved that right back towards me. I always liked paying for myself but maybe I went a little overboard offering to pay when my chauvinist boss was there.

"What plans are you having now?" He asked as he opened the door of the hotel for me. Wow.

Where was this Manik hiding all this time?

"Getting a cab to reach home, firstly and then a chilled beer at my apartment. Oh, I cannot even call a cab because in this waterlogged state, I'd be needing a boat, I guess." I laughed but soon stopped realising he didn't find it funny.

"Guess, I talked too much." I murmured looking down as he contemplated something.

"How about you have the beer at my place tonight...with me?" He looked at the sides of the valet.

Though ecstatic I was getting to know that he didn't get bored of me yet but the thought of every night spending or staying till late at his home disturbed my thinking process for a while.

"Honestly, I don't think that would be very appropriate." I mouthed with a gentle smile.

He thought for a second before saying, "Do you think I'm gonna poison you?" I chuckled waving my hand in dismissal.

"What,no." I laughed throwing my head back. "I think you will protect me instead." His face swiftly appeared a lot more serious.

"And why do you think so?" He asked minutely watching my facial expression.

"Um.. I-I don't know. I feel so. Why, is it wrong to think that way?" Locking his eyes with me, he looked away as if I'd get to know one of his secrets.

"So come with me then?" My blood hitched at the way he urged.

"You don't have to request." I felt the words leaving my mouth without a second of waste.

~•~

I wasn't worried about what he would try to do. Oh no. I was worried what I would try to pull. He was undeniably irresistible and I didn't want to make a fool out of myself just because my body was losing self-control at the moment.

We both made our ways to the balcony which I didn't see the last night I spent time here. As I walked in, suddenly all the flashes of last night played before my eyes and knots formed inside my stomach.

I sat down on one chair shaped swing just looking at the rain not knowing when a night like this would come again in another century. If thought carefully, my life was no different than that of Cinderella, though the end of this Cinderella story was unaware and new.

One of the staffs brought us two chilled beers on tray and I accepted one after Manik gestured me to. Feeling the bubbly taste of it run down my throat and the cold giving goosebumps to my vocal chord, I bite my lip but suddenly as I looked aside, I found him already staring at me.

"I like rains." I smiled at him while he cringed his nose.

"I hate it since time immemorial. I hate it and everything about it." He rolled his eyes.

We were so opposites yet bound together by some similarity.

"Why is your favourite anyway?" He asked, appearing to be genuinely interested in my opinion.

"I uh don't know.. My favourite memories happened to be during this season only." I enlightened.

He leaned his head back against the wall and smiled. "Tell me about one of these memories."

"It's nostalgic to me. Growing up, monsoon in my house meant my cousin little brother would visit us during the monsoon holidays and so we had to entertain ourselves. We would watch movies together, create crazy combinations of whatever food we could, gather and build forts out of sheets."

Manik blinked as he corked his head to his side as if I was some alien before him. "You built forts inside your house that too out of sheets?"

I stared at him, my mouth slightly dropping. He made it as if making forts indoors was unheard of, while to me it was a major part of my childhood.

"Are you being serious right now?" I asked.

He looked like he couldn't tell if I was the one being serious or not.

Immediately, I jumped into how when I was younger my brother and I would scrounge up blankets and sheets and connect them to each other once we tucked the corners under our couches and shelves and anything else that could help hold them up. We would stuff them with pillows, flashlight and snacks even though we weren't allowed to eat in the living room but that was part of the thrill. We felt ridiculous and badass. I would tell him ghost stories and in return he thought I was the coolest sister in the world. at least, I was sure that's what he was thinking.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked in a clear state of shock.

"Because..it was fun and it revolves around all the best times of my chil..." I couldn't finish as he stood up to walk away and I began panicking that maybe I had said something to upset him somehow.

When he returned to the balcony there were a pile of silver sheets in his hands.

"What?" I half squealed and half laughed jumping out of my place.

He shrugged his shoulders, keeping a straight face as he watched me laugh.

"You obviously seemed fond of the tent things and I have never had the pleasure of making one, so I only figured that we might as well."

He took his beer bottle and gulped down the remaining beer in a breath and dropped the sheets on the floor rubbing his palms "I'll follow your lead."

After he got the hang of it, he insisted on finishing the fort himself, telling me that way he could feel proud of the result afterwards which was important since it was his first time and all. That's what he said, but I had a feeling part of it was because I kept knocking things of his coffee table, entertainment centre, night stands and well, pretty much everything I came in contact with.

I watched on the sidelines as he transformed the room into any kids dream. He rearranged some of the furnitures and then expertly arranged the sheets together to form one joint tenant. It was much more impressive than the ones I ever made with my cousin brother.

He popped out his head from the little space he left for the opening and crawled out. He had a huge smile on his face as he admired the piece of work.

"Come" he commanded and held out his hand for me to take which without a thought I gladly held. He helped me climb into the entrance and I was surprised to see pillows strategically placed around me, along with a blanket. I hadn't even noticed him doing that.

From the minibar he got us two more beers cranking in his hold as he crawled inside the tent like a kid and immediately I grabbed mine from him.

"Want to tell ghost stories?" I enjoined my hands trying to coax him and he seemed to be taken a little aback.

He chuckled. "That or we could watch The Notebook?" He smirked.

"Are you sure you're Mr.Manik Malhotra only?" I asked cynically.

"Shut up." He rolled his eyes grabbing a laptop.

He powered it up and logged in to Netflix and the first thing that came to my mind was 'Netflix and chill?'.

"You have Netflix? Oh God, I love Netflix." I beamed.

He stared at the screen as if he didn't quite know what to do before looking back at me. "I've never actually used it before. This is the first time I have logged in since subscribing to it." He uttered while his hoarse voice was so close as he leaned on his back just beside me on a separate set of silken pillows.

"Why's that?" I questioned.

He handed the laptop to me with caution. "Here, you set it up and then I'll hold it. And because I have never had the time too."

I typed the title into the search bar and selected the movie. He took the laptop off as the beginning credits came on and he put it on his lap as he grabbed the nearby pillows and patted his hand on them to signal for me to lay down. I did and he then did the same before adjusting the screen so that we could both see it.

I held back giggles that were dying to be released at the sight of the young man next to me, laying down watching The Notebook with me under a tent from sheets, still in his custom fitted suit.

"You're really not into these kind of movies no? Romantic?" I asked tittering every now and then.

He didn't look at me as he was watching how Allie's parents disapproved their daughter's summer love. He wasn't much into the movie but it seemed he really didn't want to miss the next scene.

"See.. I have to shoot romantic scenes sometimes for thirty-forty hours at a stretch..and the kind of romance I do on sets that is very very technical. We're told how much to kiss, how the angles of eyes should be when they melt into one another and then retakes and all. There are hundreds of people holding the light, boards, mic, claps leaning over us while we exchange dialogues so yeah..it loses the charm to a certain extent, you can say." He glanced over while I bobbed.

Through out the movie, a genuine smile was spread on his beautiful face and I felt tranquility.

It was when Lon and Allie fell in love that I felt slowly losing the consciousness as my lids fell heavy and also felt his warm, quiet and rhythmic breaths near my shoulder expressing that he too was nearing slumber.

I inhaled his warmth like it was nicotine and prepared myself letting the addiction destroy me.

~I want all of you, forever, you and me, everyday~

-The Notebook.