The blush on her cheeks had become his absolute favorite a long time ago, but he never knew beauty could be so charming, so alluring, yet so simple. She was pretty, yes, but he had no clue she could be this stunning. With her pimples owned proudly, her dusky skin tone fitting well with the shade of her eyes, her chubby arms and cheeks adding to the cuteness she exuded, she appeared oh-so ethereal with her curly hair flowing behind her as the Ferris wheel made its customary revolutions. In fact, there was an overload of aesthetically pleasing features when it came to the girl despite the traditionally accepted flaws as claimed by society.

Perhaps he had known it all wrong his entire life. Probably he had believed in the incorrect things since he was a young boy. Beauty could never equate to just the outer appearance as Nandini had so gracefully explained it to him without articulating a single thing. Not that Piyali wasn't beautiful. She was. Inside out. However, the girl standing in front of him, her eyes shimmering with glee and joy as she suggested a dress to his mother, was the most exquisite woman he had the fortune of meeting in his life. And probably, his definition of love and relationships and matters of the heart had been faulty all along, for complex emotions, deep-seated feelings, and heart-touching sentiments could be found in the most unexpected of people.

Yes, he had an extremely beautiful girlfriend, and he was always proud of the fact that he found Piyali. However, at the moment, he was sure that outer beauty was just an illusion. A sensual, tempting illusion. Beauty couldn't be skin-deep. It lay in the chasm swirling in Nandini's eyes. It lay in the giggles escaping her throat every now and then. It lay in the innocent smiles on her face. It lay in the innocuous brushes against her palm. It lay in every breath she took and in each of those moments when she batted her lashes.

Lost in his own musings, he didn't notice when they went towards the musical arena of the fair where quite a few Disney mascots were dancing and encouraging the visitors to sway to the tunes too. His excited mother pulled his grinning father, and the two of them held hands, dancing under the starlit sky as pop tunes blared from the speakers.

Watching his parents shake a leg with Mickey Mouse, he chuckled and forwarded his palm to the cute girl next to him. "Wanna dance?"

She peered at him once before looking back towards the neon lights flashing on the Roy couple, illuminating their skin in a different hue. "I don't know how to dance."

"Seriously?" He grimaced, but when she shrugged, he facepalmed himself and held her wrists, prompting her to glimpse at him once again. "Loosen up, Nandini. Always follow your heart. Remember?"

She took a deep breath, reminiscing all the sweet moments the two of them had spent during the Durga Puja weekend. All of it was etched in her memory, and no matter what, she had been unable to forget the sweet talks, the flirtatious exchanges, the late-night conversations, the teasings, his blue car, her pink dress...

The more those memories flitted through her mind, the more breathless she became because she had recently spent a beautiful evening with Shubham, and that was supposed to be the stepping stone to finding love in the city. But if that was as real as she had claimed it to be, what was it drawing her closer to the devil?

"Baby Elephant? You okay?"

His solicitous voice brought her out of the reverie she was in. Donning a bright smile, she nodded her head and placed her hand in his. He tugged her towards him and smoothly slid closer to the center of the stage where the Mickey Mouse mascot was now flailing its limbs in accordance with the loud tunes.

His free hand went to her waist, and she drew a sharp breath, inhaling the scent of his invigorating deodorant. A weak smile formed on her face, which dropped the moment her gaze landed on the glint in his eyes.

"All good?" 

She beamed. "Can I ask you something?"

He twirled her around, eliciting a giggle from her. "You just did."

Clicking her tongue, she huffed. "It's not even an original joke you keep rehashing."

Sniggering, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ask away."

Her arms went ahead to lock around his neck. "Why were you so angry with me the other day just because I wore a saree?"

He frowned. "When?"

"At the temple."

His brows went up. "I was not angry with you."

"You screamed at me."

"Well, because you were looking exceptionally pretty." He tucked her hair behind her ears. "So damn beautiful."

She pouted. "And that's a sin?"

He leaned closer to her, gently brushing his fingers on her lips. "No."

She shivered under his touch. "Then?"

"I am not supposed to feel this way for you, Baby Elephant," he whispered, and it was strangely audible despite the crowd cheering. "But when I saw you in that saree..."

She whimpered a bit when his eyes flickered to her puckered lips

His gaze pierced her very soul when he looked back at her ."I felt things I have never felt around Piya either." He could tell her breath had hitched in her throat, and he couldn't help himself but gulp every time she respired, her front touching his chest with each slight movement. "I feel warm, fuzzy, weird things around you. It's technically wrong. Very wrong. But I can't help it. You don't make it easier for me either. Doing adorable things every time I see you, invading my thoughts, my dreams, my reality. You have turned my life around, Nandini Basu, and this..." He chortled. "This feels great. You and I dancing here at the fair feels amazing. Like the perfect version of the best life imaginable."

She let out a ragged breath, licking her lips as they continued swaying to the booming music. Glimpsing away, she pursed her lips. "Aditya—"

"I know." He groaned. "I have a girlfriend. A pretty serious one, and come on! You are a Baby Elephant."

She smacked his arms. "Am I not lovable or what?"

He smiled at her. "That's the problem. You are the most lovable girl on this planet. Scratch that. I bet no one is as lovable as you in this universe."

***

Sandhya and Abnish couldn't believe their one-week vacation had come to an end. They were supposed to attend a wedding in Toronto and hence made a short detour to meet their son, but Aditya had given them a wonderful surprise. Well, two surprises. The first was definitely the sweetest girl they had the chance to meet, and the second was the loft he bought with his hard-earned money.

When Aditya gave them a tour of the house he had purchased in one of the most expensive cities in the world, Nandini was dumbfounded. She had always dreamt of a home like this. The door opened to a massive, rectangular hall with the dining area and kitchen on the left hand and the living area on the right. A set of stairs from next to the door led them to the first floor above, and a balcony covering the length of the entire living area, overlooking the pool below, was positioned on the other side of the hall. The first floor had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with another balcony in the master bedroom overseeing the main highway at a distance where traffic plied ceaselessly.

The official handover of the loft was complete, and all Aditya needed to do was move into the house, which he said he would do pretty soon. But Sandhya wished to prepare a sweet dish to mark the commencement of her son living there.

So, with the help of Nandini, she brought enough ingredients and utensils from the nearby Indian store and placed the pot on the stove, instructing the girl, which Nandini followed diligently. When the rice and milk came together to form a rich consistency, Sandhya went ahead to chop a few nuts and decorate the pure-white dessert.

"Keep practicing this rice pudding. It is Adi's favorite," Sandhya said, giggling. "After you two get married, won't you be the one cooking it for him?"

Nandini turned a deep shade of crimson at the comment while Aditya choked on the water he was gulping by the refrigerator. 

Pursing her lips, she immediately rushed to his side and patted his back affectionately. "You okay?" 

He cleared his throat. "Mom... I mean... she... I mean..."

"What?" Abnish suppressed a snicker, chomping on a few almonds. "You two want to get married, don't you? She is a special girl, and we like her."

"She is very special, Dad. The most special girl ever," Aditya said, grinning, and immediately regretted it, for his parents smirked and Nandini glared at him.

"Wow, Adi!" Sandhya sniggered. "Most special and all, huh?"

Warmth seeped into his neck, and his cheeks reddened.

"My goodness, Abnish! Our son is blushing," Sandhya said, tittering.

Nandini discreetly punched him in the guts, and he could only huff in response.

"So, Nandini, tell me. How did you fall for this idiot?" Abnish said, wiggling his brows at his son.

Her eyes enlarged at the question. She glanced in Aditya's direction, who nodded, silently coaxing her to proceed. "Umm... he... he is actually great. Very gentle, caring. So..." She fidgeted with her dupatta. "I mean... he... the way he fulfills each and every one of my wishes, my demands... it's endearing."

"That's good to know," Abnish said. "It's strange because my son can be quite the arrogant, broody man."

"Dad." Aditya rolled his eyes. "Praise me once. Please. Will you?"

Abnish chortled. "You don't give me any chance to, dear son."

"Let it be," Sandhya said, waving her hands. "This to and fro will keep going on till the end of time. You tell me, Adi. Why did you fall in love with Nandini?"

Aditya groaned. "Enough of these Q&A sessions, alright? Let's go grab dinner. And after we come back, we will eat dessert."

"First, answer my question, Adi," Sandhya said, donning a stern expression.

"Fine! I-I..." He fumbled for words. Taking a deep breath, he glimpsed at Nandini, whose expression gave away how curious she was to know his answer. A gentle smile appeared on his lips because of the shimmering eyes she boasted of. "There is no one thing I love about her. She is an amazing woman. Her sincerity, her honesty, the way she has an opinion about everything under the sun, her tact, her stubbornness, her playfulness, her childish nature, her reserved demeanor, her sass, her sarcasm, I love it all. She knows what true friendship means and how to keep her relationships healthy and intact. I love how she can speak her mind out, call me the devil when no one else would ever get the guts to. She carries herself so well. She can flaunt every dress she picks, and she can look drop-dead gorgeous even when she has just woken up and her hair is sticking out at odd angles." He chuckled when he saw her smile. "I love whatever she cooks because she makes the most lip-smacking dishes ever. Although I hate it when people obsess over cleaning and keeping things in an orderly fashion, when she does it, I adore this fetish too. In short, I love everything about her. Added to it is the fact that she is insanely beautiful." He sighed profoundly, murmuring, "Who, in their right mind, would not fall in love with her!"

As he fell silent, Nandini could not take her eyes off him, and he was continually gazing at her too.

"Wow!" Sandhya said. "That's... wow!"

When finally realization dawned, Aditya and Nandini looked away from each other, embarrassed with whatever conversation had ensued.

Aditya hummed, pursing his lips. "Wow!"

Nandini felt overwhelmed. For a moment, all of it seemed very real, and she was taken aback when she discerned how fake this situation was, how unreal. If only things could be in her favor, she would get to be a part of this amazing family. However, all of this belonged to Piyali, and a tiny part of her did envy Aditya's real girlfriend.

Sandhya chuckled. "Our flight is tomorrow, Aditya." She gawked at her son. "We had a wonderful week with you and your girlfriend, but I would much appreciate it if you could come clean."

Aditya was midway gulping water, which he eventually choked on. Again. "What..." He cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

Abnish and Sandhya exchanged furtive glances with one another before the former said, "We know, son."

Aditya glimpsed at an equally confused Nandini. "What do you know, Dad?"

"We know, Aditya," Sandhya said, stressing over every word, casting a meaningful glance at Nandini.

"Know what, Mom?" he snapped.

"That Nandini is not your girlfriend," Abnish said.

Aditya's face fell, and Nandini's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, your grandmother had already told us everything about Piyali." Sandhya heaved a deep sigh. "When we came here, it was with the intent of meeting her, but you introduced Nandini, and though we were confused, we assumed you might have broken up with Piyali."

Aditya gulped, staring at his feet.

"But then," Abnish chortled, "we found out that you two are trying to hide the truth from us because of some silly notion Adi has."

"I overheard your discussion in the bathroom on the first day itself," Sandhya said, letting out a short laugh.

Nandini's mouth hung open, and she deftly hid her face behind her palms.

Aditya took a sharp breath, holding his head in his hands. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, baby," Sandhya cooed, pulling his cheeks. "Don't be mad at us. We let you play along since we partly wanted to see how far you can take this."

Nandini peeked from behind her fingers. At the receiving end of utter mortification, she couldn't have exactly spoken up. However, curiosity got the better of her. "And partly because?"

Abnish sniggered. "Because we liked having you around, sweetheart. You are such a lovely person, and it's a pleasure to spend time with you."

Nandini ducked her head down while her cheeks turned crimson because of the embarrassment coursing through her veins. "Sorry. Aditya forced me to, and—"

"Liar!" Aditya narrowed his eyes at her. "I asked. I said please. I convinced you. I can never force you."

The defiance in his tone cracked everyone up, and Nandini chortled unwittingly too.

"Yes. That's true," she said, giggling. "I am really sorry because of the part I played in the utter nonsense, Mr. and Mrs. Roy, but it was a treat to get to know you better and make your acquaintance."

Sandhya smiled wide. "The pleasure is all ours, sweetheart." Turning towards her son, she placed her hands on her hips. "And you, mister, are in trouble because of the web of lies you spun in front of us."

He gaped at his shoes. "Sorry. I thought—"

"You are an idiot." Abnish huffed. "Religion, race, caste matters to us, yes, but we can't place it above your happiness. If you have found someone who truly makes you happy, we are not going to stop you."

Sandhya didn't miss the alacrity with which Aditya and Nandini glimpsed at each other. Smirking to herself, she said, "Piyali makes you truly happy, my boy. You should own up to it."

Aditya stared at the expanse of white on the wall. "Yes. Piyali," he mumbled.

As utter silence followed, Nandini said, "I should get going. It's late."

"At least have dinner with us," Sandhya said.

Nandini gulped. "I..." She chortled. "I should go, Aunty. It's your last evening in the USA, and I think you should spend it only with Aditya."

Abnish patted her head. "Take care, and keep in touch. You have our numbers."

Nandini nodded, smiling wide. "Again, sorry if I offended you or toyed with your feelings."

Sandhya tittered. "Don't worry, darling. We had a lot of fun, and we will look forward to meeting you again."

***

Aditya and Nandini went down as her cab arrived to take her back home. Although he was willing to drop her off personally, she insisted that he stay and spend the rest of the evening with his parents as they had their flight early in the morning the following day. As the two of them stood under the building with the cab's door semi-open, increasing the waiting charges, Sandhya and Abnish observed from the patio of Aditya's loft, peering below, watching the exchange between the duo with immense amusement. The two were surely teasing one another, arguing about something as they did ever so frequently, calling each other weird names, and most certainly forgetting everything else surrounding them.

For an entire week, Abnish and Sandhya had noticed them more intently than the two could ever imagine, and the only conclusion the elder couple could draw was perhaps visible to even the cab driver but apparently not to the two people involved in what seemed like a silly argument where Nandini stepped ahead to pull his hair and he responded by scowling and pushing her inside the backseat of the car.

Sandhya giggled when her son stopped the cab from proceeding further and pulled the girl out at the last moment, slipping a mask over her nose and mouth, which she had misremembered.

"Such a fool he is! Spinning all these lies and whatnot for an entire week." Abnish sniggered. "This was fun."

Sandhya continued peering at the forlorn expressions on her son's face once the cab went out of sight. "It was."

Abnish took a quick glance at Aditya. "Do you think he has realized it?"

"He is an idiot." Sandhya rolled her eyes. "I don't think he knows it himself, Abnish, but dammit! My son is in love with this girl."