Seven Dates A Weekend | RO ✓

12 | the one in which she has a movie date.

"You're an expert at this." I admire at her work as I stare into my reflection in the mirror. She grins at me triumphantly. "Damn right, I am. To transform you from authentic Indian attire to modern Western statement fashion? a job is done best by me. Meera can do it all." And with that, she pats her back. I break into a smile and let out a chuckle at the sight of that.

"And she finally laughed." She smiles at me. I nod, letting the smile play upon the lines of my lips for a while longer. "Thanks to you."

"I know it's been stressful." She says, grabbing onto my shoulders gently. "But don't let it get to you. You're doing a show. You're doing your best at such short notice and believe it or not, people are loving you!"

At the mere mention of people, my eyebrows shoot up from its state of normality. The thought alone astonishes me.

People are loving me. Does that mean they are currently watching me?

Of course, they would. That's the whole point of this show. It's why I signed a contract. It's why I made plans the night before Friday to garner more content for the show. It's why we everyone is working so hard. It's why Aahan has been distant. Isn't it?

Because people are watching us.

But I've been so busy keeping up with every date, embodying energy and enthusiasm in every single one of them for my hard work to flourish, that I completely have forgotten how all of this would be broadcasted to people at large at various media platforms.

"What exactly do you mean by 'people are loving me'?" I turn around in my chair to meet Meera's eyes. She smiles brightly at me before explaining. "Everyone loved the first episode of 'The Dates' vlog. The cameramen did an excellent job of getting all the necessary details and shots for the first date. It took the editing team and Aahan sir, a lot of time to upload but this morning while you were with your second date it was up and the response to it was amazing! Everyone seems to love your personality. The tension you and Ashish had was a peak point to many for the first episode and the tips you added at the end of your date? Women loved that. So did quite a few numbers of men."

All this new information blows my mind. I tap my fingers onto my phone's screen furiously. Soon enough a video rolls up onto the screen. The thumbnail is of me and Ashish when he held my hand over the dinner table and the views besides the video icon are at the rate of one hundred and twelve thousand views.

"Time to make a move, Saloni," Meera says as she goes back to packing up all essential makeup into her makeup set. I nod to her and move out of the chair slowly. But my feet feel heavy all of a sudden and words find no voice. I am unable to produce any response as Meera talks to me, helps me select a comforting yet badass pair of boots, or as she helps me out of my room as I almost bumped into a tired-looking Aahan.

He raises his eyebrows at me, taking in my getup. There's only a nod of approval before he disappears into his room and Meera pulls me towards the lift for yet another date.

***

On the fourth, date of the show, I expected something grand to happen. After three excellent dates, all involving various methods of exchanging conversations whilst enjoying our meals, I hope for my next date to be something adventurous. But it was far from anything I had imagined.

Standing tall in my four inches high heels, combat boots against the lens of the camera I pull onto my best enthusiastic smile; something I've mastered after three continuous dates. I wait for the camera to start rolling before I begin with my usual intro of the video.

Currently standing outside of the PVR theatre of Juhu, I clench my jaw as a wind rustle its ways through my hair. My patience begins to have plummeted as I seem to continue to attend every other date. But every time I pull myself back with a reminder of my contract and the opportunity this job would bring in the near future.