I kept looking at her face noting the expressions of wincing, frowning, pouting and blowing over my small wounds. We both were sitting on my bed as she applied ointment over my wounds, it wasn't hurting much so I didn't even flinch but she kept wincing as soon as the ointment touched my knuckles.
I was smiling silently just looking at her—her beautiful face. I wasn't able to see anything but her beautiful Face, and I wasn't even able to understand what was happening to me. Why do I feel sad when she does? Why do I feel content when she is near me when her obsidian eyes bore into mine when her scent invades my sense?
I wasn't exactly fond of short hair, but when I looked at it didn't matter because it looks perfect on her, I just can't imagine how she will look with long hair. Except for her short hair, she seems like my ideal type.
Charming personality? Check.
Fashion sense? Check
Cute and kind? Check
Cold from the outside but the kind from the inside? Check. It was evident when I saw her talking with her landlord the other day. I could literally see fear in the old lady's eyes and I even heard her words, she can be really cold and scary when needed.
Knows how to spend money? I don't know that she wears amazing clothes like expensive brands, even without checking I can see. Studies at Stanford Business school drives a mini cooper but works in a café. She is such a mystery.
"Dawn," I called her deciding to ask this, I can't hold it inside now. "I have got a question if you don't mind me asking..."
"Sure, go ahead." She nodded as she kept the ball of cotton in a bowl.
"Who are you?"
"Wh—What?" She stammered as her eyes snapped up at me. She stared at me in shock, like she is not able to believe what I just asked.
"Who are you, Dawn?" I asked once more, but this time I elaborated on it. "You're full of secrets. I don't even know your real name, but just your Alias name Dawn. You study business in Standford, dress in expensive clothes, and drive a Mini Cooper but work in a café? How is that possible? A person who works in a café won't be able to afford to study at Stanford or dress in expensive clothes or drive a Mini Cooper. So who are you?"
She remained silent for a long time then sighed and said, "My real name is Shiya Saathvik. The daughter of a prominent businessman in India, Saathvik Suresh and one of the most famous councillor Shreyanvi Saathvik and the baby sister of one of the best heart surgeons, Siddharth Saathvik. This is me—the real me."
Wow, I never thought she is a famous person from India.
"Shiya means Snow at the Dawn and lucky for someone, that's why I call myself Dawn. It has another story behind it, for some other day," She waved it away, "I didn't like the fame given to me, especially when someone treats me nice just because I'm a Saathvik so I hid my identity. And to study peacefully without any marriage proposals, a risk to image and judging eyes, my family announced that I'm in Singapore with Tani but instead I came here... to hide."
"Is Tani someone famous too?" I asked. Wondering if Dawn belongs to a high society than even Tani would.
She nodded, "She is from a family of renowned doctors but she never faced the problem I did. Somehow her privacy was preserved. Also, we both are like childhood friends."
"Because of the meaning of your name, you call yourself Dawn?" I asked intrigued by all the information she just gave.
She nodded, "India, I'm majorly known as Smiling Dawn. You can even Google it. As soon as I graduate I'll return to India and take over dad's company. The company means everything to him, so I wanted to study at one of the renowned universities but was also able to hide my identity so I chose Stanford. But then too, people have guessed that I'm some rich spoiled daughter so to prove myself I started working in the café. This is the reason I work in a café."
"As far as driving a Mini Cooper comes, it has been my dream car since I remember, my dad was ready to gift me a Mini Cooper on my eighteenth birthday but I wanted it with my effort. So mom suggested that if I get over 95% in my 10th boards then I can get a Mini Cooper. So I studied hard, and came first in my school with 98% This is why I drive a Mini Cooper."
Wow! Ninety-eight per cent is a lot.
"Where wearing expensive clothes come, it's just in my veins and it's not like, I can't afford it," she shrugged, "At whatever I lay my hands at, is expensive. From clothes to jewellery, but luckily I ain't a big fan of jewellery so I don't purchase it much. It's the only trait I don't like about myself," I raised an eyebrow if she talking bout the jewellery or expensive stuff.
When she realised my confusion she clarified it, "I'm talking about the expensive things. Since I don't like it but am unable to stop it, I've limited the amount of stuff I buy. This is the reason why I wear expensive clothes."
Right now I was witnessing the sassy Dawn, the one she was talking about with the members. I won't say savage since she wasn't humiliating me but she was cold yet kind enough.
She didn't give her a chance to judge her though she is stern. She openly admitted her liking expensive things but she also knows that she is like that, she accepted that but also kept herself in control.
There is no bad in liking expensive things, like myself, even I like stuff from Gucci and Gucci isn't some cheap brand. But one of the most expensive brands in the world. So I understand how she feels regarding it. I feel content that there is someone with whom I share this.
"I know you may be thinking how cold I'm right now," she said, "but whenever my identity is questioned I tend to become like that. The kind, smiling Dawn is just a facade. The ones who know Shiya, know how cold and savage I'm, what kind of baddie I am. But they also know that I'm kind and loving when needed, or with my close ones. I'm like a spilt personality, very difficult to identify in the starting then everything will start getting in place."
I kept my hands near hers and leaned closer to her face, "which one was the one I've known so far? The facade Dawn? Or the Shiya who is kind and loving with her close ones?" I searched for the truth in her eyes, as they widened in surprise. "Will I be the one who will start witnessing her split personality?"
Her name sounds so beautiful.
"I-" she tried to speak. Taking a deep breath she said, "I haven't been the facade in front of you but I also, haven't been the Shiya, who is kind and loving with her closed ones."
I like her, that's all I can admit to myself.
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SKETCH of the chapter!
I N T R O D U C I N G
S H I Y A
I designed this, imaging her to be Shiya by her features
Ik that she doesn't look like an Indian, not even a little bit (except for her hair) but she is beautiful 😍
Let's leave her aside as Shiya but did you guys like the portrait?
This is my first digital art, and I'm sharing it with you guys 😁