It's worth it....

22

Hey folks!!!!!
I am back!
With a new and interesting update!

Happy reading!!!
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The rickety auto-rickshaw stopped in front of a hotel. As Arjun stepped out of the vehicle, he rechecked the address written on the envelope.

The past 7-8 hours of a train journey from Mumbai to Kolhapur were the most dreadful and stressed hours of his life. After talking to Ronit, he had packed an overnight bag of his clothes and started for Kolhapur the same night. Ronit had arranged for his train tickets and booked a room in a small hotel in Kolhapur.

The most difficult task was to convince his mother to let him go!
He had decided to keep his mother in the dark for now. He doesn't want to trouble her before meeting Radhika.
So, he had somehow convinced his mother that he was attending a medical seminar in Pune.

He kept looking on at the hotel building thinking about his mother. He prayed that he would somehow convince Radhika to come back home and that would be the end of this nightmare. He wouldn't have to tell the truth to his mother, then.

But, as he remembered the content of the letter, he was sure it would not be so easy to persuade his sister. However, he was not to give up yet!

It was dark and probably past 10 pm. Arjun checked in the small two storey hotel. It was absurd that Ronit, a big hotel chain owner, was conscious enough to book a hotel that Arjun's pocket could afford! He smiled a bit at the thought and thanked his stars to have such a caring friend.

In his room, after a quick call to his mother, he tried connecting to Radhika repeatedly. But, not a single time he succeeded! On thinking something, he skimmed through his contacts and stopped spotting a number of the play director. He had a habit of having the contacts of every director or producer Radhika worked with, for security reasons, in case of any emergency. He quickly called the director of the play Radhika was working in. Thankfully, the director confirmed that the play was scheduled for the next day. Arjun closed his eyes and sighed. His trip would not be a waste after all. He would finally meet his sister the next day.

After a bad night and having a mere 2-3 hour sleep, Arjun finally got ready for the most important day of his life. Today determined the future of his whole family. For a moment, this thought terrified him. He sat, resting his forehead on his hands, and prayed hard for avoiding the worst. He reached the auditorium just in time. He had decided to meet her after her play, not wanting to mess up with her focus at the last minute.

As he watched his sister enter on the stage, he could hear a roar of applause for her. She was draped in a saree and was enacting a role of a troubled wife whose husband was cheating on her. Arjun watched with awe as intense emotions played on her face, enticing the audience!

He knew she had a spark in this field, but never had seen her perform with such zeal! As the play progressed, the small audience cheered and applauded in between the dialogues, making Arjun sit straighter with a proud smile!

After the play, Arjun was the first one to hurry backstage. In the plethora of the people congratulating each other, he stumbled upon a guy who played Radhika's husband in the play.

Arjun stopped him, "Wait, wait... Can you tell me where is Radhika?"

The guy frowned, "Are you from the audience?"

"I am her brother, Arjun."

The guy's eyebrows raised, "Ooh... I see. She is in her room. The second one on the left."

Arjun nodded in gratitude before storming in the passageway. To say Radhika was stunned to see her brother on the doorstep was an understatement. Arjun kept looking at her, waiting for her signature childish squeal. He watched as her face showed surprise, happiness, then a terror, and lastly a different kind of confidence all in a matter of seconds!