FF : Parityaktha end page 10 - Page 4

Part-6

"I've given you my best, why does she get the best of you?"

Ten years leap

Gopi is now a famous Gujarati television actress...her romance with fame started when a noted director ( a donor for the charity which runs Karuna where Gopi worked) noticed her when she took part in a drama during a celebration. Gopi eyes, her expression and dialogue delivery were out of the world. He knew that she was talented and offered her a small role in a mythological serial which he was directing.

Gopi was initially hesitant but agreed after being persuaded by her colleagues and inmates of the home for the aged. The fact that the serial was mythological and elderly people(worldly-wise) people urged her made her take a plunge into acting. She moved from playing a small role in a mythological serial to playing the lead role in romantic and saas-bahu serials. She also acted in a few Hindi soaps. Neelima Parekh became a highly regarded name in the world of telly.

Ahem and Anita married and moved out of MM. He still worked for MM and was a father of two kids- Mehak and Ankita. He was as strict as Koki in his kid's upbringing. Television and music were a big no-no. Koki no longer gave Ahem any suggestions on the upbringing of his daughters because she felt that she had done a very bad job in bringing up her two kids- Ahem now danced to Anita's tunes and Kinjal was in rehab for drug addiction.

Ahem neither watched soaps nor went through the gossip columns of newspapers and magazines'one fine day'accidentally...when he went through them he was shocked to see an actress called Neelima Parekh ...she had some resemblance to a person he knew...who could it be???...Gopi! . Yes, she looked like a sophisticated version of his ex-wife.

He googled Neelima Parekh and got substantial information about her works but precious little about her family background except for that she shared a "close- friendship" with director Ryan Patel. She was his muse. Suspicion rose in his mind'how could it be her? She must be living in some shelter for women...which fool would give that "jaahil gawaar" a break in soaps? She doesn't have the finesse to essay complicated roles...don't be an idiot Ahem it is definitely not her. The resemblance can't be explained though.

Ahem religiously followed her works out of curiosity. Anita didn't notice the sudden change in Ahem's television habits because she used to spend the better part of evening hanging out with her useless and vain friends. Ahem liked the characters she played - they were so fresh and free from clichs and stereotypes. The fact that she resembled Gopi did pique his interest from time to time...and became her admirer.

Time had cooled Anita and Ahem's rip roaring romance. He was getting irritated at her lack of concern for his well being...she lived in a world of her own and spent very little time with him. Ahem didn't get the companionship he longed for'he contemplated doing something which generations of men is his family had done before- his Kaka, Grandpa ..and God knows who else ...' to keep a mistress.

"

If you start a relationship being the other woman, you will never be the only woman."

-Anon