N A N D I N I

Happiness knew no bounds since the time I finally made my heart believe that yes, I'm actually going to be working for Manik Malhotra. And, like always I was lost in my daydreams when suddenly someone snapped fingers before my eyes. Navya rolled her eyes.

"Stop drooling over that moron when you have a flight to catch." She slapped my forehead and I looked around at all the other passengers in the airport including my parents who were busy talking about me.

"Navyaaaaaa!" Hugging her crashing her chest, I spun her.

"Oh brat, wait wait wait!." Laughing, she swatted my arm.

"I'm so so so so happy!" She grinned watching me jump.

"I'm happy for you too, kid but I.. I have to tell you something being the matured friend that I am." She slapped my shoulder noticing me make a straight face for calling herself matured. "Okay now listen. See.. ahem, I don't know if things have been happening too fast for you but all I think of saying is, always do think before you act, all right? Because there are people, nice people but it is not them but their beautiful nice masks sometimes. And moreover, it's the film industry we are talking about. So please, don't let the fame of someone blind your vision because sometimes what people seem to be from a distance aren't that in reality. Never run after a dream so much that it makes you forget your own world and that you forget your way back to home." Squeezing my arms, she pulled me in a hug. "We always are here having your back. We are your home."

"I'll surely keep that in mind Navya. I love you." I smiled caressing her back.

"Love you too, my idiot" She repeated pulling out of the hug.

"Wait, are you seriously crying?" Spotting a glistening moisture at the corner of her eyes, I teased.

"Shut up, it must be the eyeliner." Dabbing the corner of her eye, she looked away.

"I'm gonna miss you, Navya." Hugging her again, I whispered. She wrapped her arms refusing to let go of me.

"I know.." she pulled me out of her hug. "But are you seriously going to see Manik? Like, live? Are you sure it's not a pirated Manik?"

"Ahaaan." I sang wiggling my eyebrows pretending like someone's jealous.

"Jealous?" I teased again.

"Oh please, I prefer the other sensible Malhotra better. But hey, once you settle down there, tell me all of your stories I'm going to miss." Pouting my lips, I kissed her cheek.

"Okay now, I'm here but you go have a word with uncle and aunt. They are the ones who are going to miss you the most." Nodding at her, I turn to walk up to my parents who most probably were having a cute banter but seeing me come, they smiled.

✿

Narrator's POV

Film City,
Mumbai.

"Aanya, you know right what you do to me when you look at me like that." Manik turned a girl standing on a balcony decorated with scented candles. Closing the distance, he cupped her face stroking a hair or two and she forgot to blink her eyes mesmerised by the man of her dreams.

"I don't know if I ever will be able to explain the depth of my love to you, but trust me nobody in this world will love you as much as I do." He badly expected her to say something in return but she was captivated by those hazel eyes.

Rolling eyes, Manik freed the girl with a slight jerk allowing her to come out of trance. Rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance, he called out for his spot and the director yelled at the girl from the dark.

"Sneha, what's wrong with you? Why didn't you say your lines?" The newbie actress seemed too nervous to look at anywhere else.

"I'm.. I'm really very sorry, Sir. It-it just skipped. Let's do one more time?" To answer her pleas, the director eyed her to request Manik instead.

"Sir..." Sneha went to Manik who was fixing his hair looking into the mirror that his spot held. "Sir..th-the intensity of your dialogues are compelling me to go numb." She chuckled nervously. "Sir, please can we do it for the final time, please? This time I'll give my best, I promise." Nonchalantly, Manik gazed her body up and down and took pride in how he effected girls. Even the actors couldn't deny.

"Show me what you've got." He smirked.

N A N D I N I

"It's a strange moment as I don't know whether to dance around happily that my little girl has grown up and got herself a job of her dreams or sulk because my only daughter is leaving me for her job." Father hugged me being the actor he is in hiding his tears.

"Papa, I love you." I kissed his forehead inching up on my toes. "I'll make you the proudest father in the world, I promise." He pulled my cheek.

"I know, kiddo. You already are the best daughter in the world, princess." Hearing mother fake a cough, father eyed me to welcome her in this goodbye conversation.

"Mamma," Holding her hands, I pulled her close to us. "Promise me, you'll take care of yourself and also, this old man."

"Who's the old man here?" Father looked here and there whilst I chuckled. God, I'm so going to miss this.

"A little mother-daughter word now?" I nodded to mother immediately while father excused himself to get me a good magazine. "I'm not going to be there to constantly blabber you. So, eat right, sleep timely and no late night partying or no doing drugs." She warned pointing a finger and I sweetly agreed. "Now that you're working that doesn't mean you'll do whatever you like. And, of course, there are many psychotic lads out there and I have a charming daughter to return soon, so yeah..." I closed my eyes as she kissed my forehead. "I'll miss you, my baby."

"That was like one of the coolest mom speeches, eh?.." Sobbing, I hugged her tightly. "Mamma..come visit me soon, okay?" She chuckled patting my back.

"Okay now, I don't mind doing this all day but if you don't head now, you'll surely miss your flight." Father interrupted hitting me with a rolled magazine.

Bidding them bye one more time, I turn around waving.

"And, don't flirt too much with Manik until we approve of him, all right?" I laughed with tears at my mother's comment while father passed her a jealous snarky look.

"I still don't like that chap." Father rolled his eyes and I chuckled through tears.

Navya joined my parents and bobbed her head assuring she'll take care of them in my absence and breathing in hard, I dared to turn my face away.

❃

Narrator's POV

Mumbai,
11:45pm.

Manik parked his car outside a lavish mansion at which he kept staring for a good amount of time. The silence in the mansion was impossible to cut in with the only sounds being, Manik's costly Italian leather shoes against the polished floor.

"I knew you would come." The lamp turned on casting a yellowish hue around and a faint smile played on Manik's lips as he saw a middle aged man in a silken night gown stand up.

"Sitting in the dark, waiting? That was not creepy at all." Manik smirked.

"Well..." The old man smiled.

"Happy birthday, Dad." Manik mouthed half-heartedly.

"Every year, you are the last one to wish me though it is never like you forget it but still you wouldn't come to the party and celebrate with other people." His father offered his son a drink.

"Dad, you know why I don't come, don't you?" His father's face dropped.

"Because he comes." Sr.Malhotra said dolefully and Manik looked aside tapping his finger against the glass.

"Whatever! But the moral of the story is, I'm here even for my own sake." Manik flashed a fake cheerfulness.

"And, like always I have something for you." His father ordered one of his staffs to get that 'something' who rushed in the blink of an eye. The staff returned with a piece of a cake on a plate and corner of Manik's lips curved faintly.

"Like every year, you have the first right on the first slice of the cake which I lovingly keep aside for you. You are my world just like he is." Manik snickered taking it as a joke.

"Let's cut the drama. What about the Will? I heard you were putting in some changes." He shocked his father with few words he dreaded his son would tease on his birthday.

N A N D I N I

Mumbai, the city of dreams. I did spread both of my arms inhaling the dreamy air of the filmy city. The city, I heard so much about. Being the stupid fangirl I forever am, I shuddered thinking Manik and I were breathing the same air now. Oh freak!

Hopping inside the cab, I gave cabby the address where I would be staying. Rolling down the glass, I bobbed my head out to feel the the air and smile like an idiot because freedom tasted wonderful. The city was beautiful yet comforting, contemporary yet fascinating.

"Um, do you know where Manik Malhotra lives?" Just as I expected the driver to give me some weird look, much to my surprise he nodded his head. After all, it wasn't a stupid question to a Mumbaikar because most of the people travelling to this city on the very first day generally asks for the houses of their favourite stars. I felt bouncing like a rubber ball as the driver pointed at some lavish, extravaganza calling it Manik's mansion.

"There's a tight security around so we'll have to look from this distance." My heartbeats raced thinking what he might be doing inside.

Hopping back into the cab, I screamed at the topmost level and the driver freaked out. Getting to my apartment, I unlocked the house and it was pretty cozy and adjustable with its highlight being the beautiful small balcony which immediately turned my favourite.

Making myself a coffee, I made a quick call before going to bed but how can calls to parents ever be brief when they have a long list of dos and donts. Finishing the call, I grabbed Manik's photo frame which I placed on the table beside my bed.

'Dying to see you tomorrow, my Malhotra'

~ I see you in my dreams and know you are there. But I still feel like I have waited my entire life for you to be here, beside me ~