Lattie returns+D3 five years leap [Conclusive FF] - Page 2

"No NO NOOO!!!"

A familiar scream jolted the green room. "Your walk is all wrong! Who hired you anyway? Get out of here, just GET OUT!"

"Oh no," Simi squirmed as she scurried across the room, and held back the fuming model who had just been insulted, to stop her from leaving. "Sharon, please...relax...here...look at me...breath in, breath out..."

"Shutup Simi," Sharon hissed. "I have no time for your silly suggestions, okay! This is my show...Sharon Rai Prakash's show! I want everything to be PERFECT...and these...these freakin' models...amateurs...ALL of them!"

Simi looked aghast. "They are the country's best lot, Sharon...they are Maybelline's premium selection. Calm down...please..." she pleaded.

"Listen Simi," Sharon's eyes narrowed. "Agar tum bhi mere saath cooperate nahi kar sakti na, then why -"

"What...?" For the first time, Simi looked hurt. "Main...? Main cooperate nahi kar sakti...? Fine..." she threw up her hands in tired resignation, and started to leave.

"Hi guys!" A sunshine voice was heard just then. "What's up...missed me?"

"Rinni!" Simi screamed in both surprise and relief, and ran to hug her. "I had missed you so much!"

"Aww, I missed you too Sims," Rinni gushed innocently, warmly waving at Sharon as well while she hugged Simi.

"Hey...hi Rinni," Sharon greeted politely as she approached them, clearly uncomfortable with the brutal gravity of the last few minutes.

"Hi Sharon!!!" Rinni chirped as she was about to hug her, but Sharon held out her palm infront.

"Abhi nahi. Evening me milte hain," Sharon addressed formally.

Rinni looked confused for a minute, but she was steered away in time by a deeply wounded Simi.

"Grand...grand stuff dude!" Nil quipped as another tray of fresh Hors d'oeuvres passed by. He closed his eyes to the gorgeous aroma of freshly baked pig-in-blankets. So far, the Maybelline party looked fantastic...but definitely smelled even better!

"Understatement," Vicky corrected him wisely.

"Huh...what?"

Vicky scowled at a distracted Nilesh, now dreamily eyeing a girl in blue wearing sharp eye make-up. "Dude! Tujhe chicken chahiye ya chics? Pehle hi clear kar de."

"I don't know," Nil was genuinely confused. "Tujhe kya chahiye?"

Vicky grinned wide. "Mujhe toh dono chahiye...chicken and chics - "

"BABU!!!"

Vicky nearly collapsed. "K...K..Kagu...Tum...tum kab aayi Kagu..." he tried to smile sheepishly.

"Five minutes pehle...but Babu not happy Neha come to party na," Neha bawled animatedly. "Theek hai! Babu see chics? Neha also see dusre men!" And saying this, she stomped off grandly, flashing a huge smile at the nearest cute looking guest.

"Nahi...Kagu, WAIT!" Vicky trailed along desperately, leaving a hungry Nil even more thwarted.

Rey and Kriya could not help but laugh at the different shades of "agonies" they had just witnessed.

"Kuch bhi nahi badlna, nahi?" Rey smiled adoringly at Kriya. "Neither our friends...aur naa hi hum."

Kriya blushed, her smile ranging from tender to naughty. "Aap nahi Rey... But look at me, I have changed...dekho, I look so much hotter now!" She laughed, flashing her short olive evening dress.

Rey's smile also turned naughty at this. "Naah," he refused playfully. "You haven't changed a bit...Pretty much the same as you were. Tum abhi bhi - "

"Oh hello, excuse me," Kriya raised promptly. "Kya matlab hai aapka? You think I still look the same...jhalli ki jhalli? Reyaansh Singhania I'll kill you! Kya keh rahe the aap? Main abhi bhi -"

"See what I mean," Rey laughed aloud, winking at her playfully. "You are still my "Baatcutter"! And... You are still hot...always were..."

Caught off-guard, Kriya's face grew a shade close to royal crimson. It may have first started with indignation, but now she was suddenly embarrassed.

"I hate you Rey," she whispered shyly, her gaze fixed on her toes showing through the new Jimmy Choo shimmer sandals.

That was cue enough for him, and he scooped her up in a warm embrace. "But I love you madam...wahi toh problem hai," he grinned dotingly.

Kriya just held on for a long time, her eyes closed. "Swayam," she suddenly spoke.

"Correction...it's Rey" he mentioned, still holding her; while an international client greeted him from distance to which he responded with a polite wave.

"Swayam nahi aya abhi tak," Kriya looked at Rey in concern. "The show is about to begin."

"He'll make it, just in time," Rey whispered gently stroking her hair to calm her down. "Trust me."

Kriya looked up once again from his embrace, lost in Rey's gaze. "I do...I do trust you...you know -"

"Bhai!"

Kriya quickly pulled away from Rey's arms, and started pushing her hair behind her ears, much to Rey's amusement. This was something she did often when she was flustered.

"Haan bol Manan, what's up?"

"No I was just wondering-" He started to ask, but noticed Kriya instead. "Arey, what's with our KG? What's with the blush?" He teased.

"Nahi nahi...kuch nahi...aise hi," she lingered awkwardly, fidgeting with her watch. "See you in a while guys," and she abruptly scurried away with an excuse to find Neha and Vishakha.

"Lucky you, bhai," Manan smiled warmly at Rey. "KG's a great girl."

"Tell me about it," Rey gave him a brotherly fistpunch. "By the way, you were asking...?"

"Haan...wo Swayam nahi aya abhi tak," Manan notified. "I was wondering...if he...you know how it is...like... is he dropping this event? Aapko pata hai na, this is Shar's show...so perhaps..."

"Hmm...you maybe right Minks," Rey deliberated for a moment. "But then, let's not forget, yeh sirf Sharon ka show nahi...Lattie ka bhi isme kuch contribution hai...Swayam's invite is from her side. Speaking of which...there SHE is!"

Manan immediately turned expectantly towards the entrance of the large auditorium, trying to trace Lattie between the score of audience and reporters who were being guided in.

"Kya bhai, that's not Latika," Manan looked dejected. "She's taller."

"Really...? I see," Rey loudly cleared his throat, mischievously playing with Manan's sudden discomfit. "Tujhe Lattie ki height bhi pata hai...? That's impressive..."

"Shutup Bhai," Manan mumbled uncomfortably, and quickly left, as Rey looked after him with an interested smile. Hmmm...What's cooking...?'

***

The show was a whopping success. The audience was cheering, the clients and sponsors were ecstatic, the models were now finally relieved, and the coordinators had begun celebrating. But Sharon felt nothing.

Right now, walking on the ramp along with the show-stopper, she experienced supreme mental chaos, one on one. Her name was called out, and she mechanically smiled at the audience. But this smile couldn't have been more hollow.

Logically, she knew everything. She knew she should not have said those things to Simi... She knew she should not have acted so scruff with Rinni... She knew she should not have severed ties with Rey and the rest of her friends...that had been killing her within.

And she knew what she had done with Swayam was so baseless and offensive, it was a crime!

And God knew she missed him...yearned for his touch, his presence once again. But no...I would never!' she deemed, as she walked back with the showstopper and waved one last time at the public.

If I love Swayam...he loves me too, right! Doesn't HE miss ME? Agar wo mujhse baat nahi kar sakta, toh fir main kyun...?'

"She sure is talented no," Kriya beamed at Rey, as they sat in the VIP bracket of the audience, clapping with pride. "The designs are superb."

Rey nodded wistfully, happy for his best friend's success, and yet worried for the mess she had created in her life because of her own edgy temperament. "She was always talented, Baatcutter. But Sharon kab badi hogi, that's the whole point."

He looked from the corner of his eyes to see Swayam clapping solemnly from the VIP aisle across, his glance glued to the floor.

Kriya noticed the same, and then saw Rey's apprehension for Swayam. She softly slid her fingers in his palm, and squeezed it in assurance. "Sab theek ho jayega Rey...you'll see. Universe ji hai na."

Rey had to smile.

"So ma'am what inspired your designs?" An elfin looking prime-channel reporter asked Sharon, while Simi spoke to a magazine. It had been an hour of interviewing, but the journalists still seemed to have so much to ask!

"Well, as I said, my designs are based on the 2 elements, fire and water..." Sharon went on, explaining in detail, while the reporters busily made notes and recordings.

"Ms. Rai Prakash," a sophisticated looking senior newspaper reporter asked. "The backdrop of your theme...that large wild painting. It's very interesting. What's the story behind that?"

"Well yes, we chanced upon it last minute," Sharon began. "It was selected by Maybelline's creative head, who notified me of the purchase. This was the only artwork I had liked for my show, out of all the trash they had shown me. I am not sure of the artist though - "

"It's mine," an energetic voice cut her in between.

Sharon's eyes narrowed with indignation at the interruption. But the media suddenly got excited. "Hey it's Latika Rathod, the artist!" someone declared.

"And look," another reporter announced. "There's the Shekhawat Aviation scion, Swayam Shekhawat!"

Latika waved at everyone, smiling with charm at the reporters, holding Swayam by his arm.

"I am not up for this right now Lats," Swayam whispered wearily in Latika's ears. "Page 3 media is ugghh dude."

"Shutup and follow my lead Swammy," Latika whispered back excitedly, her eyes twinkling at the sight of a visibly uneasy Sharon. "Kuch mat kar, bas khade reh mere saath!"

Sharon was speechless. Part of her suddenly ecstatic. Lattie's back...? O My God! How...when...!' And that's when it struck her.

'Lattie is...with...with SWAYAM! This isn't happening...NO this IS NOT happening!'