Talk of the Town

25 //

"I'm scared, Shray. Can I skip this one?"

"You skipped the three other events I suggested before. My team is not happy, Miraya. We have to be seen together in public. And this is the perfect opportunity because Ria will be there too. If the cameras catch both of you having a fun conversation, it will only strengthen our fake relationship," Shray explains through the phone.

Miraya throws open her closet. "But it's so sudden! I haven't prepared anything and I don't have clothes that are appropriate to wear to a trailer launch event," she says, scrunching her nose at the number of t-shirts, solid-coloured blouses, formal pants and jeans she has. Miraya doesn't invest in party wear since she rarely has a reason for one.

"You don't have to worry about your clothing. I'll take care of it. The question is, can you be there?"

"I can sit back in the audience quietly through the event, right?"

"Yes, and right after the event concludes, Ria, you and I will meet. Sounds okay?"

Miraya doesn't like it. The only person she will know in the event is Shray. Even though she knows he will do anything to make sure she is okay, she can't help but feel anxious about it. It's a different environment. A different world. Miraya is pretty good at conversations but still there is a fear of being judged lodged in the back of her mind.

Last night, she came across a comment stating that Miraya doesn't deserve Shray and she is not even beautiful. Being a part of the media industry, she knows how these audacious comments work. She shouldn't let it affect her. But still, it does. Miraya is a secure person who is aware of her flaws and strengths and views herself as a strong, efficient woman. Comments like these become cracks on her self-confidence and she is worried the comments might make it shatter soon enough.

She can't let Shray know about it. He had specifically asked her not to read comments or any articles related to her and Shray. But she had gone and did just that. She can't let it show that her emotional grit is becoming more of a facade.

"Okay."

"During the event, if anyone recognizes you or surrounds you, don't react or respond to questions. Just make sure you show support to both Ria and me so that in case you are caught on camera, you'll only prove to them that we are tight-knit."

"Shray, what if I mess this up? I don't want to bring you more trouble," Miraya says.

"You won't. I'll be at your place tomorrow noon with the dress. Don't overthink it. Get some sleep. It will all be okay. You'll be amazing."

Somehow, Shray's words calm her down. They give her the exact type of assurance she needs even though he doesn't say anything extraordinary. It's just the usual combination of words thrown carelessly around to make impossible promises. And yet, why do they have so much power over her?

"So... I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes," Shray says over background chatter. "Did you eat?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. Um, you?"

"I'm going to. Call me if you need anything for tomorrow, okay?"

Miraya's voice simmers down to that of a petted cat. "Okay. Bye."

The next morning, Miraya wakes up before her alarm because she is an anxious bundle of nerves. So many possible embarrassing situations might occur in the event. One slip and it will all be all over the news. If it only harms her, she would close her eyes, bite her teeth and get through it but her mistakes affect Shray as well. She feared she might bring bad publicity.