Behind the Camera (Complete✅)

Chapter 1 - "Silver screen..."

Manik Malhotra is having his final makeup touch in his vanity when the door opens with a loud thud. The makeup man and Manik both are shaken for a moment. Within no second, a petite frame storms in. With a fuming face, she nears Manik and slams a magazine on the table.

"Can you explain to me what the nonsense is published in this rubbish magazine, Mr superstar?"

Manik glances at the famous film magazine and gestures to his makeup man to excuse them for a while through the mirror. With an obedient nod, the makeup artist exits the vanity but not before greeting the girl who is now honouring Mr Manik Malhotra the superstar with a venomous glare. Manik lifts the magazine. It has a sensual sizzling cover page image of his and the girl who is standing next to him. A smug smile peeps on his lips. Without shifting his gawking eyes from the image, he says in chaff,

"Nonsense? But I found it super sexy and hot. Nandini, just look at your face. How aroused you are by my touch! This is called the burning chemistry which only we can create. Both on the screen and off the screen."

He places his sensuous brown orbs on Nandini's surprised yet vexed ones.

"Chemistry my foot. Just read the headline. It's written...Manan the new flame? I mean really? You and me....together again? Next to impossible. I have no interest. Tell me one thing; why did you mention my name in your rapid-fire answer that they got a hint to publish this rubbish baseless headline?"

She counters in a decent high pitch when unmindfully closes to Manik. With a jerk, Manik gets up from his chair and replies in a hissing sound,

"Wow, that means you have already read my interview and still you say that you have no interest in me.

His counter-attack puts a break on her escalating temper. She can't deny that she almost dissected his interview in one go. She breaks the eye contact and tries to seek an explanation.

"Yes, I read. Because the magazine has published my interview too. So, I went through your part too. But that's not the point. Neither has it shown that I am interested in you...again. Mr Manik Malhotra, a person can't be fooled twice. I have had enough in my past but I won't let this happen in my future. Not anymore. I won't let you involve my name with you and get publicity. So, call the reporter of this magazine and give a counter statement that you didn't mean anything like this in your previous interview. You have nothing to do with me and we are just co-actors in this film."

Her tone again soars. Manik's eyes beam with a snigger. His nose flares and his jaws tighten. With an icy voice, he asks,

"Ms Nandini Murthy or should I say Mrs Nanadini Murthy Malhotra, are you living in your dreamland? I, the superstar Manik Malhotra, the 7times Flickfare Award and 3 times National award winner, the highest-paid actor is trying to involve your name for publicity? Are you kidding me? Let me burst your bubble then. You must need this cheap publicity, not me. You will be benefited if your name gets incorporated with mine. Maybe your sinking career gets some hike."

He is now very close to Nandini. She can feel his burning breath on her face. Nandini clenches her jaws to control her pique. Still, the rise and fall of her chest is indicating her spleen. With a grimace, she vents out,

"How dare you call me Mrs Malhotra? I have nothing to do with you. In fact, I curse that day when I met you. I curse that day when I fell for you and I swear the day when I married you. But what happened to you today?"

She scoffs and continued,

"Once Mr Manik Malhotra denied this relationship and today he is accepting me as his wife! Joke of the year. And congratulations on your all success but I am happy with my career. It is sinking or rising. That is none of your business. At least I don't have to warm somebody's bed to get this money and success."

Her eyes and mouth both spit the venom.

"NANDINI...."

Manik's voice exits its highest pitch. If the vanity had not been soundproof the next day's newspaper surely would have got another headline to publish. Along with his pitch, his hand also rises to hit Nandini's cheek. She closes her eyes with fear.

"Get out...leave...before I lose my control and become the monster again...leave this place at once."

Manik utters in a trembling voice and fists his palm refraining himself to cross the line. His knuckles turn white and his sharp fair face becomes red. With closed eyes, he steps back just to normalize his hysteria. Nandini bites her lips ruefully. She observes him for a second. Her eyes get blurred for a second. In the next moment, she turns on her heel and heads the closed door to exit this toxic environment. Manik sinks in the chair. His frame slackens in despair.

"How much more will you hurt me? Your one misunderstanding has ruined our life. Your ego and your stubbornness have never allowed you to see my innocence. I hate you Nandu...I hate you. You have killed the real me. I just wanted to be your Manik. But you turned me to monster Manik. This flamboyance, this glamorous life and this success is nothing without you. Sometimes I want to destroy all these with my own hands and surrender myself to you. But I know you will never accept me. Your ego will never give your love a second chance. Okay, Nandu. You made this monster so you have to bear this monster. I will not let you go so smoothly. You don't want my name with you...right? Not emotionally, not physically and not in writing. So, from now, I will show you what can I do to stick my existence to you? I will show you my rights on you. I will make your life so disturbed and miserable that you have to come to me. I will close all doors around you. The one and only road that exists will lead to me. You curse the day you fell in love with me, right? But from now you will curse this day to awake the sleeping monster in me. People will only see our romantic chemistry on the silver screen. But behind the camera, our love story will be totally different. I swear in this story you will get everything to play but laugh. There will be only tears, abuse, pain and revenge. All the best Ms Nandini Murthy...the silver screen tragedy queen. It's time for some real-life tragedy."

He mumbles with a cruel smile.

Author's note: How is the magazine cover guys?  🙈🙈🙈