Parde main rehne do ,Pardah naa utavo

Pardah jo utgaya tho raaz khul jayega...

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It was a masquerade party on lines of  Venice Carnival.Everyone had a mask on,she did too.

A Diana masquerade lace mask, a half-mask covering her eyes, upper cheeks, and nose. The glimmer of its sequin edging went perfectly with her outfit, a Sexy fit and flare knee length red dress, with slim straps and open back, paired with stunning red ankle strap stilettos.

Soft wisps of her loose hair ,swept past ear and caressed the skin of her neck, jaw, cheeks and Shoulders .With red drop earrings, dangling their way down ,smokey eyes sparkling with a sheen of glitter and a dash of red lipstick, She looked like a piece of fire in bold red, crackling.Her sexy and confident gait would just have been the right bait to have heads turned, but tonight her intentions were different.

Dim lit room, bubbling champagne at one end ,waltzing couples and music floating in,she knew the number at once. The Masquerade Waltz by Aram Khachaturian, adding to the mystery of theme.Her eyes moved around dance room looking out for the 'one'.It would have been impossible to figure him out midst masked men, dressed in tuxedos dancing their way out,but her eyes, guided by heart ,picked him up in few minutes.

There he is... Dancing with a masked pretty lass. A request for dance distracted her for a minute. She dismissed with a nod of disagreement and quietly slipped into shadows grabbing a glass of wine. She can't afford to attract attention, not tonight .

Virtue has a veil, vice a mask, said someone. Nothing immoral , but being little wicked wouldn't hurt, Right!She sipped her drink quietly, but her eyes didn't leave him,moved along with him, following his every little step as she waited for her chance,patiently.

Then came the moment, when he took off his mask and moved to the bar counter with a hearty smile and she knew her heart can never go wrong. She watched him relax , leaning onto the counter lazily ,sipping his drink and enjoying the sight of dancing couples. The chance she had been waiting for .Bracing herself up, in slow steady steps, She walked up to him and extended her hand for a dance,with a little smile .His eyes shot up to her.

"I am sorry," he apologized," I just had my last dance..Look I don't have mask on too."

Her smile faded. All efforts in vain.Disappointment took over and her eyes couldn't mask the same. She drew back her hand hesitantly and started to leave.One chance, she had been counting on ..just one chance and one dance with him ,was all she needed but Luck hardly favoured her.

Hey!

His voice stopped her in tracks. Did he call her or is her mind playing up tricks.Not sure , She turned back slowly and he was walking up to her in quiet steps.

" I guess ,One dance wouldn't hurt? Right!" He smiled extending his hand "Dance?"

Can this be really happening? Her eyes moved to his hand ,back to him in disbelief first. Then spark was back in her heart and eyes . Smiling wide, She placed her hand in his, felt his fingers curl around hers in a warm ,firm hold. A tingling sensation shot through her and it just seemed to build up ,as his one hand curved around softly, and in few minutes they were sliding and gliding smoothly on floor ,dancing to the rhythm of a more soft number now .She let him lead, just content matching his steps.Her hard practice all these days came handy, Thankfully.

He was full of life and chatted continuously and she listened to him, still syncing in feeling of being this close to him. He tried to engage her in conversation but she chose silence. She answered with either a nod or her eyes and varying degrees of smile.

"Ghungi ho?" He asked, his eyes and voice concerned.

She nodded no but mused within at his genuine concern - 'My Sweet Sunny'

"Let me guess, You are doing maun vrat kind of stuff ," He asked again with a flicker of amusement in his eyes. She chuckled and nodded in negative.

Thank God! He sighed enacting relief, she smiled more.

"I like your smile more than your silence, "He remarked and her heart did a gentle roll.

"Just few more minutes" He added looking around. The dance would end soon was what his words meant and that alerted her.

Just few more or Last few minutes ? Her dream ride is going to end either way. She looked at him and wanted to confirm this is real, and no fragment of her imagination, for one last time. Maybe she would never see him again. Even If she did, he would never know. She wanted to treasure this moment, forever.

Giving into urge,her fingers touched his cheek in a gentle caress and she had his all attention. His words froze and their gazes too.Her eyes moved over his features followed by her fingers in little soft strokes as if she is trying to etch his every little feature in her heart. His soft sleek black hair,Those thick eyebrows, impossibly long lashes, angular jaw quoted with a day's stubble and dimple, she always found cute . As her fingers moved down to his neck, she heard him draw a sharp breath and close his eyes with a soft sigh.

When he opened them back ,he was stuck by what he saw in her eyes. What was it ? A flash of pain , an acute longing , a strong admiration or something else, He had no clue but it was strong enough to pull and tug his heart strings.Drawn helplessly, he leaned closer.

"Do I know you?" His words came in a breathy whisper.

She nodded no, her breath uneven and shallow at their proximity.His breaths, short and hot, brushed her hair.

"Who are you?"He asked trying to read her eyes.She gazed at him at loss of words, and wished she could answer.

He brushed a wisp of her silk hair ,tucked it behind her ear,gently and felt her tremble.

"Bolo " He asked again, feeling her breath over his.

In answer ,she leaned forward and touched his lips.

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Sanskaar woke up with a jerk. Not Again.

Dream, He wished it was a dream, only it was not. Everything was real, every damn thing. The dance , the kiss, the masked girl and that night.Two years , It had been two years ,yet he couldn't get her out of his mind. She seemed to rule over his heart in a way, he couldn't explain or make sense of . On Top of that he had no clue who she was.

Drawing a deep breath, He tossed out of bed and pulled drawer next to him. He slowly opened a small box which held the reminder of that night.'Her mask' which slipped off when she chose to run away leaving him behind, stunned and lost after a breathtaking kiss ,which shook him with a great intensity .

He held it up for a better view. The eyes behind them ,Those caramel coloured eyes , a shade of deep brown,still haunted him ,what he saw and felt in them. The shades they reflected, a mix of transparency and mystery, a sense of openness and a hint of enigma.

Every time he tried to give up or brush it off , this mask , this souvenir, reminded him, it was all real.She was real.Every moment that transpired between them that night was real.How could he get her out of his mind and heart, when she left him imprinted, as 'hers'

"Where are you ? Who are you?" He murmured his eyes fixed on mask. He needed few answers and 'Her'

He wished he would have soon...

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