Making Of A Star

Drama queen

A race against the devil, the end of it almost like a two edged sword promising death or bringing freedom, a menacing past or a sanguine future. The reins of Padma's present and future laid in the hands of her destiny.
Dark overwhelming memories of her past swirled in her mind as she sat on the couch, in a state of exhaustion, looking out of the window. With little to no money left, their survival was turning into a difficult task.

The bus started slowing down and ultimately came to a halt near a tea stall. After a few moments the driver climbed out of his seat
"Misra ji, how is everything going?"

"Ah, I'm good, how about ya eh, I see, new bus"
He chatted loudly throughout his way to the stall meanwhile Padma and Trisha managed to sneak their way out of the bus without getting noticed.

There were multiple confectioneries and grocery stores on both sides of the road, with some kids pointing at the candies and pastries, some crying and begging to their parents to buy them all the chocolates; one kid quietly stood by her mother's side just looking at those fancy items. For a five year old, Trisha was wise beyond her years.

"Trisha just sit right here, don't move, I'm going to bring you something to eat." Trisha nodded and sat on a bench, watching her mother enter a grocery store.

"What can I get you, madam?" The shopkeeper asked her, she took out a 5 rupees note from her pouch
"Can I get anything to eat for this amount.." she gave him the money and as on cue placed her hands on the wooden desk in front of her for support, the ninth month of her pregnancy was just adding to her miseries as her mind was always in a constant whirl.

"Here, madam" the shopkeeper handed her a packet of biscuit and went back to writing notes in his register.

She picked it up and slowly turned around. There was no money left for food, her foot was sore and bloody, to just remain standing took every fibre, every single last shred of energy left in her body. But the fighter in her was still very much alive and kept her going.

"Tri take these for now, I'll get you more food in some time, okay?" Padma sat down beside her on the bench.

"Okay ma, do you want some?" In between chewing the biscuits filled inside her mouth, and crumbles of it falling onto her lap in the process, Trisha offered her the packet of biscuits .

"Nah, you eat...I'm going to bring you some water, stay here and don't move" Padma got up on her feet once again but stumbled a little and fell back to her seat but just as she rose up again, the world started spinning.
She could hear voices in the background but before she could do anything an excruciating pain shot through her head and then everything went black.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Is it her hobby to get into trouble all the time?" Muffled sounds of a very familiar, feminine voice brought Padma to her consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she saw two pairs of eyes, one narrowed and hazel and the other happy and brown, looking straight into hers.

"You woke up early, madam, why not get some more sleep" Rumi said in an overtly sweet voice as she stood up
"It's been just fifteen hours, please do treat my humble abode as your own" she stated dramatically in between multiple curtsies, her voice dripping of sarcasm.

"Rukmini?" Padma asked in confusion but then her eyes fell on Trisha sitting beside her happily eating cotton candy.

"TRISHA are you okay.. where am I, what happen-" Padma asked as she jerked her body upwards in an attempt to bring herself to a sitting position.

"Oh shut up you drama queen..." Rumi interrupted her as she made her way to the dining table and sat on a chair.
"I was just passing by the same street and saw this little one" she pointed at Trisha
"Crying near your body and you were just lying down on the footpath, I thought you were drunk or something....well not my fault, you do look like a drunkard but then I thought, NO RUMI YOU HAVE TO HELP HER, you see I'm just too good to be true, also I'm preparing myself for my next movie..." she paused and giggled
"I've to portray a woman who gave up her happiness and all her wealth to help poor people, the casting directors were praising me a lot the other day, I knew I'm going to be star, but no one believed me, huh, joke's on them, now THEY all would line up in a queue to get my autograph...HAH, I would have them all kicked out or...NO I'm a good person, I would forgive them-" As she went on, Padma watched her with her mouth hung open but after a few more minutes of hearing her ramble, she shifted her focus on Trisha and got up on her feet.