A/N - This story is going to be in the past -- eight months earlier -- for a few chapters before we move to the present. I posted this just to avoid any confusion. Happy reading!
For those, who are unfamiliar with Mahabharat, I will be posting a few facts about how the epic went, whenever I post any scenes from the Dwapar Yug. So, for the last chapter - the first scene of the audition was supposed to be Draupadi's birth scene and the second, the cheer haran sequence.
Fact: Draupadi, the princess of Panchal, was a fire-born princess. She had been born along with a twin, Drishtadhyumna as a result of King Drupad's want for a son who would avenge his insult. The insult being, his childhood friend Guru Drona's disciples, the Pandavas, defeating him in a war. This war was waged because Drupad had refused to give Drona half his kingdom, which he had promised to, during their days in the Gurukul (school).
An insult made in the past, resulted in another insult which was born out of revenge and resulted in the want for revenge, yet again!
Fact: Draupadi was married to the five Pandavas. The eldest, Yudishtir gambled her and everything he owned away in the game of dice against his evil cousin brother Duryodhan. When Draupadi refused to accept herself as a daasi (maidservant), she was dragged into the court by her hair and humiliated in front of the whole courtoom. Here, she put up an excellent argument and questioned the right of her husband to call her something he owned' but in vain as alas, Duryodhan, under the influence of his insecure friend, Karna, ordered her to be disrobed. Then, she prayed to her lord and best friend, Sri Krishna, who saved her dignity by increasing the length of her sari infinitely.
A divided woman, a humiliated woman, a deceived woman and that woman emerged the strongest of them all!
Chapter 2 - Love to Hate You.
Diya took the black and gold pen that was lying on the table, hesitantly and then looked up into those challenging, hazel eyes, the ones which reflected and housed arrogance. Three years ago, she had thought that look to be absolutely wonderful, only, then it would be directed to someone else, anyone at all, and now, that arrogance seemed to be aimed solely at her, for some unknown reason. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart when she witnessed that anger, but soon she pushed it aside and gave a nonchalant shrug as her own ego did not let her budge and a brief memory of the past days flashed before her eyes. The memory brought along with it, a new sense of confidence, which filled her heart instantly and her eyes mirrored what she felt as she signed her name in perfect cursive scrawl, just above the blank line meant for her signature, amidst a huge round of applause.
Diya glared haughtily into those eyes for a few seconds, and then quickly assuming a poker face looked blandly at the person, feigning ignorance
After a terribly long hour -- which she had had to pass, answering the various questions -- she wished everyone a good night and started walking out of the place, half an hour into the party that followed. Disinterestedly, she made excuses of a nonexistent headache to those who inquired about her sudden decision to leave, as the party continued behind her, and she could feel a pair of eyes burning into her back while walking out of the door, but Diya didn't dare look back. The sound of champagne corks being popped open, loud music blaring and people hooting in enjoyment faded behind her as she sat in her car and wiped the single tear that had stubbornly spilled from the side of her closed eye.
Some memories never fade, and many a time it is the memory of that one person and it refuses to die.
In her case, these were the memories of that one person she wanted to forget, the one person whom she had faced after three years of conscious aloofness, the person was none other than Arjun Singh Khurana, the man she had longed to despise.
...
It had been nearly a month since Diya had gone to the Vyas studios for her look test. Everyone around her seemed to be happy about this development but each one of them was told to remain silent till the official statement was released to the media by Rajveer Vyas. As those days had passed, Diya's mind had been occupied with mainly two things -- The hallucinations and her co-actor. The former was something that had been disturbing for her, increasingly so since she could not share this with anyone, not even Dai ma and she never liked hiding things from her beloved mother-figure. And about the latter, well, she was just very curious.
The hallucinations had not recurred since the time of the look test but she had been repeatedly dreaming about herself dressed in that ancient attire and that, she didn't like one bit. After all, psychotic disorders were becoming more and more common. Nevertheless, she had chosen to ignore those uncharacteristic thoughts and focus on her other project which was on its way to completion and she would soon have to fly to the States for the final schedule before she started work on RV's film. As it is, he had already told her that the sets were supposed to be exceptionally opulent and would take four months to be set up. Everyone had high expectations from her, especially Krish and RV, and she didn't want to disappoint them.
Already, the media was referring to this project as Rajveer Vyas' magnum opus, and speculations were up on the rise. What more could one need for inspiration? But Diya had long crossed that phase, had even stopped reading the newspapers, especially the entertainment section. These were little lessons she had learnt from her cousin who had been born, to become a part of the film industry one day or the other, Krish Yadav.
...
Just like always, Krish had brought her out of her dilemma, by advising her to follow her heart and let her life carve out its own path, when she had indirectly hinted about her muddled state of mind. Trusting her heart, that had whispered to her to forget all her thoughts and stop her brain from over-working and Krish's advice to go with the flow, Diya had put her thoughts at bay till one day, she had received a call from RV, saying that she needed to drop by, to meet the co-star and that they needed to have a brief photo shoot before he sent the official statement to the press and they signed their contracts.
Diya's interest was roused yet again after she had heard RV's slightly hesitant voice on the phone, or was it her imagination? Nonetheless, she drove towards the Vyas studios once again, but this time she was feeling a little something in her heart, as if something big was about to happen. As she stepped out of the car, the feelings only increased by ten fold, very peculiar indeed! Her heart was thundering against her chest as she stood in front of the wooden door, on which Rajveer Vyas' was written in bold, black letters on a golden nameplate.
As Diya opened the door after getting a response to her earlier knocks, she saw exactly why she had been having unusual intuitions about the day, because in front of her, sat in a dark blue shirt and beige pants, the man she yearned not to come across, Arjun Singh Khurana. She was seeing him for the first time in person after three, long years of mutual and successful ignorance.
Arjun Singh Khurana, better known as A.S.K. by his millions of fans, all over the world had been Bollywood's heartthrob ever since his debut, eight years ago. He was an extremely handsome, middle class boy who had lived with his mother and grandmother in a small apartment. He had completed his MBA and had been on the lookout for a job when he had been discovered by a well-known producer in a coffee shop.
Arjun had been reluctant when he was offered to audition for his upcoming film but then, his sharp brain had seen no harm in it, and after all, money was limited and his pocket tight. Moreover, it wasn't everyday that Vasudev Yadav walked up to you and offered an audition. This was a profession which definitely brought more money than a regular nine-to-five job, and although he knew his worth and that he would get a well paying job very soon, Arjun wanted to give the best to the two ladies in his life, whom he loved more than anything. And thus he had accepted the offer.
What followed was his selection for the film, numerous acting classes and workshops, and various photo shoots. Although, his mother had been reluctant in letting him go into a profession where his fate could never be decided, she had agreed when her son had listed his aspirations before her, and on seeing the tape of his audition, she had known that he would be brilliant at anything he chose to do. The release of his film had made him a rage amongst the girls, who crowded everyday outside his newly purchased home and he was soon doing film after film, which were all blockbusters.
Now, at 29, his fan following had increased by many times, he was still a rage amongst the audience and he was a superstar. As he had progressed in his career, he had come to love his profession, waking up to something new every day and he had been content, because he had provided the two ladies -- who were still most important to him -- with all the luxuries he wished to give them. Also, he was proud of the fact that he had managed to carve out his name, solely on the basis of the immense hard work that he had learnt to put in during his initial days in the industry and was still continuing to strive for perfection, never compromising the quality of his work. The only person he gave credit to, for his success was the person who had known how to make a diamond shine out in the rough, his mentor, Vasudev Yadav.
...
Diya's first reaction, when she saw him turning to face her was absolute shock for he was someone she had least of all expected to see there. As he looked up, to meet her eyes, she could easily see that his eyes mirrored the same emotion. Her overly-expressive eyes must have given away the next set of emotions that passed through her because she saw a soft, longing expression flash across his face, which soon turned to anger and then finally settled to his usual, cold, indifferent mien. Finally, Rajveer's voice brought her out of her thoughts as she composed herself and went to sit on the chair next to Arjun.
"What is she doing here RV? Lost your way to the fancy place, is it? And you are alone, what a pity, no boyfriend came along?" the first jibe came directly her way.
"Well, I would have asked the same question with some modifications of my own to the latter part had I been impatient like you and not let the man speak up first. One of your girlfriends needs to teach you how to be patient, or is it that they can never deny their beloved ASK?" Diya Panchal was always ready with comebacks, sometimes with double entendres of her own.
Arjun was about to retort but before they could continue, Rajveer cut in, "I never realised it was raining cats and dogs here. May I say what I have to now, if you are done?"
"Sure, why not. I want to be done with the meeting soon. Who is the co-actor by the way?" replied Diya.
"What the heck? Her co-star? For god's sake RV, don't tell me she is the lead actress", cried Arjun.
"Both of you, for the last time, shut up. Now, breathe and listen to me carefully.
"To answer your questions, yes both of you are my choices to play Arjun and Draupadi and just for the record, none of you have been showed each other's audition clips because I want to increase your familiarity with the characters and their connection with each other as the story progresses. This is also why, you have not yet read the scripts and are only familiar with the scenes you performed in your respective auditions. But I think both of you fit perfectly in your respective roles and I needn't say anything about the chemistry because it is crackling. The photo shoot is only to release these pictures to the media after we sign the contracts.
"Now, I don't know what is wrong between the two of you and honestly, I am not even interested to know, but I can only advise you that learn to keep your professional and private lives separate. For how long will you two sacrifice your career choices for this supposed enmity? Well, I can only advise you, the ball is in your court. I'll leave you two to it; the photo shoot is in the corner room. I am sure you'll find your way around it", and both of them had realised immediately that what he was implying in the last sentence.
When Rajveer left, none of them spoke a word. There was only silence and the two were contemplating on what he had just said. For one, it was an opportunity that she had been waiting for and for the other, a chance to find himself again behind the facade that he had been putting up to mask his despair from the glamour of that world, of which he had been part, for eight years. He knew that his starry tantrums would not work with the serious man that RV was, and he would finally be able to look into the mirror and see only Arjun, not the superstar ASK.
But beyond these reasons, both of them knew how difficult it would be for them to face each other, because each time they did, the past would come rolling in front of their eyes, and the pain that had gradually concreted into hatred would unleash in its full form.
Finally, the two of them stood up, and coincidentally, together. If the two of them were surprised, they didn't show it and instead gave each other a cold look, which masked the pain behind it and started walking towards the door. Their respective decisions had been made.
That had been four days ago, and now as Arjun sat in the balcony of his exquisite, not to mention an extremely expensive penthouse -- which was in one of the posh areas of Mumbai -- he couldn't help but think about the party last night, and think about her.
Diya had been unusually quiet throughout the press conference and even in the party, from where she had left early. She had only answered when being spoken to, not talking anymore than was strictly necessary. He didn't know why he was so worried about her and he was angry at himself for even thinking about her after what had happened, but he couldn't bring himself to shun away these thoughts.
He should have been happy when he had seen the flicker of hurt pass through her when he had made that callous remark in RV's office but instead, he felt a stab of pain in his own heart. Also, he had been surprised to see the look in her beautiful, dark eyes as she had seen him. Her eyes held the same expression which he had seen three years ago, the same tenderness, till everything had changed abruptly, for the worst. During the photo shoot, that had followed after the two of them had agreed to doing the film, when the two of them had thrown insults at each other -- some indirect and some in the face -- her feisty nature had come up front, but he could sense that she was doing all that half-heartedly but with utmost confidence so as to not let the mask of indifference towards him fall. But what he could not forget was the jolt of electricity that had passed through him with their first skin contact. She had visibly shivered and he wouldn't have noticed it, had he not been standing in such close proximity.
Even while signing the contract, she had seemed a little uncertain and her eyes had reflected the pain that he saw in his own eyes each day for three years, while standing in front of the mirror, but when he had given her an arrogant look, she had guised it all with a deadpan expression and before that, her trademark expression, with her nose flaring, the eyes lit up with fire and her cheeks red from the anger -- something he had absolutely loved three years ago -- had made its way onto her face. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but she looked stunning, like always.
As he took another sip of his steaming hot black coffee, he picked up a newspaper and turned to glance through the headlines -- as had been a daily ritual -- in order to rid his mind of any thoughts of Diya, but the first thing that caught his eyes was a headline he so badly wanted to avoid and he couldn't stop himself from reading further.
DeePee-ASK, lovebirds come together for RVs film?
Rajveer Vyas' mythological film was announced yesterday in a grand press conference held by the director. But what came as a huge surprise to most, was that Diya Panchal and Arjun Singh Khurana have been signed on for the film. The two superstars have done one film with each other, in 2012, after which they have never come together on the silver-screen even though the audience loved their pair. Ever since the film was announced, rumour mills had been running about them allegedly being in a relationship and a few months later there were speculations of an ugly split and cold war raging between the two actors. More fuel was added to the fire when they started avoiding each other at events and refused to answer questions about each other. Both of them have remained tight-lipped about all the rumours and we are curious to know why.
It will be rather interesting to see them romancing on screen as the eternal lovers, Arjun and Draupadi in RV's magnum opus. Let's see if working together also works for these two lovers, who seemed to be quite at ease during the press conference. While, DeePee left the party relatively early, Arjun was present till the wee hours of the morning. Although, neither Diya nor Arjun, could be reached to comment, we caught up with RV who says, "I am definitely very happy with the cast of the film, and Arjun and Diya's chemistry is sizzling, now I hope that the audience like the film." Though the lead pairs have been announced, the rest of the cast is being kept under wraps. We wish you all the very best for your film, sir.
Our very own, Sexy Surili will be giving you hot updates of the gorgeous actress and the dashing actor! Till then, keep reading Mumbai Express!
He was by now, well acquainted with the fact that the media kept on trying to invade actors' personal space but what made him lose his temper then, was that they were trying to dig out the past, the past that he so badly wanted to forget. Immediately, he shut the newspaper and dialled his assistant, Saket's number, waiting to pounce at the poor fellow.
'Let the media and their aspirations go to hell!'
Little did he know, that what he had signed up for would be a life-changer for him, and who knew, maybe the article writer's hopes would come true!
TBC
Hope you like it!!
@LiveYourDream - Thank you so much for proof-reading!🤗
Edited by 8520NK - 9 years ago
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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