Chapter 27
As soon as Rahul finishes up the rehearsal of his third song for concert, his phone rings. Payal was on the other side of the call reminding him to come to venue for final touch-up about his concert with the other team.
Rahul~ "I'll be there with my chorus team in about an hour." He informed her. Then turned to face his chorus team "Listen everyone, the final rehearsal will take place at the venue. After that, we all have 3 hours before people arrive and the show kicks off. Let's get to the venue, ok?"
Everyone from his chorus teams noded in excitement. They all packed their stuff and headed to the venue. About an hour later, they all arrived at the venue. Payal and twinkle were checking up with the concert preparations which were complete. The dresses for all teams had been finalized and ready. The first thing rahul did after reaching the venue was to welcome the teams and thanked them for coming.
Rahul~ "Welcome everyone and I thank you all from my heart to come today to work with me on my concert. I can promise you all that today will be the best performance delivered in my concert. So let's do the rehearsals one final time before we get ready for the concert and have a blast."
Payal, twinkle, and everyone in teams cheered. All performers took their places on the stage and began to run through the final rehearsal. Everyone understood their cue during performance and whole practice run went smoothly.
Then everyone retired to their back-stage rooms to get prepped up and ready for the concert.
Avanti got ready for the concert. There was still two hours time to the start of rahul's concert. She admired herself in the mirror; she was wearing a black and white western dress with silver work, with a cut on left side knees below. In that dress, Avanti looked nothing less than a model.
"Time to find out how rahul resists my tempting beauty." She said to herself flaunting her own looks.
She grabbed her clutch purse and left for the venue. "This time rahul will be in his make-up room, getting prepped up for his concert. I will meet him straight away when he is alone so no one will be there to interrupt us this time." She thought with fierce determination.
In a little over half hour, Avanti was at the venue. It was an open stage auditorium in the middle of the city. The decoration of that place made the place completely unrecognizable. Security guard stopped Avanti from getting near the stage;
"Sorry ma'am, abhi concert start hone mein time hain. You cannot get inside yet." Guard said.
Avanti~ "Do you know who I m? I m Avanti Talwar! I m rahul's best friend and if you do not let me pass right now, you will be in very big trouble! Do you understand?" she threatened.
Guard~ "Sorry ma'am, but we have strict instructions to not let anyone, apart from the family members and special guests that arrive with them, to enter this area. Unless someone from the family can tell us otherwise we will have to stop you. Please do not create any trouble."
Avanti's anger was on the seventh hill. How can such nobody stop her from getting what she wanted? "This is outrageous! Just wait a moment while I call the sabarwals, then you will most certainly lose your job. That will serve you right to mess with the wrong person!" She grabbed her phone and started to dial Raj's number.
To the guard's relief, Payal came around noticing the commotion.
Payal~ "What's wrong? Any problems?" she inquired.
Guard~ "Sorry payal ma'am, but Ms. Avanti here claims to be best friends with rahul sir. We told her that the concert hasn't started yet and that no one is allowed near the stage area yet. But she wouldn't listen."
Payal~ "It's all right. I will take it from here." She indicated the guard to resume his duty and that she will handle the rest. Then she turned to address Avanti "Hi, how pleasant to find you here. What brings you so early?"
Avanti still hasn't forgotten the last time a similar conversation started between them that ended in her getting insulted by payal. Avanti knew very well that payal doesn't buy her act so it would be waste to try to convince her. "I just wanted to talk to rahul without causing any trouble. What you said last time was right and after thinking about it I have reached a decision to talk about the past and be done with it."
Payal smiled "Looking at your dress, it doesn't look like you want to end your friendship with rahul yet. But if you continue in this path, it will end one way or another."
Avanti's face turned pale. Everytime payal said something, it was sure to hit avanti hard on her ego. Also payal rounds up Avanti nicely enough with her words that she cannot make up story and hide her true feelings.
Payal took two steps when her phone buzzed with message from Sonali.
"We are all on the way to the concert venue. Will reach there soon."
Payal turned around and told Avanti "Aren't you coming? Come, I m escorting you to rahul's make-up room."
Avanti was shocked to hear sudden change in payal's attitude. Just a moment ago she was telling her off and now she was offering to escort her to rahul's room. But the thought of having a chance to talk to rahul was all that she cared about and she remained blind to the other motive payal may have.
So Avanti quietly followed payal to the back stage area. On the way, there was a VIP bar for where payal offered Avanti a drink with an excuse to make up for getting off on the wrong foot.
Payal was stalling Avanti as long as she could till sabarwal's arrive as most certainly, then Avanti will not have a chance to play any of her crooked tricks on either rahul or maanvi. Payal was talking about general stuff and gossips from her friends about the holi party to pass time as they walked around the corridor to rahul's make-up room. Not that Avanti was having any interest in any of it, all she wanted to get to rahul and use her time with him.
Payal stopped outside a room and knocked at the door. Avanti was at her all time low on patience scale so without waiting for any reply from inside, barged in the room.
Avanti~ "Rahul..." then she noticed that it was the room allotted to the male chorus team.
Payal~ "Oh Avanti! Have some patience." She took out one of the box from her bag and handed it to the chorus team "These are your ear pieces you will be using during the performance. They are already tested. But please check them again and if there happens to be any problem, twinkle will replace them for you."
Avanti was losing her cool by every passing moment. Payal went on and handed down a similar box to female chorus team as well. Then they moved on to rahul's room.
Payal~ "Just around the corner is rahul's room."
That lifted avanti's spirit to be finally having some alone time with rahul. They knocked on the door and rahul's voice asked them to enter.
Rahul was sitting on the couch with a bottle of juice in his hand. Surely he was prepping up for the performance. Before Avanti could jump at the chance to flirt with rahul, payal walked up to him.
"Rahul, this is your ear piece." Payal handed him a box. "Twinkle is sending in your dress designer and make-up artists in a moment so you can get ready for the concert. Apart from that did you needed anything?"
Rahul~ "Nahi abhi to kuch bhi nahi. Ghar se koi message aaya kya? Main maanvi ko kabse call kar raha hoon par wo phone nahi utha rahi hai. Sab log concert ke liye nikle ki nahi?"
Payal~ "Kyun? Mom ko phone nahi kar sakte the kya, agar maanvi phone nahi utha rahi thi to?" she teased knowing that Avanti was mentally yelling at them right now.
Rahul~ "Dekh, abhi mujhe pareshan mat kar! Seedhe seedhe bata ki ghar se koi message aaya hai kya?"
Payal~ "Bhai aap bhi na, itni tension lete ho. Haan message aaya tha, to ab tension chodo. Aap bas concert ke liye ready ho jao." She started to leave. Just when Avanti thought she will finally have some moments with rahul alone, rahul called her again.
Rahul~ "Payal... ghar se maine ek jacket yahan bheji thi. Dress designer ko keh diya tha na ki main concert ke liye wahi jacket pehnuga?"
Payal knowing that Avanti will get irritated after hearing this, stressed it a little "Kaunsi jacket bhai? Wahi jo maanvi ne aaj morning mein aapko gift ki thi?"
Rahul~ "Yes, that one. Wait... how do you know ki maanvi ne mujhe jacket gift ki hai?" eyeing her.
Payal~ "Abhi se bhul gaye? Uss din shopping par main bhi aap dono ke saath thi! Par aap dono ko ek dusare se romance karne se fursat ho tab to yaad hoga ki aapke saath koi aur bhi tha. Mujhe tab hi pata chal gaya tha ki maanvi ne aapke concert mein pehenne ke liye jacket kharidi hai." She giggled.
Rahul~ "Kabhi ek bhi mauka chodti hai kya mujhe tease karne ka?"
Payal~ "Kabhi aapne koi chance choda hai kya maanvi bhabhi ke saath romance karne ka? Ab iss mein meri kya galti ki aap mujhe tease karne ke itne saare mauke dete ho?"
Rahul~ "Agar tum antenna leke mere aur maanvi ke aas-pass ghumti rahogi to mauke dhundne mein tumko kaunsi der lagni hai?"
Payal's jaw dropped. It was rare that rahul ever came close to winning any argument against her but this time he landed an ace in the hole. "Main antenna leke ghumti hoon!? Aane do maanvi bhabhi ko... tab batati hoon."
Rahul~ "Ab maanvi ko beech mein kyun ghaseet rahi hai? Yeh conversation hum dono ke beech mein hai na?"
Payal~ "Acha? Main beech mein ghaseet rahi hoon? Khud jab maanvi ko har baat par pareshan karte ho to kuch nahi? Maanvi bichari seedhi-sadhi, kuch nahi kehti hai iska ye matlab thodi hai ki aap uss mauke ka har samay fayda uthao?"
Rahul~ "Maine kab fayda uthaya?"
They were on a full blown funny argument that they completely forgot about Avanti. Before payal could continue their talk any further, twinkle came in with the dress-designer.
Twinkle~ "Rahul sir, aap ready ho jaiye. Show start hone mein jyada time nahi hai."
Dress-designer and a guy brought the dresses in. Rahul immediately pointed the missing jacket and made the dress-designer and the guy run to get it. Avanti had it enough by now so she asked both twinkle and payal to give them some privacy for few moments.
Avanti~ "Mujhe rahul se kuch akele mein important baat karni hai. So please leave us alone for few minutes."
Payal and twinkle stared at Avanti like she has declared to do some heinous crime. Rahul told her that whatever she has to say she can either say in front of them or wait until after concert. Surely that would not have played well to her plans but she had no choice in that matter.
Since Avanti had no reply about what she would prefer, rahul asked her to leave so he could get ready for the show. Enraged from being treated this way, Avanti stormed out. On her way, she accidentaly tripped on a wire and spilled the drink on herself. To clean it up, she headed to the ladies room at the back stage. As she was walking, something caught her eye near stage.
Her evil mind has certainly found something that she could use to harm maanvi and may solve her problems before the end of the concert.
Cricket
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Hindi TV Shows
38