SiriuslySoha's OS Collection

Harshali OS : Best Birthday Ever

*The idea came to my mind by the 7 second glimpse of Harshali where they first look quite somber but smile wide on spotting cameras.*

~

Pranali was quietly watching her current and ex co-actors dance their hearts out on the floor. It was, after all, her twenty-fourth birthday and the celebrations were in full swing. She was having the time of her life as well until...

She received a mail from the production house.

The colour had instantly drained from her face. Harshad was the first one to notice her paleness, he always was, and approached her to inquire without being obvious.

“The production house wants me to extend the contract for a month as they don't want to take a leap amid the cricket world cup.” - she had answered his questioning and concerned eyes.

As if, the torture they were going through for over a year was not enough, that the production house decided to shamelessly demand that — that too during her birthday celebration no less! ATROCIOUS!

If it had been in Harshad and Pranali's power, they had left as soon as the show headed for the first leap. They both even had a talk about it during dialogue rehearsals that the show was barreling down. They had predicted from then itself and had expressed their desire to leave in front of each other as well. But then, it had been just 10 months and the contract they had signed was of 2 years. The journey was long but they had to endure.

And it was the most torturous journey she had ever endured for a serial. But now, finally, FINALLY, it was coming to an end. Harshad had already denied, stating that he will leave on the contract's completion so now they had turned to her. How could the producers even think that they would like to extend the contract even for a day ?!

“It's your day Pree. Don't stress over anything and enjoy. We will talk about it later.” - Harshad, who was stood beside her, said softly.

They shared an eye-lock. Her gaze, restless and troubled. His, calm and assuring. He had just forwarded the glass of water towards her when her eyes caught a phone being turned in their direction and their friend from the set running towards them in excitement while making a reel.

Harshad followed Pranali's eyes and instantly smiled, not giving them away. Pranali plastered a smile on face as well and grinned at the camera — something at which she had become a pro in the last 14 months.

While her insides, jumbled.

~

At half past eleven, Harshad opened the door to his apartment and let Pranali in before him. Her tired gait and somber demeanor was not how he had been wanting her birthday to end. It tugged at his heart.

‘Honestly, DKP couldn't wait a day more ?’ - he thought, as he hung the keys in the foyer and moved further in. One needed to be at the last stage of cruelty to spoil someone's mood on their birthday. But since the production house in question was D.K.P., he was not surprised.

Sighing, he reached Pranali who had stopped in the middle of the hall, and hugged her from behind. His arms wrapping around her petite frame protectively and she leaned back on him, closing her eyes. To him, she was already his small human. But whenever she got worried over something, he felt her becoming smaller. Like those creatures which roll themselves into a ball as a defense mechanism from the predators.

“Harshad I'm tired.” - she exhaled quietly, eyes still closed.

He tilted his head down and planted a soft kiss on her temple. “I know.” - he whispered.

He had hardly seen her smiling genuinely in the past 14 months. She was extremely disappointed and dissatisfied by the way her on screen character, which was totally wrong since the first leap, was shown as a victim and ever since was being whitewashed instead of getting realization and redemption. She had expressed her discomfort for the same to him as well. They both knew it was the start of a disaster that was why they had not expressed any excitement for the godforsaken reunion of their on screen characters because again, it was shallow and walked the path of another, bigger destruction. They were just patiently waiting for their contract to end.