"Ravi... look in her eyes and feel the love..." said the director, while Ravi nervously stared in her eyes, trying his level best not to let his personal life hamper his professional one.
He was finding it difficult to feel the love in her eyes not because he didn't feel it but coz he knew she was angry at him. There were unspoken feelings between them for a very long time and he wanted to resolve those, but in the process he had messed up so much that now he was scared whether she felt the same for him as he felt for her or not.
"Damn it! Aaj hi aisa scene shoot karna tha kya! I want to be angry on him for being so distant lately, but whenever he is close to me I just lose my mind over my heart!" she thought.
"Nia you are confused, not angry okay.." said the director bringing her back to reality. She nods her head, and closes her eyes.
Once she opens them again, she was not Nia anymore, she was Roshni and the man standing in front of her was not Ravi but Siddharth.
"Action..." shouted the director.
"Roshni, please give me one chance to show you how much I love you." whispered Siddharth.
"Siddharth I am warning you don't come near me.." she whispered back, her voice sounded unconvincing even to herself.
"You don't mean it, do you..?" he came closer to her as she stepped backwards.
"Siddhar-" she stops the moment his fingers touches her lips, asking her to stop resisting.
"Shh.. " he shushed her and traces his fingers slowly down to her chin. She closes her eyes, to feel his touch on her. Her mind wanted to revolt and runaway, but her heart wanted her to stay and feel the exquisite feeling of love.
With his other hand, he grabs her waist and pulls her towards him making her fall on his chest; he turns her around instantly so that her back lays on his chest. His fingers traces the width of her bare stomach agonizing her already tortured heart, he leans towards her ears and says in a low husky voice,
"Don't you feel the love?" he kisses her earlobes and further lowers his voice so that it was only her who could hear him, "Nia?"
She takes a sharp intake of breath hearing her name, and opens her eyes wide. She tries to move away, "Please leave me.." but he pins her on the wall capturing her in his shell.
"Don't try to hide your feelings... atleast not from me.." he leans towards her face holding her hands so she doesn't get away.
His nose nuzzles in her hair, her fragrance fashioned frenzy in his mind making the Ravi inside him take over control of his mind. His closeness fastened her heart beats, and she closes her eyes to give into her feelings. As soon as she stops fighting him back, he leaves his hold on her hands and stokes her cheek while with his nose he traces the other side of her face.
She gently raises her hands and moves them upwards along the length of his arm to his nape as she pulled him closer to her. He kisses her forehead; his lips linger down her face nearing her lips when he spoke,
"I love you... just say it that you love me back.."
She opens her eyes slowly, and sets them on his eyes. They were closed, but his face held emotions that she could perceive clearly. He was telling the truth, he loved her truly then why was she holding her emotions back. Maybe he had his reasons to lie to her, she knew him for a long time now and she should give him the benefit of her doubt.
At that moment, Nia forgot that she was enacting a scene, that there were people all around staring at them. She forgot that she was supposed to be Roshni. She looked at his lips, which were eagerly waiting - was it waiting to brighten up with a smile hearing a yes or her lips? She decided to go with the latter one and leans towards him.
Their lips were almost touching each other when the director yelled, "Cut!"
His voice made her jerk back and she realizes the mistake that she had done. On the other hand, Ravi's eyes were glistening with happiness and hope. He was amused as well as shocked.
"What are you doing Nia, you were supposed to say No and push him away - not go closer to him! It was such a beautiful shot, we have to shoot it again" he sighed.
"I'm so sorry sir, I got mixed up with the other scene where I say Yes..." she stammered.
"It's okay, go take some rest and freshen up.. we will shoot again after 15 mins." said the director.
Nia avoided the intense glare that Ravi had on her, she was embarrassed with what she had done and she wanted an escape. Without looking at anyone, she immediately leaves the studio and walks towards her changing room. Ravi follows her outside.
She feels a tap on her shoulders and she turns around to spot him standing in front of her with a smile adorning his face.
"Hi." he said.
She glared at him and starts to leave when he double crosses her path and stops her.
"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked.
"Really Siddharth?!" she said sarcastically, and he starts laughing.
"Ajeeb ladki ho yaar tum, jab Nia banna hota hai tum Roshni bann jaati ho aur jab Roshni banna hota hai tab Nia" he winks at her indicating that he knew it was Nia on the shot and not Roshni.
"I don't know what you are talking about." she did not dare to meet his eyes.
"You know exactly what I am talking about, why are you denying it? What happened, Nia? Did I do something to make you upset?" he raised her chin, making her look at him.
She jerks away his hand, "How can you make a mistake? Mistake toh meri hai, that I started expecting things from you! All guys are the same, thode din ladki ghuma lo and fir when the girl starts asking you questions then you will shower her with your lies!" she said raising her hands up in the air in frustration.
"Do you think so low of me?" he asked with hurt evident in his voice.
"I don't want to waste my time, thinking about you anymore. Now go from here, I don't want to make a scene. Leave me alone." she said with finality in her tone.
"I am sorry Nia -"
"I don't want your apology-"
"I am sorry for you; I didn't know that after being best of friends and costars you thought of me like this! I can see that I can't change your thinking; I was stupid enough to think that you felt the same for me like I feel for you. Well, everything comes to an end someday or the other. I'm glad it's finally over." saying this he leaves her standing alone outside her changing room.
Nia's Room
"What does he think of himself? Galti kare woh and now he is making me feel guilty? I am not going to leave him! I will..." she looks around and picks up the cushion kept on her bed and throws it on ground.
Next she notices her phone lying on the bed, she picks it up in anger and before she could throw that on the ground too it starts ringing. She looks at the caller ID, it was her mother calling. She picks up the call immediately,
"Thank you Mom, you just saved my phone from being thrown away! How could I live without it?!" she kisses the phone.
"Beta, I can't believe that you would actually try to throw away your phone! It's so dear to you. What has made you so upset?" she asked with concern.
"Nothing ma, I need to go I am being called for the scene" she replied trying to escape her mother as her voice had started to crack.
"Acha before you go, I wanted to ask you something!"
"What mom?" she asked in confusion.
"How is it looking?"
"How is what looking, Mom?"
"The new addition in your fingers!" she said excitedly from the other side of the call. Nia raises her hands and looks at her fingers in puzzlement.
"Before you ask me, how I know about it let me tell you myself!" she continued and Nia listens to her keenly.
After sometime Nia comes out of her room, when a spot boy comes and informs her that the shoot has been cancelled as Ravi had to leave due to an emergency. Nia notices Ravi leaving the studio in his car, she takes her car keys and decides to follow him. She overtakes his car, and forces him to stop. He gets down angrily, pissed with her obnoxious behavior. She comes out of her car, and throws her keys at him - before it could hit him he ducks down,
"Kya badtameezi hai yeh?" he said in shock.
Nia strides towards him with teary eyes and hugs him. He was surprised; he didn't know what to say. He had a feeling that he had experienced this before, but he couldn't remember where and when. She loosens the hug and grabs his collar; before he knew it she presses her lips on his. He stops over thinking and indulges his emotions in the kiss deepening it further pulling her closer to him.
They break apart and she says,
"You stupid man, how could you leave just like that?"
"Toh main kya apni aarti karwata tumhare gaaliyon se?" he teased as he tucked her hair behind her ears. She stamps on his feet and he yelps in pain softly.
"You silly boy, I love you! I love you Ravi.." she hugs him again, this time he too encircles his hands around her and closes his eyes. After few seconds he realizes where he had experienced the same thing before, and he loosens the hug immediately.
She raises her eyebrows asking him what happened suddenly, when he says, "Kya ladki hai yaar... propose bhi kia toh show ka scene chori karke! Chi chi.." he said playfully.
"Atleast maine propose toh kia! Tum toh woh bhi nahi kar paye" she smiled mischievously.
"True that" he pinches her chin upwards while she removes his hands and demands him, "Where is my ring? I want it now!"
"How did you get to...? Ohh... Aunty called you up?" he asked as he understood.
"Yes! She told me how scared you were when you had gone to meet her to get her permission first" she laughed.
"Your brother was staring at me like I am piece of meat! And tum call pe call kari ja rahi thi!" he laughed nervously.
"And you lied to me about your whereabouts! Then you wonder why i get angry at you!" she snapped.
"What did you want me to say, ki Nia i had gone to meet you mother to talk about our marriage, right?" he said with sarcasm.
"Abh enough. I want my ring."
Ravi takes out the ring from the inner pocket of his jacket, "I hope your ring size is the same, I took one of the props of Roshni's rings for the size" he smiled.
"You sneaky idiot, why will it not be the same? Oh no, do you think I have become fat?" asked Nia.
"Yeah fat like a pichka hua balloon!" he teased her.
"Shut up Sid- I mean Ravi.."
"Abhi se hi you are getting confused with my name, baad mein jake kya hoga mera! Meri futi kismet!" he says in a melodramatic way.
"Apna dramabaazi band karo and just propose!" she hits him on his hands.
He bends down on one knee in front of her and opens the small box which held the ring. She looks at it excitedly, and exclaims,
"Wow it is so pretty!"
"Abh jiski hai uske paas hi honi chaiye na?" he smiled taking out the ring from the box.
"It says that you are not alone, I am always there with you. You are my everything, Roshni.." he closes his eyes in anticipation of a scream and he was right. She holds his ears and makes him get up from the ground, "Yaar propose toh apne lines se karo atleast!"
"I strongly believe in tit for tat!" he laughed removing her hands from his ears.
"Is that so? Go to hell, I am not talking to you.. "she turns to leave when he stops her midway.
"Acha wait" he pulls her back to him.
"Siddharth ko apni Roshni se pehli nazar mein pyaar ho gaya tha par but mujhe tumse kab pyaar hua pata hi nahi chala.. From costars to friends to best of friends, it has been a beautiful journey.. but I want this journey to move to another level, coz I want to keep you close to me. I have become so possessive about you that if I don't get to meet you for a day I go crazy. Your voice has become the melody of my life. Your face has become the sunlight of my mornings and your mere presence has become the reason for my existence... I love you.. I love you so much Nia! Will you take this greedy man as your husband?" he chuckled at the end.
She nods a yes as tears welled in her eyes; he slips the ring onto her finger and kisses it. He looks up to see her,
"My heartbeats" she whispered.
"What?" he holds her shoulders.
"They are pouncing so hard that I fear it may explode!" she smiled.
"Explode hona toh baaki hai.." his smile widened as he cupped her face in between his hands and leans in for a kiss.
Cricket
