(A/N: I finally finished it! The last part was rushed, because I wanted to upload it today!)
It was one of those times again. Edward was taking me out 'somewhere special' that night, and of course, that meant a full 'makeover a la Alice' before he arrived. No matter how much I whined and cringed and begged her to tell me where we were going, she remained insensitively hard-hearted.
"You'll find out soon enough, Bella", she serenely told me as she curled my hair against my wishes, of course. I was really getting annoyed by all this. For a moment, I wondered, why couldn't I just go as I was? Then I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror beside Alice's pixielike features, and, cringing, I remembered.
It wasn't that I was hideous or anything. Even hideous people are memorable. I was just sort of plain, and average, and especially with Alice's beautiful vampire face in the same mirror, even my reflection sort of faded away from memory.
So that's why I put up with the incessant curling and styling and corseting, so I would fit in more. And in the end, even I had to admit it was worth it. I didn't really recognize what I was wearing, though.
My top was covered with a long hyacinth blue (of course) tunic, reaching my calves in length. It was extensively beaded in dark blue and creamy white, and the sheer beauty of the patterns took my breath away. The collar was in a wide, wavy circle all around my neck, and even I had to admit, my pale skin looked all right against it, almost matching the white beads. It had long sleeves, which looked wider at the wrist than at the shoulder. There was a long ankle-length skirt underneath it, in a darker blue matching the beads, a nice color combination, to my way of thinking. I adored the shoes as well, embroidered and beaded extensively, but thankfully without a heel. And the most remarkable thing was the scarflike piece of cloth around my neck, in the same shade of blue as the trousers, with white beads hanging off the sides. Long dangling earrings completed the 'Indianity' of my reflection, and if only I had been darker skinned, I would have looked extremely Indian.
"Alice,", I breathed. "That's gorgeous!" Turning towards her, I gave her a quick hug, murmuring "Thank you," softly to her.
Her face was covered in the satisfied smile she was bestowing upon me. "You look perfect! He'll be here in a minute!"
That was when my brain kicked into gear. Indian clothes Indian place? "Alice," I asked slowly, drawing out the thought, "Are we going somewhere Indian?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "No, Bella." Her voice practically dripped sarcasm. "You're dressed in a lahenga because you're headed to the fanciest French restaurant in Paris."
I decided to take her answer as a yes. Lahenga. The thing had a nice ring to it, even if I couldn't pronounce it right. And then Alice stiffened in excitement, and I forgot the word as I instantly knew Edward was here.
I stopped at the top of the stairs, just barely swallowing my gasp of awe. I hadn't seen Edward in a tuxedo since the prom! And after so long of blocking memories of him, I had forgotten how amazing he looked in one. It gave me hope, that maybe Italy hadn't changed anything much.
He was looking at me with his deep golden eyes, and I was pretty sure he looked approving. I tried to go down the stairs at a stately, sedate pace, but I couldn't wait to get down those stairs and into his arms, so I almost tripped over the last few steps. He caught me, and steadied me, those captivating eyes laughing along with his smile, and I simply had to grin foolishly back.
"You look stunning,", he told me, grinning that special crooked smile.
"So do you", I whispered back, and then we swept off into the still-shiny Volvo parked outside.
"Will you tell me where we're going, or not?", I asked mock-grumpily, as we sped on our way (I was keeping a sharp eye on the speedometer, so Edward, noticing this, didn't dare go above 65 mph)
"Just a few more miles, and you can see for yourself." And as he said that, we exited the freeway. Grinning over at me, he continued. "I think you will like it."
The Volvo turned into a parking lot in front of a restaurant, and, before I could even remove my seatbelt, Edward had sped around and opened my door for me. Rolling my eyes slightly, I alighted, and read the restaurant's sign. "Rang – ee - la"
"Rangeela", Edward pronounced it for me, smiling at me. "It means 'full of colors' in Hindi."
"You speak Hindi?" I cried, startled. I hadn't known that about him.
"I took a course in it a few years ago", he shrugged it off, and offered me his arm.
I took it, but a strange unease settled over me. What else did I not know about the years before Edward met me? Was there some secret he never told me? He never talked about it much. Was there another girl?
My mood slightly dampened, but then we walked into the restaurant, and I almost immediately forgot most of my worries. The place was beautiful! Paintings of exotic scenes hung everywhere, and the rich, unmistakable aroma of Indian food rose from every corner. On a stage in the center of the restaurant, a couple was obviously singing karaoke to some Indian song.
I had heard of Bollywood, the movie capital of India, but I had never heard Bollywood. I listened to the haunting lyrics, enchanted, as the television screen behind them portrayed dancing couples throwing colored powder in the air to the beat of the music.
"You like it?" Edward's voice was probably the only thing that could have distracted me at that moment. We had reached our table, a well-lit spot, slightly screened from other booths, but with an amazing view of the center stage.
"I love it! It sounds amazing. What are they saying?"
A self-congratulatory smile spread over his face. "I thought you would like it. I do too. Indian music and culture is very different from American or English music. For one thing, almost all movies are musicals, and to be an actor or actress, you have to know how to dance as well."
I looked back at the screen. The moves did look complicated, and very well choreographed. I doubted whether most American singers could do what they were doing. "How do they sing and dance at the same time?"
Edward was gazing at the screen as well, but at my words, his eyes flashed back to me. "They don't. The singers don't dance, or even show up in a picture. They're credited at the end of a movie, but they don't have to dance."
"Oh" That seemed a little strange to me, but I let it pass. If the singers themselves had no objection, I didn't really care either way. The song sounded good, and the music video thing looked amazing, as if, with the song, they were portraying a scene of a movie somewhere as well.
I was about to tell Edward this observation of mine, but then the waitress came over. I tensed myself for a repetition of what had happened that night in Port Angeles, but this girl didn't seem very interested in him at all. She was eyeing my outfit, in what looked like envy, but I could have been mistaken.
I ordered Chicken Biriyani, because I had actually heard of it before. Edward passed on dinner, as usual. The order arrived surprisingly fast, and after a tentative spoonful, I decided it was my new favorite meal, and that Charlie had to try it. It wasn't as spicy as I had dreaded it would be. In fact, there was only just enough spice to flavor it thoroughly, and not a pinch more.
"So", I asked, chewing on the delectable meal, "How do you know so much about Indian culture and movies and things?"
"Well, Carlisle did own a practice in Bombay many years ago. He used to like it quite well, except the mosquitos. Even though they never bit him personally, he had so many patients die due to malaria, he really detests mosquitoes."
I digested information along with the rice, nodding along as he told me about some of the things that had happened while Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper and him had gone to India a few years ago.
"We always go in the monsoon months. It rains so much, we can go about freely."
"Do you like it there?"
"The roads are quite a disaster, and it's far, far away from perfect, and mostly, I do prefer Forks, but it is nice to go there once in a while, and see the originality of the scene. India is kind of in-betweenish, you understand. It's not totally backwoods-rural, but it's not totally modern robot-waiter, either. Despite being smaller than America, it's much more separated than America will ever be. There are huge mountains, and rushing rivers, and the roads aren't that good, so there are some parts that remain in mystery." Edward told me.
The way he was speaking of it made me imagine a place caught between time, a wonderful vision, and I caught my breath at the picture in my mind's eye.
Our conversation was suddenly and rudely interrupted by a bright beam of light shining directly on our table. People started clapping and cheering, and I stared wide-eyed at them, asking Edward quietly what had happened.
"They want us to be the next couple to sing a song." His perfect lips barely moved with the words.
I gasped aloud. "I can't! Edward, I can't even sing in English, let alone Hindi!"
"No, the song they want us to sing will be in English, it's a translated version of my favorite song." It disconcerted me a little when he said it was his favorite song. I wasn't as good at reading emotions as he was, but it seemed to me as though he wanted to sing.
"That's not much of an improvement!"
Suddenly, our waitress came over, and in a low voice, entreated me to sing. "Please, miss, won't you go over and sing?" Her voice had the barest trace of an accent, nothing more. "It's not hard, and I'll make sure nobody makes fun of you."
Touched though I was, I was still going to refuse, when I caught the expression in Edward's eyes. "Please, Bella?", he asked me in a low undertone, but it was still enough to make me a living puppet. I nodded mutely.
A great cheer rose up, and Edward led me to the stage. "Just sing the parts in red on the teleprompter. I'll be singing first, so just follow my melody, all right?"
Horror washed over me as I finally realized the implications of what was happening, but even as I opened my mouth to protest, the melody started, and I was caught mid-syllable. This was my lullaby!
Edward began singing first, and my jaw just dropped open. His voice was so fine, I almost forgot to be nervous for my part.
Edward:
When I have your hands in mine.
I have with me the heavens divine
When I have your hands in mine.
I have with me the heavens divine
When you're close, this world is naught (A/N: That means nothing, by the way)
Destroyed in your love, a triumph sought
I just caught sight of the teleprompter in time. I started singing, very softly, since to my ears, my voice seemed very anti-climactic after Edward's golden tenor.
Bella:
When I have your hands in mine.
I have with me the heavens divine
When you're close, this world is naught
Destroyed in your love, a triumph sought
Edward:
When I have your hands in mine.
I have with me the heavens divine
A speaking part was coming up, I saw. And as I spoke the words, it just occurred to me how true the words were. It was like the song was made for me, in a different form of poetry.
Bella (speaking):
May my life's-breath find refuge in your heart
Destroyed in your love, may my life depart
Edward:
As close as fragrances are to breath,
As close as songs are to lips,
As close as sleepless nights are to memories,
As close as arms are to embraces
Bella:
As close, as close as dreams to eyes,
Be that close to me, oh love of mine.
When you're close, this world is naught
Destroyed in your love, a triumph sought.
Edward:
When I have your hands in mine,
I have with me the heavens divine
Edward (speaking):
Let my eyes swell with tears, let me cry today
Take me in your arms, get drenched today
The sea of pain trapped in my heart will explode
I have so much pain your shoulder will be drenched (A/N: It was actually veil, not shoulder, but Bella doesn't wear a veil…unless she plans on becoming a nun)
I glanced sharply at Edward, and our eyes met, and I almost choked at the sight of so much love in his eyes. I realized how much this song was reflecting our relationship. It was slowly becoming my favorite song as well.
Bella:
As close as secrets are to heartbeats
As close as raindrops are to clouds
As close as the moon is to night
As close as kohl is to eyes (A/N: I think kohl is eyeliner, not the department store)
Edward:
As close, as close as waves to the ocean
Be that close to me, oh love of mine
When you're close, this world is naught
Destroyed in your love, a triumph sought
Bella:
When I have your hands in mine,
I have with me the heavens divine.
Edward (speaking):
My breath was incomplete, heartbeat incomplete, incomplete was I
But now the moon is full, complete in the sky, and now with you, complete am I
As the whole room exploded into cheers and claps, we simply reached for each other and we kissed. I don't think I had ever experienced anything sweeter than that kiss. There was nothing I would rather have done with my evenings.
And when we stopped kissing, Edward whispered in my ear, in a tone unheard by anyone else, "This is my favorite song because it reminds me of you."
(A/N: Tell me what you think. I basically engineered the whole story just for that song, which is scarily like Edward and Bella's relationship! So it's not as good as other things I might have written, but oh, well! The song is called Mere Haath Mein, it's a Hindi Song, and if you go onto my profile, there's a link to the YouTube Video (which sadly doesn't have subtitles) Review, please!)