After 3 weeks,
Samiksha had made a place for herself in the the KV group of companies through her unique combination of poise, wit, charm, and her nature of being herself. She never knew how to impress people. Her unique qualities were enough to make her unforgettable for whoever she came across. Karan was not an exception.
It was monday morning. Aarun was eager to know whats going on in his bestie’s life..
“So, I guess Samiksha has done it. She has proved her worth as she told us.”
“Yes of course Aarun”.
“And.”
“And?”
“Be clear now ok..”
“Have you spoken out your feelings to her?”
Karan gave him his a surprised glance as if he didn’t understand.
“Now come on. Tell her what you feel for her.”
A smiling Karan,
almost blushing with his witty smile left Aarun in the cabin with his unanswered questions.
“See ya.”
“Sir, I feel The Platinum Heights would be very beneficial in long terms, as in seeing their market dealings and knack. They think from a long term point of view.”
“Yes, you spoke my heart. I felt the same seeing their market achievements. What say Aarun?”
” Hmm.. I guess my vote is in for this one.”
“So lets fix an earliest appointment with them.”
“Will talk to Varsha about this”, said Aarun.
Appointment with Platinum Heights CEO was only possible in Italy as he was going to be there for the next week for a family wedding. But Varsha informed Karan that he was ready for a meeting with The KV group.
Karan wanted this contract as it would be one of the best deals his companies had.
“Sir, should I fix this appointment on 3rd of this week, that is day after tomorrow?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Sami, we would have to fly to Italy day after as this was the earliest day possible.”
Said Karan to Samiksha in her cabin..
“Um Sir, I have never been out of India before. I will have to talk to mom.”.
“Dont worry.
I will talk to her, as your presence is needed there.”
Mrs. Samuel had just finished her prayers.
And the door bell rang.
“Mom, meet Mr. Karan Valenti, my boss.”
“A warm welcome sir. Please come. Have a seat.”
Karan felt a warm and cosy feeling in their small home.
“Miksha talks a lot about you sir.”
Samiksha stole a quick, embarassing glance from Karan and rushed into her kitchen.
After a short conversation, Karan asked her mom about the business trip to Italy.
“Sure, why not. She will get an exposure of this field. Though she might appear a bubbly, naive girl to the world, she has lot of potential sir. She has inherited it from her father. We had a small business but Miksha’s suggestions and inputs at times, would leave us astonished. we would be taken aback by her thoughts and ideas.”
Karan was impressed
even more.
“I am happy but also surprised that you agreed instantly.”
“Son, a person’s presence near you speaks volumes about his true character. I can sense the care and responsibilty you have towards my Miksha. For sure you have it for all your employees. I give my consent. She can accompany you to Italy.”
They were unaware that the trip to Italy would change their lives forever.
The smile on his face was of a man who deeply cared for Samiksha. She too returned the smile after her mom’s consent.
“Will get the tickets booked then. I shall text you the time of our flight.”
She nodded joyfully.
“See you then. Thank you for the tea aunty. Good night.”
“Comfortable?”, asked Karan to make her at ease in the flight.
“Yes sir. Actually a bit nervous too”
“Dont worry. Relax. Lets chat.”
She jumped out of joy.
“I thought we will have to sit quiet throughout.”
“So tell me. How was your childhood?

“Yes of course. Being the only child, I was pampered by both mom and dad. But they also taught me to be content in life.”
“What else did they teach?”
“Hmm. To choose love over everything. It makes everything right. No matter what the conditions are.”
“Thats a wisdom, I shall borrow it from you Sami.”
They smiled at each other.
and the flight took off. Samiksha was quiet comfortable now. She was enjoying the view from her window seat.
“So hows the feeling? You comfortable?”
“Yes.”
“You visiting Italy for first time. Excited?”
“Very excited. And you sir?”
“I have been there several times dear.”
“Oh ya”, said Samiksha.
“Hmm. But with you definitely its my first visit.”
“So sir, whats so special there?”
“Now thats a good question. Sami, its the city of passion and . .”
“Love?”
“Here you go wrong dear. Passion.”
Samiksha was spell bound for few minutes.
“You also must have had experienced it?”
And Karan burst into a laughter.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course yes. What makes you think I am not?”
“Nothing. Am feeling sleepy, so good night.”
“Hey. I can smell something burning ha.”
“Oh ya. Maybe in the kitchen. Please go ahead and check.”
Samiksha suddenly noticed how she bared her emotions by her actions and words.
“Can I sleep?”
Finally she wanted to end this convo.
“Yes Sami dear.”
After landing,
a car picked them and they proceeded towards their hotel.
It was posh, matching to the lifestyle of Karan Valenti.
“Vow. Its a beautiful place sir”.
Karan smiled at her and both walked towards their respective rooms. He had booked two suites for them.
“Feel comfortable Sami. You can make a call to aunty. And rest for sometime. Let me complete other formalities.”
Samiksha admired the concern he showed for her mother.
Later in the afternoon they had a sumptuous Indian lunch. At Samiksha’s special request, Karan made sure only Indian food was served to them.
There was a knock on her door.
“Sami, just got connected to Mr. Varun, the CEO of the company. He said he would meet us in two hours.”
“Alright sir. But, till then?”
“Come on, lets explore Italy.”
And they left for a short adventure.
Karan showed her few places there. She enjoyed the sight seeing to the fullest.
It was time
for the business talk.mMr. Varun was impressed by Karan and Samiksha’s future plans about the construction business. He also shared his point of view and after an hour, the deal between The Platinum Heights and The KV group was done.
“Am really glad this happened sir. You were very keen on getting this deal right?”
Karan’s happiness was visible on his face.
“Yes. Lets celebrate. Our flight is tomorrow in the noon. So lets make utmost use of this time in our hands.”
Samiksha was thrilled for this unplanned outing. The fondness they had for each other was no more hidden.
“Come.”. Karan opened the door of the car for her and she felt on the top of the world.
They went on a drive and then halted at a very vast ground. This was an open space where people used to come to escape from the speedy life. The highlight of this place was privacy. One could just lie there on a blanket and gaze at the magnificent lovely sky up. Or you can just park your car, rest on its hood and please your eyes with the beautiful sky.
“Its just like a dream sir. Its so beautiful. No crowd, no pressure. Just peace.mI can spend my entire life here.”
“With?”, Karan asked with a smirk.
Samiksha’s blushing cheeks
were visible even in that dim lighting of the memorable evening.
“Um. Dunno right now.” They looked into each others eyes. Samiksha could not deny the desire to run fingers through his beard. She looked at those eyes which were gazing her, and tried to read what were they trying to convey. He looked at her face resisting the urge to cup her face and kiss that bulge on her upper lip.
The eye contact was disrupted by a hustle of a car which passed by theirs.
“Come out. You haven’t seen the real heaven yet.”
He removed a blanket from the car and spread it down.
He sat down and stretched himself carefreely on the blanket. Samiksha was spell bound for few seconds. She did not know what to do.
“Come, lie down here”, he pointed at the place next to him. Seeing her hesitance, he tried to lighten the moment.
“I wont grab you or kiss you ok. If I do so, you can sue your boss.”
Samiksha burst into laugh and she lied down besides him on the soft blue blanket.
Then she saw up.

Credit : Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com
She was lost in the mesmerizing beauty of the sky. Thousands of stars twinkling up there. The dark blue, grey shaded clouds rested in the sky like Karan and Samiksha at that moment. The feel of the cool breeze on her skin, besides her was the man she desired.
“This is heaven”, said Samiksha with pure bliss.
The stars glowed
in the sky with mixed shades of grey, blue, black, and the visual was more beautiful than usual.
“Samiksha.”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you know my name?”
Smiling she looked at him, and nodded her head.
“And it is?”
Hesitantly, she said after a while,
“Karan.”
And there was a smirky smile on his lips.
“You can call me by my name. I guess we have that comfort level between us now.”
“Yes Karan”, Samiksha said after a pause.
And they continued gazing at the starry sky up.
“Samiksha”
“Hmm.”
“When we first met, I mean when you dashed against my car, did you expect us to meet again?”
“Um no. Why?”
“Just like that. But I had wished that day, to meet you again, some day.”
Samiksha turned her head sideways and looked at him.
“Karan, I.”
He never moved her eyes from hers.
“All ears.”
Her loud heart beats
were heard all around them in that silent, magical night.
Her nervousness was felt by Karan as he was so close to her on that soft, cozy blanket.
He turned sideways and rested on his right elbow and his head on his palm.
His glance was deep, studying her smooth features in the dim glowing light of the stars.
“I have fallen for you Samiksha.”
These six words, and Samiksha’s world halted. Time paused. Her heart raced faster than ever. She looked at him and was lost in his glance.
“I fell for you since the moment I saw you against the hood of my car. I wanted to get out of my car, and just swipe the hairs flying on your face, like this.”
And he swiped the flying hairs from her face with a light feather touch of his long, strong fingers.
She shivered at his first touch.
“I wanted to hold your face like this.”
And he cupped the side of her face with his hand.
“Only universe knows,
how I resisted the urge to kiss you.”
And he gently touched the centre of her upper lip, which he had yearned for since he saw her first.
And Samiksha closed her eyes. She turned vulnerable by all the things happening right now. The effect of these first feelings was deep.
He slowly bent down towards her face. His right palm now surrounded her head from up, and his other hand was on her face side.
When he was very close, his beard hairs touched her chin, she could feel his warm breaths on her face.
He stopped, and whispered,
“Sami, look at me.”
And she slowly, opened her eyes. She could barely breathe now.
“Do you also feel the same, as I do?”
And she remembered her mom’s words. . Miksha, the true man who deserves you will be the one who thinks, he doesn’t.
Samiksha knew Karan was assuring whether she felt the same for her before getting more close to her. She smiled . And was glad she fell for the right man.
Fluttering her eyelashes, she urning her head to the opposite side.
He kept his hand slowly on hers.
She freed her hand
and got up from the blanket, as her heartbeats were now out of her control.
As she tried to go away, he caught her hand, and after getting up, he turned her towards him.
“Tell me, what am I for you?”
She slowly looked up with his answer in her coy eyes.
“Tell me Sami. What am I for you?”
“Everything.”
She slowly rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his heart beats, and she entwined her hands around his.

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Closing her eyes, she got lost in those moments. His masculine built against her soft feminine features , his bearded chin against her hair, and the strong and firm, yet caring circle of his hand around her. She was nostalgic. She was living a dream.
He was any girl’s dream man. And here, just now he had confessed her feelings to her.
She wanted time to freeze.
Forever . .
Very nice going story. ✌
Thanks a lot for the encouraging words😊😊