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“Okay, fine, don’t tell me about the boy. Tell me where you’re going.” Her mother seemed so excited.
She was thrilled her mom asked about the event. “This is the Simha Annual Masquerade Ball.”
“Oh… if it’s a ball, there’s got to be a boy. Who is it?” her mother teased.
Her back stiffened at the reality of her parents finding out about what was happening on campus. What if her parents found out she was going out with a Simha? Even though there wasn’t really anything between her and her rival, it would be a hard one to explain. “Well, it will be a random drawing for a dance partner.”
“How exciting! Send me pictures with your date.” Her mother beamed.
“Not my date. Dance partner.” She rolled her eyes.
“Have fun, sweetheart.” Her mother blew her a kiss.
“Bye, Ma. I’ll talk to you later.” She missed her family so much and could not wait to see them all.
A short while later, all three girls got off the shuttle in front of the building where the annual ball was being held. Nami was not super excited initially, but the atmosphere at the event set her spirits higher.
“Your look is a super hit, Nami,” Vasavi cheered, and Nami saw how the other girls and guys walking into the event center were eyeing her.
“It’s all your expertise, gals,” she said, blowing them soft air kisses.
“Save all the kisses for your guy,” Ramya winked, making Nami jittery on the inside.
What did her rival have planned for the night? Would he surprise her by being a no-show?
The thought brought a ton of relief and a drop of disappointment at the same time. She had barely seen him from the crazy overnight party and was looking forward to seeing him. Had he turned her into a psychotic female who was looking forward to hearing his torturous comments and snarky remarks?
“Okay, gals, have fun. I’m gonna go find my guy,” Ramya whispered before disappearing into the crowd.
Vasavi let out a giggle. “I see someone matching my mask. I’m gonna go mingle. You be good tonight.”
Nami nodded and stepped to the side to process the emotions she was feeling. She was nervous as if she was meeting someone for the first time, and she had to impress them. She wondered if it was because she always defaulted to taking every opportunity to scheme on getting kissed by him. But that evening was different. She didn’t care for the deal anymore, but something else was making her quiver on the inside.
She stood to one side, her eyes lowered, and suddenly something shifted. Her awareness grew, and her heart started thudding. She took quick, shallow breaths as she looked up, scanning the space, convinced he was around.
Disappointed she didn’t spot the tall figure she was looking for, she half lowered her eyes back when something made her look up to the second level of the building that overlooked the lobby where she stood.
It only took her a fraction of a second to land her eyes on the tall figure. Her heart somersaulted with joy when she spotted him wearing the same mask she was wearing that evening, and his tie matched the color of her dress.
He looked at her for a long moment before stepping back from the balcony. She followed him with her eyes as he walked toward the stairs. Anticipation grew when she lost sight of him, and he didn’t come down the stairs as she had expected.
Where did he go? Was that even him? It had to be.
Nami was sure it was him, so she took a couple of steps to walk toward the staircase, and that’s when she felt him behind her. She turned, and her heart leaped with joy when her eyes met his through the masquerade attire.
She held her position as he walked over to her, his hand going up to her cheek to gently cup it. He leaned forward as if kissing her on her cheek but stopped less than an inch away, “You look breathtaking, Varma. You’ve decided to take my kiss tonight?”
She blushed in response to his compliment, the snarkiness of the other remark not registering in her mind. “I don’t care for your kisses anymore.”
“I do.” He stepped back and offered her his hand. “I want all your kisses, but you stopped coming near me.”
As she walked with him toward the ballroom entrance, she felt dozens of eyes on them. Vasavi and Ramya were indeed right about other girls being jealous. And to her surprise, she found herself tightening her hold on his arm when she noticed some of the girls were checking him out.
How dare they? He is mine, even if I’m the fake girlfriend.
The moment they stepped into the large ballroom, the extravagance of the event was met with soft pop music that added a dash of fun to it. The large hall was set up with a big stage, and a band was playing lively music.
“Hope you have your dancing shoes on, Varma.” It was a challenge as they walked through the group, male students giving him a nod while the girls were still drooling.
