Swati's POV ( pearl) 

"Okay, now lower your lashes, and tilt your face towards the right slightly."
Says Nikhil my photographer ready to push the camera button sitting on the tripod.
I do as he says and hear him tch his tongue.
Without moving my face I turn my gaze towards him only to see him deep in thought with his fingers under his perfect jawline. 
I retrieve my gaze and sit still in my position with my heavy designer lehenga spilled all around me and my red veil toping over it like icing over a strawberry cake.
"Wait, something seems off."
He says unsatisfied and me finally losing all the patience stand up at once destroying the hard work of his assistants in assembling my lehenga this beautifully. 
I look at him in a *what do I need to do* look and he stares back at me as if I don't look that appealing to him today. 
"Go wear the bottle green saree, with a golden border, well go with a south look."
He says picking up his fixed camera from the tripod and I can hear many annoyed signs from his assistants, and other members fixing the lights and other required material in the mahal.
I stare at my designer and she looks at me with a pitiful gaze.
"Let's go" 
I tell her half-heartedly and she leads me towards a room cleaned as a green room for now. 
"Get changed into these casuals for now I go get the jewelry and stuff from the vanity car."
Saying this my designer Anya leaves the room and I sit there in front of the shining mirror not wanting to do anything just yet.
I look all around the room and is a spacious place which must have been someone's bedroom when this Mahal was built freshly. 
It's beautiful, the mahal is made of ancient soapstone which is easily carved and is the hardest one once exposed to a weather change, so the craftsmen must have finished all the details of the mahal within three to four months to maintain the softness of the stone right after quarrying it. 
I look out at the vast unmaintained lawn filled with huge trees almost having the feel of a forest and the breeze kissed my soft cheeks every now and then.
The evening crimson sun peeking from the huge trees and its rays spilling all over the lush green leaves is making me feel nostalgic.
I don't know when but fell into a deep slumber dissolving in the calm atmosphere around me.
.
.
.
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I feel something soft and warm near my lips.
A manly scent, and a built stature leaning over me.
I want to open my eyes at one but unable to do it, my brows furrow with the newly born fear I am experiencing. I feel an index finger being pressed in between my brows and the sturdy hand slides across my soft cheeks cupping my left cheek in his huge hands.
Who is this?
Though I am worried about the identity of the person in front of me, I am feeling an unusual bond between us making me lost in his soft gentle touches.
Movements later his soft shoulder-length waves brush my face as he nears my lips.
My heartbeat is out of my hold now! 
I want to fill him in my embrace and smack my lips over his but he is intentionally delaying the process. 
I feel him smirk against my lips.
Oh, GOD! Why the hell can't I just open my eyes!
He presses his full lips against mine for a split second making me feel his need.
It's like a fish is removed from the water.
I can feel his well-kept rubble and perfect mustache over his lips that completes his masculine look, sadly I can only imagine for now!
I move my lips further towards him with furrowed brows and my dying to open eyes when I feel his study hand drawing a line on my fragile neck. 
I am captivated! 
Unable to move, look, or feel his presence according to my wish I feel highly disappointed with my current position but I am enjoying the warmth given by this mysterious man in front of me. 
His hand moves further south tracing my collarbone and the side of my full breasts making me heave for oxygen just by this mere act of his. 
The door of the greenroom creaks open and I shoot open my eyes in a second, only to find myself in the casual dress I was given to wear. 
I look out of the window with a quizzical look to find the sun nowhere in this direction! Instead, the baby rays of the sun are filling the space with a slight fog spilled all over the area.
What time is it now? Wasn't it evening just now? 
Anya walks towards me with a tensed look and places her warm hand over my shoulder. 
I look at her in the eye to find her with a huge bag in her right hand with all the accessories and saree for my photoshoot.
"What is it? You look pale. Everything okay pearl? "
She asks me in a concerned tone and I nod in response.
After confirming my steady-state she starts assembling the makeup material on the table.
"What time is it?" 
I ask hesitantly and without granting me a look she says
"It's just seven in the morning pearl." 
My hands feel sweaty and drops of perspiration emerge on my forehead. Did I sleep in here for a whole day!
Unable to join the sequence of events I experienced just now I shoot her with yet another question 
"What is today's date?"
"It's the seventeenth of the month and you need to submit your bridal photo before twenty-five remember?" 
She says with a calm smile directed to me and once again is lost in her work. 
So it's the same day! Yet I experienced the day all over again! 
I remember Nikhil was unsatisfied with my look and I came here to get changed but then what is all this? 
And what about the man who kissed me? More like pecked me.
I am in so much confusion that I start to heave for air. My unsteady gaze roaming all around the room is making me feel dizzy when suddenly I get a call from a certain someone who can always lighten my mood.
I accept the call and hear his deep voice cooing in my ear that never fails to relax my hyper tensed nerves.
"Good morning love, how is my beautiful wife today?" 
Says Dhruv in his usual playful tone relaxing my tensed facial features. 
Whatever I just experienced I'll talk about it with him. 
"Dhruv can we meet today in the evening? I need to tell you something." 
I say in one go wanting to meet him just now! But can't. 
"Okay honey, let's meet at seven in the evening. I will pick you up from your workplace." 
He says in his calm sweet voice and I nod in response completely aware of the fact that he cannot see my acknowledgment.
"Okay bye" 
I say hanging up his call after hearing his online kiss from the other end of the call.
He never misses any chance. My tensed lips curve up in a smile as I stare at our pic as my wallpaper.
"Pearl are you ready? Let's get you dressed." 
Says Anya with a bottle of green saree in her hand.
I nod in response pushing away the uneasiness of the whole situation I just experienced. 
.
.
.
I am standing outside the photo studio with my white designer bag and my white heels complimenting my light blue beautifully embroidered Kurti with patiyala.
It's almost seven, He will be here any movement. Thinking this to myself I once again go through the pic taken this morning admiring Nikhil's talent.
Riya has taken a day off due to her personal work and it was really hectic for me the whole day. Like just thinking about today morning is making me get a severe headache.
A pitch-black car pulls over in front of me followed by a handsome man emerging from it as he walks towards me embracing me in his warm bear hug. 
He is wearing shorts and a cozy sweater, like seriously he can just wear anything anywhere I guess.
A warm smile spreads across my lips and I realize he must be working on another of his project. Basically, he doesn't come to the company instead he just stays at the lab working his ass off for a new and better product and I usually find him dressed casually there.
I press myself in his wide chest inhaling his homely scent.  
I missed him. 
Is this love?
I don't think so! 
There are many factors within my mind that always make me go to and fro between me loving him or not. It's like I am stuck, I don't have eyes for another guy but I don't need him either. 
Anyway, it's complicated.
Dhruv leads me into the car and sits at the driver's seat. 
"Where are we going?" 
I ask in a casual tone like he isn't dressed so maybe we are not heading to a restaurant or something.
"Home." 
He says flashing me his perfect smile as he reverses the car leading to " HIS home."
"How was the shoot?" 
He asks gently with his one hand on the wheel and another over mine squeezing my hand now and then.
"I don't know what to say."
I reply in a dejected tone gaining his extra attention. 
"Why? What jast happened, Did Nikhil say anything?"
He asked with a worried tone with a hint of anger for Nikhil. 
"No, it's not that, just that,..maybe I'll tell you later."
I say smiling at him and cup his hand in both of mine giving ut a peck on its back.
He chuckles at my action and pulls over his beauty in front of his huge contemporary mansion. 
We enter his house after passing the grand swimming pool and I find the house unusually quiet.
"Where are uncle and aunty?"
I ask searching for them in the house and Dhruv says putting the key back in its place.
"They have been to Kolkata to visit my paternal aunt." 
Oh. So.
"So we are alone." He says as if reading my mind in his always horny voice that had turned extra raspy now.
Switching the white lights to the orange ones Dhruv moves towards me and cups my cheeks in his hand.
"You look even more beautiful in this hue."
He says with his raspy voice making me gulp down my worries.
"I have prepared food, let's eat first."
Saying this he walks away making me release my breath which I was holding in unintentionally. 
Oh my god, I don't know what happened to me just now.
I walk into the kitchen to find him serving freshly made warm pullav (veggies + basmati rice + spices). 
He takes two big bowls and fills them with my favorite mouth-watering pullav.
We walk towards the sofa and he plops down eyeing me to sit in between his legs.
I widen my eyes in surprise but sparing no time he places the plates aside and pulls me between him.
I feel my ears turn red with such a bold action of his and he hands me the plate which I take hesitantly unable to brush off the shyness away.
"Chill, we are gonna be married soon, it will be difficult for me if you stay this stiff on our wedding night." 
He says in my ears making me go a deeper shade of red and making him laugh to his heart's content. 
He pulls my stiff body closer to him with his left arm and I can feel his sturdy muscles touching my stomach. 
"You want me to feed, is it? "
He says with a playful smirk playing on his lips and I instantly nod a negative making him 
Laugh even harder.
What's there to laugh? 
Idiot. 
I puff out my cheeks in anger and he pokes them with the back of his spoon. 
"Oh, my baby guppy fish, please eat it now or I shall eat you."
He says playfully bring a spoon full of rice to my mouth. 
I bit the spoon in anger making him chuckle and he pats my head with his left hand.
.
.
After dinner, we are still sitting in the same position talking about random things, about work, about trends, about other celeb scandals, our relatives, politics, and what not! 
Playing with my open hair he comes to an abrupt stop making me stare him in the eye.
"What is it?"
I ask nervously under his gaze and he moves further linking our foreheads.
" Finally you are smiling." 
He says with a satisfied look and love-filled eyes. Only to make me realize now how far I was from the morning incident. It was almost like I never experienced it.
"I hate to break the calm expression of your face but can you tell me what was it that made you call me in the morning?"
He says in his sweet voice.
How can I reject his request with that face and that voice of his?  
I sit straight in my position and narrate to him about today morning. If there was any other person in his place he would have yelled or made me stop my weeping but Dhruv always hears me out. 
Even my mom never listened to me or my problems and there was only him right from my childhood. 
"So I am hell confused and scared about all that." 
I conclude my story and he kisses me at the side of my head stroking my hair gently. 
"Are you sure you are not having wet dreams about me?" 
He asks playfully making me punch his chest as we laugh out loud with happiness. 
"It must be a bad dream, like visions you know, sometimes we get visions about the future and we feel I have already experienced this but all that is nothing but a figment of your imagination. 
Maybe you had one so you noticed Anya grabbing a green saree for you."
He says with a calm look like it's common and people experience it. 
Well, his suggestion made me feel really better, maybe he is correct, I must have just had a vision. 
Brushing off the thought I dive deeper in his arms as I feel all my stress leaving my body making me feel lighter. 
I guess it's all a dream after all. 

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