"What are you talking about?"Jai asked.
"Sir we checked the CCTV footages. The truck that had hit you. Had been following you from the hotel. And the footages had clearly recorded it. It wasn't an accident. It's a planned attempt to murder"the cop said.
"Jai"Kumari held his hand. Scaring.
"Ma relax. Let me talk to him"jai stepped aside with the officer. The officer briefed whatever proofs they had.
"We're trying to track down the vehicle number. But it seems like a fake number. We would update you sir. Till then we'll have tight security around for you"the cop said and jai nodded.
Jai wondered if he'd done something so bad. For someone to develop the urge to kill him. He didn't knew what to do about it. All he was worried about. Was his family.
"Okay sir. Thank you"
The officers left after informing them.
"Sir we have to be careful"Ganesh said.
"I know Ganesh. Please keep this matter out of media. I just want more time"jai said.
"Okay sir"
"Raju"Kumari walked towards him. Worriedly.
"What's happening Raju? I'm scared"she said.
"Ma please don't get worried about it. I'll handle this. Okay? I'll be fine"he said.
"Raju. Please stay here today"
"Ma i can't. I have shoot. I can't cancel it. Besides the officers had arranged security for me. I'll have people around all the time. I'll call you once I reach there"he tried to convince her.
"Jai...."
"I'll handle it okay?"he hugged her.
"Take care"she clutched his hand in fear. And he nodded. With a calm smile.
All the way to set. He couldn't help but to think about the officer's words. His mind was disturbed. But he forced himself to remain calm. For the sake of his family. Ganesh saw him. Disturbed.
"Sir. We are all alert. We won't let anything happen to you. Please don't be tensed"Ganesh said.
"I know Ganesh. But..I want to know who is behind this. And what have I done to that person"jai said.
"I'll take care of it sir"Ganesh said. Jai sighed and nodded.
Jais phone started ringing. Ganesh took it from his pocket.
"Sir. It's a call from the same number. He had been calling from yesterday. Asking for you. Told that he has something very important to tell you. Should I attend the call?"Ganesh asked.
"Give it to me"Jai took the phone.
"Hello. Who is this?"
"How are you? Superstar jai prakash raj"the person from the other end spoke.
"I'm fine. May I know who is this?"
"Too bad you couldn't recognise my voice jai"
Jai kept mum. Wondering who was on the other side.
"You thought I'll be locked away from you forever jai. But I'm just calling to inform you that. I'm gonna cut you down. I'll watch you tremble. I would destroy your life. Your career. Your family. Only that would compensate the loss youve caused me jai. It's just the beginning"the person said. Jai listened to him.
"Stop the car"he said to the driver. Ganesh wondered what had gone wrong. When jai stepped outside to attend the call.
"Who is this. What do you want?"jai asked.
"Nothing more. I just want your end"
"Is this some kind of a sick joke?"jai shouted. As he lost his coolness.
"Joke is on you jai. You put yourself here. Now it's time to suffer"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Your well wisher. I'm behind you jai. And I'll watch you sink"the call disconnected.
"Hello? Hello..Damn it"he gritted his teeth and sighed deeply.
"Is everything okay sir?"Ganesh came behind him.
"Ganesh I just want tight security around. For all my family members and friends"he said.
If this was any other day. He wouldn't mind such calls. As an actor. Such weird phone calls were normal for him. But after what happened today morning. He couldn't just remain calm.
"Sure sir but what's wrong?"
"I don't know Ganesh. Someone has been doing this. I have no idea. And i really wish this was just some random call. Please forward this number to the inspector. I want to know who is behind all these"jai said.
His phone rang again. This time it was Shruthi.
"Shru?"
"Annaya where are you?"Shruthi asked.
"I'm on my way to the set. Is everything okay?"jai asked.
"I just opened my Instagram and. Your pictures with srishti is going all viral. Pictures taken during the pooja. Also pictures of you leaving her house. Did you went to meet her?"she asked.
Jai couldn't process. All that he'd heard.
"What? Shruthi what pictures?"
"I'll just forward them"
Jais pics with Srishti went viral on the social media. There were rumours all about Jais and Srishtis relationship. Srishti on the other side was unaware about these things. She was calmly scrolling through her phone. When her dms clouded with messages from her friends. She got a mini heart attack when she saw messages kept pouring in.
"Whats wrong?"she wondered. The moment she opened her Instagram. Her heart paused. Her pictures with jai was everywhere. With captions of him being in a secret relationship with her.
Actor Jai Prakash Raj had been spotted with a college student. Seems like the actor was in a secret relationship. The pictures of both of them attending a pooja in jais house has been going viral. Also there were pictures of him leaving her house clicked by unknown sources. Rumours are rife that both of them met during a function happened in Chaitanya college, where the girl is doing her final year MBA course. Her name is revealed to be Srishti preyansh. Will there be a wedding soon for the most eligible bachelor of the industry? Stay tuned to know more.
Srishtis heart dropped and she felt it as a nightmare. She started getting calls which made her hell worried. She was too shocked to respond to it. How did this happen? She had no idea.
"Akka?"bhoomi stormed inside the room. Making srishti startled. There was shock across bhoomis face.
"Did you...see the pictures?"she asked to srishti. Making her slap her head.
"I don't know how this happened. I just don't know"srishti said.
Srishti was shocked beyond hell. She didn't know how to convince her parents. She never thought it will turn out like this. Bhoomi sat next to her.
"So. It was all true. What you said. He came here. And talked to you"bhoomi said. Srishti didn't knew what to say.
"Is the relationship rumour true?"bhoomi asked. Making srishti shocked.
"Heck no bhoomi. Have you lost your mind? I saved him from an accident. He came to meet me in college and invited me to his house. I went there. I thought it was over. But later his mom called. Asking me to attend the pooja in their house. And i went. And...these pictures. I don't know how. Oh god. Everything is messed up. Amma and appa is gonna know. They're gonna kill me"srishti said worriedly. Her eyes welled up.
Bhoomi didn't knew what to say. It was still too much for her to process.
"What do we do?"bhoomi asked.
"I don't know"
"Srishti?"radhika barged inside the room. Making both of them startle in fear.
"Whats all these? Is this all true? Are you in a relationship with that actor?"radika asked. She was hell angry. As she saw her daughter's pictures with jai.
Srishti didn't knew what to say. She felt earth moving under her feet.
"Amma. It's not like..what you think"srishti tried to explain.
"You were lying to us srishti. You were meeting him. Behind our back and pretended that nothing happened. This is such a humiliation for our family. Everyone is gonna talk about it. What are we gonna do? If your father comes to know about this...he's gonna break"radhika said. Making tears roll down Srishtis eyes.
"Ma please. Can you try to listen to what akka have to say?"bhoomi supported srishti.
"I heard enough of her lies. You're not gonna meet him again srishti. That's final. Let your appa come home. I know what to do"radhika walked outside. Angrily.
Srishti sat on the bed. And ducked her head in her palms. Bhoomi touched her shoulder. Trying to calm her down.
"Akka..."
"Go away bhoomi. I just want to be be alone for some time. Please"srishti said. Bhoomi could understand what she'd been going through. So she decided to give some time to srishti. And then walked outside the room.
"What do I do?"srishti whimpered and shut her eyes tightly. Letting her tears flow.
.
.
Jai reached his set. His heart felt heavy. He didn't know what to do. There was an unusual gathering outside his sets. There were media and paparazi. Waiting for him. Jai stepped outside. People sprung in excitement. He smiled and waved to everyone. He knew why they were there.
"Jai sir. Are all the rumours of you being in a relationship is true?"one of them asked.
Jais guards covered him from all sides. Jai decided not to answer any of the questions for now.
"Sir. Will there be a wedding this year?"another one asked.
"How long have you been committed?"another one asked.
Jai shrugged all the questions away. His guards carefully took him inside. Once he reached his caravan. He whipped his phone out and dialled to the team. Handling his media accounts. Soon enough he posted from his account handles.
Hello Darlings. Been a while. Hope you all are gud. I heard the rumours and all I have to say that it's totally false and untrue. The girl you saw in the pictures with me is my friend. I kindly request you all not to spread such things and not to indulge in between someone's privacy. My personal life is apart from my professional life. Hope you all would consider. Have a great day :)
He felt relief as soon as he did it. But still something kept nagging him. He called his mother to inform her that he'd reached.
"Raju?"
"Ma I just reached"he said.
"Did you see the pictures?"she asked. Making him sigh.
"I did"
"What's happening Raju?"
"I have no idea ma. All I know is. Someone is really playing with our lives. But he's not too far. It will be okay ma. Trust me"he said.
"Jai. All I'm thinking about is srishti and her family. If all these rumours were about you or any other heroine it would be okay. But srishti...she's a normal girl. Besides her family have no idea about all these. It would be hard for her to explain it to them. It's too much for her jai"she said. It made sense to him. A tweet would change nothing. He knew it.
"What do I do maa?"he asked.
"Let's go and meet her family. That would make it better I guess. You have to come with me Raju"she said.
"Okay ma..I'll come with you"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Precap : Jai and kumari visits Srishtis family
♡ Nila ♡