Lights, Camera & Love

Take 2

"You can do this Parth. Just breathe." He mumbled to himself.

Now, how does one convince themselves to remain calm before a big day? When you know you are going to work with one of the biggest female stars known to India and the world, it's not exactly that easy. When Pratik had revealed that Deepika was going to be his first co-star, Parth was so dumbfounded that he did not believe him, not even for a second. It took a lot of convincing from Pratik's side for him to actually come to accept the reality.

12 hours later, as he stood in front of his mirror, nervousness consumed him with full force. It's not every day that you see your dream coming to life. When Parth had hoped for a big debut, he wasn't expecting it to be this big, with a big banner and even a bigger star. All he ever asked was for something that would be worth his efforts, worth his sacrifice. Proud of the choices he made, Parth looked at his reflection one last time and left to meet his fate. Maybe he would have hesitated, only if he knew how big of a storm was he walking into.

40 mins later, which seemed longer than it should have, he set his foot on the huge posh entrance of Red Chillies Studio. The hustle and bustle of people moving back and fro hurriedly did not bother him, for he was too mesmerized by the grandeur of the building. It was a place where dreams came to life on big screens, a place that gave birth to some of the biggest stars in the country and now, hopefully, it would launch a new star by the name of Parth Samthaan.

Pratik was waiting for him like the loyal manager and friend he was, and when he spotted him a huge smile crept on his face. It was he who had been with Parth since the very beginning of his new journey. He was aware of all the sleepless nights his friend had spent, wondering when his time will come. So, it was natural for Pratik to be happy that things were finally falling into place.

"Ready, rockstar?" Pratik slapped a hand on Parth's shoulder to loosen him up. Anyone within 10 meters of Parth could feel his anxiousness. "Couldn't be more ready. Let's do this before I take a u-turn back home."

Sameer Sahani sat on the Director's chair in the middle of the huge studio room. 10 years ago, he stood at the exact place Parth was standing right now, a small-town boy with aspirations to make it big. Years later, he had several accolades to his name for his immense intelligence in the field of film-making. It was too great of an opportunity for Parth to learn from the best in the business.

As soon as his eyes fell upon the two lads walking towards him, he stood up from his chair as a small smile played on his lips. "Hey guys, welcome to Red Chillies Studio. You must be Parth." Parth immediately lifted his arms for a hand-shake, which he was warmly returned with. "That's me and this is my manager, Pratik. It's an honor, Sir." Sameer chuckled lightly, "Let's skip the honorifics and let's talk work. We have a lot of things to prep for. First of all, I've seen your work and your auditions tape. I like you Parth and there's a reason I chose you for this role." Parth shuddered at the last sentence, the dead weight of expectations already heavying his shoulders. "I promise to do my best. You won't regret your decision." Sameer smiled warmly, "Good. Now, come. I'll show you around the studio."

After a thorough tour of the studio, the three men stood in one corner, so engulfed in their business talk, that they didn't realize who had entered the room. But, when Parth noticed a slender figure walking towards them from the corner of his eyes, he turned his head to the side to see who it was. And, then all the oxygen left his body in a whoosh when he saw Deepika Padukone striding elegantly, her aura so big that he stopped functioning altogether.

Pictures didn't do justice to Deepika's beauty at all, not even a tiny bit. Her large doe shaped eyes, her wide smile, her smooth skin, and her tall figure was too much for an average human to take in at one glance. Warmth and confidence radiated off her in waves, hitting Parth in every way possible. His mouth gaped like a fish, his mind was in shambles not knowing how to act. Deepika gave a warm hug to Sameer, acknowledged Pratik and finally turned around to face Parth. "And I guess you are Parth. It's nice to finally see you in person."

At that moment Parth's brain could only process one thing. "Holy shit. Deepika Padukone knows my name."