This is the story of Jehangir and Riya.
Kaira calls her conscience; her brain, her ration.
What would happen if her conscience loses her control, what if, for once, she is able to live for herself and not for others?
Everyone knew what was going to...
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I am now in Mumbai, working as a line producer in a company and an executive producer in my own company as well, in short films, advertisements, and movies in Mumbai. I have been working in here for about 5 years and I am advertising the importance of speaking about mental illnesses through my ventures. This is one of my aims, actually. To minimize the stigma of mental illnesses.
My name's Piya, by the way. I should have said that at the beginning, but never mind.
My work lets me wander all over the world, and experience different lives every day as I work with different people. I have also worked in New York for a number of Hollywood movies and short films. Some of them have won Oscars as well. You can say that I am really famous. I have done lots of charity work as well. I am currently working on a project that deals with young people and their relationships.
Out of all the people that I have encountered in my life, Kiara seems to be the one who is strikingly similar to me. She is blunt and cynical and only comfortable with her best friends, Fatima and Ganju who work with her. At least this is what I see of her. Just like me before I met him.
I remember one day; I was working on some report that I was supposed to send back to New York the next day. I was really stressed, so I started humming and then singing as I was getting even more nervous; I even reached the point of screaming. Kiara comes into the studio and sees me screaming. I thought: She is going to think that I am completely crazy. Her reaction was unbelievable: She sang and helped me out at the same time. She's a sweet girl.
I wish I met her earlier. She is just like me and yet she isn't. She didn't lose her family as I did.
I have also met Raghuvendra. He is very judgemental to young and attractive women, like Kiara. I have heard some of their conversations and they are quite interesting.
Today we are wrapping up the shooting of the movie I told you about earlier. Thank God for that. I was feeling out of place. I am going back to New York tonight. I am missing the hectic days back in New York.
I go to my office to get all of my stuff so that I can go home, and someone knocks on the door.
"May I come in, Piya?"
"Yep."
Kiara comes in. She has a piece of paper in her right hand. And then she speaks. Very hesitantly.
"Hem, Piya there is a party and everyone from the crew has been invited. Would you like to come?"
She gives me an invitation card more like a piece of paper with some scribbles. She might have guessed by now that I wanted to go as soon as the work got done since I had left a ready backpack and a small suitcase with most, if not all my belongings. And I was getting strapped to leave. But the nagging feeling of not going to this get-together was bugging me. So, I decided to go.
"Okay, I'll come."
It's not her fault that I wanted to go back to New York. Then, why should I upset her?
I got into my apartment and left my backpack on the bed, and the suitcase near the bed. Ganga Tai comes in and sees that I am sitting down on the floor. I feel a void.
"Kya hua Piya? " I cry silently. Then I start talking to her.
"Tai, kya main bohot buri hoon?"
"Nahin toh! Kyu, kisine kuch kaha tumse?"
"Nahin Tai. Kisine kuch nahin kaha mujhse. Jise bolna tha, usne kuch nahin kaha, toh dusre kya kahate hai mujhe parva nahin."
"Kya tumko uski bohot yaad aa rahi hai?"
"Haan, Tai. Bohot. Pata nahin kis halat me hai, khush hai bhi ya nahin, kya kar raha hoga abhi. Tai, mera dil bohot bechain ho raha hai. Kya karu? Ek taraf mein uske paas rehna chahati hon, aur dusri taraf...."
"Aur dusri taraf tera swabhimaan tujhe jane nahin dega." At that point, I close my eyes and see him. He is very happy. With his baby. I am running with him on the beach. He then stops and pulls me close to him. I can feel his heartbeat and I open my eyes.
There is Ganga Tai in front of me, but I can't stop picturing myself with him. Oh heart, when you will ever learn?
Ganga Tai has been with me for as far as I can remember. In fact, she used to take care of my mother. Just after my parents got pregnant with me, Ganga Tai took care of Maa. She has 3 children: 2 boys and one girl and I love them dearly. They are like my brothers and sister from another mother. I do have 1 brother of my own, but he is currently studying in London for a degree in Accountancy, so I see him rarely.
"Accha Tai, abhi mein ready hone jaati hoon. Aaj ek work party hai. Aap mera intezaar mat karna aur raat ka khana khalena, theek hai?"
"Okay, baba."
Once, I reached the party I was straight heading for the bar. I ordered a virgin Mojito and realized that someone was looking at me, and that was Kiara. She was looking at me as if I was a mystery that she wants to unravel. Curiosity was taking a toll on her.
I finished my drink and ordered another one, then another one, then another one, till the point that I was completely drunk, so to speak.
Do you know why I was drinking so heavily?
The reason was that it was his birthday and I was remembering all the memories that I had on that day. It was draining me.
Kiara, who was watching me attentively, came closer to my seat.
"Why are you drinking so much, Piya?"
I wanted to forget myself for once. I wanted to forget everything that happened between us. And that's not easy.
