A Night Before The Morning

An Unknown Foreign Beauty

'Mama, tell me a story.' Three years old brown eyed Nishan said. 'Which one, darling?' Tiana patted her son's back gently settling herself beside him. 'The one about the frog prince.' Nishan set his big pleading eyes upon his mother. 'But you've heard it before & it's time to sleep.' Tiana pulled the blanket over him. 'No I'll not sleep until you tell me the story.' Nishan pouted again. Tiana sighed at the stubbornness of her only son. 'All right.' She took a deep breath & began 'Once upon a time there was a handsome prince who turned into frog…..'

Really there was a handsome prince who turned into a frog. But he kissed a waitress instead of kissing a princess.

"Now I pronounce you man & wife.' Mama Odie smiled as frog Tiana & frog Naveen shared a kiss. Soon bright lights began to cover them & thy felt a strange change in them. 'We're human again.' Tiana squeaked with joy. Naveen was watching the human form of his newly wedded wife. He gently took a step closer & cupped her chin 'You're beautiful.' He leaned forward for a kiss. 'You're kissing a princess now.' Tiana giggled. 'Until you beg for more.' Naveen narrowed his eyes provocatively. 'You can't seduce me mister.' Tiana pushed him playfully but Naveen quickly swept her off her feet & carried her into the deep heart of the forest giving his best seductive grin 'Let's see who wins.'

The night came into the forest. Under the open sky the new couple made their wedding bed on the green grass. The large trees surrounded their wedding bed. Tiana lied on her back & looked at the stars shining like thousands of diamonds above them. 'Once I used to wish upon a star.' She said dreamily 'To have my dream come true. Aren't they wonderful?' 'Not as beautiful as the star lying beside me.' Naveen rolled over her body. The silver moonlight was dancing upon his dark iris. Tiana blushed as she read the invitation written in his eyes. She said nothing but enjoyed his warmth. Only the night sky witnessed their passionate love.

'Then what happened mama?' Nishan's voice broke her thoughts 'Did they lived happily ever after?' 'Yes, dear.' Tiana smiled at her son 'Now sleep.' 'Good night, mama.' Nishan closed his eyes. Tiana turned off the light & walked out of the room. She wrapped the robe around herself tightly & stood beside the window. It was raining outside.

But not all fairy tales had happy endings.

'We'll take a taxi to the city.' Naveen smiled at his wife as they crossed the boundary of the forest. 'Yes.' Tiana slipped her arm in his & together they hired a taxi to the city. In the taxi they planned about the future. "We'll start your restaurant as soon as we reach home.' Naveen said 'I'll tell my parents about our wedding.' Tiana said nothing but looked into the eyes of her beloved. A drop of tear rolled from her eyes as she saw the pure love in his eyes. 'What's the matter Tiana?' Naveen was anxious when he noticed her tears 'Are you hurt?' 'No' Tiana smiled 'It's the tear of joy. Naveen leaned forward to kiss her tears away.

But then their taxi hit by a truck from behind.

Tiana woke up in a hospital room where she found her mother & Charlotte watching her anxiously. There was a strange sadness in their eyes. Her heart trembled with an unknown fear. 'Where's Naveen?' the first words she managed to say. Eudora said nothing but handed her the evening newspaper with the headline '

PRNICE NAVEEN HAS RETURNED TO MALDONIA

'How could he…' she couldn't finish the words but collapsed on the bed.

She wrote many letters but no reply came for them. She tried to reach him on telephone but he was always busy. Then one day she saw his photo with another woman on newspaper saying 'THE HAPPY COUPLE OF MALDONIA.'

That day she realized she was carrying his baby.

Three years she followed him on newspaper where he appeared with exotic ladies. She continued to work as a waitress to support her family & child.

Then this morning she was serving orders to the customers. Her heart stopped at the sight of one of them. It was no one but Naveen with a blonde clinging to his arms.

The tray dropped on the floor with a sound. She lost her control & rushed near him. 'Naveen!' she was half crying , half smiling. Slowly he turned his head & set his gorgeous brown eyes upon her. 'How can I help you mam?' he said. Tiana froze at his tone. There was no sign of recognition in his eyes.

'Let's mind our business.' His blonde companion turned his head towards her & pulled him into a kiss.

Sleep had abandoned her for this night. She looked out of the window. It was still dark outside. The night was long, really long. She didn't know when it would end.

'Come in, my prince.' The blonde duchess led the young Maldonian prince into their hotel suite. Naveen looked around him. It was an elegantly decorated room. 'It's wonderful!' he exclaimed. 'Now you'll see another wonderful thing my darling.' The duchess whispered near his ears seductively. Her provocative voice sent spark through his body. 'Come near my babe.' She giggled. Her cloth dropped on the floor. Naveen's eyes dazzled with her naked beauty. 'Come baby.' She caressed his cheeks. Naveen grinned & walked near her. Then suddenly the woman standing before him disappeared.

'Come, baby.' A voice called him from far away. He opened his eyes to find a beautiful woman in dark chocolate skin standing before him. Her curly dark hair was touching her shoulder. 'Come to me.' Her voice was seducing him. Her sweet fragrance was driving him mad. Her warmth was penetrating his body & set him on fire. His arms encircled her waist & his fingers went up to untie the laces of her back. She was smiling. Her midnight black hair was sweeping over his shoulder. He kissed her lips & whispered 'Who are you?' the woman broke the kiss & gave him a sad look. Slowly her body began disappearing in the air. 'Don't leave me, no.' he cried but she vanished.

'Don't leave me.' His body was trembling like a fallen leaf. Someone encircled his waist. 'What wrong babe?' a voice spoke. He opened his eyes to find the duchess standing before him. 'Where's she?' he asked blankly. 'Who?' the duchess looked puzzled 'Here's no one else except you & me. Forget her. Take me.' Naveen took a look of the woman standing near him. She wasn't anything comparing to the woman haunted him in his dreams. Making love with this lady made his mind filled with disgust.

'Put on your clothes.' He said lazily. 'What?' the duchess gave him a blank stare. 'I'm sorry.' Naveen was feeling really sorry for the lady 'But I'm not in a proper mood now.'

Slowly the woman put up on her clothes. Her body was trembling with a muffled sob. Being loved by this prince was her wildest dream. They were dating for about two months. When he asked her to stay with him for a night, her heart leapt with joy. 'Probably he loves me.' She was excited. But he seemed never loved her or any woman he met.

Naveen sighed as he saw his date disappearing into the washroom. He was really sorry for her. But truly saying he had never any feelings for her. He stood near the window. It was dark outside.

He woke up in the room of the castle of Maldonia. He found the anxious eyes of his parents were watching him. 'I thought I'll never see you again.' His mother hugged him tightly & kissed his forehead gently. Tears welled up from her dark eyes. 'I'm glad you came back son.' His father smiled gently. But Naveen was puzzled. Why these people were too anxious about him? What happened to him? He tried to think but his mind remained blank & a horrible headache filled his head. He slowly drifted back to sleep.

When he woke up, he found himself alone. He looked at the calendar on the wall. It was May 26th. That thought panicked him. All he could remember the date February 10th. Then almost a month erased from his life.

But how?

Right then his father entered into the room & smiled 'You're very lucky that you've survived the horrible accident in New Orleans. 'New Orleans!' Naveen's eye widened with fear. All he knew he had planned to go to New Orleans but when he had been there?

That night he had a strange dream about a mysterious woman calling him 'Come to me, babe.' But when he woke up there was none like her in the castle.

For the last three years his parents wanted him to settle down with an eligible maiden. But they weren't pressuring him to marry any rich girl any more.

For last three years he dated almost fifty women & almost half of them ended up in bed with him. In their night in the love nest, his dates called him with seductive voice.

Right then the woman of his dream appeared before him. He found himself in a strange place surrounded by tress & the woman of his dream would lie beside him & whispered 'Naveen, I love you.' Her chocolate skin was shining in the moonlight. Her dark hair was playing with the air. 'Come to me.' She said. But when he tried to hold her she vanished. Naveen opened his eyes to find another women standing in her place. His mind filled with disgust. 'Can you leave me alone?' he sank into the sofa lazily. The girls watched him with wide eyes. Then they put on their clothes & rushed out of the suite, crying. The next day their relationship was broken.

But something different about the waitress in the morning who rushed near him & cried his name. When he first heard her voice, there was something familiar about her. When he looked into her face then he realized he had known her for a lifetime. It was like a dream. All the time he kept looking at the strange waitress. He hadn't listened anything which his blonde companion bubbled. When he left the restaurant he couldn't get rid of her. But who was she?

He picked up the telephone directory & found the number of the owner of the restaurant. He dialed his number & waited impatiently for the answer.

'Hello, I'm prince Naveen.' He said over the telephone 'I know about the waitress who met me this morning.'

The frightened voice of the owner could be heard from the other side 'I'm sorry that she bothered you, sir. I'll fire her tomorrow.'

'No.' Naveen spoke firmly "She hadn't bothered me. But I just want to know here name & address.'

There was a pause for a while from the other side but the silence drove him mad. It seemed like a long wait.

At last the answer of his question came 'Her name is Tiana.'

The dazzling light of the lightening filled the room. Realization hit him like a bolt of lightening.

He quickly put on his coat. When he was about to leave the room his blonde companion came out of the washroom. Her face was still wet. She had cried a lot.

'Where are you going?' she stared at him when she found Naveen turning the door knob.

But Naveen didn't bother to answer her question. He opened the door & rushed out of the suite.

The eastern sky was turning red removing the darkness of the night. The long night was about to be ended.

It was almost dawn.

The sky was covered with thick black cloud & the road was strangely silent. Only a few drops of occasional raindrops were kissing the pitch black road. It was dark all around. The city people were enjoying their beauty sleep in the warm embraces of their beloveds. Except one man, who was driving alone through the silent night road. His face was covered with a thick veil of confusion. Yes, he was confused about himself.

A beat of sweat formed on the forehead of the confused man but he didn't bother to wipe it away. He was thinking about the waitress he met this morning. She was so familiar… her name was Tiana. That name…. it sounded like a blast from his another life….like a dream. He had been with many women in last three years but no one made him to feel like that. What was happening to him?

That thought began to give him a headache. He rubbed his forehead with his right hand while holding the steering wheel with the other one. That face.. Why he couldn't forget her?

'Naveen..' a dreamy voice called him from beside. Naveen turned his head to find the woman of his dream sitting beside him. 'You don't look good.' Her voice was full of concern 'What's the matter?'

Naveen couldn't find any word to answer for a while. Then slowly he moved his lips 'But how could you get in here out of nowhere?' The woman smiled. The street light was dancing in her dark iris. 'I'm always with you Naveen.' She whispered 'I live in your dreams. You can't hide anything from me. Tell me the truth.

Then she set her chocolate eyes upon him. Naveen looked into her dark chocolate colored eyes. They were like a pair of lakes of endless depth & he had found his safe nest there. Her eyes were piercing his soul. He couldn't hide anything from her.

But the thought was chasing him was about another woman. But still he loved the woman of his dream. Those thoughts seemed like a betrayal to him.

The woman noticed his silence. She smiled & leaned forward. Her sweet fragrance was driving him mad. He moved his eyes away from her.

'Is it about a woman?' he felt her fingers tracing his jaw line. 'She knows.' the realization began to kill him but he couldn't hide from her. 'Yes,' at last he replied 'A waitress in the restaurant this morning.

The woman smiled again 'looks at me & tell me how she looks like.' Naveen raised his face to look at her & then his eyes were locked upon her. That woman of his dream looked strangely similar to the waitress in this morning. She had haunted him in his dreams for last three years. 'Who are you?' Naveen whispered like a spellbound. 'I'm Tiana.' The woman smiled & then disappeared in the thin air.

Right then a bright light dazzled his eyes & everything was lost into darkness.

Tiana didn't know how long she was standing by the window lost in her thoughts. But the shrill cry of the doorbell brought her back to the reality. She frowned wondering about the unexpected visitor in the oddest hour of the morning. Lazily she threw the nightgown over her body & walked near the door. To her surprise she found a police man on the opposite side of the door.

'Are you Miss Tiana James?' the police man asked. 'Yes.' She nodded still confused. Then a pair of small hands clutched her skirt. 'Who is it mama?' it was Nishan. The doorbell had awakened him too. 'It's alright dear.' Tiana smiled at her son & patted her hair gently

'But how can I help you?' Tiana looked at the policeman. The man hesitated for a while & then said 'Prince Naveen had a bad accident. We've found this paper in his pocket with your name & address on it. Can you help us m'am'

Tiana felt the world spinning around her. Suddenly she began to have a breathing problem. She leaned against the wall to support her weak knees. 'What's the matter mama?' Nishan was watching his mother with much concern. Tiana took a deep breath & pulled herself together. She smiled at her son & whispered 'It's nothing dear. But we must go somewhere now.'

The next moment she knew that she was rushing through the corridors of the hospital clutching Nishan in her arms tightly.

Her tears were streaming down along her cheeks forming a small flow along her way.

'Naveen, Naveen!' a familiar voice was calling him.

He was drowning & drowning in an endless ocean. The mighty waves were about to engulf him. He was trying to keep his above the water. But the dark water was swallowing him slowly. And he was loosing his all perception. He was trying to breath but he couldn't. He was trying to see but everything was strangely dark around him. Then something warm & bright dazzled his eyes. A woman appeared from nowhere. She was glowing like a sun & her dark eyes were shining with pure love. She smiled & took his hand. 'Follow me Naveen.' She smiled revealing her pearly white teeth. 'Who are you?' Naveen whispered while following her like a blind. They were walking through a dark tunnel & at last she stopped near it's mouth. 'Look outside.' She smiled softly. Naveen followed her eyes & a bright white light dazzled his eyes.

And right then something soft & warm touched his forehead. He could feel a drop of warm liquid was soaking his skin. He tried to open his eyes. And an angel like face came into his view. He tried to focus & at last his vision cleared. He was lying in a large white room. The golden rays of the morning sun flooded the room through the large windows. And in this dream like background a single woman was sitting beside her. The morning sun had created a mysterious pattern on her chocolate skin. Her dark eyes were still shining with tears.

'Tiana!' Naveen whispered almost unheard. And her eyes flickered with joy.

'Naveen!' Tiana threw herself in the welcoming arms of her beloved. She rested her head on his broad shoulders while Naveen's warm soothing hands were patting her back & his nose was inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair.

Tiana couldn't believe the reality. For long three years she was longing to see his face in the every moment of her life. In the lonely nights she soaked her pillow with her salty tears. And when she saw the refusal in his eyes in the last morning, she felt her world breaking into pieces. But now she was in his arms, so close so real. His strong arms were encircled around her waist. She felt herself moulded in his wide chest.

None of them knew how long they stayed like that silently.

'Tiana' Naveen broke the silence at last 'I'm sorry.'

Tiana tilted her head to look into his hazel eyes. And she could see all the confessions & feelings of guilt written in the pages of his dark iris. And a stay piece of tear was shining at the corner of his eyes. But still she was curious, very curious to know why he left her.

'But why, Naveen?' she moved her lips at last.

Naveen looked into her eyes. And he knew the questions written in them. And he always feared to answer them but he had to.

He held her close whispering the words of apology in her ears. He told her about his accident, his dreams & the unhappy restless life. 'Now I'm ready to take all the punishment you'll give me.' Naveen finished at last.

Tiana's lips were trembling violently. Her dark eyes had turned into a stream & warm tears began rolling along her cheeks. She jumped on her husband & began to kiss his lips like a hungry tigress. She told him all about her struggles, the lonely nights & the pain.. 'Never leave me again.' she whispered 'It's your punishment.

Naveen smiled weakly 'I'm your prisoner, my darling,.' At last their words ended. And both of them fell silent again.

Soon the enchanted moment was ended with a childish voice from behind 'Who is he, mama?' Tiana turned to find her son Nishan standing at the door of the cabin. His dark eyes were widened with the sight of the stranger with his mother. Tiana smiled & walked near him. She took his hand & gently took him near Naveen's bed. 'This is your papa.'

Naveen gave her a surprised look & then he looked at the child who was observing him carefully and he found his own brown eyes looking back to him. 'Are you really my papa?' Nishan carefully touched Naveen's hand. 'Yes.' Naveen smiled & pressed his little hands gently. And their hands fitted together like a puzzle.

Something swept into his body & he was feeling very tired & dizzy, probably from the actions of the sedatives the doctors had given to him. he settled himself back to his pillow & watched Tiana helping Nishan with a story book. And he smiled when he saw the name of the book 'The Frog Prince.'

Sure he would soon know about his son. He would like to know his favourite story, his favourite foods or favourite colours. He would play with him & show him the other part of his Maldonian heritage. And he would never leave Tiana again. he would be a good father & a good husband.

Sleep consumed him once more. Now he wasn't chasing a fantasy any more. His life had turned into a fairytale.

Tiana watched Naveen going back to sleep again. She pulled the cover up to his chest & kissed his lips gently.

'At last we lived happily ever after.' A smile laced her lips.

The long night had ended at last. And the golden sun had spread his blessing over the happy couple.

Sometimes fairytales do come true.

The End