~Love Without Borders~ Note Pg. 30 (Aug 11th) - Page 4

^^ I've not seen it yet! 😆

Well then go watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

ha ha ha very funny! 😛 No...those get more priority, but I just didn't like the look of that movie at all! 😃

Part 4

"Why should I have to work on a Friday night? It's unfair. There are loads of other things I'd rather do!" Rushvi groans as she rings up another customer. "Have a nice night!" She calls after him, and then grumbles as she leans against the counter, totally bored.

"So Rushvi, anything interesting happening?" Her co-worker, Jai comes and leans on her counter from the opposite side.

"Does anything interesting EVER happen in the men's department?" Rushvi rolls her eyes.

"Hey! I'm offended--somehow." Jai laughs.

Rushvi looks up at him and raises an eyebrow. "You came for something?"

"It's really boring down in shoes, so I came to see you," Jai answers chirpily.

"Really?" Rushvi asks with a glint in her eyes. "You're not enjoying putting shoes on girls feet?"

Jai grins. "I typically would, except for the fact that today was some special unveiling of the stars of Twilight or something, and so most girls our age are there, to see some guy, Robert Patterson or something," Jai rolls his eyes. He glances at Rushvi's whose mouth is wide open. "Hey, something wrong?" Rushvi just keeps looking at him. "Rushvi--you're scaring me." Jai starts shaking her shoulder.

"First of all...his name's Robert Pattinson; and are you serious?!?! Why didn't I know about this?" Rushvi buries her head in her hands on the counter. "My life is horrible! When did you find out?"

Jai looks at her in a confused way. "Do you know who he is?"

Rushvi looks up at Jai and glares. "Yes I know who he is. This day went from good to bad to horrible!"

"I hate that I had anything to do with it," Jai says, patting her back.

"It's okay Jai." Rushvi says quickly. "You had nothing to do with it!" She smiles at him. "Uh-oh, Sandra's coming, go quickly!" She pushes him away quickly before her manager comes to check on her.

"How are you doing tonight Rushvi?"

"I'm doing fine Sandra, and you?"

"Perfectly content. Was that Jai from shoes with you just now?" Sandra asks, looking in the direction Jai scattered away in.

"Uh yeah," Rushvi nodded. "He ran out of bags, and so he came to get some extras from me," Rushvi smiles sweetly at her.

"Oh-okay," Sandra nods and proceeds to the next department.

"Whew!" Rushvi whispers to herself as Sandra walks away. "If Jai had been caught again for the fourth time this month, he'd be dead! Ah well good for me, since I saved him he owes me more favours!" Rushvi grins as she sees a customer approaching her counter.

In Mumbai

"I hope Nivi ma'am likes it!" Maya paces from her room to the living room and back. Right then her doorbell rings. "Iss waqt? Kaun ho sakhta hain?" She walks to the door and sees Alekh through the peep hole; she sighs and opens the door. "You?"

"Yeah, I figured you wanted another ride to the studio?" He offers.

"Why you don't have work today?" She asks, as she quickly pulls on her sweater.

Alekh shakes his head walking inside the apartment, "I've got a night shift today,"

"Okay," Maya comments picking up her tote bag.

"Could I quickly use your bathroom?" Alekh asks.

"You just came from your apartment next door, and you need to use my bathroom?" Maya asks.

"Maya! My contact's are acting funny, that's why." Alekh tells her.

Maya laughs. "Go ahead, the contact solutions in the cupboard,"

"Thanks," Alekh disappears into the bathroom.

Maya walks into her bedroom to put on her lucky necklace quickly when she hears a funny ringtone coming from the main room.

"Could you get that, it's my cell, might be important," Alekh calls out from inside the bathroom.

"Sure," Maya answers back. "Phone, phone, phone..." She quickly finds his jacket and takes out the phone. "HC?" She shakes her head and slides it open.

"Oi Quadi!" The husky voice answers on the other end.

"Umm this isn't Alekh." Maya answers.

"Oh--I'm sorry. Who's this?" the voice asks.

"This is Maya," She answers hesitatingly.

"Oh well I'm Harshad, one of Quadi's friend, or Alekh as you know him." Harshad says.

"Ah okay, well he's just a bit busy right now, can I take a message?" Maya asks.

"No, just get him to call me." Harshad says.

"Sure thing. Bye," Maya says, ending the call.

Alekh comes out of the bathroom and looks at Maya and raises his eyebrows.

"What?" Maya asks.

"Kaun tha?" Alekh laughs.

"Oh! Oh...It was your friend Harshad." Maya hands Alekh the phone. "Why does he call you quadi?"

Alekh laughs. "On our first show together, my name was Quadi, because I was a prisoner from jail, and so he calls me that."

"Oh." Maya answers, taking her bag and heading towards the door.

"Not interesting enough?" Alekh asks as he closes the door behind him.

"Not at all," Maya laughs, locking the door. "I was hoping it'd be something spicy!"

At the studio

"Are you going to be okay getting home yourself?" Alekh asks her as he drops her off.

"Yes-- I'll just take a taxi, don't worry about me." Maya smiles, shutting the door behind her.

Alekh zooms away while Maya goes inside and heads to Nivi's cabin and knocks. "Come in."

Maya opens the door and walks inside slowly. "Hi Nivi."

"Maya, nice to see you dear," She glances at her watch. "Right on time too,"

"Thanks Nivi, here's the new storyline, I've worked on," Maya hands her file folder to Nivi, who gestures for her to sit down.

"This is fantastic!" Nivi exclaims after closing the file 10 minutes later. "And you thought of all this last night?"

Maya nods timidly. "Yes ma'am."

"It's exhilarating! And so unique too!" Nivi holds out her hand for a handshake. "You're definitely here to stay,"

"Thank you so much! That really means a lot!" Maya grins at her.

"I'm going to make some copies of this, and send it to our cast members," Nivi tells her, standing up.

"Sure--" Maya says, ecstatic with happiness.

"Oh you can stay here, relax. I'll be back in a bit." Nivi says rushing out the door.

A little while later, Nivi returns with a stressed look on her face.

"Is something wrong Nivi ma'am?" Maya asks, standing up.

Nivi groans as she gestures for her to sit back down. "We're having an issue with one of our cast members." She rolls her eyes and sits down across Maya. "He wants to meet you. He's having trouble understanding the storyline,"

"Oh, I can meet with him," Maya says quickly.

"Okay well he's the star of our show." She rolls her eyes again. "He'll be downstairs on set. Do it as quick as you can Maya, so we can continue our filming."

"Yes ma'am." Maya gets up and walks out the door. "Oh no! Maine Nivi ma'am se unka naam bhi nahin poocha," She groans and slowly walks around the set, taking in the different people and while walking around she bumps into someone who steadies her. "Oh I'm sorry," she says quickly, looking up into the guy's chocolate brown eyes.

"Maya?" He asks.

Maya looks up at him in a confused way. "How do you know my name?"

"Guess," He crosses his arms. A small grin forming on his lips, showing off his subtle dimples that were hidden in his facial hair.

"Harshad? Harshad Chopra?" Maya asks. "Alekh's friend?"

He nods. "Nice to meet you. I recognized your voice,"

"Same here," Maya shakes his hand. "Oh and hey do you know who the star of the show is? I need to discuss the storyline with him."

"That's me." Harshad responds just looking at her.

"Oh? So you're the one who has an issue with my story idea?" Maya crosses her arms.

"Defensive much?" he glances down at her crossed arms. "I'm just saying the story sounds too new for Indian television."

"Oh really?" Maya asks. "If Nivi ma'am has already approved it, then are you really allowed to argue with it?"

"Yes in fact I am." Harshad replies his voice rising a bit. "You can't expect the audience to believe that after the girl he loves decides to marry someone else, the guy decides to go into something like depression!"

"I'm sorry, but not all men are male chauvinist pigs that believe that once you lose the girl, you go and find someone else." Maya retorts back, walking away. "If you've got a problem with it, seriously just talk to Nivi ma'am. I'm just trying to show that there are some men out there who do in fact value love," Maya walks towards the entrance, calling Alekh on the phone. "Hey, can you come get me?"

"Maya, I'm sorry, I'm stuck in a shoot." Alekh says with a guilty tone in his voice. "If you want, I can get my friend Harshad--"

"No," Maya interrupts him. "Don't even mention him. I'll find my own way home."

"Something wrong?" Alekh asks her.

"I'll tell you about it some other time, unless of course your dear Harshad will tell you all about it before me."

"So she's definitely upset," Alekh smiles to himself. "Wonder what the hell he did now," "I'm sorry Maya. But yeah we'll talk tonight."

"Bye," Maya grumbles as she flips shuts her phone. "What did he think of himself? Ugh!"

"Meri tareef ho rahi hain?" she hears a voice by her left ear and flips around. "Tum?"

"Hain main. Kitna ajeeb sawal hain na yeh,' tum', main main nahin honga to aur kaun honga?" Harshad laughs as Maya stands there confused by his words. "Okay--so that didn't work too well. What I really want to say is well, do you want a lift?"

Maya just glares at him. "That's what you came to say?"

Harshad sighs. "Fine, I came to say sorry baba." He holds his ears.

"You're accepting your mistake?" Maya asks.

Harshad nods. "Yeah--I'm sorry about that. I was taking out my anger about something else on you and your script. I do value love."

"That wasn't even the main argument," Maya smiles slowly.

"Oh? What was it?" Harshad asks, looking confused.

Maya shakes her head. "Never mind,"

"No," Harshad smiles. "Tell me about it while I drop you home,"

"No--I'll take a cab,"

"Don't be silly. Quadi would kill me if I didn't drop his new friend home." Harshad grins. "You wouldn't want me to die would you? You'd have to re-write the entire story then," Harshad threatens.

Maya bursts out laughing. "Okay,"

Harshad leads Maya towards his car, and Maya feels a bit of dj vu coming on, as she realizes she's getting in a car with someone she doesn't even know, and till about 30 minutes ago, hated her guts, and so she bursts out laughing.

"Something funny?" Harshad asks as he gets in.

Maya slides into the seat next to him and shakes her head. "Was remembering something from yesterday,"

"Care to share?" Harshad laughs. "Wow--I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. There I go again!"

Maya starts laughing hysterically. "Wow, you're really...something."

"Hey--at least I made you laugh--other people--never mind," Harshad stops smiling and trails off as he turns the key in the ignition.

"Other people?" Maya prods.

"I'll tell you about it some other time. So you tell me, what was funny?"

Maya sighs. "Yesterday when Alekh offered to drop me off, I was being paranoid, that I'm getting into a car with someone I don't know, and then right now I just did the same thing again,"

"Oh you're being paranoid with me too?" Harshad glances over during the traffic light. "Don't worry; I'd have to cover my tracks too well with you, since Quadi knows you too,"

"That's reassuring!" Maya laughs.

"I know right?" Harshad laughs as he drives off towards the apartment building.

"You know where I live?" Maya asks, confused.

"Uh--yeah, me and Quadi, best friends, remember?" Harshad reminds her with a funny look on his face.

"Right," Maya nods. "I forgot, sorry,"

A little while later they get to the apartment building and Maya expects him to just drop her and go,

"So I'll be up in a bit." Harshad says as he drops her off.

"Oh you're coming up?" Maya asks.

"When someone drops you home, don't you offer some hospitality?" Harshad asks. "I'm in shock. You're not a true Indian girl."

"Oh stop it! Fine, I'll see you upstairs." Maya rolls her eyes and shuts the door.

*ding dong*

"Damn!" Maya mutters under her breath. "How'd he find the right one?" She goes and opens the door. "Hi."

"Hi," Harshad smiles and walks past her inside, leaving her surprised.

"You could've asked, before self-inviting yourself," she walks into the kitchen.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm making coffee, while you're ignoring my statement." Maya retorts.

"Sheesh! Why is there so much noise in here?" Alekh walks in with his hands covering his ears. "Harshad? Tu yahaan par?"

"I dropped her home," He shrugs.

"Good no more taxi duty for me," Alekh winks at Harshad.

"Wait a minute! What does that mean? I'm not going every day with HIM!" Maya glares at Harshad.

"You do realize how easy it would make life for your new neighbour?" Alekh points out.

Maya groans. "But you heard us outside; we don't get along at all,"

Alekh puts his hands on Maya's shoulders and leads her outside to the balcony, leaving Harshad to make the coffee.

"Give him a chance Maya. He's going through some personal issues right now, and so he's put up a hard exterior around himself. It'll break away, just wait and watch," He smiles down at her.

Maya sighs. "Fine,"

"Awesome," Alekh walks back inside with her. "So it's settled, I'll drop her in the mornings, but you're gonna drop her. Okay?" He looks at Harshad who shrugs. "Fine with me."

"Great. Mujhe aapni lines rehearse karni hain, I'll see you both later?" Alekh asks.

"Sure," Maya says.

"Actually I was going to leave," Harshad says, walking towards the door, handing Maya a mug of coffee.

"Thanks," She calls out.

He turns back. "For what?"

She holds up the coffee mug. "For this, and the lift,"

"No problem," Harshad smiles and walks out the door while Maya takes a sip of the coffee.

"Oh--I should've warned you. Harshad makes a really strong cup of coffee!" Alekh winces.

Maya's eyes widen. "This is perfect! It's exactly what I drink,"

"Okay then," Alekh narrows his eyes at her. "Both my friends are now insane,"

Maya laughs and shoos him back to his own apartment, and lounges down on her couch, thinking about the crazy day she just went through. There was something about Harshad, an intriguing quality of some sort. But there was also some secret that Alekh had mentioned, but Maya knew, that with time they'd both grow to be friends--and maybe something more. She shook her head with that thought, and went to her laptop to start the new story tracks.

That's it for this part, super long, and centered on Maya, but don't worry the next part will have majority of Rushvi! 😃 Please do let me know if you liked it!

Love you all,

Meera and Rushvi😳

meow!

^^ Aww thank you Rinkz! 😃 Will comment back detailed in a bit! 😳

I know na? 😛 I'm a horrible person! 😆