Among the few things Mishti had brought to her father's house, her diary must have been the most important. She kept it ever since she was fifteen and even as a young adult, she didn't drop the habit. Of course, she didn't write in it as often as she did as a teenager and she didn't confess her deepest feelings anymore. It was bad enough to report her life on paper still, she didn't want to take the risk of someone reading the feelings and emotions she probably only shared with Nandini although some of them not even her mother knew about. Normally she vented or had her moments of insight with her pen. It was a good way to train to be the writer she dreamed about.

Writing had been part of her life since she was a little girl. She didn't take it from Nandini, who used to say she wasn't good with words and for what she could say now, she didn't take it from Kunal either. Her sister seemed to be her opposite. Although they were identical twins, Pragati was practical, objective, and rational. Mishti was a dreamer that spent most of her days wondering about what her life could be. She wasn't one of those girls who only sat around imagining it. She worked hard, she had dreams and she was sensitive and as irrational as a passionate person could be but she didn't expect things to just happen by themselves. It had been a big disappointment when she lost the spot in the internship she wanted last year but she was determined to study more and to develop her writing more to try it again. Supposing she would have a chance to resume her subject at all.

But when she took the small notebook into her hands that night she wasn't thinking about being insightful. She wanted to talk to someone about this crazy agreement she had with Kunal. But it was too risky to talk with her partner of years as she couldn't have anyone reading it. Nobody could ever know the situation she drew herself into. But not writing about Ritwik Noon was impossible. She had seen him in a couple of pictures, hanging on portraits in the house's living room but they didn't do justice to the man she met. Pragati didn't have anything that seemed slightly related to the enchanting man in her bedroom. No clothes, romantic gifts, pictures, or any sign that she was engaged to someone. There were many pictures but most of them were of her and Kunal and a few of her alone. But in the corner of her dresser, almost covered by the nearby pictures, Mishti found an old picture of Mauli, Kunal, and her sister. Pragati should probably be four or five years old and the three of them held the biggest smiles she had seen in any of the pictures. They seemed to be in a zoo and each of them was holding a vada pav content to be spending some quality time together. Mauli was beautiful and for some unknown reason, Mishti felt a good vibe coming from the woman in the picture.

She didn't know about her sister's adoptive mother but she knew that Mauli had died while Pragati was still too young and that made her feel bad for her sister. She couldn't imagine if she had lost Nandini, especially at such a tender age. Her mother was the person she loved the most in the world and that was why it hurt so much to be in that house, lying to every person that came across her. She wanted to call her mother and tell her everything but in their final argument, before Mishti moved to Mumbai, Nandini made it clear that she was in on this on her own. She made sure to let her daughter know she would never approve of such a thing and that once she realized what she did was unfair, illegal, and especially disgusting, she would be ready to welcome her back into their house and end this horrible agreement her father pleaded for. Mishti pondered about Nandini's choice of words, unfair and illegal were words that could describe perfectly her situation but disgusting seemed like such a strong word. She knew what she was doing was wrong but she was trying to comfort her father's heart. She was trying to help him through the most difficult time of his life. But once she met Ritwik her mind drifted back to her mother's words, especially the last one.

Ritwik was everything she dreamed about as a child and even as a teenager. He was handsome but he held a hint of mystery and even darkness in his stern looks. But any darkness simply disappeared when he spotted her waiting for him in his assistant room. When Mishti arrived earlier that day he was in an important meeting and she had informed Bani, his assistant, that no notice was necessary. She said she had time and would like to surprise him instead of informing him of her presence.

It took him almost an hour but finally, her eyes could see the man she was supposed to deceive the most. The way his features changed, immediately relaxing but also lightening up when he saw her made her heart flutter. It was almost magical.

"Pragati?" he asked, surprised and looking excited at the same time.

"I thought I'd surprise you," she coyly said but mentally slapped herself. The few things Kunal had said about Pragati were that she never looked giddy, coy, shy, or overjoyed. She was most of the time stoic and when she wasn't she was just serious and collected.

"You did," he approached her with a big grin on his face. It seemed like he was a kid on Diwali morning.

"I had to make up for my sudden disappearance," she added nonchalantly but inside her heart was fluttering in her chest as he leaned down and quickly pecked her on the lips.

"That's a nice treat," he offered as he guided them through his office.

"About that, I'm sorry I didn't say anything but I needed some time alone. I needed to think some things over. And I guess that I was so focused on being alone that somehow I lost my cell phone," she explained as she sat by the chair in front of his desk.

"I missed you and I was slightly worried. At first, not even Kunal knew about you and that's when I grew concerned but he called a few days ago saying you were going to be back soon," Ritwik offered as he also sat.

"But now I'm here and willing to make up for it," she offered a mischievous smile. Somehow she thought it would fit her sister's personality as Kunal certainly didn't share anything about Pragati's flirting ways. That was something that Mishti would have to try to find out by herself. She had no idea of what type of relationship Pragati and Ritwik had but her father had mentioned more than once that Pragati didn't show a lot of affection, not even in private and not in public places. Her sister was a big mystery to her and she knew pretending to be his fiancée would be the most challenging part of the puzzle she was trying to bring together.

"So why to hold onto the past, right?" he smirked, standing up from his position and moving towards her, bringing Mishti into a heated and passionate kiss as soon as he reached her.

Mishti could still feel his lips on hers. The way he held her close to his body and knew all the places to touch and kiss drive her crazy. She had never felt something like that, especially because Ruhaan and her relationship were pretty innocent. His father was a high pandit and she also went to the mandir and tried her best to follow the rules. Meaning she was a virgin, who didn't have to put a lot of effort into staying that way as Ruhaan and she were on the same page. Now that would present a problem to her relationship with Ritwik as she was sure there was plenty of sex going on between her sister and him. Pragati had birth control pills in her bathroom cabinet and that said as much.

But the intense physical contact she had with Ritwik wasn't what prompted her to write about him in her diary. At least not entirely.

The notion of a prince or a knight in shining armor can be very dangerous to a girl. The idea of such a pure-hearted person, who wears honor and loyalty on his sleeves and carries humanity, kindness, and honesty is every woman's dream, regardless if he comes on the white horse or not. But expecting a perfect man who worships a woman, holding her on a pedestal is misleading and the only thing perfect about it is the trap this idea sets up. There isn't such a thing as a perfect man with all those amazing qualities. Of course, there are a lot of honorable men outside, with a lot of honorable, and in some cases even romantic qualities but that doesn't make them perfect. It makes them special but still flawed.

That was a notion my mom helped me with. Life isn't perfect. As much as we dream and make plans, awful things will happen eventually. To some it might be more often and harder, for others, who are more fortunate, it may be less present and milder. But deception is something we build by ourselves more often than not. Many times it has nothing to do with the person who disappointed us because maybe what he hopes and expects from the other isn't tangible, isn't realistic. But just because expecting too much could lead to disappointment doesn't mean we should think too little of those we cherish. Although they might surprise us, diminishing someone may lead us to be disenchanted instead of positively surprised. The ideal expectation is for them to be sober. But how sober could someone be about Ritwik Noon?

I honestly don't know. I feel tempted to use the word perfect all the time but that would just make it worse for both of us but especially for me. The beautiful grin, and the captivating eyes that could be so fierce but also so sweet, were intriguing and inviting. His smile seemed to rarely show, but it had the power to light up everything around him. The determination and toughness with which he managed his father's business may lead people to think that he's stoic and cold but that couldn't be more distant from the truth. He is almost tender but there are too many masks hiding such vulnerability.

He is the kind of man who just sweeps you away from the ground, brings you to cloud nine, or whatever other sappy expression that could be translated into a heart beating rapidly, butterflies flipping and flopping in your stomach, making you sigh and daydream for hours. That was very realistic and I know it because that's how Ritwik Noon makes me feel with only half an hour in his company. And although there's so much I don't know about him it seems like everything I needed to know is right there, where I can see with just a small glance towards him. That's a man worthy of looking at and waiting a lifetime for because that's a man who exists.

But what makes this man so special? How can thirty minutes open my eyes to such an enchanting and intriguing personality? The love and adoration he carries when he looks at the woman he loves. That's when the masks fall. That's when he isn't the serious and stern man that while in the company of others may even look intimidating by just the way he stands. The man that won't reveal anything of himself, that will use his beautiful brown eyes to analyze everything and everyone around him, as if he was a hawk. That was the man I saw excusing his earlier departure when one of his employees came to talk to him in the restaurant by his office building. That was the man I watched working when I returned to his office because I had forgotten my purse there. But that wasn't the man that held my hand and kissed me. And I can't wait to meet that man again.

~Mishti

Closing her diary she sighed again. The look and the affection Ritwik had, although aimed at her, weren't for her. And that was a reminder she needed to have constantly on her mind. As much as some things in Mumbai were great, that wasn't her life. Kunal Khanna wasn't her father any more than he had been for the past twenty-one years. She didn't go to JBIMS, she didn't attend important charity events or wore expensive designer clothes, and above all, she wasn't engaged to Ritwik Noon. Although she didn't clear up with her father how long she was supposed to pretend to be Pragati, someday she would stop it because she couldn't go about her life pretending to be someone else. And when that day arrived she would lose all those things that she appreciated in this alternative universe she entered. And among them was Ritwik.

She was about to finally lie on her bed as she had planned when her cell phone rang. It was a new number. Kunal had called the mobile company and she already had Pragati's number although it was her good old cell phone. She didn't have time to update or to create a new contact list and not knowing who it was she just decided to answer. Someone wanted to talk to her sister and that was her now.

"I thought I might surprise you as well," the familiar voice announced as soon as she said hello.

"Hmm, making the good chain go on… Well done, Noon," she smirked trying to keep her cool but inside she was feeling everything she had just described in her diary. His voice matched his personality and drew the same reactions within her.

"Maybe we should break our rules more often," he suggested sounding relaxed and at ease.

"Let's review them. I'm taking my notebook to write down the ones we're keeping and the new ones we're creating," she suggested playfully and although surprising him yet again he smirked softly.

"No more restrictions about calling or showing up. Not for you and especially not for me," his tone matched hers and she wondered if Pragati kept him at arm's length. She seemed to keep everyone at a safe distance from her heart. That had to explain her lack of friends, although Kunal clarified that everybody liked her sister. She wasn't sweetly nice but she was nice nonetheless. Getting close to her was difficult because she made sure to keep her heart unreachable and that was an idea that Mishti had a lot of difficulty understanding. Love, of all kinds, was the best experience in life and she wondered what had led her sister to be so devoid of emotions.

"Note taken, next," she chuckled.

"No more going days without me knowing how you are. If you ever need to have some personal space, I'll respect you. You know I've always respected your space, that's not going to change, I promise," he explained and Mishti could see that her thoughts were spot on. Space certainly did seem an important word in her estranged sister's vocabulary.

"Surprises are good," he said but his tone was more conclusive than elucidative.

"Just not too much. The thing about surprises is that they should be unexpected. If you expect to be surprised every other day even when you have no idea of what it might be, then it's pointless."

"Who are you and what did you do to my fiancée?" he asked and although he was keeping his playful tone it made Mishti uneasy.

"I told you that I needed some time to collect some thoughts, to make some decisions… if that's too much for you, we could go back to the old rules," she insecurely offered. Her heart sank in her chest. Of course, fooling everyone was going to be easy as, except Kunal, nobody knew Pragati deeply but no matter how collected her sister was of course Ritwik would catch the changes with his eyes closed. He was the one person she had to convince, and deceive, she thought to herself and she was failing miserably because she had no idea of who Pragati was with Ritwik. The small insights she had now and then wouldn't be enough to make her convince him about herself. And there was a big problem. Kunal shared with her that only recently Pragati found out about her existence. What if she said something to Ritwik? What if Ritwik knew Pragati had a twin sister? He seemed to be analytical and paid attention to every detail when he was working. What if he did the same about his personal life and got suspicious about what was going on? You're being paranoid, Mishti, she told herself. This agreement she had with her father was so twisted that nobody else could think someone would ever propose it, let alone believe someone might agree to it.

"I don't want this new version of you to ever go away. Wherever you went, whatever you did, whatever you thought… I like the changes. They make me love you more, they make me fall in love with you all over again," he offered in a sappy moment, and before she had a chance to say something he was speaking again, "Which might bring us to the next rule. We're entitled to be corny whenever we want."

"Don't push Ricky. Just because I decided to loosen up a bit it doesn't mean I want to become cheesy," she quipped, and hearing his genuine laugh made her smile.

"It's good to know I can still see you there. The changes are good but you're the woman I've loved for almost two years and while the changes are great I love you for exactly who you are, Pragati," his tone was suddenly serious and Mishti felt her heart dropping once again. She knew she shouldn't feel that way but for a moment, when he had confessed to falling in love with her 'new self', she felt happy for the first time since she arrived in Mumbai. She couldn't let herself forget that his affections were for her sister.

"You know I make no excuse to be who I am. But some things… they just change… at some point in your life they just need to be changed."

"Yes, you're right. But some of them will always remain the same. You can count on my love for you being one of those things," and although his tone remained serious there was now a noticeable and warming tenderness in his words.

"Enough with the sappiness, Ritwik," she protested lightheartedly.

"Okay," he chuckled and there was a small silence between them.

"I suppose you didn't call to review our rules and ask me to change but not much?" she tried to start some conversation as it was starting to feel awkward. Mishti had no idea those silences were quite common in Ritwik and Pragati's conversations over the phone and even in person, although they didn't do much of any.

"No, I just called to say I missed you. I was worried about you and I wanted to thank you for coming earlier and for being honest with me about what happened," he explained and she felt guiltier about the last part. He probably said it because Pragati wouldn't offer much of an explanation for her sudden absence. Kunal told earlier that Pragati didn't open up; she didn't do heart-to-hearts or talk about her secret pain. But she probably never lied to him so openly as Mishti was doing now. And it reminded her of the words her mother had used to describe Kunal's plan. Because her description of the man she was getting to know with every second she spent around him made Ritwik undeserving of such a deceiving plan. Because Ritwik deserved to have Pragati, not the next best thing, the estranged twin sister. He deserved the better and that was the truth and the woman he loved. He couldn't have the latter but nothing should keep him from having the former. But that was exactly what she was doing.

"Pragati?" he asked when she stayed silent.

"Just thinking again… I guess I became a broody," she smiled and was thankful for their conversation being over the phone otherwise he would see how nervous and forced her smile was.

"Please, don't. Rishabh has used my lifetime tolerance quota to brooding people," he answered sarcastically but there weren't any hard feelings in his voice, it was just playful though she suspected Ritwik didn't like pensive people.

"Rishabh isn't that bad," she said knowing it could be a lie but she kept her voice amused to let him know maybe she didn't mean it.

"Should I introduce the two of you again?" Ritwik chuckled but his tone was serious anew "I like the place where we're heading, Pragati. I like to call you to wish you to have sweet dreams and to tell you that I missed you."

"I won't mind if you call me Ritwik. Maybe I've been distant but I think you're right. I was wrong before. If you want to call me every night, just do it, I promise I'll let you know when I get tired of you," she mixed the seriousness and banter that was marking that simple phone call.

"I may have not much to say other than I love you and that I miss you and I know if I call just because of it I'll tire you. Maybe you'll even dump me," he smirked and although she had met him only once and for only thirty minutes she was positive that in that moment he was smirking, not the arrogant smirk he often sported, but the provocative one. She wondered if Ritwik and Pragati bickered with one another that much or if it was something new too.

"I bet we could talk about a lot of things. Tell me about your day," she suggested and he seemed to take a couple of seconds to process what she had just suggested.

"You mean now?" he asked, almost sounding surprised.

"Of course. You didn't seem very happy when you left the restaurant. Now I have no idea if it was because you were forced to leave half your food behind or if you didn't exactly expect a smooth afternoon."

Despite his slight surprise, Ritwik talked for over twenty minutes about all the problems he had had that day and how it had been demanding and exhausting. He felt like he had someone to confide in. He didn't want to talk to Vijaypath about how difficult the last months had been for him. Taking over his father's position had been more than a challenge; it had been a survival test. He thought he was prepared but the intense rhythm, the many decisions, the many issues, and the huge responsibility were hard. That wasn't a topic he usually talked about with Pragati because he felt like it would give her the perfect excuse to be even closer to the emotional barrier he wanted to leave behind them. He couldn't give her the perfect excuse to never talk about them but as he talked to her now it felt completely different. It seemed to open the door to an involvement they had never shared before. The way she seemed to want to make him feel better, to relieve his stress but especially the way she accomplished both things without trying hard. Was it ever there and he didn't know about it? Had he been losing something, such comforting words because of his fears and challenges in his relationship? The answer to that question wasn't important as he heard her understanding words. It didn't matter if that was part of the new or old Pragati, he loved it about her and was willing to make good use of her willingness to just be there for him.

"Thanks for calling. It was nice, today… coming to your office and talking to you now" she offered when he thanked her for her help with the toll of his day's activities.

"Yes, it was nice. Sweet dreams, Pragati."

"You too, Ritwik. Bye."