Three months later......
Rumi's London schedule of 'The Gypsy's blood' was complete and she returned to Mumbai on a chilly morning. Yohan stayed back to complete the rest of the shoot with other actors. In a fortnight's time, she would be travelling to Rajasthan where she would meet other members of the crew. The gypsy, Mantra would take shape during the next phase of the shoot. Rumi wanted to work on the character. She was planning to practise body languages and postures.
Her stay in UK was memorable; it gave her an insight into the process of film-making in other parts of the world. Yohan had hired a British agency for technical expertise.
Throughout the filming, Rumi had kept her distance with Yohan. She had made it plain that he was the director and she was the artist. The distinction was made clear by her on the very first day of the shoot. She was aware that her aloofness surprised Yohan but he had followed her cue and maintained his distance. She also made friends with some of the technicians. Like her, many of them had been struggling for work in their hometowns, and on the foreign soil, they bonded instantly.
Yohan was a reasonable boss. He didn't throw a fit when things went wrong or when the actors did a poor job. On the other hand, he was a persistent man and until he got things right, he worked with dogged determination. Even if she had avoided too much of personal interaction with him, Rumi was aware of her attraction. She realized that when Yohan was behind the lens, he forgot himself. As the days went by, he became more and more dedicated to his craft. There had been days when he would sit with all and discuss a scene to be filmed the next day. He listened quietly to suggestions, sometimes he even made slight changes to the dialogues when the script writer demanded. Yohan gave his life and soul to his grandmother's dream project. Rumi hoped that she wouldn't fail him.
From hearsay, Rumi had learnt that Yohan went out with a British television actress a couple of times. She did not cry over it. In fact, she had been relieved because it made her face the truth; that her fancy for him was pointless.
Meanwhile, when she reached Mumbai, there was an international film director who was keen to meet her. She was surprised by the call. When she looked up on the internet, she couldn't find anyone by the name Alex. Nonetheless, she worked on her English diction before she met him.
***************
Rumi wore a long white cotton tunic for her meeting with Alex. They were supposed to meet at a café in a star hotel. Rumi took a cab and the driver recognised her from the one film and commercials that she had done.
When he dropped her, the driver requested, "Didi, aapka autograph milega?"
It encouraged her to face the person she had come to meet with renewed confidence.
Rumi thought she was early but to her surprise, he was already there. When she saw the man who rose from his chair to greet her, she was taken aback. This was no middle-aged paunchy man. Here was an Alpha-male who would draw attention wherever he went.
Tall and striking, he drew the chair for her as she smiled hesitantly at him.
"Hi, Alec Koshal..." he extended his hand with a self-assured smile.
Rumi had got it wrong. He wasn't Alex, he was Alec. And his surname hinted that he was a native of this country. Rumi ran her eyes over him as he spoke to the waiter. She guessed that he must be thirty years of age and his mien indicated a successful career.
Rumi waited for him to speak. The waiter left and he turned his attention on her. His direct gaze made Rumi nervous but after fifteen minutes, she got used to his piercing stare. His personality arrested one's attention. Rumi wondered if his striking looks combined with bold eyes and self-assured smile, made a strong impression on women. She guessed that he must have women swooning at his feet, concluding wryly that she too was not immune to his charms.
"So, Rumi... let me introduce myself. I don't make motion pictures, I make documentaries."
Rumi was caught off-guard by his statement.
"More than fiction, I like capturing reality; click candid pictures and I love to explain the truth behind those pictures."
For someone who claimed to love photography, Rumi noticed that he didn't carry a camera. Guessing her thought, he grinned, "No, I don't carry cameras everywhere. If I want a picture, I use my mobile phone."
"Is my face so transparent?" Rumi asked, to make light of the moment.
"No, it is not your face. It is your eyes that mirrors your thoughts," Alec said softly.
Rumi glanced at him. His avid gaze brought a surge of heat on her face. She looked away.
"Anyway, what was I saying...? Yes, I love the camera. I make films on subjects like war, natural disasters and its effects on the region, migration of people; anything and everything that catches my fancy..."
"You stay in London?"
"I consider London, New York and Rio as my home...I love all the three cities. But to answer your question...yes, my base is in London."
Rumi wondered what a man like him was doing here. Why did he want to meet her? If he was a documentary maker, she had no role to play.
"So, what brings you to Mumbai?"
"You!" his reply once again made no sense to her...She frowned at him.
"I watched your movie and I realized that you would be perfect for the role I had in mind."
"But you make documentaries..." Rumi burst out.
"So? Aren't there people in such films?"
"Yes, I know. I thought they were real ones and not actors."
Alec smiled, his eyes roving over her face, "Sometimes, there are real ones but often the makers create such an impression on the audience. They try to bring authenticity."
"Oh?"
"Yes.... Let me tell you about my work. Then, you can decide if you want to be part of the project."
****************
Yohan was hungry, irritated and at the same time, restless. Bethany had been calling him for the past couple of days but he had been dodging her calls. He did message her though, that he was in the middle of the last phase of the shooting.
He wrapped up the day's shoot. He still had a couple of days of work left. Then, he and his crew would be flying to Mumbai. Thoughts of Mumbai instantly warmed his heart. He knew it was not because he was returning home. There was another reason for this bad mood and his impatience to reach Mumbai.
He was missing Rumi...
However, his ego did not allow him to accept it. Rumi had been the one who had drawn the line between them and he would be damned if took the first step to cross it.
During her stay in London, Rumi and he had exchanged views only on work. They had discussed her role and other aspects of acting. There had been nothing personal. He had followed her lead although he had wanted to know her better as a person. He had noted that she was not like other actresses. She had tried to shun publicity. She was much deeper than she portrayed herself to the outside world. There was an aura of mystery around her that drew him to her. In the course of their interaction, he had learnt that her looks were something that she did not take seriously. He knew that some of her co-actors wanted to ask her out but she had kept everyone at arm's length.
There had been moments during their shoot when he had felt an uncontainable desire to break down the wall that she had erected between them. When she had tried to emote for certain scenes during the shoot, he had desperately wanted to comfort her. It had made him realize what an amazing artist she was! Sometimes, he pondered if he was drawn to Rumi or Mantra, the character she played. To keep such thoughts at bay, he had asked Bethany out. But it had proved futile. Beth's company had not diminished Rumi's appeal. And he knew that the next phase of shooting in Rajasthan where Rumi would get into the skin of Mantra, would be tough on him. Slowly and steadily, Rumi was casting a spell on him and if he was not careful, he would fall for her irrevocably.
And yet, his pulses spun out of control at the thought of seeing Rumi in a week's time.
*****************
"It is not the usual run off the mill film. I am planning a six-part series that would be broadcasted across the world."
"It sounds very interesting. I would love to be part of the series. It has been my dream to visit Egypt. And to spend so many months in the country would be like my dream come true. However, there is one hitch. I can't start anything at once. I have five more months of shooting schedule; that too in Rajasthan."
"That is no issue. I can wait till you finish your current schedule. But I can get a contract drawn right now. So, I will be sure of your part in my project. What say?" Alec asked her.
Rumi did not mind. The series sounded exciting. She had not read the draft. But from what Alec told her, it sounded fascinating. Who wouldn't want to be part of an international project, especially when it will be shot in exotic locations like Luxor, Alexandria and Aswan? The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.
Rumi accepted Alec's proposal.
"Awesome! I will draw up the contract and call you. We can meet somewhere and discuss the legalities of it all..."
"What if the film I am doing does not wrap up in five months? There may be chances of delay..."
"That will not be a problem. I will mention it in one of the clauses."
There was one question that bewildered Rumi. She mustered the courage to put it to him, "How did you come across me? And why me for this part?"
Alec took his time to reply. His gaze, direct and intense did not unsettle her this time. She was probably getting used to him by now. The thought made her smile.
*****************