TO ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS ON JJKN FORUM:
I was wondering what to gift you guys this holiday season, and since I am no good at morphing pics or uploading videos, I decided to exercise the only skill that I CAN use here: my writing, which you guys have appreciated so much. So here is a fanfiction that I hope you will like.
STATUTORY WARNING: This fanfic is NOT intended to hurt anyone's sentiments or to spark off a speculation. This is purely a piece of wishful thinking, visualizing what MIGHT have happened had there been no Shilpa, no Karan, and no Tarun Katiyal! I have NOT written this to poke fun at any of these people, but simply to put down a few of my fantasies on paper.
So……for all my didis, my kiddos, my Bengali bombshells, my soul sisters and my new friends, for those whom I am friends with and for those whom I have not had an opportunity to be friends with, and for my mods and viewbies……here is a little something for Chritmas:
🤗
December 31st, 2005: The last day of telecast of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. After more than two glorious years, the show had at last reached its finale. The last episode was meant to be a two-hour one, taking viewers down memory lane with old scenes and characters. And, as the midnight hour struck, sweeping away the old year, Jassi and Armaan would walk the Gulmohur ramp for the last time together, bidding goodbye to their devoted viewers.
But right now it was still December 28th, and it was the last day of shooting. For Mona, who had lived in Jassi's skin for the last 28 months, the morning seemed normal enough. It was only when she rubbed her eyes and thought, as she was wont to do, about the day ahead, that she remembered with a heart-stopping pang that it would be her last day on the sets.
A sad smile stretched across her face. She had known for a long time that this day was coming. Yet, when it had finally arrived, it seemed unbelievable that after today, there would be no JJKN, no Gulmohur, no Jassi, no Nandu…..and no Armaan.
Armaan….a blush spread across her face as she thought of him. Somehow she still thought of Apoorva as her Armaan sir first, before hurriedly correcting herself. Whenever she addressed him as that, it annoyed him, especially the "sir" part which he complained made him feel like a 60-year old man. But when she burst into laughter at this and couldn't stop for the next 10 minutes, it would be pretty difficult for him to keep a straight face himself, and most of these interludes would end with him joining her in their famous "dirty giggles".
Now all that would be over. Never again would they act together as Armaan and Jassi. Never again could she mask her feelings for him in the guise of good acting. Never again would he touch her furtively, naughtily, knowing that he could get away with a lot as Armaan. She wondered how he felt for her. In fact, this was something she had pondered about countless times, always failing to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. There was no doubt he looked it, and her heart told her too, that he felt the same way for her. But but but……why wasn't he telling her anything? She smiled as the inevitable answer came to her: he was Mr.Introvert, who could express a lot non-verbally but got all tongue-tied once the camera switched off. "Buddhu!" she thought, and hugged her knees. Never mind, someday he would surely gather up the courage to say what she was waiting to hear. After all, they would still be talking over the phone, meeting at friend's places and, since they no longer needed to preserve the mystique surrounding JandA, they could mix freely at parties and jam together. But no….she discounted the last possibility. He hated parties, so her chances of running into him there were slim. And talking on the phone was just not the same as meeting everyday on the sets. If only….
She sighed and threw off the bed covers. This was no time to harbour romantic hopes. The JJKN crew would be arriving here any moment now, to shoot the some scenes at her place. She needed to make herself presentable before they arrived.
The morning passed in rather a haze. The crew members arrived, as did Gaurav, and they canned a few scenes of her with her reel and real family, having breakfast together. After that, she and Gaurav (whom she persisted in calling Nandu) rushed off to the sets for the last time.
Everyone was there, waiting to share their last day together: Maninee, Rajesh (Maddy), Salil (Jaggy B), Parmeet, Vinay…..even Rakshanda, who had left the serial a few weeks earlier as JandA's wedding had left Mallika with nothing to do, had turned up to be with her friends on their last day…..the Gulmohur gang, the Walias, the Suris, and of course Tony and Diya. Everyone that is, except Apu. As Mona hugged Rakshanda, her eyes scanned the set for Apu. He was nowhere to be seen. She felt slightly apprehensive. Apu was never late….in fact, he was notorious for arriving 15 minutes early, earning him the wrath of his costars who complained that now TnD expected everyone to arrive before time. She wanted to ask Parmeet, but he was busy talking to Vinay. She shivered a little, hoping away was all right.
But there was no time to think further, because the director was asking her to get ready for the shoot. As per the script, she would first come dressed as the original Jassi, taking the viewers through her journey on Gulmohur down the years. Then she would change into her post-makeover look, giving the editing team a chance to insert the Jessica Bedi clips in between. And finally, Jassi and Armaan would hold hands and walk the ramp together, giving the viewers a happy ending to remember. In fact, there was a surprise in store: at the end, Jassi would announce that she was pregnant. Mona had looked forward to enacting all that, but Apu was spoiling it all. Why hadn't he turned up yet? Didn't he realise they were losing out on precious moments together?
She was seething as she rushed to her make up room. She sighed as she got into the chasmish Jassi getup, realizing that the show had given her a lot, lot more than she could put into words. Just as she came out for the shoot, there was a subdued murmur, and she knew immediately that Apu had arrived.
So Mr. Late Lateef had finally turned up! Well, since he apparently didn't feel anything special about this being their last day, she would ignore him too! So she coolly avoided his eye, preparing for her shot, executing it with her usual perfectionism. Once it was canned, she went towards where he was standing with Rakshu, and started talking to the latter as if Apu didn't exist. It was he who held out his hand, "Kya baat hai Jazberry….aaj 'hi' bhi nahin?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Late kyun aaye?" She hadn't taken his hand, but he grabbed hers defiantly and shook it up and down.
"Traffic." He didn't seem the least apologetic. It was Rakshu who intervened, "Stop it guys….aaj hamara last day hai….jhagda kyun kar rahe ho?"
Apu was now grinning at her knowingly, and she, unable to resist his charm as usual, threw back her head and laughed; Apu and Rakshanda joined in heartily, and there was peace again.
The rest of the shooting went by normally enough; so normally that, Mona almost forgot for a while that this was no ordinary day. It was only when she stood in Armaan sir's cabin, where she and Apu were to shoot their second-last scene, that it hit her with its full impact. It seemed as if someone had struck a heavy blow to her heart, deflating it. Was it really the last day with her Armaan sir? Would they actually go home tonight, still without having confessed their feelings to each other?
She looked at the bouquet on the table, which was supposed to be Armaan's last gift to Jassi on this show. Even the flowers seemed expectant. Apu entered for the scene. They were supposed to go down memory lane, reliving their journey, together, as JandA: their first meeting in Gulmohur; the innumerable times Armaan saved her from Mallika's wrath; his false declaration of love; Jassi's almost-engagement to Purab and Armaan's growing realization of his feelings for her; the awesome jealousy days; the makeover and Jessica Bedi scenes; the beautiful interlude in Amritsar; their much-awaited wedding on 5 August, 2005; the honeymoon in Goa and the post-marriage scenes…. (Mona blushed remembering the intimate scenes that they had shot, where Armaan always seemed a little too realistically passionate!) ….all that would be recaptured today.
For one wild moment, she wondered if she should tell Apu, then and there, about her feelings for him. Then she pulled herself back to the scene and sternly told herself that they had a job to do.
The scene was shot smoothly, in one take, with no hitches, except that Mona got a little teary-eyed while reminiscing about the Amritsar days and Apu held her shoulders in affectionate sympathy. Apart from that, it was perfectly executed, and when the director finally yelled "Cut!", she thought that it was probably her best scene in the whole show.
Apu was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She wondered what he was feeling; maybe he, too, was choked with emotion and unable to speak. Without taking his gaze off her, he held out his hand. She stared at him. This was not part of the script. And there seemed to be something new, something charged on the set too….like an air of suspended expectation.
Without knowing, she had held out her hand in response, and Apu was holding it firmly in his. It was clammy, though, and she could tell he was nervous. So was she. Why were the others not coming up, congratulating them on a scene well shot? Why was the director not instructing them to get ready for the next scene? She had the feeling that everyone was around here, somewhere, in a blur, but they were all waiting for something to happen…what?
Then Apu went down on his knees. He fumbled in his pocket and produced a ring, which he held out with his other hand.
"Jazberry….will you marry me?"
He had slipped up. He had called her Jazberry instead of Jassi. They would need a retake. No, wait a minute…..what was she thinking? She must be crazy. This was no scene…..this was real. But it was too good to be true. It couldn't be true. Apu couldn't have asked her to marry him. She was dreaming.
Then she looked down at his tense, almost frantic expression, and knew that it was a dream….but a dream that had come true.
Slowly, wonderingly, she opened her lips.
"Yes…I will!"
There was a burst of applause from all corners of the set. Rakshanda rushed upon them both like a whirlwind, hugging them tight. Parmeet patted them on the backs. Vinay was beaming. Veeru (Billu) ran his hand lovingly over her head. Gaurav gave a war-hoop. Everyone seemed to be part of the rose-haze of her joy….their joy.
"…..and they lived happily ever after" echoed in her mind.
But this was showbiz, and the show had to go on. Even the realization of their fondest hopes wasn't going to come in the way of their work. The last scene was still to be shot. Reluctantly, they released their hands and rushed off to change.
When Mona emerged, a while later, radiant in a pink saree with a halter-neck blouse, her straight hair loose over her shoulders, she caught Apu staring raptly at her, and blushed. It was pretty difficult for her too, to resist temptation: he looked positively edible in his cream shirt and black suit, with that ardent look in his eyes.
They stood on the ramp, and as per the script, Amraan kissed Jassi's hand. But the smouldering look that made her heart go all queer was not part of the script. As they walked down, her heart thudding, Mona realized that she was also walking down a path that would lead to a new journey of fulfillment….of wonder and rapture and passion, and of growing together in laughter and harmony. Surely, tonight she was the happiest person on this planet!
But she was wrong.
The happiest person, at this moment, was the Sony COO who had just received a call from Deeya Singh, informing him about the development on the sets. He smiled broadly as he put the phone down. This was better than any reality show. This was just what they needed to beat their rival's TRPs. JJKN, once again, had proved to be Sony's golden goose. He could see their new promotional tagline: Sony—dilon ko jodtaa hai!
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