MehRya FF: Discovering the Magic #2: Chapter #45 Teaser pg62 11/29 - Page 33

Chapter #40 - Teaser

This idea to promote Mehek and ISC, Shaurya determined, was not one of his better ones...well to his way of thinking at least. The talk-show audience, for their part was loving every minute of what they were seeing, and undoubtedly the ICS franchise would benefit from the publicity.

Backstage, awaiting his turn to be called out by the show's hostess, his mood soured further, as he watched in particular, Mehek's aunt, beaming happily front and center in the crowd. She especially seemed taken by the interactions between her niece and the Tollywood actor who coincidently had been booked for the same taping. Evidently, any male attention was better that Shaurya Khanna's, even some two-bit soap opera actor. Who cared that the man from all appearances was the decent sort: kind and generous from all reports. Handsome, good natured and charitable ... the perfect specimen it seemed. And, much to Shaurya's ire, Mehek's favorite actor, who after his own segment unexpectedly professed to be a huge fan of the chef he now shared the stage with. How coincidental indeed, Shaurya thought, his eyes narrowing as he studied the talk-show moderator. How much of a coincidence was it exactly, he wondered? The fact that Mehek's celebrity crush just happened to be scheduled for the same taping that ICS was to be featured was more than suspicious to him. The hostess did not achieve the high ratings she consistently did by being clueless. She often had her finger on the pulse of everything going on in her guests lives, which made her show one of the more popular ones on television. So how coincidental had it been to pair the actor and chef today of all days?

An increase in the audience's tittering had him turning his speculation away from the hostess to refocus on the two guests seated side by side. He was just in time to witness a deep blush come to Mehek's cheeks, and for her: his Mehek, to nervously sweep her hair behind her one ear in reaction to the man's comment. It was all the encouragement the charismatic actor needed to ramp up the charm, and he followed up one compliment with another. Misinterpreting Mehek's action as a flirtatious move was one that the man would pay for if he wasn't careful, Shaurya thought unreasonably. Thankfully the commercial break that would bring him into the fray was seconds away, and the suave celebrity would soon get the message that his attentions were not wanted: subtly though. Aside from possibly presenting a bad face to his target audience, more important to Shaurya was not to give the woman Mehek considered her mother any more reasons to be against him. He watched the actor lean towards Mehek and he clenched his fists in anger at the brazen move, unclenching them only when the production assistant came to him to advise he was up next. He didn't exactly barge onto the set, but he made sure that all attention was focused on him when he did. An unexpected double cheek kiss from the gregarious hostess who met him halfway, took him by surprise, and then he was seated beside a slightly more somber Mehek. The fact that even her celebrity crush hadn't warranted such a greeting wasn't lost on the him, and Shaurya's mood shifted instantly to worrying how angry Mehek was, as he took his seat in between the woman he loved and the emcee...

He noticed that , in the front row, Kanta's expression was speculative as she observed her niece's demeanor change. Her frown now matched the slight one on Mehek's face, but assuredly for other reasons.

If Shaurya needed any more proof that the presenter was more in tune than she let on, then that little display was it. Inwardly, he cursed as he thought the explanation he would now have to give Mehek to sooth her. This rating game truly was a pain in the ass he thought.