PICTURE PERFECT (FAR FROM PERFECTION)

2.

Ishaan and I were on a video call. He looked so gleeful and happy to see me. His tear stained cheek now replaced with his ever so charismatic smile.

“Mamma, when will you come back?”, he whined.

“You want to see me on TV?”, I asked, smiling at him.

He nodded excitedly.

“Then, I have to stay here... For just a few more days and mamma will be with you... ”, I smiled at him.

He returned back to his cute dimpled smile.

I flew him a kiss and cut the call.

I hear a loud bang from the other side and literally shudder.

Wasn't it supposed to be Darshan's room?

Did anything go wrong with him?

I literally ran out of my room to see Nikhil and a few other cast members to have placed themselves in front of Darshan's room.

Nikhil desperately tried to get everyone out of there.

“Aah... Namrata”, his eyes flickered on seeing me and he dragged me to his side

“Namrata and I will look into him... Now, you guys don't need to worry. Take rest because we have an early morning shoot tomorrow”, Nikhil convincingly said and dispersed everyone.

As everyone got out of the way, Nikhil sighed a sigh of relief.

It's kind of embarrassing, seeing how being the nearest to him, I am the latest to get near him.

“You can go too, Namrata”, Nikhil said to me.

“But, you only said that we both would look into him”, I shot back.

“Believe me, he wouldn't be pleased to see anyone else in there”, he said shaking his head.

I looked at him in utter confusion.

“But, what if there are things that you can't handle?”, I asked Nikhil and he gave me an incredulous look.

“I have known that guy for all my life. I know what it would take to handle him. But, at this point... I don't think there's anything I can get him to convince him”, a dark shadow crossed his features as he said the last line.

“But still... ”, I wanted to see what happened to him. Even if, he practically dodged me in the first day of the shoot, I don't want to bail on him.

“Prepare yourself then”, he scowled.

He opened the door and went in. I followed him. The room was dimly lit.

“Darsh... ”, Nikhil trailed off as he stood on the doorway of the bedroom.

I know it is not a good idea but I stood beside him, anyways.

Imagine the shock on my face when I see the broken flower vase on the floor and blood dripping from his hand as he lies on his bed with his bleeding hand hanging down and another hand covering his eyes.

“Oh my god! Darshan!”, Nikhil gasped as he went near him.

“Shit”, he muttered as he took in his heavily bleeding hand.

“Ughh... What are you doing here, Nikhil?”, Darshan groaned.

What am I doing? I am just standing rooted to my spot in the doorway.

He sprang up and sat on the edge.

His eyes went on to me before nearly hissing, “So you have brought even the Rookie here, huh?”