"We have 16 acres of agricultural land, we cultivate rice on it" Said Mr.Ravi a farmer from a small village. I hated his words as it reminded me the fact that I hated my job. Oh! Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ruby, Ruby Singh. 3 years back  I was a Star reporter of 'b24' or 'bollywood 24', a gossip channel, yes it is a gossip channel actually but we don't call it that way because it sounds lame. We call it a channel which reports the latest news of b town or bollywood, Yes we give updates about new films, stars, music and much more but most of our programs contains gossips about the stars. But now I am stuck with this stupid channel called 'go green' it's an agricultural channel by the same management it is literally boring I spend my whole day interviewing farmers of the smallest villages of India. I have to discuss rice and wheat all day. Ok I am crazy I came down from 'Ranbir Kapoor the super star' to 'Ravi the farmer' due to my stupid decisions. Well that's crazy. "So how much do you earn in one year?" I asked Ravi again after coming back to my senses.
"Oh stop it Ruby we have all the information we need" Said my camera man Victor.
"Really, are you sure?"  I asked him.
"Ya, I am tiered anyway let's get out of here" he said.
"Ok" I who was less interested in staying there anymore said.
We packed our cameras and mikes and we were about to leave when I heard the voice of a scooter. I turned and saw a girl in her 20's riding a rusted scooter. I identified her face at once and I was shocked it was really her.
"Lali guptha" I said.
"What?" Victor asked.
"Lali guptha" I said pointing at her as she parked her scooter she stood up from the scooter and went to the shop and gave him a list of things she waited as he packed her things. She was wearing a local salwar suite.
"Oh My god is that really Lali guptha?" Victor asked.
"Yes, it is her" I said as I walked towards her.
"Lali......Lali guptha right" I asked.
"Ruby, oh hi" Lali said.
"Hi, Lali what are you doing here?" I asked. I saw Lali's face fall when I asked this.
"I live here" She said after a little hesitation.
"Oh!" I said.
I looked at Lali's face carefully

her face had no makeup and her face had lost all the old charm and energy I couldn't believe that she was once a celebrity, the girl who walked on the red carpets of b town with handful of awards.
"Lali what are you doing here?" I asked.
"I am trying to make a change, I am a teacher at a local school" She said with a wry smile.
"What happened, Lali?" I asked with concern in my voice.
"Nothing, I just messed up my life" She said and smiled.
"Lali tell me about your life" I said.
"Please I don't wanna discuss that" Lali said.
"What turned you from an award winning film director to a school teacher?" I asked.
"70 Rs" Said the shopkeeper after handing Lali a bag of goods she paid him and turned to me.
"I should leave now, please don't tell anyone that you met me here" She said as she sat on the scooter. I didn't know what to say I wanted to know more about her but I thought it was not the right time to ask her. Before she started the scooter she asked me one last question.
"How is Sid?" She said with her eyes brightening up for the first time.
"Happy" I said.
Tears welded up in her eyes before the tears came out she started her scooter and ridded back.
"You know her?" Victor asked.
"I wanna know her" I said still looking at her scooter as it vanished.
*
"Sir this is gonna be a great story" I said.
"But Lali guptha is out of the industry no one remembers her or her films now and you wanna do a big episode about her life, it's insane" Said the head of 'B 24' I had come to B 24's office with a great idea I wanted to do a great episode involving all the aspects of Lali's life from her childhood to now.
"But Sir Lali is not just an ordinary director her life is very inspiring there is a lot to know please Sir let us do this" Victor said.
"But you have to travel a lot meet all the people involved in Lali's life her friends her family colic's etc, etc" Sir said.
"We are ready" I said.
"Yes Sir" Victor said.
"Ok then good luck, just go for it" Sir said.
*
3 days later........
"Ah.....shit yar" Victor said cursing the roads of Kerala which is half broken and our car couldn't pass through that way.
"Hey according to this address it takes just a 10 min walk to Lali's home today is a Sunday her parents should be home, come let's go" I said.
"Ok whatever" Victor said.
*
"But she is your daughter and trust me she is alive what do you mean when you said that she is dead to you" I said.
"I don't wanna hear anything just get out" Lali's dad said.
"I just can't believe this" I said irritated within seconds we stood up and went out.
*
We were about to leave someone called us from behind.
"Wait" She called out as I looked back a saw a girl in her 20's she was wearing a cotton salwar suit she came running towards us.

"Hi, my name is Meena I am Lali's first cousin Lali have spent her entire childhood with me I know her really well I can give you all the information you need" She said.

"Ok so where can we have a proper communication?" I asked her.
"If you don't mind you can come to my home we can have long communications there" She said.
"Ok" I said.
*
"Here have this" Meena said handing both of us two cups of tea.
"Ok so now tell me everything about Lali" I said.
"Ok so Lali was born 4 years before I was but she was there in every part of my life weather it is good or bad she was always there we called her Lali di because of her attachment to Hindi and north India" She said.
"Ok" I said.
"Everything was ok both of us were good friends also we used to have lot of fun with each other but everything changed that day........."

 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
OK this story have some relation with the people I met and spend time with in my life and some incidents that happened in my life but my intention was not to hurt anyone's personal feelings.

With love
Aiswarya vinod