Episode 3:
The Wild Fire!
Scene: The auditorium, Sweety and Agastya have occupied a random chairs in the front row but they are not seating next to each other.
"Dil todne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye..."
"Next", says Agastya
"Dil todne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye..."
"Next", says Agastya nodding his head in disappointment.
Scene shift to outside Broadway Theatre. There was a huge line of girls who has come for audition and there was a male as well standing in the queue.
"Excuse me, isn't this audition happening for female role?", A girl in a queue asks another girl standing beside her.
"Yes, it is.", The other girl replies
"Phir wo aadmi kya kar raha hai line mein?", She asks
"Arey wo line standing kar raha hai. Uska uniform pe likha hai dekh.", She answers.
"Line standing? Yeh kya hota hai?", First girl enquires.
"Are you new in U.S.? (Other girl nods yes) Oh, okay. Yaha dusro ke liye line mein khade rehne ke liye line standing kehte hai. Basically usko kisine waha pe khada rakha hai apne liye aur uske liye yeh aadmi ghanton ke hissab se dollars charge karega. Jab iske client ka number nazdik aa jayega, he will call her.", The second girl explains.
"Kya? Aise bhi hota hai yaha? Par kaun aise logon ko hire karega yaar? Itne paise kaha se aate hai logon ke paas ki line mein khade hone ke liye bhi de dete hai? Ab hum toh yaha pe ghanton se khade hai na apne number ke liye", First girl complains.
"Broadway Theatres jaise bade naam se judhne ke liye hamare jaise chotte motte actors ke alawa bhi bahut bade bade actors ready rehte hai. Kisi bade established actress ne isko hire kiya hoga. Khudh toh khadi nahi reh sakti yaha dhoop, sardi ya baarish mein", Second girl says.
"Hmmm.. maine toh yeh line stander ki naukri le leni hai agar aaj selection nahi hua toh.", First girl speaks in depressed tone.
"Haan, chances jyada dikh rahe hai iske. Kyuki sab reject ho rahe hai yaar.", Second girl says.
Scene shifts back to auditorium.
"Di.. Di.. Dil.. tho..tho.. tho.. tho..."
"Next", Agastya. Agastya looks at Sweety who was busy typing something on her mobile. Her face was plain and expressionless.
"Ddil thodney valley kho facey honey chai ye", in American accent
"Rishab break for 15 minutes then next. Aur please American accent waalon ko doondhke tum hi waapis bhejh do. It's just a waste of time.", says Agastya. He approaches near to Sweety and sits beside her.
"You are playing candy crush? Tum dekh kyu nahi rahi ho audition?", He asks annoyed.
"Dekhna kya hai, sunn rahi hoon. Saare cartoons ko utta ke laaye ho. Koi hakla rahi hai toh koi American accent mein dialogue de rahi hai. Kisi ko ek choti line yaad nahi hai toh kisi ki awaaz tak nahi aa rahi hai. I am repenting on my decision of agreeing to your proposal.", She says with her head glued to her phone screen.
"Hmmm.. sutta break chale? 15 minutes break liya hai maine.", He asks her.
"Itna interest kyu dikha rahe ho? Tum toh smoke nahi karte. (Stares into his eyes) I am a wild fire, jyada paas math aana jal kar rakh ho jaoge.", She says intensely.
He chuckles.
"Aag mere mein bhi bahut thi, itna ki khudh ko jala liya tha maine. But I know how to tame the fire now. Waise don't worry, I am not even trying to hit on you!", He says
"Huh! Good for you because I don't believe in any kind of relationship.", She says getting up from her seat and pushing her phone into her pocket.
"Kaha jaa rahi ho?", Agastya asks.
"Tum hi ne toh kaha sutta break. Toh fukkne jaa rahi hoon.", Sweety says as she walks towards the entrance of the auditorium.
Agastya smirks and starts following her. He signals two and coffee to Rishab. Farah observes him going behind Sweety. She goes towards the coffee machine where Rishab was making coffee.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai? Why is Agastya showing so much interest in her?", Farah asks.
"Hmmm.. Subah bhi uske saath cigarette peene gaya tha but that time he was trying to convince her to sit for the audition but now again?", Rishab shook his head in disappointment.
"I am afraid, kahi purana Agastya waapis na aa jaye.", She says.
"Filhaal mujhe Sweety mein Agastya nazar aa rahi hai. Infact Agastya khudh keh raha tha ki she reminds him of himself. Bahut khadoos hai. Mujhe nahi lagta woh Agastya ko koi ghaas bhi daalegi.", He chuckles
Farah glares at him.
"Agastya koi gaai ya bakri nahi hai joh usko ghaas daalegi.", She says.
"Haan, shayad gaai ka bachda hai jo filhaal Sweety naam ke gaai ke peeche peeche ghoom raha hai.", He winks and takes coffee to the smoking area.
Scene: Smoking lounge
"Were you born here?", Agastya asks.
"Why are you even asking? Astrologer ho jo janam kundali banaoge?", Sweety spoke nonchalantly.
"Hmmm..", he smiles nodding his head in disbelief.
"You stay alone?", He asks.
"Nahi, apne 10 bachchon ke saath rehti hoon. Just F off man.", She says.
Rishab overhears. Agastya laughs loudly.
"Hey Rishab, thanks bro!", He takes the coffee and Rishab goes away frowning.
"Here, take this.", He gives her the coffee.
She crushes the cigarette butt and sips on coffee. He keeps observing her but she not for one second changes her cold facial expression.
Agastya's POV:
There is something intriguing about her. Reading her would be even more interesting than reading her interesting script. One thing is for sure, she is not the person she is pretending to be. She is definitely something else.
"Shall we go? Our 15 minutes break is almost over.", He says.
She doesn't even bother to nod at him and starts walking towards the auditorium. He follows her.
Scene: Outside Broadway Theatre
Line stander calls his client.
"Hello, your turn in 15 minutes.. $128.. Okay! Come soon!", Says the line stander before disconnecting.
Scene: Inside the auditorium.
"Dil todhne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye", the first girl from the line in the earlier scene speaks.
"Hmmm.. say it again, with pain and anger.", Agastya says.
Sweety looks up from her phone and stares at Agastya. She than looks at the performer.
"Dil todhne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye.."
Agastya looks at Sweety who resumes looking into her phone showing no interest after watching her performance.
"Thik hai.. aaa.. (reads performer's name from the paper) Naina. Will give you a little bigger script, you can sit here or outside, practice it for 20 minutes and I'll come back to you. Rishab give her the paper."Agastya instructs.
Rishab passes her the paper. Naina happily smiles and takes the paper and goes to the back corner of the auditorium to practice.
"Next", Agastya orders
A lady wearing a high heeled sandals, tight fit clothes showcasing her skin until thighs appear inside the auditorium.
She stood on the stage and looked at Agastya. Agastya nods and gestures her to start. She stares at Sweety who wasn't looking at her.
"Dil todhne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye..", she says
Sweety immediately looks up at her. Agastya observes changes in Sweety's facial expression. She was furious. It looked like she was oozing fire flames through her raged eyes..
"Next", says Sweety this time. It was loud.
Agastya was shocked. The lady on the stage looked daggers at Sweety.
"No wait! Sweety, you didn't see her perform. Surveen, let's do it one more time. More intense showing anger.", Agastya says to the lady on the stage.
"Dil todhne waale ko phaansi honi chahiye", Surveen says clenching her jaws displaying anger while looking at Sweety.
"Next!", yells Sweety.
"What the Hell!! No!! Wait! Don't go!", Agastya says.
Sweety glares at Agastya and then shifts her focus to Surveen. She shows both her middle finger to Surveen and walks out of the auditorium. Surveen smirks while Agastya looked at Sweety in absolute shock. He turns to look at Surveen, who shrugs as if she didn't knew what was happening.
"Rishab give her the longer script. 20 minutes, I'll be back.", Agastya says as he rushes behind Sweety.
Sweety was walking in the corridor when he barges out of the auditorium.
"Sweety... Sweety... (She doesn't wait neither turns) Surinder.. Ruko.. Surinder", Agastya calls.
She turns around and yells at him.
"It's Sukhminder!", Says Sweety.
His teammates moving in the corridor look at them.
"Sorry!! Sweety.. Ek kaam karo chalo mere saath. I want to speak to you in my cabin.", Says Agastya by holding her elbows.
She looks at his hand and then glares at him. He leaves her hand.
"Oops! Sorry! Cabin please!", He pleads.
She doesn't move.
"This way", he gestures and starts walking. She doesn't follow him. He turns back and looks at her.
"Please yaar!", He says.
She starts walking behind him. They enter his cabin.
"Coffee piyogi?", He asks.
She glares at him and he looks at her apologetically for offering coffee.
"What was that in the auditorium? She was good but you went on to reject her. Why?", He asks.
"I didn't like her performance.", She says sternly.
"Really? You think I am a fool? We've been sitting over there entire day trying to find one right performer for the role and when I thought she was good, you just rejected her.", He spoke.
"I told you that I didn't like her acting.", She says turning her face to a wall on her side.
"You didn't like her performance or you didn't like her?", He asks.
"If my opinions doesn't matter to you then why am I punishing my ass since morning by sitting in that bloody auditorium and listening to all the bloody performers who can't deliver one single dialogue with correct emotion?", She asks
"Who said your opinion doesn't matter? It matters and matters the most. But if you bring in your personal prejudice into profession then I won't support it.", He says.
"Fine! Then do it your way cause I'm out of it.", She says glaring into his eyes.
He holds her by her arm pulling closer and stares at her. The gap between them was very thin. She felt challenged and didn't move even a bit and kept glaring at him. He pulls out her spectacles with one hand while the other was still gripping her arms and stares right into her eyes.
Farah barges into the cabin.
"Agastya, aur kitna time...", Farah pauses as she looks at them in that position. Agastya looks at Farah but neither him nor Sweety moved away from their position.
"I am sorry.. I will wait outside.", says Farah and immediately goes out of the cabin.
Agastya turns his face towards Sweety and finds her still glaring at him with same intensity.
"Don't go Sweety", he says.
She jerks his hand and wears her spectacles.
"Agastya Rao!! F### you!", she says fiercely.
He stood there watching her departing figure out of the cabin.
(Song plays in background)
Yeh kya hua
Kuch pata na chala
Kyun haadsa ban gaya silsila
End of Episode 3
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To be continued.. ❤️❤️