The dark side of the fame

PART - THREE

"So how long have you been with Arjun?" asked manik, with his eyes fixed on the road ahead while driving the car. 

"Not long, few months," replied nanidni, and added, "We are not together." 

"Hmm, I could understand that. So, you work in the film industry?" enquired manik. 

"Not exactly. I have done few dance performances and a couple of advertisements," replied nandini. 

"Achcha, that's good. You seem to be a novice in this show business. You have to be careful at every step here; else you may be in big trouble, something like today, or even worse." nandini bent her head low, too ashamed to be reminded of that incident. "By the way, I am Manik Malhotra," said manik and handed her a card with his phone number on it. 

"My name is Nandini Murthy, please stop the car. This is where I will get down." manik looked out of the window; it was a bustling street even at the late hours of night. 

"Are you ok now? Will you be able to go the rest on your own?" asked manik. 

Nandini nodded her head before opening the car door. As she got down, she peeped inside the car and said, "Thanks Mr. Malhotra. I don't know how I could have saved myself from the public humiliation had you not been there. I will call you as soon as I have the money I owe you. I do not have words to express my gratitude to you.."

 "It's ok nandini. Take care and be very cautious henceforth. See you later," saying that manik waved her and drove off.

nandini did not mention anything about arjun's behavior to soha . Already soha was quite pissed off about her growing intimacy with arjun. This would do nothing better to appease her wrath.

*

Nandini started her next day with equal vigor as any other day, only her confidence a little bit shaken, and her trust on this world a little bit lessened. She looked forward to the day her pay would be credited, and she would be able to repay her loan.

*

"Who is the next candidate?" asked the assistant director. 

"It's me, ma'am," said a young man while approaching her. 

"Are you Mr. Siddharth Gupta?" "Yes ma'am." "Ok, come inside the audition room. I hope you are ready with your dialogues." "Yes ma'am," answered Siddharth.

Manik had spent two days in auditioning the male lead for his next movie. So far he had not been successful with his finding, and that had left him quite agitated. As Siddharth entered the audition room, he just pointed him the area in front of the camera and asked to start delivering his dialogue. After 5 minutes, his expression had changed from dejection to complete wonder.

 "What is your name?" asked manik while leaving his chair and walking up to siddharth. 

"siddharth gupta, sir." "Show me your profile siddharth." siddharth handed him his file.

 "So you have been to the acting school and now an actor with the theater group. I'm impressed. So people still go to the acting school these days?" enquired manik contentedly. 

"Yes sir, because every aspiring actor is not born in a film star family." "I would want you to take the look-test before anything is finalized. Now excuse me, I think my phone is ringing," said manik as he picked up his phone from the table. 

"Hello, MM speaking, who is this?" "May I speak to Mr. Manik Malhotra please," said a female voice. Who could that be who did not know that MM and Manik Malhotra are the same man? 

"Yes it is Manik, now who is it?" he asked. 

"It's Nandini . I wanted to give you back the money, so I called you. Where can I meet you?" asked nandini with a trembling voice. 

"I am at the ganesh Studio now." "Ganesh Studio? Where in the studio? Because I am also there." manik instructed her the way to the audition room and hung up. 

Siddharth had spoken to the assistant director about the tentative look-test schedule and was about to leave when nandini entered the audition room. 

"It's raining heavily outside," said nandini when siddharth was crossing her. "Is it?" he asked and noticed her drenched form, and said, "thanks for warning me. I will wait for it to stop." nnadini smiled in acknowledgement and proceeded towards manik who was watching the audition recordings in the monitor.

"Mr. Malhotra, hi, it's me nandini." manik looked up from the screen and stalled for few moments. At first he could not identify her. She was looking so different, so very beautiful. That night the heavy make-up had concealed her ivory skin and the natural blush on her cheeks, which was intensified today by the cold rain water. Water droplets were dripping from the curls surrounding her face and her lips looked like rose petals, shivering in cold. But her eyes were the same, speaking a world to the onlooker.

 "Nandini, you are completely drenched," manik finally managed to say. 

"Yes sir, it is raining outside. Here is the money sir. And thank you once again," saying that nandini turned towards the exit. 

"Wait, wait a minute. siddharth please come here for a second," called out manik.

Nandini was confused when manik pulled her hand and made her stand in front of the camera. He called siddharth and said, "Please repeat your lines in front of her. And you, nandini, just look in his eyes, you don't need to say anything. Just keep looking at him," said manik as he took his position behind the camera. 

"But I do not act. Mr. Malhotra..." "Shhh, silence!! Ready sound, lights, camera rolling, and action!"

Siddharth held her hand and started saying his lines while nandini looked at him with utter bewilderment. She was totally numbed by the situation and before she could protest again.

 "Cut," said manik. "Wonderful, just wonderful. Miss nandini, who is your agent? I want you to come again for the look-test with Siddharth, and if everything goes well, I think I have my new lead pair ready, in front of me!!' exclaimed manik and the whole team applauded. 

"Look-test? But I do not.." "Trust me nandini," interrupted manik, "you will do great."

That evening manik called his assistant director. "Navya, I have thought out a name for this film." 

"What is it MM sir?" asked Navya enthusiastically. "It's "Mere Bina". Isn't it perfect?" asked manik, although he knew the answer already.

*********************************

let's check the upcoming update for further romance; suspense;heartbreak;etc....

hope you all like the update

give your support to this story