The Bachelor

Chapter 14: On the Horns Of a Dilemma

10:00 am, 25th February, Galaxy Villa, Madh Island, Mumbai.

I mentally prepared myself for an hour of useless, idle chitchat as I stood in front of the pottery wheel that the set decorators had possibly fished out from some cheap flea market. I looked at the contraption apprehensively, as I tried to figure out the basics of its mechanism.

"Manik, you ready?" Raghav called out from afar, as he readied himself to face the camera again.

The production team's fifteen minute break had turned into an hour long one, but unfortunately it was now coming to an end. The first person whose companion I had to interact with was Riddhima's. The rest of the contestants as well as their guests had been asked to wait in the massive drawing room of the villa.

From what I'd noticed in the last few minutes, it was pretty obvious that Riddhima's sister Neha had egged her on to take part in the show. Maybe, she'd even put her name in the lucky draw ballot, for she was far more excited to be on set than Riddhima'd ever been.

"Yes." I said, my voice laced with fake enthusiasm.

"Alright then. Come ahead!" The director yelled, as he asked me as well as the girls to move a bit forward so that the camera could capture us better.

I walked a few steps in front and stood next to the girls. Neha seemed ecstatic to be in the very same frame as me. However, her admiration for me was partly endearing, unlike Soha's obsession, which was just scary.

"And three, two, one, action!" The director yelled as the cameras finally started to roll.

"And we're back after a short break on yet another episode of 'The Bachelor'-powered by Veet! We've an interesting line-up of activities today! Lots of bonds to make and lots of secrets to share! So, without further ado, let's start off with our first event! Now, my sources tell me that our beautiful contestant Riddhima is a marvellous artist and sculptor! Is that right, Riddhima?" Raghav asked cheekily, eyeing her.

Riddhima grew slightly bashful at the attention and said. "Um...I'm hardly a 'marvellous' artist. But I am a fine arts student at a college here in Mumbai."

I smiled slightly at her inability to accept the praises she received wholeheartedly. I was sure her works would reveal that she was just being modest.

"She's just being humble, Raghav. Ever since she picked up a brush as child, there's been no stopping her when it comes to painting. She's very gifted. I wish I had half as much talent as her..." Neha spoke up for Riddhima instead.

I was happy to see Neha's pride in Riddhima's skills. There was no hint of jealousy in her voice, which explained why their sisterly bond was so strong.

"Well then Riddhima, is that why you've chosen pottery today? Why don't you explain exactly why, so that our beloved viewers may understand?" Raghav asked, cheerfully.

"Um, actually, pottery for me is a great stress buster! And it's really fun and easy as well. Neha and I have indulged in it quite a few times, and I thought that this would be the best activity for all of us to bond." Riddhima clarified, with a slight smile.

"That's great! Well, I won't be sticking around like an uninvited guest for a moment longer. You kids have fun!" Raghav exclaimed, as he bid adieu to the camera and walked away.

I was hoping for the director to yell 'Cut!' once again, but it looked like he wanted a continuous shot of the event, which would be edited later. As if the shoot wasn't inconvenient enough already, the director now seemed obsessed with one take sequences.

"So, Neha...Before we start, how about you tell me a little about yourself? The purpose of this session is obviously to get to know Riddima's family and friends as well as I possibly can!" I said, breaking the silence. "Oh and since we haven't been formally introduced...Hi. I'm Manik Malhotra."