Love in making🎬🎥

Chapter 24

So far so good

April 12.
"So the date is set" I said holding Hero's hand. "It is indeed. Exact one month from now" he sighed. "Don't worry. They're going to love you" I said wrapping my arms around his shoulder, standing on my tiptoes. "Hopefully" he smiles. "I know, they will" I said cupping his face. "And how are you so sure?" He asked making me stand on his feet. "Because I am part of your fanclub and a fellow afternator" I squealed. "People who know you, will find your point of view a little biased" he said pulling me close to him. "I will be your No.1 fan forever" I said pressing my forehead against his.
We have completed the shooting in 90 days. That's a record in it's own. After rounds of editing and other work, which is none of my business, the movie will be ready to go on floor. Next weekend, Hero, Anna and Jo will start the tour for the movie promotion. It will be very long, almost a month maybe. Hero wanted me to come with him but due to some terms and technicalities, we can't travel together. "People can not see you guys together" we were told. And both of us knew that beforehand. Not that I am complaining, but I will miss him too much. More than I know, I will. Since the last 2 months, we have been inseparable. There wasn't a single day, when we wouldn't be together after packup. We would be lying on my bed talking about random stuff and kissing or be at Jemmy's place watching movie. I thought that my friends are the best company for movie but trust me. I enjoyed way more than anyone with Hero. His snarky, hilarious comments. Cluelessness about most of the romcom movies and hightenend enthusiasm over Marvel universe. He is just adorable when he explains the plot of the prequels to me. Ask me later what he explained, I will be dumbfounded, because I was too busy adoring him, than listening to him. In this period of time, I have been happier than ever. I tried to tell him about my feelings many a times but I just couldn't. This is not the right time, I have been telling myself. No matter how much those words mean to me and how much I want him to know, I know that right now, he has his own priorities. He has so many things to deal with, I don't want to be an add on.
"You have to come with me to London" he said making a puppy face. "I can't. You know that" I said. "And I asked you why?" He threw himself on my sofa. "Because I have never been out of the country" I said sitting next to him, turning the TV on. "So that is it. You can come with me. I will be the one to take you out of here" he said snaking his arm around my shoulder. I turned away. I don't know what is stopping me. But the idea of going to his place makes me nervous to the pit. "What is it exactly? Tell me honestly" he said turning me towards him, as my legs rested across on his. "I am extremely nervous about this idea. I really don't know why, but it just scares me" I said hiding my face in his shoulder. "There is nothing scary. My friends and family won't cook you alive" he laughed off. "Please. I want to spend this week with you and them before I set off to sail across the world" he begged. "What if they don't like me?What if I am too American for them?" I said looking down. And he laughed, like literally laughed louder than I expected. "Seriously?" He asked after I eyed him. "Nir come here" he said and pulled me on his lap. "You are a very likeable person. There is no chance of them not liking you. Also you are more Indian than American. And it shouldn't matter, until I like you" he gave a long kiss on my forehead. "So you are coming with me?" He asked in a pleading tone. "Okay. I will come with you" I said and he kissed me instantly.
There is no other place, I would ever wanna be.
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"Here it is" I said pushing my clothes in one corner in the cupboard, making room for his clothes, since he will be living with me before going back to London. "I will book the tickets now" Hero jumped on the bed with my MacBook. I quickly changed into my bedwear. Then, I went to the little corner of my room where all my Hindu gods rest on a solid wooden beam. I touched all the frames and joined my hands before bowing my head quickly. "What did you pray for?" Hero stood behind. "Uh... That I won't tell because if we tell about our prayer, it doesn't get fulfilled" I said turning off the lights but he stopped me. "I want to know about them" he said standing in front of my small temple. "Okay. So I will introduce you to them" I said. "This is Hanuman, the monkey God. He is known for strength, intelligence and loyalty. That is Lord Brahma, the creator of universe. He has four faces,looking at all four directions" I pointed towards the photo at the extreme left. "This is Vishnu, the preserver of Universe. Have you heard of Mahabharat? The longest epic in the world" I asked Hero who nodded. "Well he played an important role in that. Not exactly him, but his other form" I said looking at the God who has been cherished since time immemorial. "Form?" Hero asked curiously. "We Hindus believe that the ultimate power or energy of the Universe has different forms and so every God has other forms" I said looking over at Hero, who looked at the photo frame carefully. "And this is Lord Shiva, the destroyer. He neither has a beginning nor an end" I said looking at the idol. "His appearance is different than others" Hero said leaning towards the frame. "Because he is different. His throat is blue, because the poison he drank and do you see that drop of water over their?" I pointed on Lord's hair, wrapped on his head. "Yes, it looks like the water is falling from his bun" he said pointing at the picture. "That is Ganges, the main river of India and the most pious and holy for Hindus" I said looking back at Hero who seemed amused. "You have strong mythology, like Greeks" Hero said finally moving back to the bed. "Yes, you can say that. Except that we believe in different forms of the Supreme divine" I said turning off the lights and joining him in the bed. "I heard that, you have too many Gods but now I find it kind of interesting" he said lying against the headboard. "Yes. We have too many Gods but then, that's the basic tenet of our culture. Just like man cannot do everything on his own, similarly even the Supreme cannot be perfect" I said resting my head on his shoulder. "My friend Valand is Indian, you guys will be able to bond. I have few Indian friends in London" Hero added. "What is your take on faith?" I asked resting against the headboard. "I am not the regular church going guy but I am not an atheist either. I believe as long as we are fulfilling our duties and being compassionate towards others, we are doing the job well" he said drawing his lip in a line. "Right" I said lying down. "Who taught you all this?" He asked me from the corner of his eye. "My aunt and uncle" I said tucking the blanket. "Do you miss them?" He asked lying on his side, next to me. This is a difficult question. I have to think about it. I miss them sometimes, but happy for their absence in the next minute. They never supported me for my dreams and tried very hard to stop me from leaving India. "I do sometimes" I finally said. "Do you talk to them?" He asked intently. "I don't talk to my aunt. Uncle died a year ago but I am in touch with my cousin Ruhi. She was eleven, when I left at the age of fourteen" I said. "I hope someday, your aunt will realise your happiness. Able to see the wonderful work you do" he said bringing me closer to him. "Me too" I said before drifting off to sleep. The deep ache, of the loss of my family, is something which pains me when I am alone but there is nothing I can do about that. Friends do keep your mind involved but the true feeling of home haunts me. Until I met Hero. With him home feels a lot like a person. A lot like him.