On a rectangular mirror buried by edges in a dragon carved frame, my reflection glowed beauty and even I was baffled at the rich glitters of pretty that radiated from my evening wear.

"Oh my goodness! Priya! You look so beautiful!" Eun Ji said.

"She looks like a princess from a Bollywood movie!" Seo Yeon chanted. The sky-blue apron she wore was decorated by puffs of powder and smears of different colours.

"I've never seen anyone look this pretty since the masked ball began. It's unique and so rich. Mr Kim has good eyes." Jin Sol the only guy in the room said with a bright smile.

They were right. I looked breath taking.

My body was wrapped by portions in a royal blue Banarasi silk saree. Every threaded embroidery formed floral motifs and with the gorgeous silk clothing around my waist and over the arms of a gold brocade cropped-blouse I wore, the chills of the autumn was somewhat minimized.

Jhumkas embedded with stones and gems in adorable forms were secured in my ear lobes, while being accompanied by gold mini-hoops in the second and third piercings on my ears. A beautiful hasli necklace curled tightly around my neck. Gold kangans sang loudly on my wrists with every move my hands made. The gold traditional bracelets embraced silver pieces that hugged my fingers as rings and webbed bracelets.

Bajuband a traditional armlet encircled my upper arm and the most attractive of all ornaments was the kamarbandh. The kamarbandh ran around my waist in its intricate pattern and eye-catching design. This jewel drew all eyes to the slender slants of my waist. It gave a boldly sensual feel. I felt like a goddess.

My hair crept up my neck in decent rolls without an ornament and the black on every strand shone bright. My eyes were lined by black and my lips kissed a pink gloss. A few more expertise dabs on my face by Seo Yeon and I was ready for my first masked ball.

Lee Eun Ji ran out of the room with two masks in her hands. She looked back at me and blushed.

"Hold on. I've got to check if Tae Min's in the living room." She said with ambitious eyes.

"Why?"

"Oh you'll see."

"She's definitely up to something." Seo Yeon said and took her leave with Jin Sol and the others, while I remained in the room as instructed by lovely Lee Eun Ji.

"You can come out now Priya!!" Eun Ji screamed from the sitting room.

I took gentle steps between doors and bold rays of light from chandeliers on the ceiling of the living room shone on my attire. Jewels sparkled and the saree I wore had a better shade of blue.

Kim Tae Min was having a drink. Of course he needed one, especially for an occasion hosted by his father.

I wanted him to look at me but his eyes were fixated on the sky-high buildings beyond the slide doors of his home. I was sure thoughts of his father filled his mind at that moment. I pitied him.

He gulped down the brown liquor, shot after shot until I coughed and his eyes finally landed on me. He chocked.

I couldn't help it but laugh. It was funny and satisfying.

I walked towards him and his ears got red. He looked dashing as well in a blue velvet tuxedo and subtle gold piece on the pocket of the coat. The platinum strands of his hair fell neatly on his shoulders. He was quite a feast for the eyes.

I got close enough until I could see his pupils dilate as he stared at me. The ebony of my skin hid any red blush. I could almost hear my heart throb abnormally. The feeling was more than just liking a person. What was it?

"Well if I look good enough to make you choke on your beloved bourbon, then I can boldly walk into tonight's ball feeling pretty." I said.

"Of course...you look phenomenal." Kim Tae Min said while he let down the glass of bourbon he held.

"Phenomenal? You could just say she's beautiful. This is why you're single brother." Eun Ji scorned playfully.

"Apparently my little sister's too dumb to understand what phenomenal means. That's why she'll be riding to the ball with her friends and we'll take a separate car."

"What?! You already set up a ride for my friends and I? Wow, you really don't want me to tag along with you and Priya. Why's that though?" Eun Ji pouted.

"I don't want your dumbness to rub off on us." Kim Tae Min teased his little sister. It was a cute scene to watch. It made me miss my harmless quarrels with Natasha.

"It's fine. I'll go with my girls but admit it brother, you just want to be alone with Priya. It's all good. Better now than never right?" Eun Ji asked and took hasty steps towards the door.

"Why you little..."

After a smile and a wink, Eun Ji dashed off and nothing but awkward silence fed Tae Min and I.

"We should get going. Here, Eun Ji got you this mask."

"Oh. Thanks. It's pretty. I'll give her my thanks at the ball and I should probably thank you now for the saree...so...thank you." I spoke with eyes to the ground.

"It's alright. This is little compared to how I feel now because of you Pree. I know quitting the drugs have been a struggle for me but with your help, I'm getting better. I am well emotionally and honestly the moments I spend in theatres and parks performing the ballads I wrote have given me a sense of fulfilment. I'm really grateful I have you."

My heart fluttered and silence dwelt amongst us again until our feet took us out of Kim Tae Min's home.

Kim Tae Min and I stepped out of the classy building he lived in and at the sight of an unfamiliar black Hyundai parked in front of us, he stopped.

A tall man in a black suit stepped out of the car and began to walk towards Kim Tae Min and me. Tae Min began to sweat and his fists clenched.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That's my father's driver." Tae Min said. Uneasiness was written on the beads of sweat that fell off his face.

"Why is here?" I asked.

"That's what I'd like to know."

The tall human was a step from us and he made a bow.

"Mr Kim, your father has asked me to take you and your guest to the masked ball." He said.

"Why did my father ask you to do that?"

"I don't know sir. Please come with me."

"Whatever." Annoyed Tae Min said and took my hands in his.

We got into the car provided by Tae Min's father and rode into the night in preparation for an unpredictable event. I prayed silently that all would be fine but a voice in my heart revived the doubts I had.

I gazed at Kim Tae Min. He bit his lips and tapped the car seat repeatedly. His hands shivered and his eyes seemed wet with every blink.

I placed my hands over his. He turned to me.

"Don't worry so much. Everything will be fine. You'll be fine."

"Thanks Pree." He said with a smile. A masked smile. The anxiety in my heart grew by seconds.

A buzz from my phone made the situation worse. I tapped the gadget and found thirteen missed calls and a voice mail from an unknown phone number.

"What's wrong?" Tae Min asked. I told him and he insisted I listen to the voice note. So I did.

"Hi Priya, it's Rajesh Singh. Your father gave me your number and asked me to contact you. He said you were on a trip.

Well it's been months and my parents are concerned about our wedding.

Actually it's a concern to both of our families. I'd like to speak to you and get to know you better.

The last time we met was when you were ten. We were friends then and I believe we can still be friends now.

I really need to know if you want to go through with our marriage and I have other things to say as well. So please call me when you get this message."

My heart dropped down my ribs and an invisible lump settled on my throat after I listened to the message.

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't have listened to the message." Kim Tae Min said with another fake smile.

"You just told me to listen to it."

"I'm not in my right mind now. Well I guess we've both had our share of disappointments tonight. Nothing else would go wrong." Kim Tae Min laughed.

"I hope so. I truly hope so."

After a rather long ride, we arrived at a very fancy hotel in Gangnam. It was a large structure of glowing lights dancing in rays of bright yellow and dimmed green. The name of the wonderful hotel was the Imperial Palace. It was a five star hotel that exemplified class, luxury and comfort at acme.

We walked into the huge building and its interior sent gold shimmers across every angle from sophisticated chandeliers. The wood-like brown of sturdy pillars, the ornamental touch of varied plants and the pretty imprint of the hotel's acronym 'IP' in the middle of the reception made eyes astonished. It was a perfect interior décor constructed professionally to the slightest detail.

Men and women in fashionable evening wear trooped into the hotel with stylish masks on their faces. Cameras clicked from the entrance of the building and security guards were on their toes.

A decent young man approached Kim Tae Min and I.

"Mr Kim and Miss Priya I assume. Welcome! The Judy Stone masked ball is this way. Please follow me."

"Jun Ho named the masked ball after my mother. He says her name goes well with the charity event. What a joke! He's her greatest charity case. The nerve of that bastard." Tae Min whispered.

The young man led Tae Min and I to one of the banquet halls in the Imperial Palace. Well-dressed round tables and cute chairs filled the room in a spatial but top-notch arrangement.

While Kim Tae Min and I walked into the room, eyes turned and lips began to move. Of course they did. Kim Tae Min was in a classy event with a beautiful Indian woman in a saree. I smiled but the more they stared, my confidence began to waver.

"Hey, chin up! You're the prettiest one in the room." Kim Tae Min said. I laughed.

"Mr Kim, we've been expecting you. The team's waiting." A middle-aged woman with a name tag called a few steps away from a reserved table.

"I guess that's where we're supposed to sit." Tae Min said. We walked to the table and took our seats.

The middle-aged woman whispered to Tae Min and in less than a second, he got up.

"I'm sorry I have to leave like this Pree but I'm performing tonight. I do this every year."

"You're going to rap?"

"No. It's a special dedication to my mum. I do it every year. You'll see. I'll come find you once the performance is over. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. You should go." I said but it wasn't fine.

The moment he left, I felt like a stranger in an overwhelming space. I was used to galas like this. I knew the scornful look of proud women and the cunning faces of business men. I knew it all. Still it felt different.

After minutes staring at the fancy plates and cutlery on the table, I played games on my phone. The event began and after an hour Kim Tae Min was called to perform. My anxiety drifted away.

Tae Min walked to a piano on a stage set up in the hall. He stretched his arms for a bit and soon his fingers began an amazing dance on the keys of the eccentric piano. He played Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mozart pieces. It was gold to the ears.

Applause filled the air after every piece was played and in an encore, he played my favourite classic. It was Clair de Lune by Debussy. With a smile so wide, I felt my worries melt away and sudden warmth blessed my fluttering heart.

"A feeling more than liking someone. What is this?" I thought while I gazed upon the beauty that was Kim Tae Min.

In a moment, my joy was made brief when a familiar human sat next to me.

It was Lee Jun Ho.

In a tuxedo, he looked more frightening than he did the last time I saw him. I squeezed my saree and did my best to act like one who saw him for the first time.

"His mother thought him how to play like that. He wanted to read music but got scouted at a young age and focused on celebrity lifestyle instead. Sometimes I wonder how he'd turn out if he actually read music and played ballads and classics like he used to when his mom was alive." Lee Jun Ho said in English.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Please excuse my manners. I'm Lee Jun Ho, Kim Tae Min's father. You must be Priya Kapoor." He held out his hand and for the sake of treading carefully, I took it.

A brief handshake followed a smile and I hoped he would leave but he was adamant.

"Beautiful attire by the way."

"Thank you."

"Tae Min must really like you. That's a good thing but it's also a bad thing."

"Why is it a bad thing?" I shouldn't have asked.

"My dear, it's been a while since Kim Tae Min took interest in anyone or anything. It's quite a surprise actually. Just be careful because it might not be a good thing for you. He's a talented lad but I can't say he's a good suitor. He finds himself in so much trouble, some of which I'm sure you're aware."

I bit my lips. I knew the troubles he referred to.

"He's involved with people he shouldn't be involved with and he does things that could ruin his career if the authorities ever found out. As his father I have to stick with him and clean up his mess but you my dear, you have no reason to be here. You can leave when you want to and you should leave. Tae Min is damaged goods to be honest and even you won't be able to fix him. Forgive me for doing a background check but it's hard to believe that a successful medical student from a wealthy home would leave a stable career path and a bright future to stay by the side of a drug addict who's clearly a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Don't get mad at my words dear, I'm just offering my advice. Leave Kim Tae Min while you can and go home. Don't let him hold you down. You shouldn't put your life on hold for someone like him. You'll only end up hurt, disappointed and full of regret. Take it from a man who has to clean up after him every time. It's exhausting."

Lee Jun Ho's words were not a threat but they were arrows that hit my heart. I was not afraid of my future with Kim Tae Min, I was not angry at my decision to move to Seoul and ignore the Singhs. I was mad at Lee Jun Ho for saying terrible things about someone I held dearly to my heart. No I was not mad. I was furious and in fury, words left my lips.

"Mr Lee Jun Ho, I thank you for your advice but I'd like to clarify some things. First of all, Kim Tae Min is not a ticking bomb or damaged goods. He's a kind and amazing person who's just chocked up by things he can't handle. What he needs is a friend, someone to help him and I've gladly taken up that role. Second, Kim Tae Min isn't holding me down. Being with him has made me learn new things about myself and for the first time in my life, my path is one created by me. If anything, he's lifting me up. And lastly, being in Seoul is my decision and whatever decisions I may take in the future with Kim Tae Min, is my business. So I'll gladly accept whatever comes my way. I appreciate your concern but I am a grown woman and I can take care of myself." I said and turned my eyes to Kim Tae Min's performance.

"You're quite bold, just like his mother. Now I see why he's so attracted to you. Well, I figure I'm no longer welcome here and I'd hate to make you more uncomfortable so I'll take my leave. Goodnight Miss Priya." Lee Jun Ho said and walked away with a sly smile.

He walked to a table where Lee Eun Ji and a handsome man sat. Lee Jun Ho whispered to the handsome man at the table. The man turned to me and smiled after a five-second stare. I felt cold.

After Tae Min's performance, donations were announced, speeches were given and finally a dance.

Kim Tae Min did keep his promise and we danced but it lasted for a minute. He excused himself after an attendant called for him. With a smile I told him he could go but my heart wanted him to stay.

While everyone danced I sulked in my seat. The handsome man from Jun Ho's table asked me for a dance after Tae Min left but I rejected his offer. It was creepy enough that he smiled at me right after my chat with Lee Jun Ho and asking me for a dance was the height of it.

I sat still and counted the floral patterns on my saree, with hopes that Kim Tae Min would come for me. Well my hopeful desire shattered when a familiar face walked to me. It was Hwang Do Yoon, the driver who picked me up from the airport when I arrived at Seoul.

"Hello Miss Priya. Do you remember me?" Do Yoon asked.

"Of course I do. You're Hwang Do Yoon."

"You have a good memory. I have a message from Mr Kim. Apparently he has some business to attend to with his father and he'll be running late so he asked me to give you a ride home. He says he's sorry and he'll make it up to you. Would you like to leave now?"

I let out a deep sigh of disappointment and put on a fake smile once again. It seemed I wore a mask more often than Tae Min.

"It's fine. I'd like to leave now please."

"Very well. Please follow me."

When I left the Imperial Palace, a heavy weight was lifted off my chest. For some reason I'd felt suffocated. There were no more blinding flashes from cameras, whispering tongues or roaming eyes. I felt free.

"If this is what it means to be a celebrity, I'd rather live a quiet life." I thought.

Hwang Do Yoon led me to a blue Hyundai. I smiled at the sight of the car. It reminded me of the excitement I felt the first time I arrived at Seoul. The excitement seemed to fade away but it only rejuvenated when I was with Kim Tae Min and that night, all I felt was loneliness.

"How long do you think Tae Min would stay back?" I asked Do Yoon.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I don't know."

"What about Mr Park? I haven't seen him in a while and he wasn't at the ball either. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Everything's fine Miss Priya. You don't have to worry about Mr Kim or Mr Park. Everything's fine." Do Yoon said. He sounded different at that moment.

I contemplated on the events of the past. I thought of my life from the moment I wrote a letter to Kim Tae Min, to the joy I had after I became the winner of the trip to Seoul.

I thought of the thrill I felt when I saw Kim Tae Min for the first time and the flutter my heart had on our outings. I thought of the moments we spent together and the sorrow of the terrifying scenes revolving Tae Min's life. Then like a parasite, Lee Jun Ho's words were repeated in my head.

On the way to Tae Min's apartment, I thought of the best things and the worst. The night felt colder than it was before the ball. Autumn still danced in her waves of maroon, brown and yellow but winter had begun to sing her icy tunes silently within the wind. The snowy season was near. My skin seeped in the chilly breeze while I queried my actions, past and present.

What if I'd left Seoul after the trip was over? What if I'd never met Kim Tae Min? What if I never came to South Korea? What if I never wrote that letter?

Word count; 3664

Author's Note:

This chapter is dedicated to my Indian friends, followers and readers of 'Dear Kim'.

I appreciate your culture and I love the beauty of it. I do hope you enjoy this book and the boldness of the character 'Priya Kapoor'.

-Imperial Palace, South Korea.

-Imperial Palace (interior).

-Banarasi silk saree.

-Jhumka (traditional earring).

-Hasli.

-Kangans (wrist bracelets).

-Bajuband (arm bracelet).

-Kamarbandh.

-My favorite song from one of my favorite Bollywood movies (inspiration for Priya's attire in this chapter).
-To all my Indian friends out there, "you're the charming one".