P A R T . 1
"Kaka subah subah no aloo parathas please" Shilpa shouts towards the kitchen as she finds the familiar smell permeating the air once again.
She grabs two nutri-grain bars.
"Good morning Shilpa" Rahul says as he rushes down the stairs buttoning his white polo shirt.
"Hey bro!"
She throws a nutri-grain bar towards him.
"Yeh kya?" Rahul asks as he manages to catch it.
"Breakfast!"
"You have a fashion show today don't you?" Rahul asks as he is munching away at his bar.
"Yeah I do. You're coming right?"
"Uhh.. will try.."
"Bro!!!! You promised though!!!"
"Haan I know meri maa, par last minute main shoot aagaya"
"Ughh Rahul!!"
"Gaaliyon ki session baad main! I gotta rush now, warna wahan Reemz shuru hojayegi"
"Haha.. it's good bro, at least she can keep you in line. Otherwise you would have been one spoiled brat! Tell her hi from me" Shilpa shouts after him as he rushes to his car.
As Shilpa walks into her room she hears the muffles ringing of her cell, fishing it out from under the blankets she answers it.
"Hello"
"Hi.. Shilpa ji?"
"Yes, speaking"
"Mam, Mr.Rai asked me to inform you that you will be doing a photo shoot next week in Mauritius."
"What? Next week? But I'm gonna be busy. Is Rai there?"
"Yes mam, just a minute."
"Yes Shilpa" Mr.Rai says.
"What is this Mr. Rai? You know I have a wedding to plan. I can't be flying around!"
"I know I know Shilpa. But trust me this is an opportunity of a lifetime. It's hard to get photo shoots with this photographer."
"But.."
"Listen Shilpa, I'm sure you can find some way to manage the wedding details, but this shoot is important."
"Oh alright." Shilpa sighs.
"Good. SO drop by the office pronto to discuss this."
"Tomorrow"
"Can't it be today?"
"No. It can't. Cause I have some other work to to. See you tomorrow."
Slightly irked, Shilpa goes to take a shower and get ready for her meeting with Muskaan.
.........................
"I'm here .. I'm here.. I'm here" Rahul says rushing onto the sets.
The director greets Rahul with a slightly amused look seeing Rahul's disheveled form.
Rushing into his van, Rahul quickly get into his Rohan attire.
As both the actors are out and ready, the director begins his briefing for the day.
"You just have to shoot the last few scenes today, and then you both are free for today."
.........................
Getting back to his roo, Armaan grabs the wire for the computer to camera connection.
As the photos upload onto the laptop, he grabs himself a can of diet coke fom the mini fridge.
"Gahh.. what a day! and it just began" Armaan says slumping into the plush arm-chair placing the laptop on his lap.
As Armaan goes through the photos selecting the best few, his mobile buzzes.
"Hello! Armaan here."
"Hey Armaan, we need you to go to Mauritius next week for a photoshoot."
"What? I thought next week I was in Goa for Elle fashions?"
"Change of plans, the Rai fashion house specifically requested for you, and they even paid a huge amount to make sure of it."
"Haha alright. I'll be heading there once I'm through here!"
"Great, and be sure to send me the photographs of the shoot in Mumbai soon."
"Aye Aye captain. I'm just working on that."
Placing the cell on the chair, Armaan gets up and walks towards the window.
"Mauritius huh.. this ought to be fun."
.........................
Muskaan walks into O'Calcutta.
"Yes maam. You have a reservation?"
"Umm.. not sure. You can check under the name Shilpa."
"Oh yes, Muskaan and Shilpa?"
"Yes."
"Right this way mam" the waiter says guiding her inside.
As Muskaan takes a seat and looks around she is greeted by a chirpy voice.
Turning around Muskaan sees a petite woman, slightly shorter than herself, clad in faded jeans and a purple tee.
"Hey I'm Shilpa. You're Muskaan right?" Shilpa asks as she extends her hand forward.
"Hey! nice to meet you."
"Same here. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
"No no. I just have a habit of getting to places early. Waise you're here early too." Muskaan smiles.
"I guess we found similarities already!"
Placing their orders, both the ladies get to bussiness.
"SO what kinf of a wedding do you want?"
"Typical traditional.. I guess."
"Pardon my intrusion, but you don't really seem excited about getting married."
"To tell you the truth, I don't really beleive in love and getting marrie and saath pheres and all that. But you know the usual parental pressure.. acha ladka.. kab tak kunwari rahogi and all that jazz. So socha I'll just get it over with." Shilpa chuckles. "And waise, Rishi is a good guy, nice job and my parents love him.. what more can I want?"
Muskaan laughs listening to Shilpa talking about love.
"You believe in it?" Shilpa asks.
"What? Love?" Muskaan sighs. "I used to.. when I was younger and more into all such airy talks. But as I matured, and me some people.. I realized that there is no such thing as love. It's all about money and people's selfish reasons for their success." Muskaan finishes off with a scowl on her face.
"Looks like you've had a rough experience" Shilpa says judging by the look on Muskaan's face.
"Yeah.. but let's get back to your wedding."
Muskaan quickly changes the topic not wanting to delve into her not so pleasant past.
"Haan so, I want a typical traditional wedding. Here in Mumbai. Not too big, just close family members and a handful of friends."
"Alright, I'll check out some places and we can check out the.."
"Oh..about that. I won't be in town this coming week. Actually a sudden photo shoot cropped up. But you go ahead, I will most likely get my brother to go with you."
"Ok cool."
"Will call you by tonight most likely and confirm on that."
"I love this restaurant! The food is delicious and the ambiance is serene." Shilpa says smelling the aromatic food that the waited just place on their table.
"It's pretty good.." Muskaan says, pushing away the warm memories that are associated with O'Calcutta.
"Related to your past again I'm guessing?" Shilpa asks knowingly.
"Bingo!"
"We can go some other place if you wish to.."
"No, I can't live my whole life running away. Right?" Muskaan laughs.
"Haha true. Show the guy that you don't need him!"
"Cheers to that!" Muskaan says raising her glass.
Finishing up their lunch both head their own way feeling like they have made a new friend today. They felt like they connected instantaneously.
.........................
Finishing up their shoot, Rahul and Reema walk towards their vans to get changed up.
"Reemz, you wanna come to the fashion show?"
"Whose?"
"Arey mujhe kya pata?"
"Wah wah. You're going and have no clue about it."
"Reemz you know I just go for Shilpa. I don't have any interest in such things."
"Wohi toh problem hai Mr.Grewal. You don't have an interest in anything other than work." Reema laughs.
"Ya ya whatever. So you'll come with?"
"Sure. Been long since I've met Shilpa. She's getting married soon isn't she?"
"Yeah. She went to meet a wedding planner today."
"So is it a love marriage? Like yo.."
Rahul cuts her off "No. An arranged one. You know there's no such thing as love.. it's all BS. People just break your heart.."
"Rahul.."
"Can we please not talk about this?"
"Yeah sure..."
.........................
Finishing up his work, Armaan heads to the beach.
He loved to sit back on the rocks with his camera and click away. He beleived that the world had many natural beauties and he wanted to capture all that he could, so that more people come to know about the beauty of nature instead of being lost in commercial life.
As he watches a mother building a sandcastle with her son, hi cell buzzes.
"Hey"
"Hey Armaan..free ho? Wanna go to the club?"
"Break up again?" Armaan chuckles.
"Oye hasso mat!"
"Kya karu Harsh? You have a new girl every week, and a broken heart every week. Comical nahi hoga toh aur kya?"
"Ohoho aise baat mat kar, you have a new girl like every two days."
"Ya but I don't fall in love with them and become a Devdas in their pyaar you idiot."
"That's cause you don't believe in love."
"Who says? Of course I believe in love." Armaan smiles.
"Toh phir?"
"When I find her you will know!"
......................
There's Part 1.
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