Road to the Ocean

Chapter 1: Selection

Disclaimer: Take deep breaths, ladies and gentlemen, though I doubt there is any gentleman out there reading this story. Firstly, I would like to say thanks by expressing my deep gratitude for your enthusiastic responses on this fanfiction I have been receiving, it's flattering indeed. They are motivational enough to make me update quicker. Back to the point, there is a reason why this book falls in the category of fan fiction, because..... * cue music, drumroll* breaking news....it's fiction! The idea has been inspired by onscreen and offscreen events, but all are merely an interpretation of what I have witnessed and then have turned them into my own imaginations. So please ladies, no bashing or swearing at real persons, aka the actors. In addition to that, this story is being written with loads of efforts as I am raking my mind for ideas, therefore kindly be decent enough not to copy or replicate any of my hard work. Lastly, the comments, votes and perceptions of my readers are highly recommended. It encourages me to update on regular bases and to understand what everyone has been perceiving. Thanks once again for all the wonderful feedbacks.

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As the moon lit up the dark sky and all the shining stars came alive, there came a tall young man in his early twenties, dressed in a fitted red shirt, a black leather jacket and white jeans. He checked the name plate of the building and compared that with the address on his phone. He was indeed at the right place. Taming his thick dark hair ruffled from his bike ride, he knocked at the very last door of the building which was written on a plain sheet of paper "Audition for Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan". While waiting for someone to open it, he pondered on how close he was to sign the contract for another show, a paranormal one, from the same production house, but at the last minute the producers recommended him to audition for this youth show. He wasn't a believer of fate nor of the mysterious vibes emanated by the Universe, nonetheless he was suddenly washed by a feeling that once he would open this door his life would change forever. He tried to dismiss it but the feeling lingered by. Deep down he knew he couldn't blame it on his nervousness. Afterall his acting skills were decent enough, and he had even be praised of being rather promising, but he always endeavoured not to let those words get over his head. Right now what mattered the most was that he could get casted for this role.


The door opened to reveal a tiny woman in her late thirties whom he instantly recognised as Richa Yamini, a brilliant screenplay writer and an even more amazing creative director, someone with whom many actors would only dream to work with. The intricacies of the breath-taking romantic screenplays that she had orchestrated along with her meticulously chosen team, had made overnight sensations out of actors of the likes of Dhrasti Dhami. Richa wasn't known as the "Lady with the golden touch" for nothing. Sure she was fastidious but the outcome of her work spoke for itself ; she brought the best out of her actors and her characters always strike a chord with the audience. As an aspiring actor for Bollywood, getting a role in Richa's show was the first step to get noticed by the film producer.

"Hi Ma'am" the young man beamed, "I am Parth Samthaan and I am here to give my audition for Manik Malhotra". He was greeted with an enthusiastic nod but before the creative director could respond, she was interrupted by a phone call. "Sorry it's an urgent call, I have to take that but please take a seat I will be right back," she uttered, apology clearly written on her dusky face. Less than one minutes into meeting this woman, and Parth already developed a great sense of respect and liking towards Richa. He knew a lot of people of her calibre, the majority of whom reeked of arrogance but not Richa, she radiated such warmth and seemed to have such a down to Earth personality that people were instantly drawn to her.

He smiled at Richa's distancing figure and he glanced on his left side towards the sitting area Richa had gestured before leaving.

Comfortably seated on the couch was a petite girl who didn't look any older than eighteen years, so engrossed in reading a mystery novel on her Kindle App, but she didn't noticed Parth taking the seat opposite her. Awe was evident in her dark chocolate eyes framed by her lustrous lashes which swerved repeatedly across her screen as she took in the suspense unfolding in the plot. Her chubby cheeks, button cute nose and plush raspberry lips complemented her features nicely to give her a subtle touch of innocence. She was slightly perched over her phone, her adorable face was partly hidden by her long midnight black mane and the pretty black lace dress she wore covered up to her knees. Her silver bangles on her right hand chimed as she tucked one of her silky curls behind her ear, the fleeting frown on her face expression morphing into that of excitement. Parth, being the foodie he was, let out a small chuckle on envisioning how her expression reminded him of child beaming at ice-cream.

"Here comes the guy I was just talking about", Richa's voice boomed across the room. The girl yelped in surprise and dropped her phone in her lap, causing Parth and Richa to chortle. She jumped on her feet and grinned sheepishly at Richa before trailing her eyes to the owner of the deep masculine's chuckle. Her line of sight met his rippled chest muscles barely concealed behind his tight red shirt. 'Tall' was the first thought that flecked through her mind but when she lifted her head to take a look at him, her breath hitched.

His mesmerizing dark eyes held such an intensity, such trustworthiness and such tenderness that emancipated from deep within. Parth was undeniable very good looking and with him being unaware of his magnetic appeal did not help matters at all, which added to girls feeling more attracted to him, as if he is pulling them closer to him with an invisible thread.

Parth stepped closer to the girl and offered her a soft smile. "Parth Samthaan" he introduced himself. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she gave him a heart melting smile which for a second. made his world come to a halt. " Hi, I am Niti. Niti Taylor, nice meeting you."

Niti was the quasi-essential next-door girl. Ever since her childhood she has dreamt of becoming an actress, a dream which lead her to Mumbai, away from her birth city Delhi, away from her parents. With the majority of her friends in Delhi, she had made only a few friends here since she was more of a Netflix and chill type of person. Living alone in Mumbai in her one bedroom apartment flat has made her independent, something she was really proud of but it also did make her feel lonely at times. TV industry was a complex paradise to thrive on; not only was it hard to be able to stand on your feet, it was highly competitive. Aside from talents, knowing the right persons and being at the right place at the right moment greatly mattered especially for struggling actors. Nonetheless the fruits of success totally made the struggles worth it.

Niti considered blessed that she was able to get this far in the auditions rounds. That late afternoon when she got a call informing her that production team wanted to do a look test with another actor, she opted to be one hour early because she was determined to make a good impression. Never in her dreams had she imagine that the guy in question would be this attractive.

"You may leave each other hands now and sit down" Richa remarked, amusement laced in her voice as she observed their interactions with each other. Parth and Niti glanced at their locked hands, both embarrassed, Niti blushing fiercely while Parth chuckling nervously. They uttered an awkward "sorry" and took a synchronous step back. Laughter visible in her eyes, Richa gently shook her head and urged them to sit down, immediately getting into her professional persona. She briefed them on her vision for Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan, of her desire to make it one of its kind, of the subtle nuances she wanted to bring into her main characters, especially Manik and Nandini, who both played pivotal roles in her screenplay and who were equally very close to her heart. She was looking for individuals who could indulge themselves into the characters, who could endorse Manik and Nandini in a way to make the audience feel connected to them.

By the time Richa was done with her explanations, the blaze of determination shimmered in Parth's eyes. He peeked at Niti who was already staring at him, identically resolved. " We will do our best to live up to your expectations Richa Ma'am" He said sincerely. Niti nodded "Yes Ma'am, I know how much Manik and Nandini means to you" Richa smiled and said "Good then, let's get started". She gave them papers containing a scene of Manik and Nandini.

"I won't give you much direction because I believe that each actors can add so much to a character. So just go with the lines you are given and be yourself and let's see how you two interact." Richa purposefully didn't let them know what she was really looking for. As a fact of matter, she had already viewed their previous auditions tapes and approved of their acting skills. Little did they know that the look test was just a formality, she made up her mind to cast them as Manik and Nandini the moment they caught her attention with their interaction earlier. Needless to say, Parth and Niti aced the test, confirming what Richa already discerned, bringing alive the characters of Manik and Nandini and outshining Richa's expectations ; when they came together in a single frame, they commanded an exhilarative chemistry . "They looked perfect together, like heaven on Earth" Richa thought to herself.

"That's enough I suppose, congratulations you are now selected. I will call you later to sign the contract." Richa interrupted, unable to hold her excitement anymore. Parth and Niti mirrored an expression of surprise as they looked at Richa who was beaming at them with a huge smile. "But Ma'am .. I...I thought we would give more test...?" Niti asked. Richa came close to her and dragged Parth too, bringing him closer to Niti and said "Some things are just meant to be. I don't believe in coincidences. The moment I saw your interactions, I caught glimpses of energies aligning and I am happy that you didn't let me down, and proved my guts feelings to be right." she hugged both "I found what I was looking for." she asked them to sit and then she continued, "I normally don't say this to anyone, but as long as you be yourself, you will be more than perfect." She sighed cheerfully.

"Now go home and relax. Don't think about your sudden selection because soon, there will be a roller coaster ride and which, I am sure, you two will enjoy the most." Richa knew no one could do justice to Manik and Nandini better than them. Since then, there was no looking back for her. Kaisi Yeh Yaariyaan was her baby, and she wanted it to be perfect, that's why she scrutinized all the steps in the making of the show, from writing to directing. Indeed Richa wasn't the typical creative head who would merely delegate works to others. She got herself involved in all the processes to ensure quality work. Her responsibilities were doubled now that she had to decide how would she utilize Parth and Niti's talents into something she thought could give major competition to other well-known characters of this industry.

Parth and Niti were still baffled at the situation as they didn't know what she meant by saying they would enjoy the most. They cordially said good bye to each other and went in their own ways. That was the end of day that marked the beginning of a new zestful journey that awaited them.