The ShowOffs - Part 21

Her driver reached in twenty minutes. She quickly got inside the car and put her shades to cover her eyes. There were many aides of her mother and the driver was one of them. She had too much of drama since the time she had stepped into this project. She didn't want anymore. She was tired. The journey wasn't too long. But the thoughts in her mind made the journey feel longer. 

As soon as she reached home, she rushed towards her room. Unfortunately she was caught red handed by her mother. "Why are you wearing your shades? There are no sun or paparazzi here.", her mother quizzed. She was no mood in confronting her mother. After the cafe incident she was cautious of her mother finding any issues and making big out of trivial matters for her own interest. 

"I am tired. I need to go. ", she said, running past her mother to her room. Her mother didn't follow. She knew that something had gone wrong with her daughter. She had to find out. Simran was safe at her room. She cried as she thought again and again about the allegation Rajbir had made against her. She slept when she was emotionally drained. 

Next day, she woke up to sound of knocking. Someone was knocking at the door. It was soft knock on the door. When she came to senses, she realized it was one of her mother's assistant. She opened the door. Sonia's assistant, a short plump woman named Gippy, hesitantly came inside.  Gippy had taken care of Sonia since the time she had started out her career. She was Sonia's close confidant and best friend." Good morning Simmy, I am sorry to barge inside your room like this. But this is important. Your mother is in great pain. She has taken the world like a wounded lioness.", Gippy said in motherly tone. 

"I didn't understand what you said. Why is mom acting that way? What happened now?", Simran asked with great concern. Gippy didn't answer instead she asked her, "Did Rajbir slap you?" Simran stared at her with wide eyes. She was shaking with fear. "Yes, he did.", she replied softly. "That son of bitch!", Gippy cursed and immediately apologized for the same.  

"How do you know?",Simran asked. "The news has been spreading like fire since morning that you had been slapped by him. They have been waiting outside for the statement. Your mom is in fire. If I let the media in, I am sure your mother would kill few of them in killing spree.", Gippy replied, adding a tint of humor to serious issue. Simran was devastated. She had wished everything would be okay next day. But it had spread like wildfire.

(To be continued)

The ShowOffs - Part 20

There was complete silence. Both of them looked at bustling street from the car window. They had no courage to melt the ego between them. The driver was getting bored. He switched on the radio. A light music played. "Switch off the radio", Simran said firmly to the driver. The driver was startled and quickly switched the radio off.

Rajbir was annoyed.  "Whose car is this?", he snapped at the driver. The petrified driver replied Rajbir's name. "Then don't turn the radio off.", Rajbir said. Simran rolled her eyes and asked the driver to stop. She was about to leave when he held her hand. "Where do you think you are going?", he growled at her.

She was frightened. But she kept her cool and said with pretentious smile, "This is your car and what's the use of me being here. I know you haven't called me to sit with you for any other reason except to sort things out between us. And it seems like nothing is happening." He stared at her with contempt. She had hit him deeply with her sarcasm.

He pulled her inside the car. She sat too close to him due to effect of his pull. "Why the hell did you do that? I speak to you with utmost manners and you respond back with abuses for a mistake I haven't done.", she argued. "I am not pretentious like you. If I feel something is wrong, then I say it on your face. I don't fall down  to increase my popularity like you or your mother.", he quarreled.

She slapped him in response to his statement. She couldn't take it longer. He felt the sting of the slap on his cheek. His cheeks had turned red. His anger boiled. He slapped her back. The driver looked at them with half humor and half concern. No one had ever slapped or abused his boss in the car. This was sensational.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She got out of the car while she messaged her driver to pick her up. She stood at the empty road , brooding over what had happened. No one had raised their hand over her except her mother. She was always unreachable to others. But today she felt vulnerable.

(To be continued) 

The ShowOffs - Part 19

Cold war broke between Rajbir and Simran. The chemistry between these actors was disappearing. This was alarming for RK. He had been drilling them to show more emotions to each other in the scenes. But nothing worked. The days were numbering. Money and time was simply being wasted. He had to do something fast before Sonia gets to know.

After few days, RK called them to his office. There was a silence in the room. No one spoke. Rajbir and Simran avoided each other's presence. They waited impatiently for RK to speak and get done with the reason he called them both. They wanted to get away as quickly as they could. Finally RK turned towards them. "I am not happy with you guys. What is cooking between you two? ", he asked firmly.

"Nothing !", Rajbir lied. Simran bent down, didn't speak or look at anyone. She was annoyed as well as guilty. She had thought a lot from past few days. She wanted to quit. She was ready to give the fee amount back to RK. But she couldn't do it because of her mother. Her mother's overbearing presence in her life had left her in tight conditions.

"Then why don't I see you both creating sparks on screen ? I heard from my sources that you both had huge fight. I don't care what happened between you. I want my film running.", RK said firmly. "I will give you one day to sort out this mess. If you fail to reconcile your differences, then I will find some better replacements in place of you.", he continued. Both the actors looked at him with distraught.

"But RK!", Simran cried. RK interrupted by motioning her to stop with his hand gesture. "You have only one day to prove your worth. I don't want any excuses.", he added.  They left him with just a nod. As soon as they left, he got busy with his thoughts. He had given them ultimatum. He didn't worry much about Rajbir. He worried about Sonia. If she got to know how he had treated her daughter, she would kill him. He hoped everything worked out between them.

Both the actors walked out of the office. They stood thinking about their next course of action. They had only today to reconcile their differences. They didn't speak to each other. Their egos handicapped their ability to say anything to each other. Their drivers arrived to pick them up. Rajbir motioned her to join him in his car. She obliged him and ordered her driver to go. When they sat inside his car, only their emotions spoke.


(To be continued)

The ShowOffs- Part 18

It was early morning shoot. Simran had barely three hours of sleep. She slept throughout journey from her house to the set. When she reached, she was handed several pages of dialogues. She rubbed her eyes to wake herself. Instead of heading to the makeup room, she walked towards Rajbir's room. She hadn't realized until she stood in front of his room. 

She had almost turned back when he opened the door. "Hey! Do you need something?", he asked. She stood there in silence. She wanted to say what she had to say. But words were stuck in her mind. "Nothing!", she replied as she turned back to walk. She stopped and again turned towards him. "Yes I do have something to say.", she said.

He stared at her, waiting for her to speak. "Well! Where do I start? I am sorry.", she began hurriedly. Her hands were shaking. Her cheeks had turned red. She felt immense guilt as she started with her apology speech. Rajbir was confused. He didn't understand what was going on. "I had no idea my mother was behind this paparazzi thing. I didn't know she had got to know that I was with you. I am sorry for my mother's terrible. I realize how you must be feeling. I can understand that you are worried how Rita would react. I am terrible sorry for all this.", she said. 

He took few minutes to react. He was numb. He didn't understand whether he should retaliate over her or her mother. It was not her mistake though. "So you say you didn't have any hand into this mess. How can I believe you?", he asked furiously. She was shocked by his false allegation on her. Here she was feeling guilty for her mother's blunder and decided to apologize. Instead of accepting her heartfelt apology, he was blaming her. 

"Do you think I can be capable of doing such a thing?", she argued. "Yes I do.", he replied instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes, she spoke one last time, "Then I can't do anything except that to stick to what I said - truth. I had no idea about this. If I had, I wouldn't be confronting you about it. It's up to you to believe or not believe me.", she said loud enough for everyone to stop their work and look at them.

She left him thinking about what she said. Her tears seemed real. He wondered whether there was any truth in what she said. He thought whether he reacted too quickly or whether he should have taken her word. His head hurt. He quit thinking and headed back to work.

(To be continued)

 

 

The ShowOffs - Part 17

Sonia tried to contact her daughter in vain. Though they stayed in the same house, her daughter was unavailable most times. When she was present at home, she made herself invisible to Sonia's eyes. She didn't want to see her mother. She was grieving in pain. Her wounds were not going to easily mend by her mother's sweet words like other times.

Her mother tried all the ways to reach her. She wasn't going to give up easily on her furious daughter. She sat at the corner of her living area , hoping to catching her. It was two am in the night. Her daughter had not arrived from the shoot. Sonia mentally made note to reprimand RK on extending the shooting time to late hours in the night. Her tired eyes was almost closed. Suddenly she heard the light footsteps sounds.

She stood up immediately and rushed towards her. Simran was busy engrossed in her thoughts. She had not noticed her mother. She moved back when she felt someone leaping in front of her. She was disappointed to be found by her mother. Her eyes were wide open in anger and surprise. "Mum! Why are you up so late?", she exclaimed. Her voice contained anger and disappointment.

Sonia held her daughter for long time. She felt alive again. She didn't want to leave her hand. "I had to stay up late to see my daughter. You have been avoiding me for so long. Please stop punishing me for mistake I haven't committed. I only did this for your own good.", she said with love pouring out of her heart. Her daughter dismissed her, "Mistake! It was a blunder. You didn't even ask me before going about with your thing. I am your daughter, for God's sake. Stop treating me like your weapon.".

Simran pushed herself away from her mother's grip. She was about to leave when her mother interrupted her, "I am sorry. From now on I will tell you my plans before executing them. But for now at least can you forgive me? You have punished me enough with your silence. I want my sweet daughter back.". Sonia accepted the defeat. But she usually accepts her defeat when the fight is against her daughter.

Her daughter smiled and hugged her. Her anger melted at last. She had forgiven her. Now she had to ask for forgiveness from Rajbir. She had no courage last few days to face him. She had ignored all his pleas to talk to her. Now she would talk to him and beg him for forgiveness.


(To be continued)

The ShowOffs - Part 16

RK sipped his hot tea as he read the news on the Page 3. He smiled reading the headlines. It was written in bold letters - Love birds caught in action. At least his movie was getting the needed limelight as he thought. Soon Sonia's demand came into his mind, ruining the little happiness he had got. 

In fury, he ate a spoon of hot oats. He screamed in pain , burning his tongue. He pushed the bowl aside and curled his fist. He couldn't enjoy the few seconds of happiness only because of Sonia. He wished he could end this chapter. But he had movie in process. He had invested large amount of money and efforts. He banged his fist on the table helplessly.

Rajbir tore newspaper and threw it in the garbage. His manager had happily stacked them on the table of his spacious vanity van when he was not there. He had contemplated on yesterday's event ever since the paparazzi had caught him red handed with Simran. He stayed away from all kinds of media. He had switched off his phone. He wanted to clear his mind. But nothing helped.

His mind replayed continuously the memories of yesterday. His heart feared of losing Rita. He worried what she felt when she saw the news. He worried that she would be distance herself from him and he would never get a chance to reconcile her. He closed his eyes. He tried to calm his mind. But he ended up scolding himself for thinking about thanking Simran. He should have not done anything.

Simran was still annoyed with her mother. She skipped her breakfast and gym session. She didn't want to see her mother's face. She directly headed towards the set. She was the first one to arrive. Unlike others who were either engrossed in their thoughts and news, she was occupied in rehearsing her lines.

Within few hours, her mother called on her phone. She didn't pick. After many rings, her phone got silent. She didn't speak to anyone. She had rehearsed her lines so many times that she could remember them in even in  her sleep. When the shot was called, she gave her lines effortlessly. Rajbir tried to speak to her during breaks. But she ignored like she always did in other movie shoots. She headed back home once the schedule for the day was completed.


(To be continued)