Running From The Truth (by Emma)

Prologue

Prologue

June 2006, New York

High school Prom was finally here. Something that all the seniors in the school had waited for with bated breath. Except for Arnav, he didn't really enjoy such events. The only goodthing about this was being able to see her. Khushi. There she stood with a group of friends, and her arm linked with her prom date. Saying that she looked stunning would be an understatement, because she looked much more than that. Her light brown hair was let out in long waves, framing her oval shaped face. Her skin was always beautiful, but today it seemed to be a more flawless creamy colour. Her hazel eyes were shining, framed with dark and very long lashes. Her nose ring was in the shape of a small ring today, instead of her usual stud. Her lips were a beautiful shade of pink, leaving him breathless. All of a sudden his prom date, put her arm around his waist and smiled, interrupting his stare session with Khushi.

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She could feel his eyes on her, staring. She did not usually think of herself as very beautiful, she always felt as if she was an average looking girl. But today, she was very dressed up as it was Prom. After getting dressed, she had looked into the mirror and admitted that she actually looked pretty for once. Well, with all that makeup and a beautiful dress, who wouldn't? So she assumed that he was staring at her for that very reason. Of course, he would always be the most handsome guy for her. Dressed in a slick black suit, he looked as charming as ever. Hair styled to perfection, his bright caramel eyes, and smooth angular jaw line always gave her butterflies in her stomach. He was perfection and she had always thought so. Of course, the rest of the girls did too as they were constantly swooning over him, but she had thought so from the minute she had laid eyes on him. However, perhaps she would never be good enough.

Her date, Viren had just left to go get some drinks when Arnav was suddenly beside her.

"Dance with me, Khushi?" he asked smoothly.

"Uhmm, my date..." she said nervously.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Looking the way you do tonight, I'm sure many guys would be dying to dance with you." He said, causing her to stare at him in wonder. What was he thinking? What did he want? What did everything between them mean? They were not new questions in her mind, however as the end approached she could not help but wonder if there would ever be an answer to her unending queries.

She took his hand, and they made their way to the dance floor. His hands at her waist, and her hands around his neck, they slow danced.

"Arnav, why are you doing all this?" She asked sadly.

"What am I doing? I'm just dancing with you." He replied casually.

"Yes, but why? Why with me? What is it that you want? I can never understand you Arnav." She said sadly.

"Look Khushi, I don't even know myself why I'm doing this. I don't know what I want, but right now, I want to dance with you." He said while looking straight into her eyes.

So, they danced until the song was over.

She could very well see that he was unwilling to let her go so soon, and as much as her foolish mind wanted to stay, she relented.

"Sorry but my date is waiting for me, and I think yours is too. I need to go." She said in a quiet voice.

He knew she would say that, because he knew her better than anyone else in this room. She left and joined her date while his came to join him. He could hear his date telling him something, trying to make conversation, however he did not hear a word...his attention elsewhere.