She wore a lovely smile , cloaking the scars beneath her flawless facade. To the world, she was a beautiful happy woman, none but her own heart knew her desolation.
Veronica was a strong and independent woman living in Mumbai. She was a travel writer who loved exploring the globe, meeting new people and acquainting with new cultures.
365 days ago…
Veronica was extremely excited as her next expedition was to the city of Love ; Paris. Like every 20-something girl, she fantasized of finding the love of her life in the city of lovers. With three huge suitcases and a heart full of hope, Veronica flew to Paris!
À Paris….
As walked out of the airport, she was greeted by a husky-hypnotic voice that said “Bonjour Madameosille ! “. She was intrigued by the voice and couldn’t help but look in the direction of the voice. Veronica spotted a man dressed in a blue suit, a short boxed beard covered most of his wheatish skin and his hazel-brown eyes met hers. He raised his left hand and waived the placard on which her name was printed in a bold font as he walked towards her.
He offered a handshake and said ” Bienvenue à Paris, My name is Fawad Khan and I will be your tour manager for the entire trip.” Reciprocating the handshake, she smiled and said ” Merci, I’m Veronica”. They walked towards the car and he offered to carry the luggage, he also held the door open for her as she sat. Handsome, Charming, and a Gentleman; rare combination she said to herself. He drove her to the hotel and managed her check-in formalities and escorted her to her room. She thanked him and decided to get some rest.
The next morning they met for breakfast at the hotel’s café. The tantalizing aroma of golden croissants, about score types of cheese, and mouth-watering colorful macaroons created an amazing ambience around the two. Veronica was lost into his eyes as he narrated their itinerary and she was charmed by his husky-hypnotic voice. They talked and laughed and ate, forgetting of the world around them.
Later they traversed the city and for the first time, the Tour Manager seemed to catch Veronica’s interest more than the tour. She would pay more attention to him than to what he was saying, gazing into his beautiful eyes and drowning into the sound of his enchanting voice. He seemed to be so dreamy.
Soon the sun set and it was Soir calling for a Soiree. Intoxicated by the alcohol they danced and sang and broke a lot of French laws too. They reached their hotel around 3 am and fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed. Along with morning, came a bad hangover and they sat holding their heads wondering how drunk they would have been.
This became their daily routine, Breakfast Rendez-vous —- Flânerie —- Soiree ! They went to Museums, Galleries, Cruises and explored everything the city had to offer. Veronica was euphoric, she had forgotten everything else, all she could think about was Fawad. Their visit to the Eiffel Tower was the most memorable one, as it was an official dinner date and Veronica’s excitement knew no bounds. She thought that her dream of finding love in Paris may come true.
Days passed by, the trip was coming to an end and it was time for Veronica to head back. Veronica knew she was in love with Fawad and the fact that she had the last 2 days left to spend with him depressed her. She wondered if Fawad also felt so strongly for her and whether this would lead to anything concrete.
That day at breakfast Veronica was awfully silent, she chose to just imbibe the beauty of the moment, of him being with her. Fawad wondered what was wrong, he tried to make conversation and as he spoke he saw tears roll down her eyes.
To be continued…