Some of you might think why my stories always have characters that smoke, drink and do drugs. Honestly, it's not because I'm like that. I have never touched these things nor do I ever want to. I am not trying to glorify it. Nobody should ever become addicted to these.  As bad as it is in real, it makes the characters in a story interesting, giving them an element of mystery. Here, in this story it is very important for the character to feel and advocate drugs because it is a story about such a character, and we know that there are characters like this in real life. So that is to it.

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        Two weeks after shooting the second song, her first video "Boom Boom" released. It started playing on various music channels on TV. A week later, full album released. The jukebox of album and her video got a lot of hits on YouTube. As a promotional strategy her second video "Nahin Nahin" was also released soon after to further increase the curiosity in the album. She found her face splashed in the articles in newspapers. A lot of people in her apartment started recognizing her as the "Boom Boom" girl, and many complimented her singing and video. A few of them even asked for a selfie with her, and she obliged. The songs were gaining popularity as radio stations played them many times a day.

               Her mom, maasi and cousins when saw her video the first time, they couldn't believe she was coming on TV, and it was her singing and dancing in those videos. They never even knew of her those talents. They were very happy. They loved how beautiful she looked in them. Her cousin Priya asked if she didn't have any hesitation in wearing those clothes and acting like that with those gorgeous male models.When you have signed the contract and taken the money, you have to do what you are told was her reply to her cousin's curious question. To her midriff baring, her maasi said, "Women expose more than that in a saree". They asked her what after this, and she told she might very soon sign a contract for more videos from the album.

           So many times, Raina wished he called her like others to congratulate her on how well the album and videos were received, or to just tell how and what he felt about the whole thing, but never anything like that happened. He never called her, and her mind could not switch him off. One morning, her phone rang, and her heart stopped to see his name as the caller. She quickly picked up with her heart pounding fast. He told her to come and see him at two in afternoon that day, and she said yes without asking any questions.

       She reached the building in afternoon, and looked around the building complex she once used to come every morning for work. She went up the lift to his duplex penthouse and rang the bell. He opened the door in a white cotton shirt tucked partly in fitted straight grey color jeans and slippers. She looked at him and she thought she died. He looked so hot in that cool attire that words to describe him melted away before they could describe him, and she froze looking at him. All clothes hung so well on his perfect shape, tight or loose, they all looked urban cool with that handsome face of his. "Come in," he told her, and she stepped in. She looked around the apartment she once worked in as she walked into the living room with him behind her.

Abhimanyu: How is it? Neat and clean? He asked on seeing her looking around. She nodded her head.

Raina: Seeing it after a long time. In fact, first time after quitting the job here. She looked at him.

Abhimanyu: The new maid is good. She doesn't take short cuts. He said sliding his finger on coffee table.

Abhimanyu: Dust free. See? he said smiling showing the finger he slid on the table to check for dust. She couldn't stop smiling at that.

Abhimanyu: Sit. He told her gesturing to the sofa.

She hesitated at first, but then sat on the single seat sofa and he sat on the adjacent three seat sofa. She looked at the stairs to all the way up. He saw her look at the stairs.

Abhimanyu: There is no one upstairs. He told with a smile after a quick turn of head at stairs. Feeling shy, she looked down and tried to stifle her smile that he caught on what she was thinking.

Abhimanyu: You know why I called you?

She shook her head.

Abhimanyu: I called you because I want you to sing a song for me. He told her lighting his cigarette.

Raina: Like now? She looked at him and asked innocently.

Abhimanyu: No. He laughed lightly.

Abhimanyu: I'am producing this English Single and I want you to sing it for me. It will be a proper production. Song will be recorded in a studio and we'll also shoot a video for it. As the producer, I'll pay you the standard fee that an artist gets for it. He took a puff and blew out the cloud of smoke.

Abhimanyu: I told you first, because I am conceived this idea keeping you in mind, so if you refuse to do it, then there is no point in me doing it.

Abhimanyu: Here I have the contract. He picked up the contract papers from the side table and gave to her.

Abhimanyu: You can read it and then sign it if you like, and I'll transfer the signing amount into your account.

She took the pen from him and signed at all the places marked for signature.

Abhimanyu: You didn't even read it! He said looking at her in shock.

Raina: I don't have to. It's your contract. She said giving him his copy of contract after signing it, and keeping hers.

Abhimanyu: Blind trust is not good. I can sue you tomorrow if you don't comply to the conditions specified. He said looking casually in her eyes.

Raina: It's alright. I know you'll not do that. She said with her eyes looking at his face.

Abhimanyu: One more thing. It's not there in the contract, but I don't want you to sign anything before you finish with mine. I don't want you to become overexposed.

                                         ***

Sahil received a call from Abhimanyu telling that he wanted to meet him. Abhimanyu came to his house and told him all about his plans of producing an English single. Sahil was shocked. He had many why and how questions.

Sahil: You know how much money you need to produce all this? You might not be left with much after it.

Abhimanyu: Ya, I know. It's okay. It's not like I'm going to have kids who I need to save it for. I'll never ever like to have any of my kind. You know that.

Sahil: But when did this production bug bite you?

Abhimanyu: You know, when I dropped out of college, I thought Bill Gates was also a drop out, and look at he how he became the richest man in the world. I thought, I too could become like him one day. Who doesn't aim to be like these exemplary men. Nothing like that happened, but I think now is my time to take some risks and try something big.

Sahil: But, why English single?

Abhimanyu: It has a wider reach in audience. Remember Gangnam Style. It was produced by a Korean composer and it went on to become the first song to get more than two billion views on YouTube. It topped the charts in several countries of all the continents for weeks. With social media like Facebook, twitter it's not difficult to go viral with a good product that appeals to the taste of international audience. Regional language limits it, and I don't want any limits. And if it becomes a hit, then imagine the returns, money from all those digital downloads, sale on iTunes, and sponsors on You Tube. Lifetime supply of money. Fathom that? I might not even have to work after this.

Sahil looked at him.

Sahil: Is this your retirement plan? Are you again planning to quit what you do?

Abhimanyu: I don't know. But for now I know I'm turning a producer. I have penned the lyrics of the song, I am composing the music and I'll also direct the video. It's going to be sensational!

Sahil: Who are you getting to sing for you in English?

Abhimanyu: Raina is going to sing in English for me.

Sahil: Can she sing in English?

Abhimanyu: Yes, she can, and after classes with Mr. O' Brien, she is only going to become better. I have already spoken to Mr. O' Brien on that, and he is all for it.

Sahil: Mr. O' Brien, our music teacher from Doon?

Abhimanyu: Yes.

Sahil: Wow! Looks like a good plan. What about the new video contract that you are supposed to sign with Kulshan?

Abhimanyu: Let him know that I am not doing it.

Sahil: Are you sure of this?

Abhimanyu: Very sure. I am going on floors with mine very soon.I want to be done with it before Raina starts her second year college. Everything is almost done. All I have to do is record the music, get Raina do the vocals after her training, get the dates of all those who I want for shoot, make all the other arrangements for shooting, and then go rolling. He smiled feeling excited and happy about it, and Sahil too smiled feeling optimistic about it.

                                                             ***

          One week after declining the contract with Kulshan, Abhimanyu was recording music for his English single in P-series studio. It was early in morning, but not too early because he was paying for the studio time. He wanted it to be convenient to all his band members. The work had almost finished when Kulshan walked in there. Abhimanyu was surprised to see Kulshan because Kulshan was not at all a morning person.

Kulshan: Hey dude! What's up? He said as he walked in.

Abhimanyu: Hi! Nice to see you kulshan. He shook hands with him.

Kulshan: I saw you have booking in our studio after refusing to sign the contract with us. I wonder what's going on?

Abhimanyu: You'll be glad to know that I have become a producer. He told him.

Kulshan: Oh, wow! What are you producing? He asked curiously.

Abhimanyu: What's the hurry? You'll know when it comes out.

Kulshan: This is my studio. I can put the cameras and come to know what you are recording.

Abhimanyu: I have already registered copyright, and I know you'll do nothing like that. He smiled with a light laugh.

Kulshan: Raina is singing for you. Isn't she? Abhimanyu looked at him as how he knows that.

Kulshan: She refused to sign our contract. You told her not to, right? I told her I'll give triple of what she was being paid by whoever she signed her new contract with. I offered her a crore. I told her I'll pay for the contract breakage if her contract didn't allow her to work with someone else, yet she didn't sign. She said she wouldn't sign no matter how much I offered her, not even a million dollars. She said, I should give up trying. What kind of effect you have on her? You have cast some kind of spell on her, really. You know you are going  down and you are going to take this rising star down with you.

Abhimanyu heard to him in silence. His contract didn't really forbid her from signing other contracts though he verbally told her to refrain from it to avoid overexposure, and to refuse crore for that was a lot. She didn't really have to do that. He gulped down the saliva in his throat.

Abhimanyu: We'll see if I take her up or down. But I wonder what will happen to your plans now! I think you should just drop the idea of making more videos for that album. Where will you find a director like me? Million views on videos with no top actor and new singer. To shoot videos like these, you'll need someone who can visualize and think like me, who knows how to work like me. I don't see anyone filling in my shoes. Sahil is close, but nah, he doesn't want to direct music videos, he is waiting for his big ticket to direct movies. He is my manager and my friend from school. He will never step in my shoes and disappoint me.

Kulshan smirked at him and he knew that Kulshan will fall in the trap he just laid for him. He smiled slightly in response.

Kulshan: Don't worry about that Abhimanyu. I'll not disappoint you.

Kulshan: You'll be surprised.

Abhimanyu: Love your surprises. Waiting for it. Good luck to you, Kulshan.

Kulshan: All the bests to you too.

Abhimanyu: Thank you.

              Few days later, Sahil called Abhimanyu and told him that Kulshan wants him to sign the contract to direct the videos that he refused to. "Go ahead, buddy and sign it. I'm very happy for you," Abhimanyu told him. "Congratulations," he added. " Thank you," said Sahil. "But you are still going to be my manager," Abhimanyu told him. "You are not working for others now. You don't need me," Sahil said. "I need you to take care of the logistics when I shoot. Make yourself available to me," Abhimanyu told Sahil. "I'll," replied Sahil. "All the bests," Abhimanyu wished Sahil before ending the call.

                                                        ***

             After signing Abhimanyu's contract, Raina's training in English diction and music started almost immediately. Abhimanyu told her to come to his house at 9:30 am in the morning for an hour of training with him, before going for a class with Mr. O' Brien. Abhimanyu chose the time so that he can go to his inspiration center after taking her class. The time she went to his house, his new maid would be there. She would open the door for her, and Raina would go up to his music room upstairs, and then the maid would leave in some ten minutes after finishing her work downstairs. First time his maid saw her, she recognized her from the video and asked her to for a selfie with her which she did with a smile.

            As a part of training, Abhimanyu told Raina to listen to a lot of English songs. He even gave her names of some all time great female vocalists. He told her about karaoke and how it worked. He used bluetooth to play karaoke of English songs on the Bose speakers from the youtube on his iPhone. She was supposed to listen to the song and then sing to karaoke. Sometimes he played some songs on his guitar and piano instead of karaoke and she sang to them. He always smoked cigarettes and marijuana during the class.

          In one such class with him, she saw him smoke up one cigarette and then light the strange looking cigarette that he once told her was marijuana.

Raina: You do drugs? She looked at him with narrow eyes.

Abhimanyu: Yes, I do. And as a matter of fact I cannot function sober.

Raina: Don't you fear dying young because of them? She asked concerned.

Abhimanyu: So, what if I die young? Everybody dies. I'll be happy that I lived my life like I wanted to, felt like how I felt, and experienced things like I did, even if I die at thirty. People live long lives and yet never live. I don't want to add years to my life, I want to add life to my years. These make me feel good in certain way that you'll not know. Drugs and sex are must in any artist's CV or else they haven't arrived, because it's all about those extreme experiences that out stands their work.

Raina: Does that mean, I must do drugs?

Abhimanyu: Oh, no! You don't do them. He said shaking his head.

Raina: Why? You just said they are must in an artist's CV.

Abhimanyu: Because it ages you fast, and as a female artist you would want to look young and beautiful for a long time. He smiled.

Raina: But, you look fine.

Abhimanyu: Haven't you seen me in my old picture? I used to look so much better then. He picked the photo frame from the computer table and showed it to her.

Abhimanyu: I was nineteen at the time of this picture. He told her looking at the picture.

Raina: Is that your father with you in the picture?

Abhimanyu: Ya, that's my dad. He smiled as he put the picture back on the table.

Raina: Why isn't there any picture of your mother? She asked him inquisitively.

His eyes shot up at her as if a bullet hit him. He stared into her eyes.

Raina: It's okay if you don't want to tell me.

Abhimanyu: No, good you asked. I think for once I want to tell.

He took a long drag of marijuana and blew out a cloud of smoke in air before starting his long story in a plain narrating tone.

Abhimanyu: My mom, was a very beautiful woman, and I was her unwanted son. By unwanted I mean, I was an accident, my mom was not ready for it, and she could not abort due to complications. I was raised by nannies because my mom was a very busy woman. She never had time from vanity to see me. She was too busy going to gym, lunch dates, dinner dates, foreign trips with friends, and attending parties of dad's friends and foreign clients. Mom sometimes helped dad in his export business, mostly entertaining clients when they visited. Dad had to often travel to Surat where our factory was. I was only a little kid, but I remember my mom getting men at home who she would tell me were clients. She would send the nanny home, put my favorite animated movie on TV for me to watch, and take the guest to her room. I was too little then to understand what exactly it was, but there is this sixth sense even then that tells you that something is wrong. As I grew older, I understood more, and I prayed to God that my dad never found out this because if he would he'll divorce my mom, and I didn't want my parents to separate though whenever I went to my mom with something, she told she would talk to me later and that later never happened. At eight, I was sent to a boarding at Mayo, Ajmer because my parents thought it was best for me as they were busy, and I would get a better environment with friends. My dad often came to see me, and he would give an excuse for mom that never convinced me. I would go home in long breaks which I spent mostly on my own watching TV with some passing by exchange of greetings with mom. Dad did try to spend sometime with me whenever he could, but it was mostly me left to the care of maids. I hated coming home on vacations. I was home on such one vacation when I heard my mom and dad fighting one night. I went and put my ears on their door. That day, I came to know that my dad was aware of my mom's cheating all the while, but he put up all that because he loved her too much to let her go. My mom was asking for divorce because she felt choked in marriage, and she wanted to be a free bird. What I never wanted, happened. My dad couldn't convince my mother to stay in marriage and they divorced mutually on irreconcilable differences  when I was ten. My dad got my full custody, and my mom didn't even want it. Dad gave mom the bungalow we used to live in. We were moving out, when my mom told me that she would come and visit me sometimes. I was so angry that I bit her hand and shouted at her madly, "I never want to see you again. You don't love me". She gave me a tight slap for behaving like that, and I slapped her back, and that was it- a beginning of hatred that took all my peace away. We moved to a rented apartment near my grandparents. After an year, my mom married again and she got so busy with her new husband, new kids that she completely forgot about me. He sighed.

Abhimanyu: My grandparents tried to convince my dad for second marriage, but they failed. And when I was twelve, I moved to Doon in Dehradun. It helped me a lot to bring that inner peace to me that I badly needed. I became interested in music there, and my dad would gift me a musical instrument on my every birthday. At fourteen, I knew how lonely my dad was, so in my vacations at home, I created an id on fropper.com. Tinder was not there then. I chatted and flirted with several women assuming dad's identity and fixed a date with few of them. I forced dad to go on few blind dates that I fixed for him, but after going on few, he told me he can't do that. I hated that because I could tell that he still was in love with my mom.

 He didn't tell Raina, but remembered 'how some people doubted his father's manhood because he couldn't keep his beautiful wife, and she divorced him. Then, he didn't marry again, and never had any affairs despite being young and handsome. He knew the real reason for not doing that was that he loved his mom and him too much, contrary to what people thought'.

He continued after a pause he took for his thoughts.

Abhimanyu: I was seventeen and was about to join BITS Pilani, when one of dad's photographer friend took my pictures and circulated to some designers. In no time, I was flooded with lucrative modelling offers for magazines, ramps and music videos. I took them all on the condition that that I would be doing all those projects in my semester breaks. Soon, I was on covers of magazines touted as this young model with bright future. Dad was very happy that I was doing so well and earning so well, so early on in life. 

He paused for few seconds and took a long drag of marijuana before continuing.

Abhimanyu: I was back in college after the annual break, in first semester of third year engineering. I remember it was a bright day, and yet I was feeling so low and so sad for no reason. Then I got called to Principal's office, and the Principal told me that that my dad shot himself to death. I knew my dad was very lonely after my grandparents died in an accident few months ago, but I never thought he would commit suicide. He had called me the previous day to tell how he was so proud of me and how he wasn't worried about my future at all, and how I was a very good son,.....the best son in the world. His voice choked and eyes filled with tears, he wiped them from the corner of his eyes and sniffed to control more tears from falling, but he didn't stop. He kept on narrating his story as he was lost walking those streets from the time that had passed.

Abhimanyu: I took the first flight home, where my dad's lawyer met me. He told how my dad had been shutting off his business since he knew that I wasn't interested in it. He left me a duplex penthouse that he bought with that money along with few crores in his bank. Cremation was in the evening. All the arrangements were done by dad's friends. A lot of his friends from work and other people he knew attended the funeral wearing white. After performing the last rituals and giving fire to his funeral pyre, I was standing and sobbing when I saw my mom standing across me. I was seeing her after nine years. She moved to come to me and I looked at her with so much anger and hatred that she didn't dare to take the next step. I was so disturbed after seeing my mom and with the death of my dad that I hit a bar that night. I had become an orphan that day. An orphan that could not be taken to any foster home because I was a nineteen year old adult who paid income tax. I was broken. I didn't know what to do. What to live for? I promised myself that day that I'll never fall in love like my dad. I'll never make myself incapable of dating women like him. I'll never dedicate myself to a single woman.

Abhimanyu: I was at the bar trying to drink drown my sorrows when this girl who was also drinking at the table, recognized me and came and sat next to me. She saw me sad, and told me how she was in pain as her live-in boyfriend of ten years left her and got married with a girl of his mother's choice. I told her how I was in pain because of my father's death. She said she knows a way to deal with all such unbearable pain. She said there is place that helped her and it can help me too. She took me to this bungalow, where everybody was just high with drugs. Music was there, party was going on, orgy, sex, drugs everything. The place knew no inhibitions. That was my first time drugs, but it felt great. I forgot the pain, and weirdly I felt happy. She asked me to come to her house and I went with her, and I lost my virginity. After that, there was no stopping. When I went back to join college after two weeks, I was already addicted to things, so I dropped out and decided to make my career in music. I don't know but I just didn't want to face the camera after that, so I quit modelling, and went behind the cameras. I became a director. By then, I had found a new way of living my life. I always found an escape in that house in drugs and sex. I saw the girl who brought me there first, many times and whenever we saw each other, we greeted each other. I went with her a few times here and there, but she mostly went with others and so did I. She got married after two years and she stopped coming there. We never had any relation, but I shall always be grateful to her because I don't know what I would have done that night if she hadn't helped me the way she did. Ya, I became a druggie, but I love every bit of it. I am thankful to her.

He stopped and smoked. There was silence in the room. Raina's eyes were filled with tears as her heart went out for him.

Abhimanyu: So, that was about my mom. That  last time I saw her was at my dad's funeral many years ago. I don't know  if she is or was, or where she is, or how she is. She never loved me. I was always a mistake of her life, and I don't care about her.

 She looked at him and saw how exceptionally handsome he was.  

Raina: You know, you are the best mistake your mom made. He looked at her.

Raina: At least for me or else I wouldn't be what I am. He smiled.

              He let out the ghosts from the past that he held on to, and it felt light. Sahil knew that his mother divorced his father, but he never told him or anyone about the cheating ways of his mom, not to even his dad. His dad never told him and he let his dad assume that he knew nothing about it. And here he opened out his heart on everything to Raina. He bared his emotional self to her. He wondered how Raina was that woman in his life that he liked to talk with, and she just became that woman who he felt like and emotionally confided in. He wished she never became that third type of woman in his life. He wished he never got an urge to find out how she was in bed with him.