Causing immediate excitement among Mrs. Bennet and her five daughters, Mr. Bingley, a wealthy young gentleman, has rented a nearby country estate, Netherfield. He arrives in town accompanied by his fashionable sister and his good friend, Mr. Darcy. While Bingley is well-received in the community, Darcy begins his acquaintance with smug condescension and proud distaste for all the “country” people. Bingley and Jane Bennet begin to grow close despite Mrs. Bennet’s embarrassing interference and the opposition of Bingley’s sister, who considers Jane socially inferior. Elizabeth is stung by Darcy’s haughty rejection of her at a local dance and decides to match his coldness with her own wit.

Elizabeth begins a friendship with Mr. Wickham, a militia officer who has a history with Darcy. Wickham claims that Darcy seriously mistreated him. Elizabeth immediately seizes upon this information as another reason to hate Darcy. Ironically, but unbeknownst to her, Darcy finds himself gradually drawn to Elizabeth.
Just as Bingley appears to be on the point of proposing marriage to Jane, he moves away from Netherfield, leaving Jane confused and upset. Elizabeth is convinced that Bingley’s sister has conspired with Darcy to separate Jane and Bingley.

Mr. Collins, a distant relative of the Bennets, makes an unexpected visit. He is a recently ordained clergyman employed by the wealthy Lady Catherine de Bourgh. On his way to visit his patron, Collins makes a visit, intending to find a wife from among the Bennet sisters. At first, he pursues Jane; however, when Mrs. Bennet mentions she is involved with Mr. Bingley, he turns to Elizabeth. He soon proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who refuses him, much to her mother’s distress. Collins quickly recovers and proposes to Elizabeth’s close friend, Charlotte Lucas, who immediately accepts him. Their marriage takes place soon after.

In the spring, Elizabeth joins Charlotte and Mr. Collins at his parish in Kent. The parish is adjacent to Rosings Park, the grand manor of Mr. Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, where Elizabeth is frequently invited. While calling on Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy encounters Elizabeth. She discovers from Darcy’s cousin that it was he who separated Bingley and Jane, as she suspected. Soon after, Darcy admits his love of Elizabeth and proposes to her. Elizabeth refuses him. When he asks why she should refuse him, she confronts him with his sabotage of Bingley’s relationship with Jane and his history with Wickham. Darcy responds with a long letter justifying his actions.

Thus, everything is set up to bring to conclusion the various love affairs—happily, or perhaps unhappily. Whatever the various resolutions, Darcy, Bingley, Jane, Elizabeth, as well as others, will need to overcome their pride and prejudices if they are to find love in the midst of these uncertain and complex relationships.

Mencintai seseorang membutuhkan pengorbanan, kepercayaan, ketulusan dan nalar yang bekerja- sebagaimana pesan ini disampaikan penulis secara tersirat dalam karyanya.

Pride and prejudice sarat akan nilai dan norma sosial khas abad 19, yang menjadikan novel ini dapat dibaca oleh semua kalangan. Pedoman yang bagus pula untuk kaulah muda yang sedang dimabuk cinta! 

Pride and prejudice karya jane austen

Follow my instagram @shellaeffnd

This an adaptation of Austen's most famous novel, the unforgettable story of Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy. Set in a fantasy world of dungeons and magical power.
Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet in classic Pride and Prejudice. Now, this new twist on the tale gives a fantasy tone to the story.
This is the first part of the adaptation of the book. It is set in the Dawn of Adventure: The Dungeon Master's Quests: Journey into Glory (A LitRPG Series).

Author's website
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07LGBBBYD

Interrupted by the sound of Ben's voice, Payton and J.D. looked over and saw him standing in his doorway.
"Shall we?" Ben gestured for them to join him in his office.
J.D. caught Payton's eye as they headed inside, seeming to find Ben's interruption as inconvenient as she. They had barely taken their seats in front of the desk when Ben got right down to business.
"So I got a call from Jasper this morning," he began. "Apparently they've had a little shake-up in the Gibson's legal department. He fired the general counsel—probably a smart move since the guy obviously didn't do a very good job of preventing this mess they're in. The new GC started on Monday and, not surprisingly, is eager to meet with some of the people at our firm who will be working on the case. Jasper specifically asked whether either—or both—of you might possibly be free to fly down tomorrow for a meet and greet with him and the new general counsel. He acknowledged that this was short notice, but said he thought that since tomorrow is Friday, there was a chance the two of you might be free in the evening from your other work commitments."
Ben cleared his throat. "Obviously, Jasper isn't aware of the situation here, that one of you will not be continuing on in this matter. And I think it's best that he not be made aware of that fact until the partnership decision has been announced." Leaning back in his chair, he sighed melodramatically. "Given the circumstances, I find it a little awkward to ask you two to do this. Although, with the decision being this close—"
"I'll go," J.D. said.
Ben stopped and looked over. He appeared pleased by the definitiveness with which J.D. had responded. "Good." He nodded his approval, then turned. "What do you say, Payton?"
She could feel J.D.'s eyes on her as she answered.
"I'll go, too."
Ben smiled. "Great. I'll call Jasper and let him know to expect you both." He glanced over at J.D. "You get there early enough, Jameson, you might even be able to squeeze in a round. Palm Beach has some great courses. I think the last time I was there was over three years ago. We went in May and it was nearly ninety degrees. And humid as all hell." He pointed. "You two better prepare yourselves. It's going to be a hot and steamy trip."
It took every ounce of Payton's strength not to react to that.

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT set Payton's meal down in front of her.
"And one vegetarian entree for you," she said efficiently before turning to serve lunch to the passengers across the aisle.
Seated next to Payton, J.D. didn't even bother to look up from his Wall Street Journal.
"Vegetarian? Now there's a surprise."
"About as surprising as you turning first to the financial section of the paper."
J.D. shrugged. "So? I have a few investments."
"I have investments. You have a portfolio," Payton emphasized.
J.D. felt the need to set the record straight. He put down his paper and turned in his seat to face her.
"Payton, I have to tell you something, and I know this is going to come as a shock, but it's better you hear it now." He leaned in consolingly. "You have money." He shook his head. What a shame.
Payton waved this off. "Please. You have money. I have a job that pays well. There's a difference."
"We make the same exact salary."
"But you have an extravagant lifestyle."
J.D. laughed at that. Did he now? Maybe in her eyes, he supposed. She was a walking contradiction and completely oblivious to that fact.
"You have five-hundred-dollar shoes," he pointed out.
"Not anymore."
J.D. cleared his throat. Probably best if they just moved on to another topic.
He watched as Payton picked at her sandwich, some sprouty/all-natural/no-taste concoction. Since they were flying business class, they had seats together, just the two of them. They could talk about anything and not be overheard, although so far Payton's conversation with him throughout the flight had consisted entirely of business-related talk and/or sass. Perhaps it was time to shake things up.
"So . . . you didn't say why you broke up with Chase."
"You're right, I didn't say."
"Are you avoiding the subject?"
Payton put her sandwich down and turned to face him. "Why don't we talk about you for a change?"
Realizing he really needed to refine his subject-changing skills, J.D. struck a nonchalant look. "What about me?"
"Well, you're thirty-two years old—"
"The same age as you."
"—and still single," she finished. "Aren't you supposed to be married by now to a Muffy or a Bitsy or some other society type with a brain as big as this pickle?"
J.D. peered over. "That's a pretty big pickle."
Payton smiled. "So? What gives?"
J.D. couldn't help but look as, while waiting for his answer, Payton crossed one high-heeled leg over the other, notably in his direction. Did she know the effect she had on him? He suspected she did. It was a little dance they did, the way they both conspicuously avoided talking about what had happened in her apartment the other night. He had a feeling that there was more behind her "innocent" questions regarding his love life than she wanted to let on. But he had no intention of cutting the game short. Not yet, anyway. Seeing that she still waited for his answer, J.D. shrugged. "I guess I've just been focused on things at work." He watched as Payton nodded. This she could understand.
Now that the subject of work had been raised, the conversation drifted onto a safer topic: their upcoming meeting with Jasper and his new general counsel. In appreciation of the fact that Payton and J.D. had agreed to fly down to Florida on such short notice, Jasper had suggested, for their convenience, that they meet for dinner at their hotel. J.D. could certainly think of worse places to spend a Friday evening than at the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach. Putting aside all partnership/career advancement issues, one of the main reasons he had so quickly agreed to the trip was because he knew Payton similarly would never pass up the opportunity.
Payton asked him what information, if any, he had been able to uncover about the lawyer Jasper had hired to be Gibson's new general counsel. J.D. reached into his briefcase for the file he had thrown together earlier that morning when he stopped at the office before heading off to the airport.
Strangely, he discovered something in his briefcase that he had not put there.
A book.
Confused—and with the momentary thought that he was going to be really f**king pissed if this was some sort of South Florida drug-mule scam that would land him in jail and cut into his posh Ritz-Carlton relaxation time—J.D. pulled out the book.
Pride and Prejudice.
It bore a Post-it note, unsigned, that read:
In case of an emergency. Trust me.
J.D. rolled his eyes. Oh, for crying out loud. He had told Tyler about the trip with Payton and his "helpful" friend must have slipped the book into his carry-on when he'd stepped out of his office.
Just as he was about to stuff the silly girly tome back into his briefcase, Payton glanced over.
"Oh, you brought a book? What are you reading?" She leaned over, saw the title, then peered up at J.D. with an expression of unmistakable surprise. "Pride and Prejudice? Wow. I wouldn't have guessed that was your kind of book."
J.D. immediately went on the defensive. "Come on, do you really think . . ." His words trailed off as Payton leaned back languidly in her seat with a dreamy, faraway look.
"Mr. Darcy . . ." She sighed wistfully. She distractedly put her pen in her mouth—J.D. noticed a little flush to her cheeks—and without even realizing it, she slowly slid the pen in and out between her lips.
In and out.
"Fitzwilliam Darcy and his ten thousand a year . . ." she said, still dreamy.
J.D. had no idea what she was talking about, but he couldn't help but stare. The pen. The lips. In and out.
In and out.
Tyler was a f**king genius.
With a blink, Payton came out of her reverie. Most unfortunately.
"Sorry. What were we talking about?" she asked, a little breathless.
Clearing his throat, J.D. held up the book. "Pride and Prejudice?"
Payton smiled fondly. "Yes. It's one of my favorites."
"I caught that. Gotta love that"—J.D. quickly stole a glance at the back cover—"Elizabeth Bennet."
This seemed to wake Payton up. "Well, of course," she said, not unlike Tyler, as if only a Neanderthal wouldn't be in the know. "Elizabeth Bennet is only one of the greatest literary heroines of all time."
J.D. could see she was beginning to get all riled up and lecture-y again. Not that he particularly minded. "Is that so?"
"Yes, that's so. She's clever, witty, bold, and independent. True, she can be a bit proud, some would say she's far too sassy for her time, and she's definitely judgmental, but still—that's why we love her."
J.D. cocked his head. "Well. I guess that settles that."
Payton grinned, a little embarrassed. "Sorry. I can get kind of carried away talking about that book." She paused, remembering. "Weren't you going to show me the information you pulled on Gibson's new general counsel?"
Back to business. J.D. handed Payton the file he had compiled and she began to read through it. But after a few minutes of working in silence, she cast a sideways glance in his direction.
"Still . . . it is kind of a wussy read for a guy, Jameson." With a sly half smile, she turned back to her reading.
J.D. didn't bother to dignify that with a response. But after a few minutes had passed, he subtly glanced over and watched Payton as she worked.
Proud and sassy, no doubt. And definitely judgmental.
But still.
PAYTON STOOD IN front of the closet in her underwear, scrutinizing her dress for wrinkles. She was relieved to see it had survived the plane trip relatively unscathed because (a) she had absolutely zero skill when it came to using an iron and (b) there wasn't time to iron anyway because she was supposed to meet J.D. in the hotel bar downstairs in five minutes.
This was business, she kept reminding herself. She and J.D. were here, at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, just steps from the white-sand beach and the cerulean blue water of the Atlantic Ocean, on business.
She had stayed in nice hotels before, of course. Plenty of them. One of the perks of working for a top-tier firm was that its lawyers were expected to stay—for image purposes—at top-tier hotels when traveling. It also wasn't the first time she'd traveled on business on a Friday evening, and it certainly wasn't the first time she'd traveled with a male coworker.
But.

Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face-to-face, they're perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they have kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as coworkers for one reason: to make partner at the firm.
...There are no rules.
But all bets are off when they're asked to join forces on a major case. Though apprehensive at first, they begin to appreciate each other's dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection does not last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it's an all-out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar...

It is now fifth period. And I am on my way to English class. Mr. Brodeur is our English teacher. He is a harsh teacher if you step out of line once he'll give you two-week lunch detention. I get to class two seconds after the bell rang. Mr. Brodeur walks up to me and hands me a pink slip. It is a week of detention! Class hasn't even started! "Be on time, next time." He says to me with a cold stare. He turns back to the front of the class and has two students pass out books. As the students are passing the books out Mr. Brodeur says "You will finish this book and write a report on it. You have Four weeks to finish this book and write a report." I received a book from one of the students. The book tittle read "Pride and Prejudice." Class ends and it's off to lunch! I run to the lockers to meet Hayden. I place my bag in my locker and Hayden came to meet me. We walk to the cafeteria. On Mondays we have pizza. Normally me and Hayden pack lunches, but who says no to pizza? We grab our food a sit down to eat. I tell her about the assignment Mr. Brodeur gave us. Hayden also got a huge assignment from him but a different book, "To Kill a Mockingbird" was her assignment which seemed easier than mine. Two other girls came over to our table to eat with us. They were Hayden's friends. One of the girls names is Leah who had short black hair and glasses. The other girl had long dyed blue and green hair in a pony tail. Her name was Sam. They were nice girls, they are on the cheer squad with Hayden. It is finally the last period of the day, off to study hall. Technically I have a free period. Me and Hayden take our time going to study hall cause the cool thing about it is we can stay there till 5 o'clock. So we have time to get most of our homework done. "I totally forgot" I say to Hayden. "What is it?" she says back with a worried look. "I have a week of detention. Not only that but I'll be late for work." She smiles and says "Don't worry about it, I'll cover for you at work and we can do homework together tonight at the cafe when you get there." I give her a hug a rush to detention before he adds another week. I get to Mr. Brodeur's class and I see another student there who must have him a different period from me. Mr. Brodeur orders us to clean his class room. Detention is almost over and me and the other student are finished cleaning the room, it is now four o'clock my shift will start in thirty minutes! I can't tell who the student is because he is wearing a black and grey hoodie with the hood covering his face. "You can go now." Mr. Brodeur says. I don't say anything and leave quickly to go to my locker and grab my bag. I'm about to leave when I remember Hayden isn't her to drive me! I don't own a car! I am by the front doors of the school pacing. It is a long walk from my house to school. The other student comes to the doors and walks out to his car. I walk out the doors but don't walk away from them. I grab my phone as the other student pulls up to the front of the school. "Need a ride?" I look up from my phone. "I'm John. You work at Melbane cafe right?" I nod and decide to get in the car with him, "I'm Anya" I say. We arrive at the cafe and I thank him for the ride, I run inside. I look at the clock and the time is only 4:25. I clock in. I put on my apron and the hat, I grab my pad and I head out to the tables. Hayden saw me and was over joyed. She came up to me apologizing, "I am so, so sorry I totally forgot I was supposed to drive you." I told he it was okay and she questioned how I got here so quick. I told her I got a ride from a cab. I don't want her to find out it was John. It was a slow night, though it is a school night. I felt like our shifts lasted forever. But eventually it ended and I went home to Neeko.

A young woman, named Anya Miller has a different view of what others call “Love”. Abandoned from her mother she had to learn to survive on her own. But when fate leads a man into her life. Will her view of love change  or will she have given up hope and never even bother with love again.       

-•Update every Saturday•-

Adreyn Baines
Before leaving school, I still had one more thing to do. I had to return a school library book on Greek Mythology. Entering the library, I heard a loud thud in the Romance section. I rushed over there to find Ms. Mary-Ann the librarian covered in Romance books.
"Are you okay, Ms. Mary-Ann?" I asked.
"I'm fine," she said as I took Wuthering Heights off her white dress shirt.
"What did you do this time?" I asked her.
Ms. Mary Ann picked up a copy of Tristan and Isolde and explained she was trying to reshelve it. She had gotten a ladder and tried placing it on the shelf. However, she leaned the wrong way and fell on her back.
"So what are you here for?" she asked.
"I'm here to return The Fall of Bellerophon by Euripides," I said.
"Done already?" Ms. Mary Ann pondered.
"Yeah," I said.
"What was your favorite part?" she asked.
It was a no brainer! The story of Bellerophon was the story of a naive man who becomes King of Lycia by defeating a monster called a Chimera on a Pegasus. He quickly becomes corrupt and constantly hurts his people. The thing that destroys him is his own pride. He tries to fly to Olympus to be a god and gets struck down by Zeus.
The ending was the best part. He survives the fall only to walk around blinded till the end of his days. I told Ms. Mary-Ann that and she smiled. It was a worried smile though.
"Aderyn," she asked, "Have you thought about running for student council?"
"I would," I responded, "However, I don't want to be indebted to Jason and his dad, the principal."
"With that comment," Ms.Mary-Ann said with her hands on her hips, "I know what book to recommend you next."
She crossed over to the other shelf and handed me Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I started to stare at the appalling work. Ms. Mary-Ann knew I hated the romance genre. Problems couldn't be solved with love and force was the actual answer to these kinds of things.
"No thank you," I told her "I'll just find a new book online."
"Suit yourself" she shrugged.
As I walked home, I thought about how terrible Jason had been. At least tomorrow would be the weekend. Plenty of time to plan new anti-Jason strategies...

Two days later, I struggled to maintain a single line of thought for more than thirty seconds. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. That was the book cover that held my focus for ten minutes straight. I thought about how hard it was to convince that old man to sell me his a hundred years old copy of that four hundred years old story. I paid an absurd amount of coins on that book to read it once ever since I got it a year ago. The same thing happened to all the other stuff I owned. 

Going as far as saying I was a "collector" sounded too extreme, I enjoyed possessing physical art just to fill the gaps on my bookshelf. Looking at it was like seeing my memories materialized, they gave shape to my feelings. Having physical proof of something I enjoyed was comforting. I bought ancient copies of movies and games even though I had no device to play them, since their media was discontinued a long time ago.

Our blue planet was exploited for thousands of years, a few decades ago natural feedstocks almost became extinct because of the enormous demand corporations had. Mother nature couldn't keep up anymore. So to minimize the usage of natural resources, products labeled as non-essential stopped being manufactured. Books, paintings, mangas, notebooks, paper, anything that used plants as primary raw material was terminated.
Art seized to exist in the physical world. Every hardcover book had been the same for  decades. Austen's work went from one hand to another for a century until it ended on my dusty shelf and I only read it once. Still, selling it for a higher price wasn't an option, it meant something to me.

Forty eight hours had passed since I walked away moments after accepting to help a cop at the same time that I worked for the Trinity to take down the police's next operation. Yet, I wasn't doing anything I agreed to, not to officer Abrom and neither to the underground Lords. Even with texts from the Manager popping on my screens every hour.

I had to move, too often I got trapped wondering about the past. The Trinity wouldn't wait any longer, they were already getting impatient. Focusing on the task would give me time to figure out what to do about the officer's request. 

Overall, what I got from Sargent Lee, Toni's phone was standard material. Some virtual reality porn in expensive clubs, depts, regular and expected amount of political radicalism. A typical cop. He acted like a bigshot but mostly he did paperwork and research after being considered unfit for ground operations. 

If Toni boy was in charge of research, he probably had access to the archives and to case and operation files. 

As the great idiot Sargent Lee was, he had synchronized his mainscreen to every network available on the station he worked in. I had all these doors and all I had to do was open the right ones without setting any alarms. Barging in and face their defenses directly would result in a complete lockdown of all the Force's systems, making my way in much harder. Stealthy mode was the smart way to go. Maybe the oldest, simplest trick ever created would be the best, the Trojan Horse.

Just like me, he was sitting on a chair working the night shift. He took too many breaks and was just going through social media rating pictures of women instead of revising reports. Given the man's history, porn would be the perfect bait. A simple link to a fake site would put me inside the station network.

Access to confidential police files, there was so much I could do with it.
However, I wasn't given much time to think about what I would do with the information I was about to get. Toni boy didn't think twice to bite my bait. And like that, with an add to a fetish club, the door to the Force's database was gently opened.

On my chair I laid back to stretch my legs and savor the ignorance of Sargent Lee, Toni. A true idiot, I thought as I raised my soda as a toast. 

Helping her had just become a thousand times easier, it wouldn't cost me anything. I could get the case files, send it to her and that was it. We wouldn't even need to meet. It was time to end this "thing" before something happened.

Back to work, finding future operation plans was the objective. Most latest reports most were about daily arrests, drug apprehensions, basic stuff. Moving to the day after the invasion, many reports were filed detailing the officers actions on the ground. The mission was to locate an apartment used as a meeting place for members of the Mask. They had no address, just some satellite images of a yard looking like the one outside my building where the Force fought the Trinity. The one on the picture was further inside the slum, they looked exactly the same but the  officers had no way of knowing that. 

What I couldn't understand about this operation was the motive. After years of turning a blind eye, the Leader sent dozens of cops into a dangerous unexplored territory to follow a tip about a meeting place. All this risk for such a little prize. 

I was finally focused when another text from Jeff, the Manager pulled me out of my thoughts. According to him, Dan wanted an update by the next day or he would pay me a visit. For as much as I liked Dan I didn't want him in my house, or any Trinity members for that matter. 

Digging through little bitch Toni's archives I came across a research he was doing on some old GPS maps of the first constructions in the slums. He was trying to match those with satellite images taken recently, trying to build a new map. They were planning a new operation, but this time going in blind wasn't an option. 

Taking from the progress Sargent Lee had made, it would be a while before the Force had anything remotely decent they could use to build a mission on. Knowing about the planning would satisfy the Trinity, let them know the cops weren't after their business was good but it was still a threat.

A short text to the manager to let him know I would stop by after lunch time and I rubbed my eyes. I never felt so tired after such a simple job. Cutting the night short never seemed so right.

In the next century, countries no longer exist. Sato is a sarcastic young hacker who by accident runs into the honest officer Abrom. They'll have to work together to achieve their individual and opposite goals. 

Tier-1 is a futuristic city ruled by one strict Leader, however, other forces share determinant power over the citizens. While the city leadership rules ruthlessly to maintain order and constant progress, an organization known as the Trinity controls the underworld in the shadows of the slums. 

The triangle of power is completed by the Mask. A secret movement for identity that aims to put down the oppressive leadership and restore the city's origins from centuries ago.

Sato, an individualistic citizen of Tier-1, is a freelance hacker and photographer born and raised between the metropolis' skyscrapers. His burning disregard for authorities is tested after a random encounter with Officer Abrom, a noble woman member of the city Force.

"So," Kishan said turning back to face me with a mildly amused smile, "would you like to have cookies with me?"

I could not help but let out a sigh before I smiled back. "Sure just let me grab some coffee." With that he went to sit at the table. 

Click click click click

I heard the sound of him typing on his phone as I made myself a cup of instant coffee. As I pulled out the chair to sit down however he quickly closed it and put it face down on the table.

"So Bailey," he said looking up at me as I gently stirred the milk into my coffee. His dark eyes were lit with amusement. "How likely is it that we've been set up?" he asked casually. 

I slightly raised an eye brow at his direct attitude. I sipped my coffee to buy time to contemplate my answer.

"Well it's not an accident that I'm here but I find it hard to believe Ariel would fake car troubles not to be here, so I don't know." I decided to answer honestly. I have always appreciated people who cut to the chase rather than being cryptic and beating around the bush.

I was raised up north where people say what they mean and mean what they say. However the summer before I started high school my family moved to just an hour north of New Orleans on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. I still lived in the area.

Kishan's calm yet direct attitude was a breath of fresh air to me. This kind of attitude can be hard to find in the south.

"Hmm," was all he said as he sipped his coffee. I took advantage of the momentary silence that no longer felt as awkward to take a bite from a cookie. "You said you were an English Lit. major so tell me, what is your favorite classic?"

"Pride and Prejudice," I answered easily. I can always talk about books.

"How come?"

"Well, originally I fell in love with the 6 hour mini series as a child. It was my favorite 'movie'," I made air quotes with one hand. "I can still waste a day watching it. I didn't actually read the book until I was in high school but I was not disappointed with it at all. It's not just my favorite classic, it's my favorite period."

He smiled in a relaxed manor that made him very easy to talk to. Though I am generally the quiet type until you get to know me my words flowed naturally. His whole presence gave off a very calm but sturdy feeling that was aided by his smooth baritone voice. 

Also did I mention he was handsome? Dangerously so.

"What do you like about it so much?" he asked taking a bite of his own cookie. 

"I love the dynamic between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as they get to know each other and fall in love in spite of themselves. And how they still end up together even though Mr. Darcy screwed up his initial proposal.

"Not only that, I love how the side characters have their own love stories and are well thought out. The problems they all face real problems but nothing so exaggerated like todays romances. Don't get me wrong, I love a good K-drama but exactly how many people actually fall into a coma only to wake up and have temporary amnesia?

"Though it's a historical romance it's so much easier to relate to how one simply falls for a person in spite of everything. Jane and Mr. Bingley are so sweet together providing the perfect compliment to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's turbulent relationship." 

As I spoke he listened attentively sipping his coffee and finishing off a cookie. Finally I realized I was rambling on about a romantic story, which he probably would not be interested in, so I ended my speech.

"So," I said mildly embarrassed. "Do you like to read?"

"No," he answered then allowed a dramatic pause to happen before continuing, "I love it. So much so I just recently finished my PHD in English Literature." His smile was slightly playful as he finished his sentence.

My face rapidly switched from showing my momentary stomach clenching horror from embarrassing myself to wide eyed with surprise.

'So this man likes to play jokes,' was my first thought. 

"Mr. Kishan, was the dramatic pause really necessary?" I complained knowing I had been had.

"Hmm," he took another sip of his coffee. "I'm not sure what you're referring to," he said though his expression still said otherwise.

I let it go with a small sigh. "Then what is your favorite?" I asked sipping my own coffee. He thought for a moment before answering.

"I can't say I have a favorite book but my favorite collection would have to be the Sherlock Holmes series."

"So you're a mystery type." 

The conversation flowed naturally from then on as we continued to discuss different books we had both read. We discovered we had a lot of the same taste in literature and before we realized it the cookies were gone and our coffee was cold. 

Almost an hour later Ariel and her mom finally returned. When the door opened the two of us had been laughing over a comedic part of the book we were discussing. I looked over and met Ariel's inquisitive gaze. 

"Sorry we're so late," Ariel's mom said looking up at the clock that hung on the wall. "The tow truck took much longer to show up than they initially said." Both her and Ariel walked over to the table. "Kishan this my daughter Ariel, Ariel this is Kishan."

Kishan stood and shook her hand as they exchanged greetings. Ariel was all done up ready for her date wearing a beautiful bright orange dress. Reminding me that she knew what would happen when I came over dressed like I normally was.

"It's unfortunate but I don't think we will be able to make our dinner reservation tonight," Kishan said looking at his leather watch. 

"We can reschedule for tomorrow night if you're free," Ariel's mom suggested.

"Actually," Kishan hesitated for a moment before saying, "if it's alright with you I would like to change plans." He turned to look at me with an anxious expression and continued, "Bailey, would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

I instantly blushed at the unexpected question. "Aaa sure," I said somewhat dazed. His shoulders and face relaxed at my response. I had not noticed when they had tensed. 

We quickly exchanged numbers and set a time for him to pick me up from my place. As he was leaving he turned his head around to say, "Make sure you dress up tomorrow." 

Thunk. The door closed behind him leaving us three women standing there momentarily stunned. It was Ariel's mom who broke the silence.

"Bailey, if you are scheduled to work tomorrow get someone to cover your shift. We need to spend the day shopping for a dress."

"Aaa, I'm off tomorrow." 

"Good. Be here by 9 o'clock and we will all go together. This is unexpected but a good result nonetheless." She promptly turned to leave, leaving no room for discussion. 

Thunk. The door closed behind her as she left. As soon as she did Ariel grabbed the sleeve of my hoodie and started jumping up and down excitedly.

I am your average American girl from a middle class family. One of the last people you would expect to have an arranged marriage. However thanks to my best friend that was exactly what happened! Not only that he has two young kids! I suddenly became a wife and a mother much sooner than I thought I would. I am not ready for this but since I said I would I'll do my best!

_____

Kishan and Bailey quickly become a married couple because of his family circumstances. Will they be able to find true love in this arranged marriage? 

But life never goes perfectly smooth. They will have to face many trials that come with being a multiracial and multicultural couple living in the southern United States. Love, marriage, and parenthood are not easy. But nothing is impossible if you have found the right person and are both dedicated to making it work.

When you spend too much time inside your own head, you get to know yourself better. However, what you think and what you feel gains strength. This wouldn't normally be something to worry about. But for Liam, this was a life-or-death problem. He was a lonely guy, so to speak, which meant that he spent a lot of time inside his mind, thinking and questioning himself more than an eighteen-year-old guy normally would. His mom had always been sure that his brain was different; it was special. He had what scientists call eidetic memory. The ability to recall an image in a brief period of time by seeing it only once. In summary, he was scientifically unable to forget. And this was the problem.
            You're emotionally attached to your memories through feelings. The more you remember about something, the stronger is the emotional bond you get with that event. And for someone who could remember even my credit card number by just seeing it with the corner of his eye once, you already can imagine how his feelings toward past relationships were. 
            From the girl who first held his hand in kindergarten to the one who took his virginity. He was able of recalling every single moment with all of them. And every single breakup too. That's how he became a lonely guy. His phone only ringed for three single reasons. To wake him up, to notify him about the newest book in the library or when his best and only friend texted him. And even though you can think that having only one friend is sad, to Liam this was more than enough. Alina was what you could call a sunshine tornado. She brought happiness wherever she went and was always encouraging Liam to get out of his comfort zone, despite she didn't get the same treatment from him. But positivity from friends wasn't something Alina actually cared that much about. Not as much as Liam, to be honest.
            So, there he was, standing next to a bookshelf arranging novels from the thriller section. The own smell from the environment brought a feeling of ancientness with a bit of calm, similar to that mix between paper and dust. Held between his hands, there was an expensive collector's edition of 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It was wrapped by a thin plastic coverage that meant the book was new. Each of its 849 pages had been just printed and had never been touched by any human's hand. This sort of virginity was something Liam found attractive in a book. He had never seen that in a girl. It was something he desired. Someone whose first love was him. He caught himself thinking about something that childish when he realized it was almost time to close the store. It was Wednesday, so he had to stay late cleaning the second floor and placing all the new stock that had just arrived. 
            The store wasn't that big but still was big for a bookstore. The entrance had a door made out of wood with small glass windows that allowed the outsiders to look at what was inside until something caught their attention. A small bell ringed every single time a customer entered or exited the store. It was a sound that Liam found particularly annoying since it meant that he would have to leave whatever book he was reading to help his customer to find the latest manga that we all know was already leaked online for free.
On the first floor of it, you could find all kinds of pocketbooks, comics, manga, and even magazines. It was what Liam liked to call The Adds Floor. Several shelves, posters, and advertisements were placed here and there, along with the cash register, which Liam hated to manage when he had to, despite it was impressively easy to him —which probably was why he thought it was boring—. This is the floor that people like you and I would normally visit, looking for the newest novel of our favorite writer, or for the last volume of some comic that we like. However, it wasn't the floor Liam liked the most; both because it was very visited and its content wasn't really constructive to him. 
All the surface of the first and the second floor was covered by a dark grey carpet, which was soft enough to mitigate the sounds of nearby footsteps. Deep inside the first floor, on the right side of the store, were these almost unnoticeable snail stairs, made of black iron that, mixed with the darkness of the area and the mahogany of the walls, seemed to be hidden in purpose. Next to them, there was a small sign that claimed:
 
COLLECTOR'S EDITIONS UPSTAIRS
---->
 
            The second floor was Liam's sanctuary. Literally, nobody went there. The place was certainly nicer than the first floor. It was calm, silent —even for a bookstore— and had several seats and cozy couches where you could sit to enjoy your favorite books. White shelves with glass stands were the home of the most expensive novels from the store. A large balcony with a wood railing at the edge of it shined with the light that entered the room from the huge picture windows with a nice, gold, and gothic design on their border. When you first walked upstairs, your feet noticed a softer surface beneath them. The carpet from the second floor was less used, which was as soft as it used to be when it was new. On the left side, close to the railing, were three white leather poufs around a low glass table with several books over it —pocketbooks, obviously—. Deep inside it were thirteen shelves right next to the wood walls. Each of them full of hardcovered books organized by genre —apart from the classics, that were all on a gold shelve right in the middle—. One of those shelves hid the door to enter the employees' room —which was most of the time only visited by Liam since the rest of his coworkers didn't even know about its existence—. On the right side of the second floor, was a big circled glass table with 6 chairs around it. It was something that Liam liked to call Arthur's Table. Knights were never close to use it, though. It was something so expensive that just Liam had the owner's permission to study there after the store closed.
            In summary, it was nothing but a perfect and sacred literary space. Somewhere where you could read as much as you wanted because for sure you would never be bothered —or at least that's what Liam thought—. The only problem was that, to gain access to that floor —according to the rules that the old owner had established almost two decades ago— you had to buy at least one collector's edition of any book from their stock. The only condition was that it had to be a collector's edition; those were the most expensive books in the store, and clearly had fewer sales than the rest since just book maniacs or actual collectors bought them. This is why you can imagine how weird it was to see this smiley teenage girl with colorful clothes and curly pink hair walking upstairs.
            Alina wasn't exactly a book fan. However, her mother did was. She went there because she wanted a collector's edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as a present for her mother. It wasn't an expensive gift, to be honest. Paying 50 bucks for a hardcover collector's edition was a very good deal for anybody. However, Liam didn't quite like Alina's choice when he first met her on that second floor. But he was obliged —by contract— to agree with everything she said about the book since the moment she walked inside the store. 
            —I'm looking for the collector's edition of Pride and Prejudice.
            —I see… —he replied with a sigh— You can find it in the classics section. It's that gold shelf over there.
            —What's wrong? —she asked.
            —Nothing. What do you mean?
            —You sighed at me. Why?
            —Don't mind me, I just didn't think you actually were a fan of Jane Austen.
            —Are you even allowed to use sarcasm with a client about a book that's selling in the store where you work?
            —Oh sorry, that's not what I meant.
            —No, no. Don't worry! —she said, almost laughing��. It's not for me, anyway. You're honest, I like that. The book is actually for my mother's birthday. I would normally just stay on the first floor looking for romance books or manga.
            —I hope you didn't get a bad first impression of the second floor. I tend to be the only one here —he said while putting the new collector's edition inside a plastic bag for her—, you can pay for it on the first floor. And this card allows you to stay on this floor as much as you want without needing to buy another collector's edition.
            —Thank you! And don't worry. It's the first time I found someone of my age inside a place like this. I'll make sure I visit this floor more often. I'm Alina, by the way. 
            —Nice to meet you, Alina. I'm Liam —he said with a short smile upon his face, repeating that new mantra that he promised himself to think about whenever he forgot that he had to avoid catching even the slightest feeling.
            —Nice to meet you too, Liam. I hope to see you around soon again.

After being heartbroken more times than your fingers can count, Liam finally gives up and starts thinking about a way to avoid falling in love again. The only problem, his girl best-friend won't make it easy for him.

Trisha came to look for me. When we reached the entrance of the campus Avika and Riya were already waiting. We had a joyous and stress-free day outside. As we had some delicious snacks and lovely desserts it felt bliss to us. Since we ate distasteful food for so long our tongues were robbed of the taste buds.
After trying out various outfits Riya and Avika selected a few. 

It was 5 in the evening when we came back. Sun has yet to set. After resting for a few minutes I turned to ask Avi about hitting the gym as we had lots of desserts today and didn't go in the morning. But as I approached her she was in a deep sleep. I tucked her in the light blanket and she snuggled to it with a content smile. 

Smiling I wore my activewear and sports shoes. As Avika wasn't with me I decided to run. Attaching my earphones I began to run. Music blasted in and my mood uplifted. There were many people in the garden. Players practising their games, girls chatting around, couples sitting quietly gazing the horizon or exchanging sweet promises while the sun was going to set. I decided to sit quietly in some place after running two laps.

After 15 minutes I completed my workout and sat in a good place to admire the sunset. Looking at the serenity of the scene I thought of a few words, not that good but apt for my mood and scene.

"Everyday when a day ends
It feels so relaxing to me
Every emotion blends
Sometimes merry sometimes gloomy
Sunset is beautiful
As it marks that the day is finally ending"

I sat there thinking nothing. Just staring at the sunset and breathing deeply. Sort of meditation. Sun sat at last. Sky still contained few hues before turning all dark. Breathing for the last few times, it was the time to get up. 

"Hey, are you okay?"

I jumped in surprise with a sudden sound. I noticed it was Avika. I thought that if it would be a movie it was the perfect time when Mr.President shows up. These coincidences often happen between the lead actors. Not that I was thinking we were the main leads.

"Yeah, just enjoying my quality time. You woke up sleepy head?" I said.

She sat beside me. 
"I was looking for you and assumed you would be working out as you are not a morning person, next possible place was the library." She said.

"You know there is a thing called a mobile phone, dummy." I laughed flashing my phone towards her.

"Tch, I know that. Just my phone ran out of battery after our outing and I slept soon after I came." She said making some faces.

"Come on let's go, it's getting darker." I stood up and pulled her up with me.

Next few days flew very fast. I continued to follow my schedule dutifully. In Psychology, we were taught so many things that fascinated me. The working of our mind is truly a miracle. Today was the day we had to present our papers at the Literary Club. After lunch, Trisha and I went together. Today I reached earlier.
I had seen Mr.President from afar a few times. He was present most of the time in the library as he said earlier. Idiot Sourav didn't disturb me any further as the librarian was always there. She talked happily with me each time I issued books. I had seen him playing basketball in mornings when I get a chance to work out. 

We had settled down and Trisha told me about Korean-dramas she had watched. I used to watch Korean-dramas and Chinese dramas. Here however I don't get time at all. We talked happily until everybody came in. As we were 14 members everybody read their papers. When Mr.President started I was happy that he liked the book. Every book has got it's the charm. It ended pretty well and everybody got a glimpse of other's capabilities. 

We got to know that the drama is set on the novel Pride and Prejudice. It was a beautiful romance novel by author Jane Austen. It was one of my favourite classic books. It was the story in which Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice and Mr.Darcy does his pride and then both surrenders themselves in love. I was very excited about it. Normally I heard colleges play Romeo and Juliet as a drama but this is really great. I do want to see the casts and hopefully, their actions would be top-notch. I want to see the characters brought to life. Many of us have read the novel here and was a squeal of delight when we heard about it.

As we discussed we were told to meet the Drama Club. Trisha and I walked towards the drama club as we wanted to meet Avika and Riya. While Avika was a dancer, Riya was a singer. They both aren't going to participate in the drama but will be there during the meeting just to see the preparations. 
When we reached we started talking and joking with each other. 

"Manya?" I heard someone call. I turned and saw Mr.President calling me over while he was talking to two people there.

"See she is the one I told you about." Is he serious? No, I don't want to act at all. Maybe I would like to do some work but no acting. I admit I had done some acting in my high school days but this was too much.

"Please excuse us for a moment," I said to them and dragged him away. 

"Did I tell you to recommend to me?" I said.

"No, but on Saturday I asked, you didn't deny either." He said with an expression that seemed annoying to me.

"Please tell them I'm not going to participate in the drama." 

"Why?"

"Because it's MY decision," I growled 

"Okay, don't get mad. I didn't say anything I just told them how nicely you have written your assignment paper. I told them that you could assist me in screenwriting. If you want to act that's another story." He said, totally cool. So that's what he was talking about. Screenwriting is the thing I would enjoy but still,

"But still, you should have told me before you were planning to do so," I said

"I'm sorry," he said so sincerely that I felt guilty.

"I want to apologize too as I was too rash," I said biting my lips.

"So are we cool?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. Well, is the post of screenwriter's assistant is still open?" 

"No, someone took it." He said

"Who?" I asked

"Some girl named Manya Verma." We laughed. 

"Do you agree?" He asked.

I contemplated for a moment. Screenwriting would be good, it's my favourite novel and I don't have to do most of the work what more a lazy soul like me desires?
"Yup, I agree," I said

We walked back together and he told them about him being the screenwriter and me being the assistant.
I wanted Avika to try out the auditions but she is in dance which requires a lot of time and energy. As this fest programme's responsibility was Drama Club's they are already divided into several groups and at last very fewer people were left in performing actual drama part. 

As the fest was approaching at the end of mid- August we had time in our hands. Even though the script has to be ready early. Mr.President and I decided to work in the library the next few days as we shortened the entire drama into 30 minutes. 

Today since he called me over I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to my friends. I followed him everywhere. A few minutes later everybody started departing. I got a message from Riya saying they are returning to their practice and Trisha is accompanying them. I sighed and maybe the person beside me mistook it for boredom or tiredness because he flashed me an apologetic smile. He then quickly wrapped up the conversation and led me to the cafeteria.

He told me to order whatever I like, but this was college cafeteria and not a very good place to order 'whatever I like'. Anyway, I didn't want to eat my regular sandwich so I ordered some french fries after asking him if he would help me finish it and a cup of coffee. He too ordered a coffee.

We sat in the same place as the other day.
While sitting he said.

"Next time it wouldn't be this cafeteria." I laughed at this.

"I don't know in which year you are studying," I said thinking carefully.

"You really didn't pay attention to the first day, did you?" He asked.

I was really embarrassed.
"Yeah, I didn't. After the library incident, I felt dejected for a long time and I bear grudges so I didn't pay attention." I said truthfully.

"Bearing grudges, I'll remember that." He chuckled.

"Will you tell me or not," I asked

"Let's do this again. Our introductions." He said and then continued.
"Hello, my name is Vihaan Kashyap and I'm a third-year student here. Hobbies are playing basketball, reading books and listening to music."

"I'm Manya Verma, nice to meet you. I'm a first-year student here. Hobbies are reading, dancing, painting, listening to music and watching movies and dramas." I said mimicking him.

"You paint and dance too?" He asked surprised. This surprise didn't offend me, rather I wanted to tell him more. 

"Yeah. I love cooking. Baking at that." I said.

"You cook too? Would this lowly creature someday would have the fortune to taste your cooking?" He said

"Yes, you could as you aren't any lowly creature but my esteemed senior. But I don't know how and when." I said.

I know he is just joking but my silly heart sped when he said he would like to taste my cooking. Our order had arrived he went to the counter to bring things over.

"Have you read Pride and Prejudice?" He asked.

"Yes," I nodded enthusiastically. Now things will get interesting as I'll get to write (or help in writing, whatever) dialogues of Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy.

A girl with a past she couldn't let go. Once cheerful and chirpy, she began to question her values, intention and even existence.

"God? Have you kept me here just to feel immense guilt each moment I breathe?" She asked, voice breaking and trembling in between her sobs as she tried to compose herself.

After suffering she regained her will to live but still didn't overcome completely. Will the arrival of her soulmate relieve her or will she lose this opportunity too?

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