Adreano's POV :

I reached mansion. I was very irritated as Dad was busy with the Japanese Clients, he didn't allowed me to come to the meeting. I wanted to discuss about the new project of the hotel I was planning of. It's totally my project.

I met grandma near the door. She was in a hurry. "Grandma..where are you rushing?"

"Oh dear, you forgot? Serene invited us to the show..I am already very late. Your mom and dad left an hour ago. You coming with me?" She asked straightening the inverted bracelet in her hand.

The works never let me think of anything else. Though Sophie reminded me about it, I forgot.

"You coming with me?" Grandma said peeking out of the car window.

"Uhmm...I need a shower, you go ahead."

"You better smell good, who knows which model you are coming back from the show with." The car moved. Grandma waved.

"Seriously? You think about it all the time?" I shook my head and chuckled.

"You are getting old son. You need a lady in your life or you'll become all alone, miserable, cranky, old man."

I just smiled as the car drove away.

I went to my bedroom, got ready as fast as I could and drove to Manhattan.

I was already very late. I parked my car and rushed in. Serene's going to be really mad at me. I went in. The show had already started. It was a bit dark and the stage was illuminated with multicolored lights. I sat besides dad in the front row. I turned my eyes and I saw Grandma already smiling at me and I knew the kind of smile of hers. To be honest. I hate attending fashion shows, and I get a headache especially when I come with grandma. Whenever a model walks on the ramp, Grandma pokes me and whispers, "Yeah, she's the one for you, gorgeous she is, isn't she?" Grandma cares for me and I like it, but this "Marry!! Marry!! Marry!! Marry!!!" haunts me. Sometimes I think to open a marriage bureau for Grandma. She'll love it and she'll will run the bureau quite well.

My eyes, swept from Grandma to Selene. She sat with the other three fashion designers. There were total four judges including Selene. They had their table exactly in front of the ramp. Just before the table below bunch of photographers filled the little space between the stage and the judge's table. Serene and I made an eye contact. I threw a smile but she narrowed her eyes. The lights were sparkling on the stage and the music rose indicating a model coming on the stage.

Iva's POV :

5..4...3.. my heart was pounding as the number came down. Ana hurriedly separated the scarf and tied the belt around my waist.

"3....2...1...Tia go!" the girl said. My lower limbs were freezed.

"Go Tia..Move..!!"

"Give her a little push," Ana said to the volunteer. I took a deep breath and placed my step on the ramp. I walked but my legs were trembling. I felt as if I'll melt down and disperse into pieces but I managed to walk. There were people sitting parallel to the ramp and the judges straight in front of me. I didn't thought of anything else. All I had to do was just to walk nicely and come back to Ana. In all of the four, one judge looked very familiar. I walked, flared the dress, my chin up, I turned and reached back to the backstage. The next model walked.

"Awww.... Tiaaa..!! You did it! I love you!" Ana exclaimed.

I couldn't feel my legs anymore. I grabbed a chair and seated. I placed my hands on my knees trying to feel them. I did it! I finally walked!

"Hey, you okay?" Ana sat besides me.

"Yeah I am fine, it's just the tremors in my lower limbs."

"That's normal. You walked for the first time. Here, take it." Ana handled me water.

I took few sips, "Ana there are four judges outside and the one is very familiar, but I unable to memorize who she is."

"Oh, don't stress your brain. Calm down. You may have seen her in the magazines, after all they all are huge designers."

The volunteer ordered the models to stand with their respective designers. The ramp was 'T- shaped' so the volunteer guided us how to stand in a line on the ramp after walking.

The show was divided into three rounds. In the first round, the models have to walk. In the second round, all the models will walk the ramp with their respective designers. In the third round, the judges will ask few questions to the designers and will then decide the four winners who will assist the four judges accordingly.

The music was on. The volunteer said "Go! Take your step." To this, one after another we all walked the ramp with our respective designers. We then one by one walked to the backstage. The third round was about to start in few minutes. Ana was pretty nervous. She went to the washroom. I followed her. She was standing in front of the mirror, head bowed.

"Ana?" I turned her around. Her face was flushed with red. There were droplets of sweat on her forehead. "Hey you okay?" I got worried.

"No, I am not. I worked very hard for this. It's a very very huge and once in a lifetime opportunity for me. If I get a chance to assist any of those judges, I'll be blessed. But, everyone has done their best. They are my classmates, my friends. We all have worked hard. I hope the right person wins." Her eyes were filled with tears but she managed to gulp it as she hates crying. She thinks crying makes her more weak. I never understand her contradictions.

"Ana, I don't know who will be lucky one to earn this 'Best Designer' title but all I can say is I trust you and you are a winner no matter what the result is. The judges are the World's best designer and I don't think they were treated with such an opportunity which has been given to you people. They have earned their title on their own, and see where they are now."

"Yeah, you are right Iva. I never thought like this way. Thank you. Your belief is enough for me. No matter what happens. We'll party hard tonight."

"Yeah, that's the spirit."

We both hugged each other. The volunteer came in, "C'mon girls move your butts, the third round will start in 10 seconds."

We went on the stage. The question and answer round began. Each judge asked a question of which every participant designer answered. After asking few obvious questions like, "Why you want to win?...and ....What's in you that will make you the best designer?"

One of the judge who seemed familiar, asked, "Some accessories were presented before you and every participant was informed to use them as an additional accessory to your work, am I right?" The participants replied with a "Yes." She continued, "So we would like to hear what use you made of the given accessories. I request every participant to come one by one with your respective models and show your work accordingly."

Every participant came in front and spoke about their designs and the additional accessory given from the judges. We all were requested to wait for ten minutes as the judges wanted to decide the ultimate four winners. Though it was a show for choosing young designers, many popular designers and entrepreneurs attended it. Of course, this fashion school is very old, has a great reputation and has maintained to held the title of one of the top fashion school in the world.
While we were waiting, I asked Ana, "Doesn't that blond judge seems familiar?"

"Umm...I don't know Iva..I haven't seen her before. She's the top most designer in Greece. But once I had seen her interview in some magazine. She is really something. She attained fame in very early age. " Ana said.

"Hmmm...I think you are right." Somewhere in my heart I felt bad. Ana is going to be a great designer no matter she wins or not but at least she will be pass out as a designer from this reputed college. James is already working with his dad. Everyone is doing something good and productive in their lives and I am just being pulled backward in my life.

I don't have much education. I can't get jobs with high salaries. Though I love my current job but I rarely get to save some bucks from it.

"You saw the two male judges? Omg they were so damn hot!!" Ana said.

"Hmm yeah, but I don't think these words will make James happy."

"Oh, he will not have any problem. Unfortunately they both are gay." Ana sighed.

"Oh your bad!" I laughed.

"Stop laughing, I am getting so damn nervous, I am gonna pee in my pants."

"Okay. Let's go to washroom."

After a while we came out. The volunteer gave us a strange look. "What?" Ana asked.

"Can you keep your hormones in balance? You are allowed to do whatever you want after the show ends."

We didn't uttered a word. Ana started laughing, I think the nervousness is making her mad.

"Ana? What's so funny?"

"I also don't know." She laughed again.

Everyone in the room stared at us.

"Ana stop."

She looked at me. Her eyes filled with tears and her face dropped.

"I am going to fail." Her voice cracked.

"No you are not. No one is going to fail. Everyone will be passed but only four will get the chance to assist those designers. You know this right."

She nodded and sniffed in her tissue. 

"Tia, the head gear dropped. I had to use the accessory so without any second thought I did what was to be done in order to save my exam. I tied the belt around your waist."

"So, why to be sad?"

"The head gear seemed perfect. I was so excited to show them my work. I wanted to hear what they think about it. But I ended up with a plain belt around your waist." She threw her hands in the air and scoffed.

"She was right. The head gear added a pinch of perfection to the whole look. But I didn't find any flaw in the belt around my waist. It was also looking good. Very different and matched the dress. It was a slim belt, a little bigger than the thread wool. It had a rich gold color on which small diamonds were attached. It really look good.

"We request the participants to show up on the ramp please." One of the male judge announced. We all assembled on the ramp.

"So we went through your works. As you all are aware that the four winners are going to get a chance to work with us. Maybe you have to travel with us to Greece or to Paris. All I can say you'll get a great experience and a total satisfaction of being a bravo designer." Said the the judge with the ginger red hair.

"Everyone's work was very good and we appreciate your hard work. The level of this exam got one step higher thus year. This exam was not only conducted to see your ability of designing a gown but also to see how you handle the last moment situation."

Everyone was quiet. I saw Ana and other students sweating but they tried to maintain their posture and showed confidence.

The familiar blond judge continued, "As you all know you were given some accessories which included belts, scarves, head-gears, handcuffs one hour before the beginning of the show,"

"Twenty minutes Selene." One of the male judge corrected her.

"Yeah, thanks for correcting me Luke. Oops! So the accessories were given  twenty minutes before." She chuckled. "We are allowed to do mistakes as we are the judges and not the students. Right Luke?" She turned her head to her right to the judge who corrected.

"Yeah I agree. Unless it's for judging the students."

Everyone had a small laugh.

"So wasting no much time I would like to ask you all, what was your first thought after seeing those stuffs and what you felt?"

Everyone started giving the answer one after another.

There were total 20 students. The first contestant said that she got very nervous and the first thought came into her mind was - "OMG, I am so going to die.." The judges laughed and the others too. Likewise one by one, everyone replied and gave their thoughts. Then came Ana's turn. She holded the mike. "Umm, to be honest. I  freaked out by the sight. No thoughts came to mind so I immediately ran to the restroom. I got nervous like the other students. The time was running out of my hands. I then took deep breaths and came out. Till the time I reached the table, I saw everything was taken by my colleagues and all thing left was a scarf and few belts...and I used it to make a head gear." She cracked at the last word.

"Head gear? But your model isn't wearing it." The blond judge stated.

I felt a hundreds of eyes on me. It made me more nervous. I tried not to flinch. I kept eyes only at the judges. Stop staring! I wanted to shout. But I was helpless.

"Yes. But unfortunately the scarf and the belt failed to be together so I had to use only the belt." Ana said. Finally the beaming eyes were off from me.

"Okay." The judge nodded looking at my waist.

Each student was finished by the answering questions and describing about the dress they designed. What type of material they chose and why and how did they get their inspiration.
It was now judge's turn to speak.  "Hmmm.. I see....." the ginger red  haired gorgeous judge said, " We heard you all and one thing which we find common  was you got nervous and was sweating a river. It's obvious as you are in a competition. It's natural and nothing to be shy of. Human nature you see. But I am surprised by hearing from many of you that you got very less time and it was not a right thing. Well, listen to me carefully, this is not a normal designing exam. You all are chosen to showcase your design and the best student with a marvellous work will get a big opportunity which will change your life. You were not asked to make a dress in one hour, these were the just accessories which were already made, all you were said was to make a proper use of it. Just to add these accessories on your design. Which was according to me no big deal. I know you got nervous, even if I were at at your place I would also have got nervous. But there is difference between nervousness and complaining. You had been given twenty minutes which was enough time provided to you guys. I mean how much time does it take to hook the belt or to place the scarf?" She then turned to the other male judge, "What do you say Ross?"

"Yeah, I absolutely agree with you infact we all agree with you Kim."

I was standing, trying to maintain my pose but my legs started to pain. The judges were taking too long.I looked at other models they didn't seem to be bothered a bit. Maybe they are used to it but I wasn't. I was feeling weak.

I ran my eyes on the guests  seated proudly in a row.  Something between the people caught my attention. The eyes.  Someone's gaze made me look at him, and.....Oh.. Oh..Oops...he was none other but Adreano!!!!! looking at me!!!!

Our eyes were locked at each other. I could hear clearly the thumping of my heart. Why is he still staring at me? Usually people turn their gaze away when they are vaught staring by the other. But he didn't.

My brain was filled with number of questions and it ended to an important question which was approved by my heart too.

Has Adreano he identified me..???

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