Chapter 4
Life seemed easy to live normally. The act was going just fine and I was satisfied with my role. I was going to manage stage, right from their timings, acting and rehearsals; till it was completely performed as it was planned. Lavanya was working in this along with me. She was friendly with an everlasting smile adoring her face. With dusky complex, she looked great, and acted even greater. She was in lead roles for two other plays which would be started right after this. And of course, she had a huge crush on our director, Arnav.
I shook my head inwardly – who hadn't crushing after our director? But he seemed oblivious to this, or he chose to be. Whatever the reason might be, he never gave a second to drink his attention while shooting. In outdoors, no one could guess that he was the same man. He enjoyed his attention when he hadn't stepped in his directors shoes. The man had every bone in him that would impress me in a way or other. On the very same day that I met him in the park, I noticed that he was as much passionate to women as his work. But he never mixed them – personal life and professional, he would say.
"That is not the right way, Sheetal," his voice boomed into the hall as he stood from his seat, running his hand in his hair, messing it further. "You have to look terrified, yet, display confidence in your face. Focus on your eyes. It has to show these mixed emotions, okay. Just relax and let's try it again."
He walked up to her and set her hair, bringing few locks over her face and sprinkled water as she shut her eyes. I rolled my eyes at the PDA in their own way. How much he acted in a professional way, women would never stop their feelings for the man, and he would never take advantage of it. Yet, these things happened all the time. Lavanya beside me chuckled. "If it is Arnav who is acting this scene with her," she whispered to me, "I am sure; Sheetal will forget to defend herself and this attempt will turn into a night fling."
I giggled along with her, "Who wouldn't be, La, when your geek God asks for it?"
Sheetal was one of the finest people in acting department. And I had to agree with Lavanya, the woman was crazy for our director. I was surprised when Lavanya said that he never showed interest in them, even in out of the university premises. It was in one of his 'must-follow-rules' that not to have an affair with his crew. But I doubt it. There was no such woman in this crew who would make him lose his senses, I guessed it. With his behavior, I was proved that it was the case. He smiled at me sheepishly when I questioned him about it.
It had been a week since my first day here. I was successfully managed to live for a whole week, away from Rick, and with my new family. Veer was happy to have me as his friend. The boy never left me alone, nor tagged along with me all the way. We would have our breakfast and dinner together. Although, I tried to me as much friendly as I could with Rina, she maintained her distance near me and we had only few conversations over dining table. She was really offended when I said her not to call me Di. But I couldn't help that. She was just 13 and she would come along with passing time, I convinced myself. Veer did his best to involve her in our conversations and it was turning to be good.
I had my morning jog – walk, I corrected myself. Arnav would meet me in the same spot as we met on our first morning after I had my jog for 45 minutes, and then we would walk from there throughout the park for another good hour. Thus, my usual hour-jog turned out to two-hours. We would talk about everything and anything under the sun. Slowly I realized, I was getting used to him and our little time together. I had never talked about it to anyone, not even to Lavanya. I didn't feel to share this with anyone. We were comfortable with our friendship and we never brought our morning walk while we stayed in university.
Everything seemed turning to be perfect slowly. I was adjusting here pretty well. My only void was not having Rick with me. But that was fine, as we spend hours together in video chatting. Shaking my head, as Sheetal rocked the scene with her performance as usual, I excused myself and made my way to the back stage to check things that were required for next shoots.
I checked the given list while humming. I was drifted into the world where I found myself directing my own stories. One more year and I would probably be flying my way back to NY. I would be free from my new relations. I would probably grab an opportunity near a great director as an assistant. Rick would grab his chance and turn into choreographer and we would again work together in the projects. I was so lost in my moment of planning my future that I froze when I felt someone behind me. Before I got a chance to turn around, hot breath hit my neck, making me shiver.
"It's a lullaby"
I flushed at his words, every cell in my body alerted at the closeness. Putting up my confidence, I turned around, only to realize that he was too close to me that our noses touched… almost. Avoiding that contact, I arched my head backwards and hit to the locker behind me. Focusing on him, I smiled, "its rock, Arnav."
He shook his head, removing a clip from my hair, setting it free as its locks fell over my shoulder. I felt my heart beating erratically as his fingers curled a lock, touching my cheek in its process. Inhaling deeply, I chanted the mantra, to remind myself to breath. He leaned further, his nose now touched mine, as he whispered, "your humming… it's like a lullaby."
This was not right, I knew it. His proximity was sending shivers down my spine, and the worst part, it thrilled me. I was not here to have relationships. I was here to live with Shashi. I couldn't form any relations that would turn close to my heart. But with Arnav, it seemed different… exciting. It was just a week that I met him, and talked about movies and stories but nothing else, yet, here I was, enjoying his proximity more than I liked.
"Flirting with your crew is against your rules, director," I pointed out, more to myself than him, but I noticed his eyes widened as if he realized it with my words. And in a second, his frown was replaced with a grin, and I knew, I just knew, it was going to be bad.
"No breaking of rules then," he agreed with me, but I wasn't convinced that he would leave the issue in a simple way and frowned as he continued, "no breaking of rules will done when we assigned this flirting during our morning sessions, right." I stared at him, shocked. He raised my chin with his finger and I shut my mouth, glaring at him, as he laughed. "Let's change our pattern, Khushi," he said, seriously, "we will jog first, and then walk."
I stared at his back as he opened the door. I wanted to snap at him. His words created an excitement within me and I hated him for that. I tried to snap at him, but was loss of words. I had no idea as how to react to his advancement. Before I could find a suitable word, he looked at me over his shoulder and smiled. "If you have second thought to act, then may be, I will join the club to act opposite you… Khushi…"
"What…?" was all I had managed in a low voice. His gaze, its intensity was burning me alive. He shook his head, amused at himself, and when he returned to meet my eyes, all I found was a kind of determination in them. And that scared me. To even think about what he was thinking, scared me to death.
"Can I jog with you, Khushi?"
I had no second thoughts at this one question. I was sure what I wanted. I was sure what I liked and if I was going to get an extra hour with him, I was no fool to reject it. He was a friend, and may be, we would become great friends. I nodded at him, "yes, Arnav," and was rewarded with his twinkling chocolaty eyes. I never liked chocolate more than I liked it at that moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
43