Under The Bollywood Sky [ON HOLD]

Between Spotlight and Shadows

Raunak's POV

"Bas ek aur Raunak, yeh last hai. Chalo, muh kholo."

"Arey bas bas, Navya, mera mann bhar gaya hai. Ab aur jagah nahi bachi kuch bhi khane ki."

"Par yeh last hai, Raunak. Iske baad bas yeh halwa khalo, fir ho gaya."

"Kya? Halwa? Yahaan ek kaur ki jagah nahi bachi, aur tum halwa abhi nikaal rahi ho!"

"Arey, ab apni health pe dhyaan nahi doge toh play kaise karoge? Chalo chup chap khao yeh." I took the last bite of paratha Navya had brought for us(me and Savash) from home. Her mother always sent something extra for me, and it had become a daily ritual to share lunch with her.

Navya brought enough food for me and Savash because, between play rehearsals, engineering assignments, and maintaining the flat, we barely had time to cook for ourselves. At first, I thought maybe she was trying to get closer to me, but sometimes I brushed it off, thinking it was just her way of caring as a friend.

However, there was always this nagging doubt—what if it was something more? Her smiles lingered a little too long, and sometimes the casual touches didn't seem all that casual. But I didn't dwell on it. I wasn't great with these things, always shy when it came to romance.But Savash?

He had no such reservations. He'd dig into the food Navya brought with zero guilt, sometimes even finishing my portion if I said I wasn't hungry. He had no shame, that guy, but it's his this part only which we love about him. He's so pure with his feelings.

The constant rehearsals were draining, leaving little room for discipline when it came to our diet or personal lives. I was the lead in the play, which meant double the pressure. Add to that our engineering coursework, the house chores, and the weight of expectations—it was overwhelming.

Navya had been supportive throughout, but I couldn't help feeling stretched thin. Savash and I had finally decided to hire a cook. It wasn't sustainable to keep juggling everything. Really, I marveled at how our mothers and sisters handle all this without a word of complaint. Women truly deserve more credit than they get.

After lunch, Savash headed back to class while Navya and I made our way to the auditorium. With the play's premiere fast approaching, we were skipping more classes than ever. I didn't mind, though. I didn't want to leave room for any excuses if things went wrong on the big day. We had poured our hearts into this play for months—six to seven months of non-stop dedication.

This was our moment. Whether I won Best Actor or not didn't matter as much as delivering a performance everyone would remember. All I wanted was for the entire team to walk away feeling proud of their work, no matter the outcome.