The dark side of the fame

PART - SIX

"Where are you going Navya? This is not the way to your home," asked nandini while navya was driving on their way back from the studio. 

"We are going to your home," replied navya, while looking ahead at the road. 

"My home? I do not have any home of my own," said nandini. 

"Yes you have," smiled navya and they arrived at a nice apartment. navya grabbed her hand and took her to the second floor where she opened a door and entered a beautifully decorated yet starkly simple looking flat. 

"This is where you will be living from now on," beamed navya. "Here? How? Why?" enquired a perplexed nandini. 

"That's MM's order. You cannot say no. He said this flat has been left empty for quite a time. So, he wants to let it to you, not for free, mind it," winked navya. 

"But this is such a posh locality. I don't think I can afford its rent," said nandini and stepped out of the door. 

"Hey nandini, where are you going pagli? You can and will afford much better places than this nandini. You are going to be a big star very soon. Trust me nandini, MM sir is never wrong in his judgement. And take this as a friendly gesture from him, now that you do not have any accommodation of your own," smiled navya and pulled her inside.

The two girls spent another couple of hours in the flat, laughing and talking about anything and everything. After navya left, nandini started settling in. Wasn't it a very big surprise? She had never thought that life would bring so much happiness without being asked for, or was it MM? nandini smiled at her thought and patted her head. She was dying to ask navya more about her MM sir, she wanted to know so much more about him. But then she checked herself, she could not let navya realize the confusion she had been having in her mind about MM.

The post-production activities were wrapped up pretty fast as the film "mere bin" had to be released by Diwali, according to ritik singh's wish. nandini and siddharth would spend hours in the dubbing session, followed by photo shoots for the promos. And then there were the frequent press meets where they would be bombarded with relevant and irrelevant questions. nandini was getting stressed out, unable to cope up with so many activities, all at a time.

The day before the release, there was going to be a special screening for the film unit and few renowned invitees from the industry. As the film started on the screen, MM realized nandini was missing from her seat. 

"Where is Nandini?" he asked siddharth who was busy munching popcorn with navya. 

"Oh, I don't know," siddharth replied and was about to leave his seat, when MM said, "You sit and watch. I will go and bring her."

MM walked through the corridor and knocked at every door. One door was slightly ajar and as he pushed it, he saw nandini sitting on a chair with her head drooped down. 

"What are you doing here? The movie has already started. Come on now," said MM and tried to pull her hand. 

"I am not coming," said nandini while freeing her hand from his grip. 

"Why?" "Because I know it's going to be all bakwaas. People will laugh at me. They will jeer at my performance. I am not going there," saying that she sat back on the chair. MM stood for a moment, then came and knelt down in front her. 

"Look at me Nandu," and nandini jolted hearing him call her by that name for the first time. MM held her hands and calmly continued, 

"I know you are having this anxiety that people might not accept you or your performance. And I know I am the one to be blamed for that, I have always rebuked and criticized your actions during shooting. But you know, an uncut diamond has to be cut and polished several times, its original shape and size have to be completely altered, and then only it gets that dazzling sparkle which remains for eternity. You were that uncut diamond Nandu, who had to go through all those acrid treatments by me to become the bright star that you are today. You are my best find, you are my pride nandu, you will never fail me," said MM and pulled her slowly out of her chair. nandini was chocked with emotions she had been trying to hide all these days.