Episode 2: You Remind Me Of Myself.

Scene: Agastya is sitting in a cab which he takes from his hotel. It was still dusky and he is looking out of his window.

Agastya's POV:

It's a first time I am excited to meet someone, who I don't know. The person who didn't allow me to sleep the whole night just with his intriguing script. That's the reason I am on my way to the theatre so early. I want to read the script once more before I meet him.

He opens the door of his cabin, hangs his overcoat on the stand and searches for the script. He walks out of the cabin holding the script in his hand and makes himself a coffee from the vending machine since it was chilled. He sips on the coffee and reads the script.

(Black screen)

"Agastya... Agastya... Agastya...", Rishab shakes him.

"Hmmm.. Hmmm.. Rishab.. Sorry, aankh lag gayi thi. Puri raat uss Sukhminder ko milne ke excitement mein so nahi paaya aur ab jab script padhne laga toh pata nahi kaise neend aa gaya.", Agastya said lifting his head up and rubbing his eye with the back of his palm.

There were about 5 to 6 soiled coffee cups on the table around him.

"Sukhminder is here.", Rishab whispered.

"Huh? Kaha hai?", Agastya asked stroking his hair back and adjusting his spectacles.

"Waiting outside.", Rishab says pointing his thumb backwards.

"Toh bhej usse.. Nahi rukh, tu yeh coffee cups clear karde. I'll go outside and meet myself.", Said Agastya.

Rishab starts picking up the glasses. Agastya goes outside and looks around but there was no one. He walks towards a corridor. He could smell a cigarette and follows it. He goes inside the auditorium and finds a nerdy looking girl sitting on a chair and smoking cigarette but no where he could find Sukhminder.

"Excuse me! Are you out of your mind? It's a no smoking area. It might have triggered an alarm, you idiot", He snatches the cigrette and puts it off.

She smirks and stood with her hands crossed against her chest. He glares at her disinterested reaction.

"By the way, there is still time for Auditions. You will have to wait outside.", Agastya said to the lady while his eyes were searching for Sukhminder.

"I am not here for auditions.", She speaks with a straight face.

"Then? Did you came here to smoke this bloody cigarette? Out I say!! (Rishab comes there) Rishab, What's this? Aise kisi bhi aire gaire ko yaha andar kaise aane de sakte ho? Send her out right now. And where the hell is this Sukhminder? Bina mile chala gaya kya? Subah se wait kar raha hoon. So unprofessional he is.", He speaks frustrated.

"Aa.. Agastya, she is Sukhminder", Rishab speaks nervously pointing at the lady.

"She? Sukhminder? I thought Sukhminder was a man", Agastya was shocked.

She glares at him through her glasses.

"Sukhminder Kaur. Kaur ladkiyon ko address karne ke liye hota hai. I go by the name, Sweety.", She spoke with an unamused expression.

"Hmm.. I am sorry! Mujhe pata nahi tha. I'm Agastya Rao. The Art Director.", He says with a smile forwarding his hand.

"I know. Yaha bhulaane ki wajah?", She jumps straight to the point without shaking hands with him.

Agastya smirks.

"Script ke baare mein discuss karna tha. Mere cabin mein chale?", He asks.

"Kyu?", She asks.

"Achcha chalo smoking area mein chalte hai, maine tumhara sutta waste kiya, it's on me. Rishab do coffee le aana please.", He requests by gesturing two with his hand.

Rishab nods and steps out of the auditorium. Agastya and Sweety too walk out of auditorium.

"Ek minute. Aage se 2nd left. Main abhi aaya. (He runs back to Rishab) Rishab, cigarette milega?", Agastya asks panting.

"Main bhi wahi sochu, tune toh chodd diya tha na? Ab uske liye?", Rishab asks.

"Had a bad start with her. She is rude, kahi manna kar degi toh. Just making up for the loss.", Agastya says.

Rishab takes out the cigarette box and Sidharth snatches the entire pack from him.

"Arey yaar, mere liye? Pehle hi tandh bahut hai.", Rishab says annoyed.

"Haan haan, chill na bro. Tu kisi aur se maang le. What's a big deal? Pata nahi kitne mein maanegi. Isiliye.", Agastya said pushing the cigrette in his pocket.

Rishab rolls his eyes.

"Usko manaate manaate kahi tu phirse mat addict ho jana.", Rishab warns. Agastya shook his head to say no.

"Chance hi nahi. Jaldi se coffee le aana", says Agastya while making his way towards smoking area.

She was waiting in the smoking area. He offers her a cigarette and lights it for her. She takes a drag and blows it in the air. He pushes the packet back into his pocket and she observes it.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about the script and auditions.", He says.

"Baat kya karni hai? I am just a writer. Director toh tum ho. I have already done my job and I won't change my bloody plot for anyone.", She spoke arrogantly.

He observes her very keenly.

Agastya's POV:

She hadn't smiled even once since the time I met her. Straight to the point and frustration visible on her face. A writer who thinks differently basically the one who doesn't give an F to anyone. She revolts through her thoughts and her pen. She is a rebel.

"Excuse me, milna ho gaya ho toh I'm gonna leave? Mere paas faaltu time nahi hai waste karne ke liye.", She says sternly by crushing the butt into the ashtray.

Rishab comes with coffee and gives one to her. He then turns his back to her and slightly nods his head in despair at Agastya. Agastya picks up his cup, looks at him with a straight face and Rishab leaves.

Sweety takes a sip of coffee while staring at him with absolute poker face.

"You know what Sweety, you remind me of myself. Kuch saal pehle main bhi aise hi tha bilkul. Rude, Arrogant, Duniya ko Alag hi nazariye se dekhta tha...", As he spoke, he was interrupted by her.

"Main yaha tumse koi rishta jodhne nahi aayi hoon jo tum apne baare mein bonke jaa rahe ho. Tumne kaha tha ki agar main nahi aayi toh tum audition cancel kar doge, isiliye main yaha aayi.", Sweety speaks strictly.

"Jhoot! Tum yaha kisi aur hi reason se aayi ho. Farah ko tum mana kar chuki thi but mere ek baar kehne pe aa gayi. Rishta toh hai aur bahut gehra hai. Kya hai use samajhne mein time lagega thoda.", Agastya stares into her eyes.

She pushes her forefinger in her ears and shakes it and looks elsewhere to show how disinterested she was in his talk.

"Just cut the crap. Rishta, gehra, connection, pyaar, vyaar.. it's all bull shit..", She spoke rudely.

Agastya smirks at her.

"Chalo kaam ki baat karte hai. I had been doing both the job of writing and art direction. So basically I knew what I wanted because I wrote it myself. But iss baar writer tum ho, toh director hone ke naate mera thinking aur tumhara thinking shayad match na kare.

Abhi kuch der pehle tumne kaha ki you won't change your script for anyone, so I suppose you won't like your story to be portrayed in a different way. I want you to assist me. Basically, play aisa hoga jaisa tumne isse likhte waqt socha hoga. Toh kya kehti ho, will you sit through the audition to search for the female protagonist?", He asks

She keeps a cup on the table and takes out another cigarette from her jeans pocket.

"You could have taken this.", He said showing her the cigarette pack.

"You just owed me one. Waise bhi tum khudh apne friend se le aaye ho. I know you don't smoke.", She said as he lighted her cigarette.

"Hmmm, very nice observation. I used to smoke earlier but now I've left it", says Agastya.

"I am in!", She says after taking a puff and blowing out the smoke.

"Woahh!! You don't know how happy I am!", He said with a smile and forwarding his hand for a handshake. She stares at his hand for few seconds before shaking hands with him.

End of Episode 2

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To be continued.. ❤️❤️