Crack The Job

7- Drama Ensues

Payal

"Are you sure? Give it another thought." I sat opposite Siddharth, in the same cafe that we visited yesterday.

According to me, he had always been weird. A little crack in the head. Okay, I agree I am weird as well, maybe that's why I am here planning on a fake marriage for just a job. I surely have a hard life.

I agree that finding a job is very hard these days and I know it from experience too. I should be prepared for anything and if this helps, I can absolutely give it a try.

He closed his eyes and deeply meditated. "I can hear divine messages that I must accompany you on this journey." His serious voice broke as he started laughing all of a sudden.

"Hey, do you think I am joking here? You have to be serious. I don't want to be selfish or something." I didn't know why but this feeling didn't leave me.

He stopped his laughter and said, "Why do you feel like that? I am sure that I will do this with you. But let's promise something." He leaned over and continued, "We will be professionals here. No personal emotional strings attached."

I looked up to notice him looking straight into my eyes. I was flustered for a second but soon, grasped myself and replied, "That's right. But I will be sure to do anything to pay you back."

He sipped on his tea before answering, "That's alright. As a senior and an old friend, I can at least do this much."

I swear he looked so cool at this point that it made my heart flutter a bit. I decided to focus on my coffee.

"So, what next?"

He took out his phone and showed it to me. "Yesterday, I was making notes and it looks like we have a lot to do." As I saw the note list, my jaws dropped to the floor.

"Is a marriage that big of a deal?" I couldn't lower my voice volume as a result of which I caught a lot of eyes. I sunk back in my seat in embarrassment.

"Yes, it is. I only learned yesterday."

"Anvita Di surely went through a lot," I murmured under my breath.

"But you know what, we don't need to do all of these. We just have to click some pictures in wedding costumes, click some other pictures, photoshop a fake marriage certificate, and..." He suddenly paused.

"And?"

He looked lost for a second as he rubbed his neck and asked, "And what else?"

★★★

According to our plans, we first decided to click our photographs. Pictures are more important and valuable than they might seem. A single picture can make and break trust bonds, and relationships and in our case, build a fake couple, maybe.

"Stand closer." The photographer's grumpy voice reached our ears. He had a look like he was too angry with us as if we took away his alone time.

Maybe yes. We will never know.

I stood in a rented red saree that made me appear as a woman whose marriage is being considered.

My eyes turned to see Siddharth standing in a sherwani, rocking his bridegroom look. As he looked nervous, just about to break into a cold sweat, I whispered to him, "You look nice."

He was evidently flustered as he grinned like a fool, his cheeks turning all red. Somehow, he looked like a baby, impressed to hear a compliment. I couldn't help but smile widely at his innocence. "Thank you. You look pretty."

The heat reached my face as I avoided looking straight into his eyes. As I heard the click of the camera, my attention fell on the camera.

For the next hour, we were posing in different outfits and posing to make a perfect plot because what kind of married couple doesn't have a ton of photos in their phone galleries and a couple of them hanging on their house walls?