The dark side of the fame

PART - EIGHT

The release party of Deedar' was even grander than mere bina', because it was the film that brought together two loyal of the industry, MM and madhyam singhania. Every invited guest felt oneself privileged to be a part of the occasion. Nandini was quite enjoying the crowd of people created by the journalists around her; she had quite grown to bask in this limelight of glamour and fame. She was enjoying a drink while casually answering the volley of questions asked by the film journalists when she spotted Alia somewhere in the crowd. She excused herself and approached alia.

"Hi alia, how are you doing?" smiled nandini.

"Oh hi nandini, look at you dear!! You look absolutely gorgeous!!" said alia and pecked on her cheeks.

"So how is life?" asked nandini.

"Don't even ask me, I am almost dead. Everyday song recordings followed by the TV music show shootings, and every now and then international music performances; I have no time for life. I hardly get time together with MM these days," whined alia.

"Oh I see. It does sound terrible;" "Tell me about yourself nandini. How are you enjoying this glitz world? Have you met someone special yet?" winked alia.

"Not really alia. As you know, men are like bathrooms, the nice ones are occupied and the rest are full of shit!" replied nandini with a shrug.

"Oh my god nandini, is life treating you well? You sound too mature for your age!!" replied alia in shock. Nandini smiled and excused herself as she saw MM approaching them.

It was almost two months after release of Deedar'. Nandini had signed two more movies with the leading production houses of the industry and the shooting was going with full pace. The days passed faster with the hectic schedules for nandini, but the nights were long, too long to break into the next day.

She had moved in a new apartment that she had bought herself. The balcony of her flat faced the sea and every evening after coming back from work nandini would stand at her balcony and look at the vast stretch of sea in front; she counted the endless waves crashing on the shore and going back to the sea, relentless like the lonely days and nights of her life.

The evening was very pleasant, cool winds blowing from the sea made nandini feel too restless. She felt like escaping somewhere and having some good time. After giving a thought, she decided to call siddharth.

"What a surprise nandini? I thought you have completely forgotten this friend, now that you are a big star," exclaimed siddharth on receiving her call.

"Oh shut up budhdhu. I wanted to meet you and have some good time dost. It's been so long since we had a freaking time together. Aaj milte hai kahin, please don't say no," pleaded nandini.

Siddharth kept silent for sometime and then replied,"nandini there is something I wanted to tell you for quite sometime. Uhmm, I am seeing someone."

"Seeing someone? Who is that unfortunate being?" asked nandini surprised.

"Mukti. We are kind of together for the last couple of months. I was planning to tell you soon. And tonight we are going out for dinner. Why don't you join us?" asked siddharth.

"No it's ok yaar. You people have a good time together. I am very happy for you two. I will see you later, bye."

Nandini wanted to be genuinely happy for her friends, but somehow her loneliness engulfed that morsel of good feeling and left her even more pensive. She started scrolling the contact list in her phone when it stopped at a name and even before she realized, the call button was pressed.

"Nandini? What a big surprise!! Did you call me yaah galti se number lag gayi?" asked arjun.

"Can you meet me tonight at the Poison Ivy Club?" blurted out nandini.