Happily Letter After

Chapter 5

I wasn't sure if my eyes or the lights were playing trick on me. How else could his presence be explained. My eyes devoured him, took in every aspect of his...it had been so long since I last saw him. My mind was slowly coming to terms with what my eyes were seeing, accepting his presence and my heart was going crazy with happiness.

"Naimish?" His name came out like a question, like I was still afraid it wasn't him I was seeing and wanted to confirm.

He came a bit closer and the lights illuminated his face better than before, he was so beautiful that my eyes just couldn't move away from his face. It was also because I felt that he would be gone the moment I looked away or even blinked.

I could hear a ringing sound somewhere but I was too engrossed in him to pay attention. Soon the sound got a bit louder and annoying so I looked away to check where the sound was coming from but I couldn't spot anything that could have been emitting the sound.

I looked back to Naimish and he was gone, almost as if he was never there. I ran where he was standing, looked around but he was gone...nowhere to be found. But I was so sure he was there; I could sense his presence.

Was I hallucinating? Was my heart so stuck with him that I imagined him here?

Before I could ponder on the thought anymore, a shrill sound made me cover my ears and close my eyes and when I opened my eyes again... I was in my room on my bed dressed in last night's clothes.

Had it all been a dream?

I was disheartened, how wonderful it would have been if that was all real. I checked my bedside clock to see the time, 9:07 am, exactly what it had been when I woke up in my dream. My mind was working so fast over the reasons and signs that this small little thing would mean. I pulled myself out of the unnecessary thinking before I got sucked in deep and before I gave myself hope that would shatter later on.

Though, I couldn't stop myself from replaying the dream in my head. I should have realized something was off, everything was going so smoothly and exactly how I would have imagined my first date. Of course, it was all an imagination. The only good thing that came from the dream was that my dress for tonight was picked and my schedule set.

And although I wouldn't let myself accept it, but seeing Naimish even if it was in my dream felt really good. It almost seemed that it was real... I could still feel his presence, the fragrance of the flowers, the light breeze.

I brought my mind back to the present, there was no use thinking about the dream so I got up from my bed and headed towards the closet to take out the dress.

"Oww, Owww...Owww," I stubbed my toe on the foot of my bed. I was immediately reminded of the dream, could it really mean that my dream would come true. This is the second thing that happened exactly like in the dream.

Call me superstitious, but the likeliness of the reality to the dream was too hard to ignore specially when the result is having someone I have wanted and loved for so long.

But to hold out the hope for it happening is catastrophic. I had been let down a lot in the past for hoping but I still didn't learn my lesson. Even while thinking of not hoping anything in return, I know that the smallest corner of my heart is holding on with all its might on that hope and I know that I would be terribly disappointed in the end.

But still I decided to do everything like I did in my dream.

I went to my closet and took out the dress I wore in my dream. I went about the entire day exactly like I did in my dream, all the while excited and nervous for the evening to come along when I would really get to know if my dream would actually come true.

I was ready at exactly half past six, I wore a beautiful navy crepe cocktail dress with a deep V neckline, puffed sleeves and asymmetric hemline. I paired the dress with nude stilettos and a nude clutch. I wore a pendant necklace set that went well with the dress. I went for loose curls for my hair and put on light makeup.

I was about to call my father for the address of the meeting place when my phone dinged with a message.

This message was the first deciding moment on whether the evening would be the same as my dream. I opened the message with my heart in my mouth and when I read it, I was beyond happy.

The car is waiting for you at your doorstep. I'll be waiting for you. - N. Ayers

It was the exact same message I received in my dreams. Was it real or still a dream? I couldn't help but question. But I still went along, waiting for either my heart to be broken or filled with enormous happiness. I had no other option than to wait.

It was all the same, the most beautiful arrangement of nineteen different colored roses, the limousine, the chauffer, the Juliet Rose, the note, the place, the lights, the flowers, the candles, the river, even the weather and atmosphere.

With each thing that checked off my dream list, my expectations grew to new heights and I didn't want it to break. But the little practical voice in me said that it would and I was in for a very big disappointment.

Unlike in my dream, on my way here this time I was all in knots on who would turn out to be Mr. N. Ayers. After reaching the destination, I thanked the chauffer and walked down the pathway to find Mr. N. Ayers waiting at the edge of the surface where Naimish stood in my dream.

He stood with his back facing me, the dim lightning and the distance, made it difficult to figure out if it was actually Naimish or someone else. I was too excited and my hopes had reached a new high, I wanted him to turn and let me out of this misery of waiting, but at the same time I also wanted him to stay there so that I could live a little longer in this moment.

After getting my emotions a bit in control, I walked towards him. With each step that I took towards him, my shoes made a loud click-clack sound completely opposite to my racing heartbeat.

The sound of my shoes would have notified him of my presence because he turned and the lights and candles illuminated his face and relief washed over me.

I didn't want it to be a dream this time as well, I so want all of this to be real.

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Why was Naimish here? Does he really want to marry Anna or is he being forced by his father?

I am so sorry for making the first time to be a dream. But it's all for real now.

Wait for the next chapter to read about their first meeting in five years. I promise that this story would be very different from all the arranged marriage stories you have read.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I hope you all liked this chapter. If you did, don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT.