Dil Beparwah | ✔

four

I had been pinning a few draft ideas onto the soft board in my crammed up office when I heard a few soft knocks. "Come in."

I wasn't one for stereotypes, but it was the airhead intern. "I was wondering if you could maybe let me leave early today?"

It wasn't as though she was our most prized possession, but I quirked my eyebrow waiting for her explanation.

"Uh- I kind of have to go somewhere."

That had a translation. "For a few drinks at a bar with someone you know?"

Bingo. "Someone everybody knows, actually," Esha launched into the part of the explanation I did not want. "Sanaya Gupta is back in town for a few days, with the entire crew of What They Say. And it's not really a party- just a chill mild get together? She's introducing me to her crew!"

The crew that Arnav Deewan was also a part of. Esha's someone she knows connection could actually be put into a good use.

She misplaced my silence for something else though. "Oh shiť, I did not mean it like that- I love working here, even as an intern. Introduce just... casually, you know."

"Of course," It was the first genuine smile I flashed her. "In fact, I think that's great. Need a plus one?"

"It's not a bow-tie event," She giggled until she realised that was not what I was implying. "Oh, you want secure an interview."

She was learning quickly- just went on to show what an amazing boss I was. Perhaps, that was why an hour and a half later, I was shaking hands with the celebrity host of the show.

"Promise me," said Sanaya after a quick formal introduction, "that you're not going to be clicking any pictures here, and we're going to be best friends."

Well, stars were always averse to reporters. We were tattle tales, and proud ones at that. But, "I'm not that kind of a reporter. I deal with news that deals more with stock prices and share markets." And I wasn't here to be her best friend, what the fuçk?

Her jaw dropped, her eyes darting to Esha. "You're kidding, you're interning as a trade journalist?!"

Esha shrugged, grinning ear to ear. "I'm smarter than I let on."

I wasn't so sure about that, but okay. I swept a gaze around the bar, because for once, Esha Bhatt's someone-she-knows connection was exactly what we would have needed to enter the V.I.P section of this restro-bar. This place had a reputation for hosting extravagant feats, and as far as my knowledge about Bollywood stars goes, this was their the hang-out spot.

However, what this Bollywood star in front of me considered mild and chill would be on the first page of Bombay Times tomorrow morning. Definitely wasn't complaining.

"Great, now I've to be scared of you too," Sanaya Gupta pouted. That reminded me, she was yet another daughter of yet another businessman. Guptas. Something close to a controversy had sparked up quite a few years ago, I couldn't quite put a finger on it right at this moment. Maybe it was another merger.

"...either ways, I'm glad you could make it. C'mon," Sanaya led us towards her crew members who seemed to be having fun, seated at one section of the bar. You could tell it was a huge group, with four long sofas facing the centre table. The lighting was dimmed, smoke and light from the strobes blending together. This was going to bring me a raging head-ache soon, so this better be worth it. In the past twenty minutes that I had been here, spotting the person I was here for had been difficult.

"I was craving some comfort food. Shoot schedules were hectic, you know? So aaj whatever you see here, remains here," Sanaya giggled. "My manager's gonna kill me if she comes to know I'm breathing carbs, so let's keep it a secret, yeah?"