I was looking at the address held in my hand. Near Kazansky railway station.

I quickened my pace. Counting the houses I came to number four.

The whitewashed brick building had a pretty yellow porch and sturdy wooden windows. It was a two storied structure with a beautiful ivy climbing up the balcony making a green canopy over it. I stared at the house in awe. So simple yet elegant. I rechecked my address. Then I set off.

The doorbell rang with a mellow sound. My hands were trembling and so were my knees. I fidgeted with my dress which I had taken thirty minutes to adjust. I touched my hair which had been pasted to my scalp with hair gel. Overall I had acquired a decent look.

I could hear footsteps coming towards the door. I held my breath.

The door opened a inch and a man peeped out.

The whole world spun around me.

Dmitri Petrov!!!!

Oh my God.

I was standing like an idiot staring the man I had worshipped throughout my life. He was my hero, my idol, I had had a secret crush on him from the day I saw him on the silver screen.

And here he was standing before me with the same mischievous yet alluring smile on his face. His liquid brown eyes met my gaze and I felt like my heart would burst with happiness. What an unspeakable fulfilment.

"P...Privet," I stammered the first word that came to my mind.

He opened the door wide on response and said in that voice of my dreams, " You must be the one who called up for interview. Please come in. And you can speak in English. I am comfortable with that."

I stumbled on his threshold but steadied myself before I could fall.

He led me to a small warm room in pale pink pastels. I could see the room adorned with a variety of awards. The most prominent among them was the "The Golden Mask" the highest Russian award for theatrical performances.

He beamed at me. I nervously returned the smile.

I immediately fumbled in my bag for the carefully prepared questionnaire.

His smile broadened as he gestured towards the sofa.

Thankfully I sank into the cozy seat.

Shuffling my papers I nervously tried to find my first question.

My mouth was dry and my legs felt weak. Crash!

The papers fell down on the floor. Hastily I bent to pick them when he stopped me and himself lifted them up. Then he handed them to me.

My skin touched his warm hand for a moment and a shock of electricity ran through my body.

In reply to a private question he said, "Let's talk about some helpless children instead."

Later he told me he is the trustee for a fund which takes care of the butterfly children, the ones with a rare genetic disorder, epidermolysis bullosa.

I was just sitting fascinated. I was looking at a really handsome man with sharp facial features.

But beneath the mask was another man, a hero, a kind soul, a man with a big heart. His eyes exuberated warmth and I found myself getting lost in their eerie beauty.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at me. He very enthusiastically showed me pictures of the children to whom he sings and reads stories.

I couldn't stare at those lovely eyes. Instead I tried to fix my gaze on the door behind him as he spoke with a commanding air.

Suddenly I saw a lady. A face with blond hair disappeared just as my gaze fell on the door.

It was as if she was keeping a watch on us.

I didn't know what exactly I saw but I suddenly felt uncomfortable. There was something unusually mysterious in her dark eyes.

Though it was a glimpse I asked Dmitri about the lady. He turned scarlet.

The lady was his fiancée, Vera Ivanov.

That was news!

Dmitri Petrov getting engaged would be hot news in the film industry.

"But promise me you won't tell anyone," he suddenly on an impulse caught my hand.

I froze.

Realising what he has done, he immediately released my hand and said, " We don't want to make this news public."

His wish was my command.

So two hours passed before I could even realise it. When I got up it was dark outside. He led me to the door.

He even went to the extent of asking whether he should ask his chauffeur to drive me home.

I politely refused. My heart beat was audible to me.

As I hailed a taxi he suddenly came down the steps and stood beside me. I looked at his lovely brown hair.

He stole a glance at me.

" A...a...Um...Hmmm...Come at this time tomorrow... if you want to know anything more. I would love your company..." he smiled sheepishly.

My heart fluttered like a lamp about to go off. It took me a minute to smoothen my face or I would have looked like an idiot gaping at him.

"You will give me time tomorrow? I am honoured." It was a lame response to his proposal.

He smiled. A brief flicker. Then the distant look was back in his eyes.

At one moment we were friends. Suddenly I was a mere reporter and he was a star. He was heaven, I was earth.

I lowered my eyes and got into the taxi. The taxi sped off. I stole a glance out of the tinted windows. He was still looking longingly at the taxi...