Chapter 3

The Next Day

"But I never went to a party before, Clara. I don't really know anything about…", it was almost evening when Clara told Sanaya about going to a party. Sanaya went out in the morning and took some photographs of places she liked. She likes photography.

"I know Sanaya but tonight, you are going to a party with me. And you can't say 'no'.", Clara looked at her cutely.

"But…", Sanaya was shut up by Clara. Clara started choosing dresses for Serena that she could wear at the party. Serena gave it a thought, she was going to try new things then why not going to a party? Sanaya breathed in deeply as she asserted to herself, "You wanted to try new things, so let's start with going to a party."

"Hey, Daniel. Yeah, I am coming.", Sanaya heard Clara talking to a male friend on the phone so she looked at Clara.

"Of course, my best friend is coming with me too… You will know when you will see her.", Clara smiled as she said that and hung up.

"Let's go. I'll make you ready for the party. Tonight, I am going to let you see how beautiful you are. You always say you are not beautiful but I know the truth and you will see it tonight.", Clara smiled sinisterly and Sanaya looked at her, "What are you going to do?"

"You will find it out soon.", Said Clara.

"Don't tell me you want me to wear this…", Sanaya looked at her, raising her one eyebrow as she touched the gown that her best friend has chosen for her.

"Right. I want you to wear this beautiful red satin v-neckline party dress. You'll look absolutely stunning in this.", Clara smiled looking at her.

"No way.", Sanaya got up and ran to the door but she was stopped by Clara.

"I… I can't wear this. It's… Ahh, this one. I want to wear this off-shoulder burgundy lace prom dress.", Sanaya smiled sheepishly as she chose one beautiful dress among all the others Clara handed her to choose. Thankfully there was something she could wear at the least.

"You… want to wear this one?", Clara was a bit surprised as she looked at the dress Sanaya was hugging.

"Hmm, it's elegant and beautiful. I like this dress."

"Ok. Try it on then. You will look beautiful in it.", Clara said looking at her. Sanaya smiled and went to the bathroom.

**

"Are you really not going to attend the party? Everybody wants to see you there. If you don't go, Tuna will be sad, you know?"

Nicolas was lying on the sofa in his bathrobe avoiding what his cousin brother, Maxwell told him.

"C'mon. Let's go there now. Get up…", Maxwell started pulling his hand, trying to get him up.

"Let me sleep for five minutes more.", Said Nicolas in a sleepy tone. He had no interest in attending such parties where girls would keep looking at him and trying to seduce him.

"No, you can not. We are already late and you want five minutes more? Get up.", Maxwell tried to pull him with a little bit strength.

"So annoying.", Nicolas opened his eyes and looked at Maxwell. Seeing him getting up, Maxwell had a proud smile of accomplishment on his face.

"What. Want to see me changing?", Holding the bathrobe Nicolas looked at Maxwell annoyingly. Maxwell walked towards the door immediately, "No no. I... I'm leaving." He walked to the door and left immediately.

Nicolas was very hard to please. It was enough that he got up. If he was to say no, nobody could change his decision. Let alone changing, there were hardly two to three people who could make Nicolas listen to them. Everybody feared him only, even in the family Maxwell, his father and Nicolas's father would not dare to make him angry. Sometimes they would not dare to talk back once he would be angry. 

Nicolas smiled devilishly and lied on the sofa. He stretched out his arms, "Finally I can sleep…" He loved to sleep, attending parties was not to his liking. Never.

After awhile

"Hey, open the door."Maxwell knocked at the door. As the door was still closed he knocked again. Hearing no sound he kept knocking.

Damn! Nicolas made a fool of him. He did not even get ready let alone going to the party.

Getting a call Maxwell sighed and said, "He is still in the room. I don't think he is going."

"This punk! He always tries these tricks. Never mind, leave him there. I'm on my way to the party. You just head here as soon as you can…", said Maxwell's father from the opposite side of the call.

Like he was advised, he left from there to go to the party.

**

"Guys!" Seeing a bunch of girls and boys Clara shouted out all of a sudden, making Sanaya astonished.

"What are you doing?"Sanaya looked at her with surprise. The dress she wore was comfortable but the high heels were not. She could barely walk properly on them.

"Let's go.", Holding her hand Clara walked towards the bunch of girls and boys who were actually her friends and colleagues.

"Hey, Clara."They said looking at Clara but then their eyes started reading the girl behind Clara thoroughly. They never met her before.

"Guys, this is Sanaya. My best friend… and Sanaya they are my friends and colleagues. This is…", Clara introduced Sanaya to them slowly, one by one.

"She is so beautiful.", A boy said, looking at Sanaya when Sanaya smiled.

"Didn't I tell you that she is beautiful? Now, you see?", Clara had a proud smile on her face. Sanaya got to talk to them and she became friends with some of them.

Sanaya was looking around when Clara was talking to her friends. Clara didn't leave her alone though. Sanaya was at a party for the first time so she was trying to gulp the new feeling. And there her high heels were making it hard for her to walk.

"Hey.", When Sanaya was looking around, a guy held her hand coming out of nowhere.

"He-llo…", she moved away and pulled her hand away. She looked at him as if she did not like him touching her hand.

"Ahh sorry. I saw you were looking around. Are you looking for someone?", Asked the guy.

"No. I was just…", Sanaya said in a low voice but then she was silent.

"It's ok. Don't be nervous if you are. I am Daniel and you are Sanaya, right?"

"Yes, I am.", She said in a low voice again.

"Is it your first time coming to a party?", Daniel was looking at shy Sanaya. He kind of liked her, he heard from Clara about her for a long time and he was curious to see her. Finally, he got to see her in person.

"Yeah…", she replied.

"I see…", Daniel kept looking at Sanaya when Sanaya was feeling kind of awkward. She was not familiar with him and he was looking at her continuously, it was making her uncomfortable.

Daniel understood that he was making her uncomfortable so he said, "Ahh, would you like to dance with me?"

"... I… I don't know how to dance.", She answered smiling awkwardly as she did not know how to react.

"I see. Actually, it's easy to dance. You just…", Daniel was interrupted by Sanaya as she asked him, "Where is Clara?"

"Clara might be somewhere around. Why? Do you want to talk to her?", As he asked her she said, "Yeah, I want to…"

"Ahh wait, I will check where is she ok? You can drink soft drinks or juice, we will meet here ok?", Hearing him Sanaya smiled, "Hmm ok." Daniel vanished in the gathering.

Sanaya looked around, people were dancing with their partners. She did not see Clara near her, she thought she might be in the washroom or maybe she was with her boyfriend but it was unusual, she wouldn't leave her alone like that. Sanaya threw away all those thoughts and sighed. She took a deep breath then she tried to go where she wouldn't be in the crowd, a little space for herself and a peaceful place.

Walking out of the party hall she finally saw nobody around her, she sighed with a smile as she inhaled the fresh air.

"Wow so beautiful…", Sanaya found herself standing just a bit away from a beautiful garden, she could see all types of colorful flowers in there. She smiled delightfully and she walked towards the garden.

"Wait, where am I? Daniel told me to wait for him there but I… if he finds Clara and they don't see me there then… I have to go back, I have to find the way to…", Sanaya remembered what Daniel told her. Turning back she looked straight. 

"Wait, did I come from this direction? Or the... How to go back now? Ahh map...", Taking out her phone she searched on the map. Then she walked faster to the right, then left, just following the map. At least she could use G****e maps.

"Almost there, it will take only five minutes more then I'll meet Clara.", Sanaya was walking while looking at the phone screen.

"Who's this beauty? Seems she is in a hurry."Suddenly hearing some men's voices she looked in the direction she heard their voices coming from and saw some guys were looking at her while smiling like devils.

Sanaya swallowed, she got a bad feeling seeing them. They started walking towards her, "Beauty, are you lost? Do you need some help?"

"They don't seem to be good guys… what should I do now?"Sanaya took a look at them, then without looking right or left she turned around and started running as fast as she could. The boys started chasing after her, Sanaya was afraid. 

She kept running but she couldn't help herself, they were running after her. She was in danger, she could understand it. 

"Why can't I find anybody who can help me? What to do? I can't keep going on, it's hard to run wearing these damn heels.", Sanaya looked around but found nobody who could help her. If it was India she could easily find a way but it was not her country, she did not even know where she was running to.

As she was running she saw a stranger just a bit away from her. She turned around and saw those guys were not much further away than her.

Without wasting time she ran towards the stranger. She said, "Sir, can you help me, please? Some boys are running after me, I…"

"Help?", The stranger didn't look at her but hearing his voice she understood that he might be around her age or older than her by two or three years.

"Can you just pretend to kiss me? They are nine in total, I won't be able to save myself from them anyhow. If we pretend to kiss they might think that we are lovers and they will go in another direction.", Said Sanaya, her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She was breathing heavily, after all, she ran so fast

"Sure. Let's do it then.", Suddenly the stranger pulled her closer by her hand. When his hands were wrapped around her waist and her eyes met his attractive green eyes.

Only then Sanaya got to see the stranger's face who was a handsome man. Sanaya was looking into his attractive eyes.

"Wrap your hands around my neck.", She heard him saying and she did exactly what he told her to do. Sanaya couldn't tell what was that unknown feeling but it was surely making her nervous, making her heart beat faster than usual. The man in front of her was like a Greek God but who was he? When she wrapped her hands around his neck she could feel his rock-like hard chest. She thought he might work out every day.

Their lips were about to touch, yet they were not touched. They could hear both of their breathing, they were silent. Sanaya seemed to be lost in his eyes.

 She kept looking at him but he moved his eyes here and there saying, "I think they are not coming this way, they might have gone in another direction."

"Ohh seems so…", said Sanaya, still looking at him. Moving away to her he started walking away when He pronounced, "If you don't want to see those guys again then you should follow me." Sanaya nodded without thinking as if she was paranoid. She took a step ahead but suddenly her feet were hurting so she took those heels in her hand she was wearing and followed him.