Celebrity Castaway | COMPLETE | MaNan Fiction

33| Muhurat Shot

A/N: Hello readers! We are back! You have no idea how difficult it was for me to write this week's chapter but I had decided I will not postpone no matter what! After all a commitment is a commitment, right? :)

So, for all those who wanted more Manan scenes, let's say I have heard you folks here! I won't give out more, but I think you will enjoy this chapter!

On that note, Happy Reading! See you at the end of the chapter.. :)

***

"Manik sir, if you're ready we can roll, we are all ready here" the timid voice of an AD reached Manik's ears, as he turned around to see a boy of nineteen or twenty, standing at the door of his vanity van. Was he slightly shaking in nervousness? Manik almost smiled seeing his inhibition. Who'd blame the kid? Manik glanced at his own reflection in the mirror before him, the face that looked right back at him as ghastly.

It had been about two weeks since the trailer launch of his movie with Innaya, 'Pehla Pehla Pyaar', where Nandini had created quite the stir in the press & had left Manik in a limbo. No, not because of her toe curling way of hijacking their limelight & announcing her launch into the movies, but by saying those blood curdling, last few words before leaving the venue that day.

"Move back, Mr. Malhotra, because your breath stinks. It stinks like the rotten carcass of my dead baby girl"

Those words still haunted him, and everytime he remembered it, it wounded him afresh. Obviously, Manik had not been in a good spot since then. He contemplated a million times to go & fess up to Nandini. He could take all the hate & blame she had for him, but not this one. It was too harsh, too cruel. He didn't want her to blame him for this. Of course, his protective instinct towards Nandini kicked in on time and he didn't do anything so stupid, but that ensured he was still writhing in the same pain for a blame that could obliterate his whole existence in a blip!

"Sir, on second thoughts, maybe you could take an hour more and drink some more water?" again the boy's nervous yet concerned voice brought Manik out of his reverie. He was right, Manik still didn't look presentable.

So, after that trailer launch event that day, the only way Manik Malhotra found himself some respite was drowning himself in liquor. That was the only way. The high would make his memories blurred & the fact that Nandini hadn't faced the camera ever since also helped him keep his mind off things for a bit. However, as he found the date of their muhurat shot drawing close, a certain sort of unease set in him. He never thought it was possible, but he was dreading meeting Nandini. He just couldn't bring himself to face the woman who held him responsible for losing their baby girl, and it didn't matter any freaking much, that the said baby was fiction to begin with. It didn't help. In their hearts she was oh so real!

Hence on the day of the shoot, when Manik Malhotra turned up not only a few hours late missing the muhurat puja, but extremely hungover and dehydrated, the crew had no option but to hide him from the press & give him more time to get it together! No matter how much makeup they put on him to hide the dry, gaunt skin, due to lack of moisture in his skin, the makeup was looking cakey and fake & his red eyes? It seemed like the only way to fix that was CGI!

"No sir, we can't do it like this. This is the first shot & the press is waiting out there. We can't let you go this way. Also, how will you handle the interaction with the media after the first shot, like this?" the director had expressed his annoyance & concern & Cabir had somehow managed to buy him sometime & ordered him to drink water and retain it for the shot. Clearly, a lot of water wasn't enough water in his case right then.

"What's your name, boy?" Manik asked, focusing back on the boy who was still eyeing him with concern.

"Rish..Rishabh Murthy" he mumbled, looking scared.