Aashiqui 2

Part thirteen

Aarohi

I quietly make my way back into my room, being careful not to accidentally wake anyone up. Once I reach my room, I shut the door and turn around to stand against it.

I take in a breath and close my eyes, trying to process everything that happened tonight.

Rahul freaking Jaykar want's to help me become a singer.

He earlier asked me if I trusted him, and honestly as much as I wish I didn't, the truth is I do. I just met him today and it may be a little unusual to able to trust someone within a day of knowing them, but that isn't the case with Rahul. I know he doesn't have the best reputation and considering that, maybe I shouldn't trust him so soon. But then again I don't even know if he meant a single word he said tonight. He was drunk the whole time after all. But if he did, I guess I do trust him.

I deep down have a feeling he was saying the truth tonight, even if he was drunk.

And if he did mean everything he said, THEN TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

I let out a high pitched squeal and start jumping up and down around my room just thinking about the whole conversation we just had.

"Aarohi?" I hear a muffled voice call out from the other side of my bedroom door, making me freeze on the spot.

"Aarohi is everything alright?" Salim asks. I let go a sigh in relief, realizing it's only Salim.

"Um yeah... Everything's fine Salim. Sorry about the noise" I quickly say, mentally face-palming myself over the scream I let out five seconds ago.

"No, it's fine" he says before stepping away from the door.

I look at myself in the mirror and smile again, not being able to get Rahul's words out of my head. "You really need to go to sleep right now" I whisper to myself before getting under the covers again and closing my eyes.

-

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"500 dollars!" my manager exclaimed, as he took a seat in front of me. "That's how much I spent to bring you to this bar! If you really wan't to quit then pay up that amount and leave" he said, rolling his eyes at me and looking back down to count the stack of money in his hand.

Last night Rahul suggested I quit my job at the bar, and after thinking about it I decided his suggestion was the better decision to make. I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to do after I quit, but I know Rahul has a plan for me, and I honestly couldn't be more excited to start this new chapter of my life.

So here I am telling my manager I'm quitting, and as expected, he isn't too happy with this decision of mine.

I stand in front if his table with my hands fiddling with one another. I don't know what to say to him because even he knows I don't have enough money to pay back to right now. He knows I'm helpless, and that's exactly why he's making it so hard for me to leave this job right now.

He looks back up at me. "Why are you still standing here?" he coldly asks. "You don't have it do you?"

"Sir this can make my career. Please let me go. I'll return your money as soon as I get to Mumbai" I nervously request.

He laughs out dryly. "Not a single person will pay even 50 for a face like this" he says, pointing to my face. "What do you think this place is? This isn't no orphanage. Pay up and get the hell out of here!"

"First of all, you take up to fifty percent of our salary" I assertively say, crossing my arms over my chest, making him look back up at me in slight shock. "And then what are we left? We pay for our groceries and apartment rooms from our pockets as well. It'll take me months to arrange the amount of money you want"

"Exactly my point" he interrupts.

"Well, what else do you expect? You cut out money for minor mistakes in my performance and also when I arrive late to work, which by the way has hardly ever happened. My salary-"

"Aye!" he interrupts me again, calling for another employee. "What's wrong with her?" he asks the employee. "Why is she trying to leave so bad? She was fine till yesterday"

"That singer RJ that came to our bar last night had a talk with her. He brainwashed her and told her he'd give a chance to sing in movies" the employee informs our manager.

"I see" my manager says, as he let's out a sarcastic laugh. "That singer RJ. One second" he says to me, before grabbing the newspaper beside him. He opens it up and points to a picture at the top corner. "Look at this" he says, and then slams the newspaper on the table infront of him. "His picture's are in the papers. He had a fight with a audience member last night. He left his show before it barley started. The organizer of the show was seen crying on camera because he lost all his invested money. There's many of other stories about him like this, but there's none about his work. So how will he get you work?" he asks me. "A man who is currently only living off his hit songs that were released years ago can only make fake promises to you and use you for his own good. Do you know why? Because that's you're worth" he laughs, but immeaditly stops what he's doing and sits up straight when he looks behind me.

I turn around to see what caused his behaviour to switch up so fast, and it all made sense when I saw Rahul walking into the bar. All the band members stopped what they were doing to look at Rahul storming in here with Vivek following close behind him. My manager stood up from his seat and forced a fake smile when he realized Rahul was walking towards our direction.

Rahul kept his stare on my manager, as I kept mine on him when he stood right next to me.

"G..Good after-noon sir" My manager stuttered as he nervously greeted Rahul.

Rahul continued to stare at him with a blank expression on his face. "I'm here for Aarohi" he mumbled. "Because she's going to become a great singer one day. But its unfortunate that only I see that in her, and that you don't"

My manager was clearly standing here very timidly, but that didn't stop him from giving me a look that showed how disgusted he was in me.

"And one more thing" Rahul adds. "You run a bar. You live off of singers. So learn to respect those singers. The singers that sing at your bar, and the ones whose songs help you run your bar in the first place. Do you get that?" he asks, making my manager's head drop down in shame. "Vivek throw the money she owes him on his face. He doesn't even deserve to be given the money in hand. He isn't worthy of respect" Rahul orders Vivek.

My manager looks up at Rahul in shock and manages to utter a "Sorry sir"

Rahul finally looks at me, embracing me with that warm smile I got to see last night. "Let's go Aarohi" he says.