1 PROLOGUE

"They called me Slut, but I was only an innocent girl looking for Happiness and my One True Love…"

**

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the star of the show,” her beautiful melodious voice echoed through the hall as she introduced Sohail Mirchandani, the leading fashion designer of India. And on cue to her words, a plump man accompanied her onto the stage. He looked like a blot next to her beauty but it was his fashion show, and even the most elite members of Indian society dreamt of marking their attendance.

“Ah, you are just a doll, Ishana,” he laughed in his flirtatious tone as he pressed on her waist and kissed her gently on her rosy cheek. Sohail was one of the very few people who were allowed to touch her. She loathed physical contact with men, but given that she had been working with Sohail for years now and he had never misbehaved or abused her physically, she allowed him to cozy up a bit in public. She just smiled at his airy kiss. “Isn’t she a Goddess?” his question was more of a compliment, everybody nodded and applauded in appreciation. After all, she was the beauty that God had carved himself in heaven.

She had a perfect oval face with round hazelnut eyes. Her full lips complimented her face, and her pointed chin added elegance to her grace. She was five feet nine inches tall and had the perfect slender figure. Her beautiful long ebony black hair was tucked in a loose bun, with few strands flirting with her features. She was dressed in a stunning red gown with gold handcrafted work. The beauty of the dress was enhanced by the net just below her upper torso that flaunted her petite and perfect waist. In short, she looked like a ‘Diva’. She was the showstopper, and everybody’s breath literally stopped when she made her presence on the stage. It was as if somebody had added life to the flavorless world – yes, she was that beautiful, and there was not a single person, man and woman alike, who didn’t dream of taking her home!

She was Sohail’s favorite but he also hated her. Favorite because the moment her name appeared on his list, the crowd to his show always doubled. He hated her because in her presence nobody paid any attention to him. The moment they stepped off the stage, reporters rushed towards her. Sohail stayed glued to her waist because he wanted the limelight; after all, it was his show.

“Excuse me!” she murmured to him and stepped aside to grab a drink. She had been on the stage for two hours, smiling, and now she wanted a break from all pretentiousness.

She started walking towards the bar when she saw her assistant, Swara waiting for her with a champagne flute. Swara was a tiny, bespectacled girl who looked like someone who had entered the wrong world. She wore a long black skirt and a plain white shirt. Her hair was loose untidily, and she wore the most hideous shoes. To Swara, they were comfortable shoes, but to the fashion industry, they were a blotch to everything beautiful! People often commented about her looks and appearance, but it didn’t matter to either Ishana or Swara. To Ishana, Swara was the perfect assistant who knew her so well that they worked in perfect sync and harmony. And to Swara, she adored Ishana and being her assistant was the first step towards achieving her dream. She wanted to be an event planner, and managing Ishana’s chaotic life was a great way to move forward.

“I so need this!” Ishana sighed as she reached Swara and pulled off her heavy crystal earrings. She quickly swapped them with the champagne flute.

“The owner of ‘Love Dios’ is here,” Swara informed her, beaming. A radiant smile appeared on Ishana’s face. ‘Love Dios’ was a big cosmetic brand, and they were planning to make Ishana their brand ambassador. It was a big move for Ishana, and she was looking forward to meeting them.

“Should I go get them?” Swara bounced on the balls of her feet; It was just for formality, Swara already knew the answer to the question. Ishana nodded with a muted excitement and Swara left. In Ishana’s world, she was not supposed to show too much excitement or emotions. People always used and abused them. She looked around and waited patiently when a slurred voice greeted her, “Mind giving me some company?” Many desperate onlookers were staring at her; however only one had found the courage to approach her. He was a burly man with a round face and pricked nose. He seemed drunk and had a very unpleasant aura around him. She shirked away.

“Hey, I was talking to you,” he spoke, grabbing her hand. She pushed him.

“Please mind some distance,” her voice was soft and tender, but there was firmness in her tone and gaze.

“What is your rate?” he demanded, checking her from top-to-toe. She was used to such gazes, after all, she was a model and that was the way a lot of people evaluated her. But there was something in his eyes – filthy lust – that made her nauseated. She started to walk away.

“You must be having a rate list. I don’t mind paying a premium amount for tonight.” He was stubborn, but she chose to ignore him. After enduring endless misery in her past, she was immune to chaos. There were very few things that riled her up enough to react and lose her façade – and this drunk’s blabber was not one of them. Also, she wanted to stay calm and smiling for ‘Love Dios’.

Hoping he would give up, she stood next to Sohail. But Sohail was way too occupied in finalizing some deal with a movie producer.

“I know what you are!” he whispered from behind and nibbled at her ear. A lusted touch was one of the things that riled her, and his action made her blood boil. How dare he do that?

“What do you mean? And how dare you touch me!” she pushed him forcefully, losing her manners and etiquette.

“Dear-dear, what’s going on here?” Sohail demanded, stepping between them.

“Well, I just asked her rates, but she is too shy,” the man yelled at the top of his voice. Sohail pointed at his bouncers, and two men with huge builds sped in their direction.

“He is just drunk, please ignore him darling,” Sohail consoled her, but before the bouncers could come to her aid, the man shouted again, “Oh darling Ishana, I know what you really are.” Her face flushed with anger. There was pin-drop silence in the room now. Even the live-band had stopped and all eyes were on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and clasped the flute tightly to gain some control.

“A slut!” he screamed, laughing. And his voice reverberated through the corners.

“Ishana darling, calm down and ignore him,” Sohail muttered in her ear. He knew well enough how she reacted to such slang.

The bouncers caught the man from both sides and started dragging him, but this didn’t stop him. He was way too drunk for any sanity, “So, you would fuck this pimp but not me. Aren’t you too choosy for a slut?” And forgetting where she was, whom she was meeting and how it could impact her career - she just lost her control.

Her next action changed tomorrow’s headlines for every single newspaper in the country – she smashed the champagne flute in a million pieces – right on his balding head!