"Hi Swayam" Sharon grinned. Swayam stared at her, his brain slowly processing her words. He realised he was gawking at her and closed his open mouth. He smiled back "Hey Sharon."
"God I am really tired today" breathed Sharon "thanks to you" she said eyeing Swayam "we had to reshoot everything almost 5 times so that you could get your camera angles perfect. And Vijay he didn't even refuse!" Sharon finished in indignation. Swayam chuckled looking at her complain like a kid.
"Not my fault Sharon. I was just doing my job." He defended himself.
"Yeah, by making I and abhay enact the whole scene again and again and..." Sharon's voice trailed off.
As if Swayam had really enjoyed it. By some not so fortunate turn of events it was a romantic scene which he had to reshoot the maximum no. of times. It was a nightmare for Swayam. Seeing abahy so close to Sharon drove him crazy. All he wanted to do was pull him away from her, stuff him in a box and release it in the ocean. Swayam wasn't jealous. No, not at all.
"...what is there in those camera angles, I just don't understand."
Sharon's voice brought him back and he looked at her.
"There is everything in that Sharon. Perfect camera work is what expresses your emotions to the audience. It makes them feel what you feel. It creates the aura in the theater. It's the most basic yet the most important element of a film..."
Sharon looked at Swayam talking about his job. She saw a gleam in his eyes and passion in his voice and was I awe of him.
"You are very passionate regarding your work aren't you?" she asked.
"I am passionate about everything I love Sharon" he answered, looking deep into her eyes, his eyes conveying what he really meant through those words. Sharon was caught off guard with his reply. She stared at him with wide eyes takin gin what he just said. She gauged what he really meant and was surprised and at the same time overwhelmed. Did he really love her?
As seconds passed Swayam could see the blood rushing up to Sharon's cheeks. The colour deepened with every passing second and soon Sharon tilted her head down slightly, blushing, her bangs falling over her eyes. Swayam slowly tucked them behind her ears, his fingers brushing against her skin.
Sharon closed her eyes, feeling his finger against her soft skin. She felt breathless. What on earth was happening to her? Why was such a small action of Swayam affecting her so much? She had never felt like this, even in the most romantic scenes she did with Abhay. Had she unknowingly started loving Swayam back? Her rain snapped out of its reverie at this thought and Sharon stood up, Swayam following suit. They both looked at each other and then Sharon walked away, smiling to herself.
Swayam ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He was so messed up. Where were his feelings leading him? He moved back to sit on the chair and-
THUD!
Swayam fell hard on the floor. "Hell!" he sweared and looked u to see his best friend Ananya glare at him with a clipboard in one hand and the chair in another.
"you deserved it. Now get up." She said in a stern voice.
Swayam gulped and got up. Ananya was quite a free spirited and gutsy girl. She was hard to please when angry and add the fact that Assistant Directors usually are targeted, it was better for the world that Ananya remain calm. What had Swayam done now to earn that glare?
"when are you planning to confess to Sharon?" she asked.
"I don't know Ananya...i-OUCH!" Swayam cried as Ananya smacked him on the head. He rubbed with a small pout on his face.
"idiot! You think Sharon is going to wait till you propose her?! Do you think there is NOONE other than YOU in this whole world who wants to be with Sharon?!" she thundered and Swayam cowered in fear.
"listen if you don't tell Sharon, I swear I myself will set her up with someone else and NEVER talk to you again." Ananya turned on her heel and walked away leaving a dazed Swayam behind. Must have been a really bad day for her. Swayam ambled away, her words echoing in his ears.
------------
Sharon came out the vanity in her casuals and found Abhay standing there, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"hey Abhay" she smiled.
Abhay looked up and smiled back "Hi Sharon...I wanted to talk to you."
Sharon raised her eyebrows. What did he want to talk about.? She beckoned him to continue. Abhay looked around to check if anyone was there and on finding the area empty, he went down on his knees. Sharon stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and her heart beat increased, panicking her slightly. She didn't want to get struck in this situation. Her eyes remained glued to Abhay as he looked at her, his eyes soft.
"Sharon Rai Prakash, I love you more than anything in this world and I promise I will always keep you happy. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Shock would be an understatement for what Sharon was feeling. She couldn't be his girlfriend...Swayam..was all her brain could accommodate that second. She looked up and froze at the sight in front of her. Swayam was standing there behind the huge lights, his face blank. Sharon saw his clenched fists and cringed. Swayam looked at her one last time with an expression she couldn't decipher and stormed away towards the storeroom.
Sharon felt helpless at that instant. She looked down at Abhay and then at Swayam's retreating back. She had to decide.
"I am really sorry Abhay...I cant" Sharon said and ran towards the storeroom, leaving a confused Abhay behind. She entered the storeroom and found Swayam facing the wall. And all of a second she felt uncontrollable anger surge through her.
"Swayam Shekawat" she growled through gritted teeth. Swayam turned around shocked to see Sharon here. She looked really angry, but why? And then he remembered Abhay proposing her and his face fell. He knew it was his fault and that made him feel all the worse.
Sharon saw his sad face and felt all the more frustrated. Why was he sad? Why couldn't he just tell her and be done with it?! She grabbed his collar and shook him "Listen Swayam Shekawat, I am not some mind reader to understand each and every thing in your mind. I have tried to do in the past but this is the limit! You need to tell me Swayam. You need to tell me whats in your mind! I came here because I knew there was something wrong with you but I WILL GO if you don't tell me. And you know what I want you to tell me. I give you 10 seconds Swayam, tell me or else forget me forever." Sharon left his shirt with force and walked back.
10...9...8...
Swayam didn't know what was happening with her. Did Sharon just say all that? She wanted him to say that he loved her. He himself wanted to say. But something was stopping the words in his throat. He couldn't get the words out..
5..4..3..
Sharon's eyes moistened slightly. Swayam hadn't said anything yet. Means he didn't love her? Then those signals, those looks, those words...were they just false. It hurt Sharon to think like that. She had fallen love with him and now it seemed he hadn't loved her at all in the first place.
2...1...0
Sharon looked at Swayam with one look full of disbelief and turned to walk away. This was it. Everything had fallen. She reached the door when his voice stopped her, stopped her heart.
"I love you Sharon..."
Music Corner
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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