Today, know that happiness doesn't come from the next best thing... happiness is found in the 'here and now'.

As usual it was a very hectic day. This fashion show is going to be big, very big. The hustle and bustle is tiring me off but working hard is my thing. This is the only thing I've done in the past seven years. When I had nothing to do, I was busy making money. That made me happy.

But now I think what will I do with all this money. Sometimes I feel like to leave everything and go away somewhere far, like but a house in some remote area of England and take up animal husbandry. But then I do have a family to look after.

Talk about love and marriage? I don't want to marry anyone. All these years I tried to move on but I couldn't. I met so many men but they only want two things from me- money and sex. Men and their pathetic mind.

Wait! Why the hell am I thinking all this? This is my peace time. I sipped on my can of Mountain Dew and relaxed.

It was 9 p.m. and I was sitting in my favorite place. Years back I came here with someone very special but now I'm alone.

A deserted clearing, where the residential area ends and the industrial area begins. The area is covered with forest to separate the place from the main city.

Here you can see the stars twinkling, and the moon in a full circle. There are no buildings here and no human could be found. Spirits could be there but then they are invisible.

This is the place where I sit down quitely for hours and enjoy being alone. I was seated at the back of my car, in the dickey. No one could see me there while I sipped on the third can of Mountain Dew.

The music blasted in my ears, Enrique sang 'I'm a freak'. Okay, I'm an Enrique fan. I love him and his songs.

Some cars passed away without stopping. No one can see my black car in the dark forest. Some time later I saw a car parked far away. It wasn't very clear in the dark.

Seems like I'm not alone here. I checked for the hockey sticks and it was there. I haven't used them for long, since college. What? I didn't play hockey, I used them to hit men. Self defence, you know.

I picked up the fourth can of Mountain Dew and relaxed some more. I smelled a familiar cologne.

It was probably just my imagination, he can't be here. But the smell grew stronger by second. It could be someone else, I told myself.

I shut my eyes to block every view. Okay, I'm not scared. This place is a bit scary but I'm not scared.

Someone stood beside me. Hell!

"Ashna?" Music was too loud so I couldn't hear properly.

I felt someone coming more close to me. And the next thing was that the person pulled my earplugs out of my ears. I kept my eyes shut.

"Open your eyes." He chuckled. I know that voice very well. It's him. "I won't bite."

I opened my eyes and met with dark brown eyes. His black hair was messed up and fell on his forehead. Unknowingly, I smiled. Diamond black stud shined in his left ear, that was his favorite. Surprisingly, he still wears them.

"Are you done?" Roy smirked. I just realized, I was ogling at his charm.

Wait! What is he doing here?

"What?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow, feigning non-chalance.

"Stop ogling at me." He had a wide grin on his face. He was enjoying this way too much.

"Do not flatter yourself, mister." I said in an unaffected tone.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, while sipping on his beer. He made himself comfortable beside me in the dickey of my car.

"This is my favorite place." I murmured, taking sips from my can of Mountain Dew.

He looked at me but didn't say a word. After some time, "what are you doing here?" I really wanted a sincere answer to that question. I don't know what I'm expecting but...

"It's my favorite place too." He muttered. I knew that very well. We used to come here often, 7 years before. "But I didn't expect you to be here." He smiled, his million-dollar smile.

"Neither me." I said in a whisper, hoping that he wouldn't hear. He stared at me, as if he is confused about something. Obviously, this is his place, he brought me here years back. After he was gone I never thought I would come back here again. But my feet walked down here that night.

"Nice jacket." He spoke, racking his eyes through my body. What a change of topic! "But you don't seem to be like a woman wearing leather jacket." He cocked his eyebrow in amusement.

"You don't know me well, Roy." I said, chuckling. Thinking that the time changed me so much.

"I know one thing for sure." He snickered.

"What?"

"You are a scared kitten." He gave his oh-so-glorious smile.

"No I'm not!" I replied immediately, getting all defensive.

"Yes you are." He laughed.

"No." I said once again in the same defensive manner.

"See? You're scared to admit also."

"Huh, as if." I rolled my eyes.

"Prove me wrong then." He suppressed his laughter.

So he is challenging me. "How?" I ask.

"Truth and dare?"

He must be kidding! Truth and dare? Seriously? I started laughing hysterically.

"What? I am not joking." He said.

He wasn't laughing. Okay, so he is serious. "Okay." I agreed, he smiled.

He spun his empty beer bottle.

"Play it like 20 questions?" I ask, scrunching my nose from the smell of alcohol. I hate alcohol, damn!

"Okay." I smiled like a kid. "I see, you don't like my beer bottle." He made a face just like a kid.

I rolled my eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes, one day you'll see things upside-down." He said. Yes, that's his line, one of my favorite. I smiled. Here is the Roy I had once loved.

"First question I'll ask." He said, enthusiastically.

"Okay."

"Favorite food?"

"Pasta." I said, he smiled.

"Your turn." He said.

"Favorite sport?"

"Car racing." I knew that already.

Just like old times, we played. Things were going well, we were having fun like kids. This time was unexpected. We forgot the relationship of a boss and employee.

"Why did you take up a job when you have your father's company?" I asked, this question was bugging me from the time he stepped inside my cabin for interview.

He sighed and ran his long fingers through his hair. "Long story short, he wants me to prove myself worthy of becoming his heir." Okay, that is something new, his father spoiled him from the beginning so now this change of heart doesn't make sense.

Bad boys can also have problems like this.

"You'll figure out something." I muttered. I smiled and rubbed his shoulder, its a way to relax him. His body stiffened and I immediately removed my hand.

His eyes bore in mine, with a great intensity.

"Your turn." He said, grinning, back to his old self.

"What?"

"Last question." He said again.

"Something that you're scared of?" I knew there was nothing that he is scared of.

He thought for a minute and answered. "Fireworks."

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

"I'm not scared of it but I don't like it I mean..." he can't admit that he is scared of something. He shrugged.

"Fireworks are beautiful." I said, and gasped almost dramatically.

"I-i don't know. I haven't seen any play of fireworks before. Whenever there was a play with fire, I was out of that place." He said. It was something big for him to confess.

I grinned evilly. I know exactly what to do now.

"Come with me."

It was very dark and the forest looked creepy. But this was going to be fun.

We walked to the other end of the forest, which took us half-n-hour. Roy questioned me nth time , where were we going.

I didn't answer.

We reached a factory. Which spelled...

"Ahmed fireworks godown." Roy read the rusted nameplate.

I grinned.

"No, you're not doing this." Roy dragged me backwards. See? Who is a kitten now? "We aren't stealing!"

"I'm the boss, remember?" I said, already picking the lock with a hair pin. "And who said anything about stealing?"

The lock broke, the godown opened with huge boxes of rockets, crackers and many other types of fireworks.

"What are we going to do?" Roy asked. Scared and excited, both.

"Matchsticks?" I asked and he handed me a box of them.

I explained him what to do and what not. We lined up the boxes of rockets connecting them with wires.

"When I say 'run', just run after me. Okay?" I said, handing him the matchsticks.

He looked excited as well as scared and what amused? I was definitely having fun. I never thought I will be doing this with him.

Roy lit up two matchsticks and threw them where the wires started, the wires started burning and the first bomb went off.

"Run!"

And we ran.

We kept running until I held his hand and stopped him.

"Look!" I said and smiled. My fingers pointed skywards which was lit up beautifully with fireworks.

His hold tightened in my hand and I looked at him. He was smiling, his eyes on the sky and his pupils mirrored the fireworks. The sight was simply dazzling!

"Beautiful!" He said, still eyes fixed at the sky.

"Beautiful!" I repeated, looking at his eyes.

Soon enough, sirens were heard in the distance. I was expecting that but not so soon. I thought we would make it out of here safely.

"Damn!" I cursed. Roy seemed not to bother. His eyes were fixated at the sky.

"Roy we need to get out of here. Run!"

He broke from his reverie. His eyes went wide, as if realization dawned.

And we ran again.

"Meet me at the next clearing!" I shouted, while hopping inside my car.

He nodded and did the same.

The sirens were closer, police were closer, means trouble was closer but we made it far from them.

Roy was a genius in driving, he won every car race; legal or illegal. I doubted my driving skills but again I'm a woman of many talents.

Roy was already standing out of his car when I arrived at the next clearing.

"We made it safe!" I sighed.

"I knew we would." Roy said confidently.

"Hmm."

"It was amazing." He said.

"It always is." I smiled, closing my eyes.

He chuckled, "how often do you do all this crazy stuff?" He asked, highly amused.

"This is the second time."

"Second time you blew up a factory?!" He asked, somewhat in disbelief.

"Yes."

"You are woman of multiple shades." He commented, blowing out a puff of hot air. Not that I noticed...

"Shades of good or bad?" I ask.

"Both."

I smiled.

After 2 minutes of silence, he asked. "Last time when did you do something like this?" His voice was serious, but he tried to hide.

After thinking for a minute, "7 years back." I muttered, hoping he didn't hear.

But he has an elephants ear, he heard me clear. "Why?" He asked, with so much seriousness in his voice, that it almost scared me.

"I had my reasons." I told him, hoping he wouldn't question me any further.

"Were you happy then?" He asked again.

"You ask too many question." I rolled my eyes. "I was not happy, then." That will not give away too much. Right? "Now stop questioning me please."

He chuckled. "Okay, last one. Please." He made a cute puppy face.

"Last one." I pointed my finger.

"Are you happy now?" He asked with an intensity that I couldn't fathom.

My heart and stomach does all the stupid things that it does to a teenager. Is he playing with me again? Should I tell him the truth? This question is not meant to be. I should not be feeling this, I shouldn't be happy with him. But then I can't lie.

"Yes."

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