DMG~The Cinderella Way [New thread; pg.143] - Page 30

yaar yeh IF walla bhi na

Appreciate your comments! Keep them coming and I'll keep the updates coming!

Chp. 25 Will they ever meet?

It was 2.00 in the morning and Abhimanyu was still awake. He just couldn't sleep. His mind was too occupied in thinking about Nikita. He knew that Anjali's words had hurt her deeply. He couldn't even go and console her. He was feeling dejected and so he decided to have a walk to her room and find out if she was awake. He got out of bed and checked his watch, it was 2.15, the chances of his being spotted were probably nil. He sneaked through the corridors and reached her room. The windows were open, he spied through and to his surprise she was peacefully asleep. Abhimanyu felt relieved. He returned to his room satisfied and went to sleep.

*****

It was an early Saturday morning. Ridhima was in BR's room going about her daily routine. Two weeks had passed since her last encounter with the 'forest guy' and she had now begun losing hope. She was desperate to meet him again. She really wished that she hadn't run away that day. She was regretting it to the core. There hadn't been a day since then when she hadn't thought about him. She was wondering if he had gone back to where he'd come from. She sighed. She had gotten everything ready and was waiting for BR to wake up. She was busy thinking when she was interrupted by the sound of something crashing. She rushed outside but the corridor was deserted she moved further and found that one of the servants had accidentally broken a vase during cleaning but fortunately no one was injured. She went back to BR's room. But as she entered, she froze at the sight before her eyes.

It was HIM!

Her face instantly lit up. He looked up to see who had entered and was equally surprised. They just stared at each other. She had wanted to see him desperately and here he was, right before her. She just stared at him. She wanted to talk to him but didn't know what to say. He had that effect on her. She couldn't comprehend what to say. She was feeling dumb standing there so again she turned and began running.

Armaan realized that she was running again but he was not going to let it happen, not this time. "Hey wait!" he called out but she didn't listen.

He called out after her again but she didn't heed. "Aaahhh," he suddenly gasped in pain. His hand had been pierced by a nail which was sticking out from the door. When Ridhima heard the yelp of pain, she froze then slowly turned and walked back to him.

Armaan saw her stop and heaved a sigh of relief. He forgot all about the pain and smiled inwardly as he saw her walking towards him. She came and stood before him and before she could speak, her attention was diverted to the drops of blood on the floor. She realized that she had heard him gasp and it was because of the wound on his hand. It was bleeding. She reached for his hand and examined the wound.

Armaan was surprised when she held his hand and then he realized that it was wounded. It was a deep wound. "How did this happen?" she queried.

Armaan smiled at her concern. "I think it was pierced by a nail," he replied.

"Couldn't you be a little careful?" she asked concern evident in her tone. Armaan loved the concern she was feeling for him and he decided to tease her. She had kept him waiting for too long he thought.

"Excuse me? It was because of you that this happened. Had you stopped when I called out to you, I wouldn't need to chase you and nor would this happen," he said.

Ridhima realized that he was right. She didn't reply but rather to Armaan's surprise took him to BR's room. She made him sit on a chair and rushed to get the first aid box. She took some cotton and got to clean the wound. Armaan observed her silently enjoying her anxiety. She cleaned it and then blew air on it in an attempt to soothe the pain. Then she bandaged it neatly and said silently, "I'm sorry. But why did you want to stop me?"

"Oh well nothing much, I just wanted to thank you for saving my life in the forest that day, but you like some express train always disappear. Tell me something, do I look like a ghost?" he asked.

Ridhima looked at him in shock. "No," she replied.

"Good. Okay now if you could give me a chance to thank you properly, I would really be glad," he said.

"Huh?" Ridhima asked.

"How about coffee in the evening? Now please don't say no, it's a request and don't worry, we are not going out of the palace," he replied.

Ridhima just stared at him in surprise.

"So is it a yes?" Armaan asked.

Ridhima was fighting with her conscience, debating as what to reply and finally she nodded in the affirmative.

"Great! So see you at 8.00, right here, we have a lot of talking to do," saying so Armaan disappeared from there.

Ridhima still couldn't believe what had just transpired. She had wanted to see him and when she had lost hope of seeing him again, she had met him and she was going to meet him again! She was feeling very excited and happy. But she didn't know why she was feeling so happy at the prospect of seeing him again. What was the reason behind her excitement? Why did she want to meet him and spend time with him? She had so many questions whirling in her mind but she didn't have an answer to any of them, so she decided to put them aside and got back to her work eagerly waiting for the evening to arrive.

****

Armaan was pleased with himself. Today of all days when he had hardly been thinking about her, he had walked into her! He thanked God for his luck and then kissed the wound on his hand. It was because of it that he had finally been able to talk to her today because had he not have been injured, she would have disappeared like always. He had been acting very coolly and casually in front of her but he was equally excited. He didn't know how she easily agreed to meet him, especially when all the time she had been running away from him. There was so much he wanted to know about her, he thought. He was eagerly waiting for the evening but before that he had to talk to Abhimanyu and also make a few arrangements for the evening.

*****

For the past two weeks Abhimanyu hadn't met Nikita at all. He wanted to avoid situations where Anjali could again get a chance to insult her. He didn't want to be the cause of more pain and suffering in her life. But at the same time, he was feeling restless. He wanted to know how she was. He wanted to meet her but was always stopped when he thought about Anjali. He also wanted to talk to her about the Riverside girl and find out if she knew anything because he wanted to help Armaan. He wondered if Armaan had met her again or seen her because since that first encounter of theirs, Armaan hadn't told him anything about seeing her or meeting her either. Infact he hadn't brought up her topic at all. Abhimanyu wondered why. Whenever they met, they had just talked about business and other things but not about her, never at all. Abhimanyu decided that today he would bring up the topic if Armaan didn't. He wanted to know what was going on in Armaan's mind. When he entered Armaan's room, he was standing by the window lost in thought.

Armaan had been contemplating whether to let Abhimanyu know about his Riverside girl and his meetings with her because Abhimanyu already seemed worried and moreover he hardly shared his problems with Armaan so he was feeling that he shouldn't burden Abhimanyu with his problems either.

"Kunwarji"

Armaan turned to find Abhimanyu standing there.

"Abhimanyu, you got the papers done?"

"Yes," replied Abhimanyu handing him the file.

Armaan was examining the papers when Abhimanyu asked, "kunwarji, did you meet the Riverside girl again?"

But Armaan acted as though he hadn't heard him and said, "The papers are perfect Abhimanyu, well done."

Abhimanyu understood that Armaan was avoiding talking about her but he still asked again and Armaan ignored him once again.

"Kunwarji, I thought we were friends and that you could always share your joys and sorrows with me without any hesitation," said Abhimanyu.

"Exactly! That is what I thought too, but I think you don't," replied Armaan.

"Kunwarji!" Abhimanyu was shocked.

"Tell me Abhimanyu, when I came to your room the other day, weren't you tensed about something? I have noticed that since then you are hardly your usual self, what is the matter? Please be honest and tell me whatever it is, maybe we can do something about it," said Armaan.

Abhimanyu fell silent for a moment deciding whether to tell Armaan about it and then he said, "Princess Anjali."

Armaan was confused. "Anjali?" Abhimanyu nodded and narrated the incident that had transpired that day and Armaan was shocked and hurt at the same time.

"So I couldn't ask Princess Nikita about the Riverside girl either, I'm sorry," said Abhimanyu.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" asked Armaan.

"Initially I thought that she would get over it but as days pass, she always keeps searching for a chance to insult Nikita ji," replied Abhimanyu.

Armaan didn't know why would Anjali do such a thing but he trusted Abhimanyu more than himself and knew that whatever he had just heard couldn't be wrong. He promised Abhimanyu that he would talk to Anjali soon and then Abhimanyu brought up the Riverside girl again and Armaan narrated all that had happened since the first night that they had met in the palace. Abhimanyu was surprised and delighted to hear about it and congratulated Armaan and promised him to help for the arrangements of the evening.

*****

yipee i'm first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

amazing!!

part 24
wow they meet again par Ridhhima ran away....................when will they talk properly....................Ridhhima was so daring and made Nikita to think about the loneliness..................

part 25
wow...........finally they talked and Armaan has asked her to coffee............wow................hoe Armaan makes Anjali understand how hard its for Nikita coz of her words.....................cont soon...................

so atlast they r going to have proper meet...im sooo glad....continue soon:)

Ah, time for the great date, finally! Will Ridzy make it, though?

Find out as you read through moments between AN and RM too!

Enjoy!

P.S: Sheenu aka AbhiNikkiluver, the AN moments in this part are dedicated specially to you.

Chp. 26 Magic Moments

The day stretched in to the evening. The sun had set thus ending another day but for the youngsters of the city, night was yet to fall because their Saturday couldn't end without a rocking eve in the pubs and discos of the city. It was already dark, but the city shimmered in beautiful golden lights. A car screeched to a halt and began honking outside princess Muskan's palace. Muskan was getting dressed when her cell phone rang.

"Sweetheart, how long?" said a voice in the earpiece.

"Coming, coming, just a moment," she replied. She fixed her hair and checked herself in the mirror and then quickly ran down the stairs and out of the palace. She got into the car waiting there and apologized for being late.

"Ryan! What a surprise! Kunwar Rahul, you didn't tell me that Ryan was joining us too," said Muskan. "So Ryan, long time, what have you been doing?"

"Nothing much, handling the family business. What about you?" he replied.

"Nothing much either," she replied.

"Guys, don't tell me you haven't met each other since you returned from Switzerland," said Rahul as he drove.

"Yeah, we haven't," they replied in unison.

"Ryan's been pretty busy lately," said Muskan.

Ryan was the son of a multi-millionaire and a big business tycoon of the country. Ryan and Rahul had been friends since their college days and had also gone to Switzerland together. Muskan had met him for the first time when they were in Switzerland. Muskan and Ryan also got along well but they hadn't met each other since returning from Switzerland a year ago. Now with Rahul's arrival, the trio was together again. They talked and joked on the way remembering old days. Rahul brought the car to a halt near a high end pub and handed over the keys to a valet as they went inside.

***

Shishodiya Palace

The day had been a lengthy one for Ridhima as she eagerly awaited the evening not knowing why she was looking forward to it. She finished all her work and checked the watch. Finally, she thought. She went to her room to change and get ready. She put on a pink dress and tied her hair in a braid as she had been doing since she came to the palace. She was ready on time. She was about to leave when Bhanumati arrived and told her that CR wanted to see her about BR. Ridhima had no option but to go.

Armaan was getting restless as the evening drew near. He was too eager and excited to meet her. He quickly finished his work and left for the palace. Abhimanyu saw the glow on his face and was very happy for him. He hoped that Armaan would get whatever he wanted. As their car drove in, Abhimanyu saw Anjali leaving in her car. He realized that it was a Saturday and Anjali would be returning late. Maybe he would get a chance to talk to Nikita. But he decided not to keep his hopes too high.

Armaan had a quick shower and dressed up casually in a short sleeved T-shirt and jeans and let his hair be ruffled. He walked down to BR's room and was disappointed to find Ridhima absent. He sat by his mother talking to her but BR didn't fail to notice that he was restless and kept checking the watch every two minutes. Armaan was getting impatient, it was already 8.30 but there was no sign of his Riverside Beauty, yet. He waited his impatience turning into frustration, but still no sign of her. Frustration was now replaced by anger. He saw the clock, it was 9.15, but she hadn't turned up. Armaan thought that she wouldn't come now. In fact she was never going to come. He was a fool to think that she would come. How would she? Why did he forget that whenever she saw him she always ran away from him so what in the world was he thinking when she agreed to come? She had agreed because she had no other option. It was no use waiting now she was not going to come. Frustrated and dejected he decided to leave.

*****

Abhimanyu was dead tired and his head was aching when he returned to his room. He took off his shirt and threw it on the chair and lay down on the bed with his feet dangling below. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He was thinking about Nikita. He thought that tonight he had a chance of talking to her without Anjali interrupting them. He closed his eyes and decided to relax for a while before freshening and going to meet Nikita. There was a knock on the door. He wondered who could it be because he seldom had visitors. He asked the person to enter. Nikita entered the room with a tray in hand. She had brought juice for him.

"Nikita!" said Abhimanyu his face lighting up. Nikita saw him and turned to stand with his back to him. Abhimanyu was confused.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Abhimanyu, do I have to tell you?" she asked pointing to his shirt on the chair.

Abhimanyu stifled a laugh as he realized what she meant. He was shirtless.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said and quickly grabbed his shirt and put it on.

"Have a seat," he said as he scrambled to pick up the books, magazines and clothes strewn across the bed and chairs.

"Sorry about this, but what brings you here?" he asked. He had put away everything and was searching for something.

"You looking for something?" she asked.

"Yeah, aspirin. Got a severe headache," he replied.

She walked up to him and handing an aspirin said, "Here's your aspirin, but did you have something?"

"Nope," he replied.

She took it away and handed him the glass of juice, "have this and you can then have the tablet but what your head needs is not an aspirin but a proper massage."

He smiled and replied, "I'm not royalty and luxuries are not a part of my life. The aspirin treats me best."

"Hmm, you're right, you aren't royalty," she said irritated. She hated it whenever anyone mentioned his unroyal status. She looked around and asked him to sit on a chair and brought a bottle of hair oil and began applying it in his hair.

"Nikita, what are you-" he began saying but she cut him short and said, "sit back and let me do what I'm doing, you'll feel better."

Abhimanyu followed her orders and said with a smile, "yes ma'm."

*****

Rahul, Muskan and Ryan were enjoying themselves, catching up with old friends after a long time and making new ones. They made way to the one of the tables, exhausted after a lot of grooving. They sat chatting for a while and then Muskan said that she was very hungry. They decided to leave and have dinner someplace calm before going back home. Ryan thought of giving them some time for themselves and decided not to interrupt. He asked them to leave without him as he wanted to stay back for a while giving Rahul a mischievous smile. Rahul got the idea why he wanted to stay back and giving him a friendly hug, left with Muskan.

*****

When Ridhima left CR's room, it was 9.15. She had to wait for a while before CR arrived and then she asked to be brought up-to-date on BR. Ridhima checked her watch and her heart sank. It was already too late. He had asked her to be present in BR's room at 8.00 but it was 9.15 now. She had missed this chance. He must've arrived and on not finding her, must've left. Even if he would have waited, he would be gone by now. She would again have to wait till they met by chance. She was feeling frustrated at her luck. She knew it was too late and he wouldn't be there anymore but she still wanted to go and check out. Just in case, she thought. Her mind stopped her but her heart urged her to go ahead. She didn't know whom to listen to.

Armaan left BR's room and was walking back to his room, frustrated and dejected, when a faint tinkling sound, like that of an anklet made him stop. He turned around, but saw no one so he turned again and began walking. After a while, to his surprise, the tinkling grew louder till it was clearly audible and Armaan felt as though the source of the sound was right behind him. Armaan stopped in his tracks and the sound also stopped. He turned around swiftly and came face to face with HER!

All his anger and frustration just vanished at the sight of her and his face lit up. Ridhima had been contemplating whether to listen to her heart or mind and then ultimately she gave in to her heart and decided to go to BR's room and check at least. When she reached there, to her surprise and relief he was just leaving. Surprise because he had waited so long and relief because she found him. It was Ridhima who spoke first, "I'm sorry."

"I thought you wouldn't come," Armaan replied.

"I was called away by CR when I was about to leave, sorry to keep you waiting," she said.

"So shall we go?" he asked.

"Huh?" said Ridhima.

"Well we can't have our coffee here, right?" he asked smiling. She nodded and followed him.

*****

Anjali was on the dance floor with her friends, dancing to the music and having fun. She along with her friends had planned this evening out and they were enjoying every minute of it. She was dancing when suddenly someone sitting on one of the tables across the floor caught her attention. She felt that she had seen him before somewhere but couldn't place it where or when. He had strong and attractive features -- a broad forehead, angled cheekbones, a long nose and a square chin. She kept staring at him lost in thought but still couldn't figure who he was. She thought maybe she must've seen him in the pub itself. She shrugged him off and got dancing again. After a while, when she again saw there, he had disappeared. It was almost an hour before Anjali bid adieu to her friends and decided to leave.

*****

Nikita was massaging Abhimanyu's head when he said, "Niks, I'm sorry about the other day. Anjali-"

"Abhi, I'm fine. Moreover, it was not your fault Anjali is habituated to doing it. Let's not talk about it. You know, I've found a new friend in the palace," she said.

"A new friend? In the palace?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied and told him all about Ridhima. How she met her and how they had gone to the temple and all that she had said to her and all about their other conversations and how she loved spending time with her. Abhimanyu was very pleased to hear it. He was happy that she had found someone who understood her well and whom she could talk to. He also didn't fail to notice how happy she was while talking about her.

"What is her name?" he asked.

"Ridhima. She's Mom's new aid," she replied.

That hit Abhimanyu like a thunderbolt. Ridhima, could it be a co-incidence? Nikita had met her friend Ridhima in BR's room and Abhimanyu had also met 'kunwarji's Riverside girl' in BR's room. Maybe Kunwarji's girl and Nikita's friend, Ridhima were one and the same. He suddenly got up with a jerk to face her and asked, "Nikita, who is she and why is she in the palace?"

"Abhimanyu, she is mom's nurse and she is from the Gehgoli village. I think," she replied. Abhimanyu's face lit up.

"Niks, you remember the girl by the riverside, whom kunwarji's taken a fancy to?" Nikita's face showed a sign of realization and she said delighted, "she was also from the Gehgoli village! Abhimanyu, you mean she is one and the same?"

"You never know," he replied and then told her all about Armaan meeting her in the palace and their possible date today.

"Oh, now I get it, the shriek I heard that day was Ridhima's. Quite a romantic meeting it seems," she said laughing.

"Abhi, I'm so happy for them, I wish them all the good luck for tonight. Hope it's a new beginning for them," she said.

"Yeah me too," he replied. He was very delighted to see Nikita so happy after such a long time. Thanks to Ridhima, he thought. Her face had a different radiance. She went on speaking and Abhimanyu just kept looking at her. She suddenly stopped, realizing that he was gazing at her non-stop.

"Abhi, what happened?" she came to stand before him and asked.

"Nothing," he replied softly. "I'm very happy for you." He slowly lifted his hand and pushed back a strand of hair from her face.

"Keep smiling always, you look more beautiful," he said still looking at her.

Unable to take his gaze any longer, Nikita blushed and looked down.

Abhimanyu tipped up her face and said, "Niks, promise me that you will never cry when Anjali talks to you rudely, it aches my heart to see you in pain. You will never let her words affect you."

"But Abhi, she always insults you and I hate that," she said teary eyed.

"I don't care about what she says to me, you promise me, you won't cry," he said holding her face in his hands and wiping away her tears.

She opened her mouth to argue but he placed a finger on her lips and said, "Promise, Niks."

She nodded and he gently kissed her on the forehead. She didn't move back but closed her eyes as his lips touched her skin. He moved back and wiped her tears and said, "I think you should leave now."

She nodded and turned to leave.

"Niks," he called out.

"Hmm," she said.

"Thanks for the massage, it really feels better now," he said.

She smiled and left, leaving a happy and joyous Abhimanyu behind.

*****

Anjali drove fast in an attempt to reach the palace soon. But on the way her car broke down. She got out of the car and noticed that it was a flat tire. Great, she thought. "That was all I wanted, now how do I get home?" she said aloud kicking the tire.

Anjali had sneaked out of the palace without telling anyone where she was going and she'd planned to be back before anyone found out that she was out so late. Now, if she didn't reach the palace in time, she would be in trouble. She couldn't call the palace and ask for a car either. She looked around for some help but the road was dark and deserted. She thought of calling one of her friends and asking for help but unfortunately, she was in a no network zone. She had only one option, sit back and wait till some car came by and then ask for a lift. She waited for a while without any luck. After a while, she saw a car approaching and tried stopping it but in vain. A few more cars passed by with the same result. Finally a car stopped and she went to talk to the guy in the driver's seat. She saw him and instantly regretted her decision. The guy, as well as his companion, looked like trouble. She just said that she needed a mechanic, but they insisted that they could give her a lift instead. She refused, but they kept arguing. The guys were now out of the car. She had invited trouble, she thought. She didn't know what was going to happen now. The guys were advancing towards her. Oh no! She thought. She asked them to stay back but they were not the gentlemen types. She warned them, but it was no use. Anjali was praying silently when suddenly a bike stopped by and she heard a voice, "Need any help Princess Anjali?"

She looked at who it was and heaving a sigh of relief quickly moved towards him. It was the guy from the pub whom she was trying to recollect where she had seen before. Without getting down from the bike, he just asked them casually, "You guys want something?"

Without a word, they quickly got into the car and sped off.

"Thanks a ton, do I know you?" she asked him.

"How do I know?" he replied.

"Well you got my name right so, I was wondering if...," she let the sentence hang in air.

"A princess is not difficult to recognize, right? Everyone knows you. Anyways, what were you doing with those loafers?" he asked.

"Don't ask. My car broke down, my cell has no network and when I ask for a lift, I end up with those jerks. Can you drop me home? Please?" she said.

"Damsel in distress, I see. You should know better than to trust strangers," he said with concern.

"I know, but I didn't have any options," she replied.

"Fine, I'll drop you, hop up," he said.

She gave him a grateful smile and got onto his bike and they got moving. He was driving at a moderate speed but Anjali was in a hurry, to reach the palace.

She said, "You riding a bike or a bicycle? If you drive at this speed, then I suppose we shall reach by dawn."

He admired her guts. She hadn't changed at all. The same arrogance, the same attitude. He was giving her a lift, but she was ordering him as though she was paying him.

"So you wanna go fast? Okay, sit back tight, we gonna go fast," he said.

She smirked but didn't heed him. He geared up and accelerated and they hit the road in full speed. He drove amazingly fast with great skill swerving left and right and taking sharp turns occasionally. Anjali was scared. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. He suddenly felt her hands around him as she closed her eyes and clung on to him holding him tightly. He smiled but didn't slow down and then after a while he suddenly hit the brakes and the bike skidded to a halt. She still clung on to him. He cleared his throat and said, "It's still night I suppose."

She opened her eyes and looked around, they had reached the palace. She got down and said, "Boy, that was too fast too furious."

"I warned you," he replied.

She thanked him and turned towards the palace. She was halfway when suddenly she remembered that she hadn't even asked his name! She turned back but he was already gone.

*****

After walking through the corridors and passageways for a while Armaan asked Ridhima to stop. He opened a door which Ridhima thought led to nothing but darkness. She winced slightly.

Armaan sensed her hesitation and so he said, "I know you are afraid of the dark but trust me and step in."

Ridhima looked at him and he gave her a reassuring look. She stepped in and to her surprise, the whole place lit up. He followed behind taking in her happiness and surprise. It was a beautiful terrace garden. It had a well manicured lawn with beautiful flowering shrubs and plants. There was a wide variety of roses, lilies and orchids. Different colors and varieties and a fountain which was strategically placed. The walls and the parapet had trellises and a variety of beautiful plants. Ridhima was awed by the beauty of the place.

"It's beautiful!" she said.

He smiled and they walked in. She saw a tea-table set for two. He walked her towards it. But she didn't sit there rather she motioned towards a corner and went and sat down on the grass. He went and sat beside her. The night sky was starry with the moon bathing it with silvery light and a soft wind blowing.

"You liked it?" he asked.

She nodded and replied, "It feels so close to nature. Away from all the tensions and troubles of the world."

"Hmm, I come here whenever I'm stressed and find myself relaxing in the beauty of this place. Tell me about yourself, you like nature?" he said.

"There's nothing much to know about me. I'm a small village girl who loves nature and likes to be close to it," she replied.

"What are you doing in the palace?" he asked.

"I am BR's new nurse," she replied.

"So, did CR appoint you on her trip to the village?" he asked.

"Not really," she replied and told him how she had come in the palace but not why.

He was impressed by her guts. "But why did you need this job?" he asked.

"Personal reasons," she said.

He thought that her 'Prince Charming' was one of her reasons and it brought a smile to his face. "So do you like it here in the palace?" he asked.

"It feels good. BR has been very nice to me. When I'm with her, I feel as though I'm talking to my mom. Princess Nikita is also a sweetheart," she said.

Armaan had a broad smile on his face knowing that she already got along so well with his family.

He got up excusing himself and disappeared for a while. She closed her eyes and sat back wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on them, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze on her skin. Armaan returned with two mugs of coffee. He was about to offer her when he noticed that she was sitting with her eyes closed and a smile tucked at the corner of her lips. He decided not to disturb her. He silently sat down beside her. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. The wind was playing with the strands of hair that were loose on her face blowing them around. Armaan just gazed at her mesmerized by her ethereal beauty.

As though Ridhima felt someone staring at her, she opened her eyes and Armaan quickly looked away.

"Coffee," he said offering her a mug.

"Thanks. I didn't realize you had returned," she replied.

"It's okay," he replied.

"I never knew that there existed such a beautiful place in the palace," she said.

"This is Prince Armaan's private garden," he told her and as he had expected, her face lit up on the mention of his name.

"Then what are we doing here? Aren't we trespassing on royal property?" she asked.

Armaan looked at her in confusion and replied, "No, we're not."

"No? Okay. Now it's your turn, what are you doing in the palace?" she asked.

Armaan couldn't believe what he heard. Was she kidding? Did she not know that HE was Armaan Shishodiya? Then why had she been running away from him? All the while he had been thinking that it was his Royal status that kept her from talking to him. How could she not know that he was a prince? When she didn't know that he was a prince she kept running away from him then what would she do if he told her that he was a prince? She would not be seen here the next second! But what could he do then?

"Hello?" She said waving a hand before his face.

"Huh? Oh! I, um, well, I... I work for the prince!" he said.

Ridhima froze and Armaan didn't fail to notice it. "Prince Armaan Shishodiya, you mean?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Wow!" she said softly, "No wonder we are in his private garden, you must be pretty close to him."

"You can say that," he said with a smile, "I really wanted to thank you for saving my life in the forest, had you not been there, I would have been dead. I owe my life to you."

"You don't need to thank me for that, any person in my place would have done the same thing," she replied.

They sat talking as though they knew each other for ages. As it grew late, the night turned chilly and Ridhima wrapped her arms around herself to keep her warm. Armaan noticed this and checked his watch. It was midnight and Armaan was shocked because he didn't realize that time had just flown by. "It's getting late, I think we should return," he told Ridhima.

She nodded and said, "Thanks for the coffee and this lovely evening, I enjoyed it."

"Glad to have been of service," he said with a smile and they both laughed. They got up to leave and he walked her down to her room being careful not to be spotted.

"Good night," she said.

Armaan was about to reply when he realized that during the whole evening, he hadn't once asked her name!

"If you don't mind, can I know your name?" he asked.

"Ridhima," she replied with a smile. "May I know yours?"

"Ar-," he opened his mouth to reply but stopped in time. "Er- Maan!" he said.

"Oooh, Maan. Pride and all, eh?

He laughed.

"Beautiful name," she smiled.

"Thanks." He wished her good night and left.

Ridhima closed the door behind her and went and lay down on the bed with a broad smile on her face. She was happy that she had taken a chance and gone to BR's room even though it was late or else she would definitely have regretted it. She had enjoyed every moment of the evening. The garden was a really beautiful one and moreover it was her 'prince charming's' private one. She had loved the place. Maan was also a nice person, she thought. She wondered if she would be meeting him again soon. Lost in thoughts she drifted off to sleep with a charming smile on her face.

*****

As Armaan lay in bed, he couldn't come to believe that he had spent a whole evening with his lady love. Especially when all the time she had been running away from him. She had been so close to him throughout the evening. He loved the way her face lit up when he mentioned 'Kunwar Armaan Shishodiya'. Her smile was so innocent and charming. Discovering these little things about her had added to his happiness increasing it manifolds. Tonight, after a long time, he would be able to sleep peacefully because he knew that his princess was in his palace and was not going anywhere. He wanted to meet her everyday and spend time with her, but he decided to be patient about it. He at least knew that whenever he wished to see her or meet her he could easily walk into his mom's room and he would easily find her. Happy and content he dozed off to sleep.

****

That night at the Shishodiya palace everyone slept peacefully, thanking God for showering his numerous bounties on them. Everyone was happy and content and lost in the world of their sweet dreams.

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!