The Comfort Of Her Presence

CHAPTER 8

ADITI'S POV

Finally, it's the last day of our shoot, and I'm overjoyed that I won't have to act anymore. If it weren't for Naina, I wouldn't have agreed to do this at all. She's just so crazy about my acting and calls me her favorite actress. But seriously, why do I always end up doing what I dislike? It irritates me when Dad pushes me into this stuff. I know he cares, but it feels like too much sometimes.

When my mom was alive, she always encouraged him to let me follow my own path, and he did. But after her passing, he became overly protective. He doesn't want me to travel alone anymore because he thinks it's unsafe, even though he knows I'm a black belt in karate. He just can't bear the thought of his daughter going off on trips by herself.

He wants me to take over his production one day, which is why he makes me manage everything on set. He wants me to understand all the aspects of the business and to appreciate the struggles he's faced.

He believes that doing so will help me respect this position. So, he has me involved in everything-from handling lighting arrangements to putting up with that annoying director, Keshav. I do it all-literally everything.

My dad is overprotective of me, but sometimes I wonder why he can't see that I'm not happy doing all of this. Why can't he recognize my unhappiness? All I want is a life where I can make my own decisions, where I can choose my own path without feeling suffocated by his expectations. It's frustrating to feel trapped in a life that doesn't truly reflect who I am or what I want. I just wish he could trust me enough to let me live my life the way I see fit.

Sometimes, I think back to those days when my father would disagree with something, and I wouldn't do it simply because I never wanted to make him sad. I remember wanting a toy car instead of a doll, and I could see the disappointment in his eyes because he wanted to buy me a doll. So, I kept quiet. Then, one day, he surprised me and handed me the toy car, and I was over the moon that he agreed with my choice.

That moment is the only reason I haven't run away from the life he has laid out for me. I want his approval; I want him to be happy with what I do. I long for him to agree with my decisions, but that seems impossible now. I feel like I'm stuck between wanting to please him and wanting to live my own life, and it's tearing me apart.

Because I know he loves me and genuinely wants the best for me, it makes this struggle even harder. I can see the care in his eyes, the way he goes out of his way to protect me, but sometimes I wish he could understand that what he thinks is best isn't what makes me happy. I want to make my own choices, but the fear of disappointing him holds me back. It's a constant battle between my desires and his expectations, and it leaves me feeling trapped in a life that isn't truly mine.

"Let's go, the shot is ready," Naina calls out to me.

"Coming," I reply, dragging my feet a little.

Keshav is seriously ridiculous with this ad. He's making us act like dogs, constantly sniffing each other. I mean, what kind of perfume ad is this if you have to be practically cheek to cheek with someone just to smell it? It's absurd. He really should've ditched the whole sniffing bit altogether.

"Alright, in this shot, Jay will pick you up in his arms, and you two will have a romantic eye contact moment," Keshav says.

"What exactly is 'romantic eye contact'?" I ask, clearly annoyed.

"Just imagine he's someone you love," Keshav replies, unfazed.

"But I don't think there's anyone I love right now," I say, almost casually.

"Your singlehood is making this difficult for all of us," Keshav says, clearly irritated.

"What am I supposed to do when I don't have a boyfriend?" I retort.