CHAPTER 1 DIFFERENT WORLDS
There was a huge crowd in front of magnificent mansion in Bandra, Mumbai, shouting with excitement. They just want to have a look at their favourite star and wish him on his special day. Inside the mansion in the lavishly decorated huge bedroom where the interiors itself speaks about the choice, elegance and status of the person to which it belongs who right now was having sound sleep on his king size comfortable bed under the warmth of velvety touch blanket. But his sleep was disturbed when someone pulled off his blanket and asked him to get up immediately.
"Come on son get, its already too late. Do you wanna spent your birthday in sleeping and lazing around? Crowd has already gathered outside the house, they all are your fans just want to see you once. Besides this, we have to attend press conference where I will announce new film of our production house. Come on Neil, move that butt out of bed." Aadesh Oberoi said as he shook his son.
"Oh dad, whats your problem? Let me sleep some more, I have taken break after long time." Neil hide his face under the pillow.
"Get up or I'll kick you out of this bed." Aadesh warned.
"Neil pulled up the blanket upto his head this time. "You should really know how to talk to Neil, the super star." Neil replied in attitude.
Aadesh snatched the blanket this time and threw it on floor. "And you should really know how to talk to the father of Neil, the super star." He mocked Neil. "And if you inflated your ego any more I will surely kick your a** real bad boy." Aadesh threatened.
"Neil finally got up. "You won, happy now?" Neil looked at his dad royally irritated. Both father son glared at each other for few seconds and then started laughing. This was their daily routine.
His father went away after wishing him happy birthday and reminding him to get ready for the press conference. While Neil finally got up from the bed, yawned stretching his arms, and went to get ready. He came out all fresh wearing cool white t shirt and rugged blue jeans, his all time favourite. Just then a servant arrived with a glass of juice. He took the glass and took a sip of juice and immediately threw the glass making faces.
"What the hell is this? You know I prefer sugar free orange juice and this was mango juice. You know how much I hate it…God! These inefficient people." Neil throws up his hands in the air out of frustration as glared at the servant. "You all are hell bent to spoil my day." He scolded one more.
"Extremely sorry sir, I will bring orange juice now." Servant apologized.
"No, now there is no need of it, I am getting late…just get out from here and give me some peace." Neil said in frustration.
Servant went out of the room. A person was standing at the entrance of the room, he saw all this and took a deep breath before entering. "Oh god! Save me from this erupting volcano." The man at the door prayed silently.
"Man tried to conceal the fear he felt when he saw Neil in that mood. "May I come in sir ji?" He asked for permission.
"Neil didnt look at him but recognize him from his voice that he must be his PA Khatri. "Come in."
"Khatri wished him followed by his hyena like laughter, "Happy birth day sir ji."
Neil tilted his head and glared at him then at wall clock and then back at him, "Will you tell me what made you so late Khatri?"
Khatri smiled sheepishly, "Woh …sir ji aapke liye ye lane mein derr ho gayi." He gave him a huge bouquet of his favoutite white roses. "Khud apne samne banwaya sir ji, after all its your birth day…so the bouquet has to be perfect na…just the way you like it." Khatri did some buttering.
"Neil realized what he is trying to do. "Stop buttering me. Lets go we are getting late." He commented.
Neil first went to his balcony to show his one glimpse to his fans. As soon as he came there all the fans started shouting his name with excitement.
"Hey! Neil...Neil....happy birth day....we love you Neil"
Neil stood there for sometime and rested his hands on railing, gave his cute smile which can make any girl go week in her knees, swayed his hand saying hii to the crowd. He stood there sometime smiling at the crowd, his smile was same to that of a king's smile when he sees his prosperous kingdom. Proud was visible in his deep brown mesmerizing eyes indicating that how happy he is to be the favourite of crores of fans and getting all their attention. He shouted from his place, "Thanks all of you for your love and support. Neil Oberoi loves you guys." He blew flying kisses to all of them before leaving the place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was one of Mumbai's thousands of ordinary chawl. The place was crowded by women of the chawl who were as usual fighting for their chance to fill their bucket with municipality water which come just for half an hour. This disturbed the peaceful sleep of a girl who was trying to shut down these noises by putting pillow over her head. She was lying on her not so comfortable bed in her room which she shares with her elder sister. The furniture of the room was mostly old, ordinary speaking of the lower middle class status of the family but everything was organized neatly revealing the sense of belongingness and love of the members with whatever they had in their small house of two rooms.
Suddenly a bubbly, cheerful girl came running in the house, jumped on the bed and pulled the blanket off of her sleeping sister and shook her vigorously to wake her up.
"Hey! wake up you sleepy head. You know what happened? I saw him! Wake up Minni." The girl shook her sleeping sister again.
"What is it yaar Preet kaure? Today is Sunday…we don't have to go college. Let me sleep." Mini complaint.
"No way you are sleeping this late today…you know what is the date? Where I was gone early morning?" Preet once again disturbed Minni.
"Minni finally got up knowing full well that her silly, over excited elder sister wouldnt let her sleep now. "Now you won't rest until you spoil my sweet morning sleep. Fine! Tell me what so great about this day and where you have been since morning?" Minni sighed.
"Today is Neil's birth day Minni! And I went to his mansion to see him and wish him." Preet shared her excited news.
"Minni mocked her,"Oh really? I am sure he invited you inside and cut the cake with you."
"Uda lo mazaak, par ek din ye sapna bhi sach hoga dekh lena." Preet replied confidently. "Abhi ke liye itna hi bahut hai that he said I love you to me." She added with proud smile.
Minni pretended to check Preet's temperature, "Are you alright Preet kaure? Your fever has gone up to your brains, Neil, The Neil Oberoi, said I love you to you." Minni started laughing loudly now. "Subah se aur koi mila nahi kya bevakoof banana ke liye?" Minni questioned.
"Preet pouted, "Im not joking ok. He said it to me. I mean he said it to all of his fans who were waiting outside the mansion to have his one glimpse." Preet took a pause to look at Minni who was still laughing hard at her. "Hey I am one of his fan….right! So indirectly it means the same thing that he said I love you to me." Preet defended.
"Minni till now had rolling on her bed laughing holding her stomach. "Oh Preet kaure, you are too much!
"Huh! As if you don't like him." Preet said sarcastically.
"I like him because he is a good actor and is handsome. I like his movies. I am just a normal fan. I am not crazy like you." Minni explained. Then she stopped laughing after sometime and suddenly became serious. "Preet yaar, we should always know where to put the full stop. I know your dreams…how much you love this glamour world…and I have faith in you but we should not lose our sanity while chasing the dreams. I hope you remember mom's teachings that – "we should never forget what we are and what is our real identity" Minni tried to make her crazy sister understand.
"Maate Minni –ishwari. Iss gyan ke liye dhanyawad. Now lets go we have to go to temple, tomorrow is my first audition so I want to take the blessings of god." Preet changed the subject and started pulling Minni out of bed.
They got ready and went to temple, their mom Babita also joined them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All three of them came back to the chawl after sometime. Preet was biting her nails, thinking about tomorrow's audition. She was feeling very nervous.
"Their neighbour and Babita's friend, Naeem bi came to their house and saw Preet in that condition. "Allah maari! Ye kya kar rahi hai? See you have spoiled your nails. Yesterday only you got manicure from parlour.
"Naeem bi, I am very nervous about the audition. I dont think I will be able to pull it off." Preet answered.
"Don't worry everything will be fine. I am sure you will give best performance. I saw star in your since childhood. Bas teri kismat chamakne ki der hai." Naeem bi motivated her.
"Thanks for support. Only you understands me." Preet hugged her.
"By the way where are your sati savitri mom and mother Teresa sister?" Naeem bi joked asking about Babita and Minni.
"Preet pointed towards the entry gate of chawl, "There they are, giving prasad to some beggars. Come we should also go there. I need as much blessings as I can have."
They went there and joined Minni and Babita. Babita suddenly stopped when she come across one beggar. She looked him with curiosity. Actually he didn't look like beggar but more like a saint. There was peace and glow on his face. When he looked at Babita, he smiled and asked, "Tere mann mein kuch sawaal hai beti?"
Babita was confused. She didnt know what to say. It was true she was lost somewhere and there were some questions regarding her daughters future was troubling her but how come this man knows about it. She tried to avoid him. "Nahi…nahi toh…baba. Aap bas meri betiyo ko aashirwaad de dijiye." She asked politely and gestured her daughters to touch baba's feet.
First Preet touched his feet.
"Waqt se pehle aur kismet se jyada kisi ko kuch nahi milta." Baba said as he placed his hand on Preet's head.
Then Minni touched his feet.
"Ek sunahri duniya tujhe bula rahi hai. Tujhe jana hi hoga..chahe tu chahe ya na chahe...tyyaar rehna." Baba said and smiled at Minni while she didnt understand a thing.
Baba went away leaving all the ladies confused who were trying to decipher the meaning of his words.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
to be continued....
precap- Neil's birth day party
comment:
p_commentcount