A morning like this should be captured in the movies, or to be narrated in a story-book for a perfect day in Paris but it is my story, an imperfect one. Staring at the masterpiece of Gothic architecture which is Notre-Dame de Paris, I let my fingers run through my hair - blinking my eyes wider. The stained glass windows offer a sight that gives a magnificent history of the Cathedral when it was constructed back in 13th Century. Every side of the Cathedral screams about its history. The West Front's tall towers, the South Tower's famous bells, the King's Gallery and those twenty eight statues of Kings of Judah and Israel in a line, the early Gothic arts at the portals hold my eyes captive for as long as they can.

It is nice I believe that for the first time I am choosing myself over other things in life. And, it's nicer that I'm not beating myself up in the four walls of Four Seasons.

'Beautiful...' Escapes my lips and I imagined myself playing my favourite chords on the cello and the more I imagine, the better the wires in my head are decluttering. I finally started accepting Paris and it feels kind of nice. Walking in an absolute daze, lost in the paradise of my daydreams, I accidentally bump into someone in the process.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry." Chanting like a mantra, I focus on the fashionable lady whose Louboutin heels are probably ruined by me.

Annoyed, she has pressed her lips in a tight line. "Are you a fucking blind?"

"I—" Yes, I'm pretty much shocked at the choice of her words. "I'm sorry again. I should have walked around more carefully."

"Are you a fucking idiot? Do you know expensive these shoes are?" Did she really not notice my Versace boots by now? The lady glares at me like she is planning my murder and I don't know what's it about Paris then whenever I try to feel it a bit, I'm afterwards left distressed.

My eyes watch her hair extensions and the way she carries herself like a diva. "I apologised, right? You shouldn't be unnecessarily rude when someone's being sorry."

She scoffs. "Your apology isn't gonna fix this, honeypot!"

The way she rolls her eyes express how true of a bitch she is capable of being but here I don't want to invite any further trouble.

Biting the inner walls of my mouth, I speak politely because no one has ever spoken to me this way. "It's just a little dirt. Gonna get clean."

Saying that as I turn to leave, her fingernails dig in my forearm as she forces me a centimetre closer with a nudge. Where is the security?

"You are not gonna get away with that queen of an attitude, sweetie." She smiles like pure evil and my head starts swimming in anticipation. Damn it, I should have stayed in the hotel room only.

"Let me go, hey?" I request trying to free myself when I suddenly hear a voice that stills everything around me.

"Soha! Baby!" I'm afraid to turn around and find the owner of the voice because I know that will break me like I never was a whole.

Disregarding every warning of my heart, as I dare to look, my world stops spinning right here, right now. My eyes are glued to the deep, dark eyes that rocked my world at one point of time.

Maddy, the guy if my dreams stands staring at me but necessarily, not in the same way once he used to. He was this bad boy, the kind of guy parents usually ask their daughters to protect their hearts from and here I was loving him for the most of my life, I could remember.

Maddy loved me too and that was what I liked to believe till I caught him pushing his tongue down my cousin's throat. That moment shattered me. I was broken like there was no healing. The worst thing about this whole thing is, he never tried to explain his act to me. Storming out of the room, he left me behind with a love that I believed was my everything. Then suddenly, one night I came to know that his father got another job in America and that they were moving. He was going away even without a goodbye. June 28, 2017 was the last time I saw him and that when he was in that damn car, leaving. Like a person devoid of a heart, he kept staring at me and now that I relive the moment, I knew it was pride in his eyes because I was successfully another notch in his playboy belt.

Maybe he was forever this hell of an actor but yet I do not fail to notice how his eyes widen for a microsecond as he takes in my presence. Shaking the shock off his face, he walks up to the yelling girl and wraps his hand around her waist.

"Baby, look what she did!" Pointing to the dirt on her heels, she complains but Maddy refuses to look my way.

All this time that I tried to take my mind off his pain, suddenly comes swirling with thicker and greyer clouds and just like that, I'm back again feeling miserable. It feels like a scratch on a fresh cut because, probably, I never gave the proper aid to the wound.

"It's all right. This way now you have a better reason to shop." As he says, the girl leans closer into his arm.

Smiling brightly, she croons. "Aren't you spoiling me bit too much?"

Finally locking his eyes with me, he utters the thing that I hate hearing the most. "You are my girl. You deserve to be spoiled by me, princess."

Maddy knows the effect his words are bearing on me as I suddenly open my mouth to catch my breath. That was something he used to tell me and me alone once. But then again, maybe it was never me alone in his category of princess.

The 'princess' suddenly rotates her neck to me and scorns. "Do you fancy seeing us make out now?"

Not trying to shed my tears before this jerk, I try to tell myself that I still have feet and I must move. Turning around, managing the limited strength, I sprint on my high heeled boots and even though the cold air cuts through me, I don't stop. I can't stop; the past is too heartbreaking and humiliating.

Finally running almost out of breath, I stand leaning on a car bonnet in the parking. Madhyam in Paris? In the whole stupid world, this is where I see him living a happy life while I still stand as one of his victories, living a wretched life of her own? My chest feels too tight and parting my lips, I try to draw in the most oxygen I can but the process is too hard. My gentle sobbing turns into messy howling and that is exactly when I feel a hand tap on my shoulder.

Knowing well that I must have welcomed someone's attention to my pitiful life, I pat my cheeks try and turn around to feel my world shake again. Maddy stands smirking at me and I don't know where exactly to run. I knew that at some point of time, the two of us were going to cross paths, somewhere, but never did I think of what I would do once it happens.

"Tsk tsk.." With his thumb as he partially dabs the tear on my cheek, I flinch under the touch. "You still haven't gotten over me, princess, have you? God, this is so sad!"

Pressing my back more into the wall, I feel my heartbeat fasten. "J-just...go."

As he takes a step closer, my back is pressed against the wall. This is where my head starts swimming as I absorb his intoxicating breath.

"God, I always thought that you are one scaredy-cat but your presence here sends me a different message. Tell me," He takes another step closer and now it is impossible to tell if we are two separate individuals. "how should I interpret the situation?"

"You-you are .. how can you even think like that?" I try to push him off me because the feeling is making me sick to my core but my hands don't possess the strength.

"Don't you dare, Nandini." My head screeches internally as his eyes change drastically and now I don't even know who this person is anymore. "I'm warning you that don't even dare to come between Soha and me. I never took you to be this psycho obsessed bitch who could track me all the way to Paris and try to break me up with my fiancé. You surprised me, heh."

"I-I didn't ev-even know that you are going to be here. Pl-please Maddy, j-just move away." At this point, I'm mostly begging with my eyes.

"Oh? Is it?" He raises an eyebrow, an action I used to find so damn sexy which right now is turning as a nightmare.

"J-just move..away." I fumble feeling my throat dry up in fear.

"Why? Isn't this something you used to dream of day and night?" A disgusting smirk covers his lips and the feeling of his presence around me is nauseating.

"Just..please?" My nerves start palpitating.

"All right, I'm going." He takes a step back but swiftly, he covers the gap between us and my eyes are broadened with fear. "But in case, you wanna cherish some of your cherished memories from the past, all you have to do is send me a Facebook message. We can go to a hotel and...you know what I mean, right?"

It will be an understatement of the century if I say I am not horrified at this point, probably the most I have been ever. How can he even say such a cheap thing to my face?

"So, tell me, what do you want, Nandini? Are you up for some fun? Tell me?" His hand reaches to my shoulder and I coil immediately. "What do you want?"

"Dude, what she wants right now is you to back the fuck off." Startled, both Maddy and I look aside to spot two extremely great looking, strong guys staring back at us.

Maddy instantly backs away not wanting to create any scene in the public especially since his 'fiancé' is some distance away. Those guys, I don't know who they are but right now they look like my saviours and I can't thank them enough.

As Maddy leaves, the two guys approach me and I open my mouth to breathe in relief.

"Are you all right?" The taller guy asks but I'm too caught up in my head to answer.

"You want water or something?" Asks the same guy and shaking my head, I try to gesture I'm doing fine which clearly I'm not.

"Thanks.." I say lowering my head.

"It's nothing but it was sad seeing you like this." Says the shorter guy and my eyes move to him. "I mean, you look all fine and polished but if that's the way you deal with buggers, then we're sorry but something's not right with you."

"You know nothing about me." I glare softly.

"True but I don't need to know a girl in and out for making a judgement that she should fight back the bullies. The way that guy handled you, he clearly deserved five punches from your tiny knuckles." Says the shorter guy whilst I pull a soft frown not liking the fact that he is making such comments on my personal life. Maybe, I'm embarrassed that people found me when I was at my lowest.

"You helped me by intervening and I'm thankful for that. Please abstain fr— oh no!" As I'm speaking to these guys, at the speed of lightning, a thief grabs the handbag I was loosely holding and runs away with all my treasures in it.

Talk about a bad day!

Before I can fully wrap my head around what just happened, the taller guy rushes after the thief while I stare, slack-jawed.

"Ow, have you ever believed in bad stars?"

The shorter guy says after a long pause and I take a long breath in response.

✿

After what feels like forever, with my bated breaths, I find the taller guy coming back, shaking his head at me. "He was too fast."

"Of course, he is a professional, bro," The other guy says and I die a little inside.

"It's all right but...thank you. No, really." I say politely thinking hard in my head about what to do now. I am not used to facing so many challenges without the guidance of my parents.

As we say goodbyes and I thank them one more time, I resume walking in order to reach the hotel. I shouldn't have gone so overboard this morning and stepped out of the hotel itself. This, touring and all these happinesses aren't made for me. Hearing a voice shout from behind, I turn around and notice those two guys walking over to me.

"...What is it?" Nervous, I ask them.

"Where are you headed to?" Asks the cute guy.

"Um..the hotel. Why?" I don't know where is this going.

"And, is that anywhere nearby?" As he asks in detail, my heart worries.

"Um..why would you ask that?" But I say that too lowly so none of them hears. Clearing my throat, I speak. "Four Seasons."

"Girl, that's like so far away. Since you lost your wallet and all that, I'm guessing you still got some money on you." Reluctant and embarrassed, I nod my head and then shake a no and then nod a yes again.

They glance at one another. "If that's not a problem, you can come with us. We're headed that way." Seeing me stare at them, blankly, the taller guy speaks softly. "We're having plans for a dinner at one of their restaurants. So, if you are comfortable, you can tag along."

Gulping, I shake my head. "No, I-I guess I'll manage myself. It's not...that far away even." Who am I kidding? It's so far away. "I'll walk."

"You'll what?" Asks the cute, short guy. "Girl, you're so not walking there. By the time you'll reach there, your boots are gonna give away. Plus, let's not forget about the cold. Come with us, I insist?" Seeing me think hard, he begins again. "We're not bad guys, I promise."

They have helped me twice today and since I'm left with no other options, I try to bend my rigid rules just for this once. "I'm trusting you?"

"You won't regret." Says the cute guy and I try to smile even though I can't.

What am I doing? Walking towards an unknown car with two strangers? The Nandini Murthy who I left in back home would have never dreamt of something because to her, this accounted as 'wild'. This is what Mukti does and I'm not Mukti.

Fighting with the voice in my head, I fail to realise when I'm standing right by one rental BMW in dark blue shade and I still ask myself if I want to do this because once I enter, there may not be any coming back without regrets. Sickest thing is my parents won't even find me.

"You still are judging?" Says the taller guy with dark eyebrows, excellent facial bone structure and deep voice.

"I...must tell you one thing. I'm...not one of those girls. I'm simply taking this as a .... favour." Just as I finish, the short, cute guy bursts into a laughter feat and I look away in confusion and then, embarrassment.

"Relax. We won't ask for something in return. We're simply trying to help. Just-just learn to trust, all right?" He says with a bright smile which undeniably charming. "I'm Cabir, by the way. Cabir Dhawan. And, he is Aryaman Khanna. Let's exchange the names, all right, then you'll at least know what are the names to complaint about."

Shaking my head in pure embarrassment, I extend my hand. "I'm Nandini. Nandini Murthy."

Shit. I'm someone on the run and I definitely shouldn't have used my real name. Fuck that.

"So, Nandini, let's get you to Four Seasons?" The guy I know now to be called Cabir says and lifting my shoulders in a light shrug, I give them a go.

✿

Cabir is on the passenger seat whilst Aryaman controls the wheel. Seated behind, even though I admire the snow-covered scenarios around, I yet don't lose my focus on what's being conversed between them.

"So, Nandini, what to do you?" Asks Cabir with a genuine interest and my heart sinks.

My mother forever told me that she was ashamed of cello being my professional choice and she instilled the same in me that the same is an embarrassment but since I'm now surrounded by strangers who probably won't matter to me after this one car ride, I decide to at least own up the things I actually want, for once.

"I play cello." I say with confidence.

"Like, is that your profession?" As Cabir asks, I'm a little uncomfortable now.

"Um yeah." I reply fidgeting with my fingers.

"Wow that's so cool ya! Says Cabir glancing over Aryaman who simply looks at me through the mirror.

"Do you...genuinely mean that?" Surprised, I ask.

"Of course!" Cabir shrugs. "I mean, that's one of the most talented and passionate professions out there is. Plus, it looks so sexy on a woman. You are definitely talented, Nandini."

Giving them a smile, I ask them about themselves. My head tells me that it's not difficult even making a normal conversation with people by being the original you.

"I'm in the financial district at Wall Street. He's a writer." Cabir says slapping Aryaman's head who quickly gives him a sharp look and corrects his friend. "Author."

"Yeah that." Says Cabir. "But he stays in London."

Aryaman doesn't seem to talk much but once in a while he asks me a little something. "Are you here solo travelling?"

Biting hard my inhibitions, I nod my head. They both look surprised and I believe it must because how poorly I carried myself back at the Notre Dame or how unprepared I was when the thief stole from me. Usually, when you solo travel, you are expected to be a tougher person.

"I'm impressed." Says Cabir slowly nodding his head but from the look on his face it seems like he is not taunting. The compliment feels genuine.

As the car pulls up outside Four Seasons, my heart starts beating again and I can feel back my pulses again. Stepping out, I heartily thank the two of them when Cabir suddenly gets slapped on the back of his head by someone.

"And, you two sickos were late because?" Says a strangely familiar voice to them and standing on my tippy toes as I manage to have a good look at the face, I instantly hide myself behind Aryaman, without thinking straight.

"Ow..." Cabir turns around rubbing his head. "We were saving a damsel. Doing a heroic job unlike you giving five missed calls in every three minutes."

How can this be? How? Why do my stars have to turn so bad all of a sudden? How on earth is this possible that before my shield stands the same egoistic, ill-mannered creditor who I recently tricked into taking a blame for something he didn't do. Damn.

Aryaman, with a smile looks at me over his shoulder and I plead him with my closed palms to not move.

"Five missed ca—" The rude stranger suddenly stops talking. "What is that weird thing moving behind you?"

Holy crap. Did he spot me somehow?

Clutching Aryaman's jacket on his back, I fix him to stand still.

"What thing?" Aryaman asks with a smirk.

"That thing." Why doesn't the weirdo guy keep his mouth shut!

"Oh...you mean this?" Dropping the bomb on me, Aryaman suddenly steps aside revealing me to this crazy guy whose eyes turn from nonchalant to surprised and quickly, mischievous.

Straightening myself from this ugly posture, I clear my throat not wanting to meet his playful smirk but oh god, he is just too good at flaunting his pride.

"Hello, con girl."