You gave me a feeling
A feeling which I
Never felt before.   Though
I shivered before  being
Afraid, scared   but today I
Shivered   under your touch.
And for the first time I
shivered    May be
Being in love.

//Night//

** Dawn **

An exhilarating feeling embraces me as soon as I see Shade. My heart is racing so fast and loud that I am able to hear my own heart beat. What's this feeling? Shade is standing in front at the door wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled making it three-fourth and faded blue jeans. His well-built body is peeping through his shirt and his face is wearing a surprised and confused expression.

"Who's there Shade?" A beautiful young Sia Graynon appears in front of me with a gorgeous smile. She is looking as dignified as always.

"Hi Dawn. You... here? That too with blue orchids? Impressive." She gives me a questioning as well as an amusing look.

Finally I realize for what I have come here. "Umm... actually I have come here to deliv---"

"D! What are you doing here?" Melvin is as surprised as we all were.

"Yeah. Actually, I'm here to deliver these blue orchids from 'Belle Floral Shop.' I have joined there today. Marie told me to deliver these as the address falls on my way back home. But I didn't know it will be yours."

"Really?" Both Melvin and Miss Graynon says in unison and looks at Shade with an amusing expression.

What's with that look?? I turn towards Shade who is still rooted to the spot as surprised as before with a tint of happiness in his eyes. But as I look at him, he looks away and goes inside.

"Come in Dawn." Miss Graynon invites me inside keeping a hand behind my back. Her hand has a motherly touch.

"It's okay. Miss Graynon. It's--"

"First of all, you don't need to call me Miss Graynon outside the college. You can call me Sia. And second, today is Shade's birthday so we'll be happy if you come."  Sia looks at me with an expectant look.

"Umm... okay." I am confused but finally decide to enter. But after entering I feel like I have entered into an another world. The living room is painted with a dark shade of red and is beautifully furnished with creamy couches. Beside the couches there is an antique fireplace mantel with burning fire. The chandelier is lighted with candles and the curtains are of cream and red colour blended. From the middle of the room a red and cream coloured carpeted staircase goes upstairs which gets divided into two sides. The living room has a cozy and warm feeling and the moonlight peeping through the open windows is adding a more beautiful effect. But to my surprise, no party is going on.

"I thought you'll be having a party." I turn around and sees Melvin who is busy doing something in his phone.

"Huh? Party? Oh! Shade doesn't like parties and all those stuffs. So we just gift him his fave. blue orchids every year. But this time..." Melvin dives into his pool of thoughts as I stand there.

"Do one thing, why not you gift the orchids this time?" A mischievous smirk is plastered on Melvin's face as he blurs out his thought.

"Me?" I ask Melvin, dumbfounded.

"Yes, you! Is there any one else here?" The smirk on his face has now turned into a mischievous grin.

"Uh... no... Okay. I'll go. But where's he?" I have finally decided to break the ice between us and I also need to talk with Shade about yesterday evening.

"He should be in the balcony." Melvin points towards upstairs.

☆☆☆

As I enter the balcony, I see Shade standing, turning his back towards me, looking at the full moon. His face is not visible but his black hair is glistening in the moon light giving it a bluish tint. I walk up to him thinking how to break the ice when suddenly his husky voice send shivers on my body.

"What're you doing here?" Saying this, he turns towards me and in the moonlight he looks like an Angel. I feel a gush of nervousness covering me. I give him a small smile and offer him the bouquet of blue orchids. Roaming over my face, his eyes are now fixed on the bouquet. Reluctantly he hold the bouquet and for a split second, our hands graze. 

A shiver runs down my whole body giving me a tingling sensation in my heart. It is a feeling I never felt before. We both look up and hold each other's gaze. An electrifying sensation is passing through our touch. Suddenly his eyes become cold and he keeps looking at the blue charmers in his hands.

"I... I'm sorry." Saying it, he passes his beautifully crafted fingers across his black glistening hair with an awkward look on his face. I can feel heat emerging upwards towards my face from the knot that is forming in my stomach. I push a strand of my hair falling over my face behind my ears and thought of saying something. But I can't as I turned around hearing a cough.

"Hope I'm not disturbing! But, can you both please come down? I've a surprise!" Sia is standing there with a beautiful smile on his face.

"Yeah. Sure." I quickly start walking and before taking the downstairs I heard a feeble "thank you" from Shade.

☆☆☆

"Where were you lost? And what's this smile for?" Melvin asks making one of his eyebrows dance as I descends downstairs.

"No... nothing. My face is always smiling, that's why." Not a good excuse as I can bet my face is still flushed and I am damn sure that Melvin has seen that.

"Stop teasing her Vin." Sia glares at Melvin as she enters with a tray of chocolate pastries.

"Have these dear. I hope you like to eat pastries?" Sia asks me putting the tray on the coffee coloured coffee table.

"I love pastries, specially chocolate." I get really happy seeing the mouth-watering pastries as I last ate after leaving the college with Rain and now, hunger is dancing in my stomach.

"Mmm..."  A moan escapes my mouth without my own knowledge.

"It's yummy! Thank you so much Sia." I speak after gulping a mouth full of pastries.

"My pleasure dear. By the way, how did you come here? I never thought anyone knew this route through the forest." Sia gives me a curious look.

"Umm... actually I have found this path one day while I was walking through Shade." They all chock in unison on the drink they all are drinking. I look up hearing them  coughing. They all are giving me a confused look but my eyes are fix on Shade's lips. A tint of red liquid is clinging at the corner of his lips. But before I can say something Melvin shouts, "Shade?" After Melvin points out, the realization hit me what blunder I have done. My cheeks turn hot out of embarrassment.

"I mean... the forest, I love walking through the woods and I really don't know why I have given this name to the forest. I'm extremely sorry. I  had no idea that it could have been someone's name." I give them a genuine sorry look.

"It's okay girl. We don't have any problem. Right Shade?" Melvin asks Shade with an amusing look on his face enjoying the situation most. Without saying anything Shade gives me a look which has so many emotions that I can't understand at all. As our eyes meet, I remember the red liquid at the corner of his lips. For a split second, my eyes lower down and strangely there is no trace of red liquid anymore. Feeling his intense gaze, I look away as a nervousness creeps up. And Shade, without saying anything, leaves the room.

Shade Graynon. You're a puzzle to me. Why can't I solve you? Oh! Right
To join a puzzle I need all the pieces.

Leaving a sigh, I look up only to see curious Melvin and Sia who are looking behind me. Turning around, I realize that Shade has not left the room. He has gone to the bar for getting another drink.

"Shade, don't drink too much." Sia says in a motherly yet authoritative tone. Shade only nods his head and chugs down whatever drink he is drinking.

☆☆☆

When I finish the pastries, it's already 8:00pm.

"I think I shall leave now. Night has already fallen and it will get difficult to go through the forest if I get more late." I stand up and walk for the door.

"Wait! Shade. Go with her." Hearing that I turn around and see a frown on Shade's face.

"But Mom. If she can come alone, she can also go back alone." Sarcasm is dripping from his voice.

"Sia... there's no need. I can go back alone. No problem." I say with a smile trying to ease the arising tension in the air.

"How can there be no problem? There is problem. I'll not let you go alone at this time through this forest. I know you are brave and strong, but you don't know how dangerous this forest is. So, Shade will go with you." She looks at Shade and gestures him to follow me as I feel uneasy hearing Sia's words. The way she spoke about the forest's danger, I can't help but think if she knows something.

But before my mind can think more, a grumpy Shade follows me as I wave them goodbye. There is a feeling of happiness inside my heart thinking that Shade will be with me. But at the same time a Sia's words are making me restless.

☆☆☆

The sky is painting a moonlit night with a bluish and silvery tint of moon light as we are walking through the woods. Shade is walking much faster in front of me. No matter how much I try, I am not able to catch up with him. So I start walking faster with a  little bit of running. Suddenly I trip over something and something fall from my pocket. I am all set to fall flat on my face when suddenly two arms wrap around my waist and my back hit against a hard wall. I turn around, surprised, as I see Shade holding me in his arms. Again the same tingling sensation burns my heart. I am like lost in heaven in an angel's arms.

"Slow down. ma lumière." I come back to the forest from my little tour in heaven hearing a strange word from his mouth.

"What was that? Ma lume..." I give him a surprising look. He has already left my waist and again a confusion hit me. Am I burning or is he too cold?  I've never felt such shivering coldness before.

Turning around he starts walking and chuckles saying, "Nothing."

"OMG! You can chuckle too?" I try feigning a shocking expression.

And he again looks at me with a serious cold face. "No. Now come and walk beside me."

"Okay." We start walking again but the silence is killing me. So I decide to ask him about the bracelet. I bring out the bracelet from my pocket and dangle it in front of his eyes. He snatches it instantly and his eyes twinkle with happiness as he looks at the bracelet.

"Is it yours?" I ask him as if I am interrogating him.

"Yeah. Where did you find it??" He is looking at the bracelet with a melancholic look and rubbing his thumb on the initial 'C'.

"So it is you who saved me yesterday evening from Dennis." Hearing this from me his face stiffens.

"Huh? What do you mean?" The happiness that was twinkling in his eyes a little time before, gets hidden behind his darkened eyes.

"Don't try to deny that. I found it after you took Dennis away with you." I say directly, looking into his eyes. His eyes are wavering between confusion and hesitation.

"Umm..." he coughs a bit clearing his throat, "yeah I felt that someone is in trouble." He breaks the eyelock and looks away.

"You felt?" I am headstrong to know him, to understand him.

"Yes... No, I mean... I was passing by and... I heard some kind of noise. So... I just saw you. Yeah... I saw you in trouble." He is still avoiding to look at me.

"You're a very bad liar darling." Hearing it, he looks at me for a moment. The coldness of his eyes gets replaced by a strange warmth.

"Are you done doing PhD on me? Stop analysing and come." Saying that he holds my wrist and starts walking. I shudder under his cold touch. My cheeks are getting heated up and a knot starts forming in my stomach. I am walking as if some spell has been cast upon me. I don't knew where I am going.

After some time the moonlight find her way on our hands. I am surprised seeing that he is not holding my wrist anymore. Our fingers have intertwined taking a form of a knot. A smile starts forming on my face. I look at him as he walks and it seems like he doesn't even know about this knot.

☆☆☆

After coming out of the forest I tell him to go back as it is 5minute walk to my home. He is not agreeing and our fingers are still tied in a knot. I assures him that I'll be fine. He breaks the knot and looks a little bit disappointed. I put a hand on his shoulder giving my best smile. I have a sudden urge to hug him but snap out of my thought as I don't know what he feel for me. Turning around, I am just about to walk when his husky voice utters, "Good night. Ma lumière." I turn around but he is already walking in the darkness of Shade. I head towards my home with a smile hearing that strange word whose meaning I don't knew.

After walking for few seconds, I realize I need to call mom. She must have been worried. But I can't find my phone inside my pocket. Then it strike my mind that, that something which fell down when I tripped was actually my phone. I was so caught up with Shade that I forgot about it. Thinking about all those things that happened few minutes back, goosebumps spread across my body. I slap lightly behind my head and run back to the forest as fast I can.

But upon reaching there, I have faced the shock of my life. A shock which has made my life topsy turvy and have shattered me into pieces. Pieces which are hard to join again and make me come face to face with my long hidden past.

☆☆☆

Hello friends!!! Sorry for being late. I usually update every alternative day. But yesterday I had an exam. Also I couldn't complete writing down the chapter before going for exam, so I completed it today.
So here it is, the fifth chapter. I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks a lot for all the reads, votes and comments.

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Thanks a lot for reading it. I'll be updating again within two or three days.
Till then bye with loads of love.❤❤❤