Stellar Affair: Part 7

All was great. My best friend was getting married after dating a guy for nearly eight years. That's pretty much the time required to understand Naina. Raunak had asked her as romantically as possible. 'Ayan Kishore style!', was how she described it to me. She spared me the details as she had lots to prepare. One week had passed since he proposed to her. The engagement ceremony was scheduled in the upcoming month. However, they still didn't decide the wedding date. 'I don't want to rush things for him', Naina had reasoned. 'I don't know why she still thinks that he isn't ready?', I asked Ayan, who was back from his Italy get-away. He wrapped up the last bits of promotions for his new release. Apparently, its being touted as the box-office hit of the year. We were at the cafe owned by Ayan himself, complete privacy and no paparazzi.

'Maybe she thinks he can't commit', he answered.
'What rubbish! They have been together for eight years. I think she underestimates him too much'
'Sweetheart', the melting of his tone, the flirty little note, oh! the giddy feeling.
'Time really doesn't count. One could fall in love instantly and get married or one could stay committed for years and don't get married' he continued.
'Wow. You really have brains', I said skeptically.

'Finally! And don't you watch my movies? Thats what happens in them'
'Actually, Naina is a big fan of yours. So all your movies I have watched with her'
'I think I never asked but why didn't you like me?'
'What do you mean?'
'I mean that in the beginning you were such a tight bitch. You never tried to flirt or come up to me for a conversation. Do you know how much I doubted myself?' I laughed when he said that. It was nearly impossible to believe that Ayan Kishore felt complexed because I didn't pay attention to his looks!
'No, seriously answer my question' he requested.
'I wasn't the "tight bitch". I was just doing my work. And besides you treated me terribly in the beginning. You asked me to clean up your dog's shit! Remember?' I defended myself
'Trust me, those were all revenge tactics. How dare you make me feel complexed?' and made the "snob face". We shared a laugh. Could anyone imagine this? Ayan Kishore, THE AYAN KISHORE was laughing and enjoying the company of a girl who hated him with all her heart three months ago. Things had certainly changed. I was counselling him constantly and even designing public relation strategies for him. I had started to revel in my job thoroughly.
***

Next morning was usual, I woke up around seven in my new apartment. Ayan's broker was able to find an affordable accommodation for me in the hub. Yeah, well how does one find affordable accommodation in the hub of the city? Perks of having an actor as your employer, I guess. I made my morning tea when the newspaper arrived at my doorstep. I read page by page, from the national to international affairs. When I reached the Bollywood section, I couldn't believe my eyes. A sense of repugnance. 'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!' I screamed, howled and overreacted. How could this even happen? How? I was so careful. No! The doorbell rung, oh my god! So soon? Right early in the morning. I don't even have a statement ready. I opened the door. A sign of relief, it was Mrs Shinde, my next door neighbour.
'Aye all good Shireen? Heard you scream!' she looked at me ghastly. 'Oh yes Auntie! I was screaming because India lost the match', tried to hide all my emotions.
'Ayye you kids na, all cricket fans, crazy ekdum', and left in peace. Though, I was not at peace.
***
His phone was unreachable. I had to drive up to his place in Bandra. I dreaded the Mumbai roads, as chaotic as the Delhi Metro. I saw the hawkers selling today's newspaper at the cross section. 'Oh no!', and whined like a baby. In my three years of career this had never happened with me. What will my parents say? What will Naina say? What will the world say? Its all because of him, I might loose my job permanently! What would Sahu say? Will he even take me back? 'Utter carelessness Shireen, didn't expect this from you!', he would say distastefully. The watchman opened the gate as soon as I reached Ayan's apartment building. I rung the bell. 'C'mon. Open up!' and the door lock motioned, 'Finally!' But the one who opened the door wasn't familiar. It was a girl. Not any girl, she was wearing a sexy night dress, red lipstick and colossal makeup. 'Yes?', she asked in heavy accent. I didn't have time for all this, so I barged in.
'Hey! Where you going?' protested the girl.
 Ayan was in his kitchen in his boxers sipping coffee. Right now, not even his hot body was going to calm me down. 'Shireen? What a pleasant surprise!', he cheered.
'Are you nuts? Hooking up with this chick when the world is pairing you with someone else entirely!'. I flung the newspaper right at him. 'Woah, what's the matter?', he asked. 'Read it', I ordered. It felt rude and entirely dominating but I was mad. Really mad. He scanned through the entire newspaper. After reading it he folded and looked at me. 'So?'
'So? Just "so" ? Do you even realise how this will effect you?'
'I am used to link-ups Shireen and no big deal!'
'No big deal ?', I said in disbelief. 'AYAN KISHORE THE WORLD IS PAIRING YOU WITH ME. AND YOU SAY NO BIG DEAL? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!', my voice had raised beyond level. Ayan was getting angry too now.
'Hear again, what they're writing' and I read out the article...
Meanwhile, latest buzz is that superstar Ayan Kishore is dating again and this time its not someone for the industry. It is none other than his rumoured PR consultant, Shireen Sharma. Last month, Kishore denied link-up with his co-star Tarini Kapoor but were seen quite cosy together at his cafe. Now, we have recent snapshots of the actor and his PR girl. Looks like public relations has stretched to "personal relations". Looks like Ayan's fidelity rate has been lying low. 

'I HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO BUILD YOUR REPUTATION. THEY ARE CALLING YOU A CHEAT!'
'I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS BUT THEY ARE NOT WRONG THIS TIME!' Ayan shouted back.
The girl left the house and closed the door. 'What do you mean? ARE YOU CHEATER!', I asked him again.
'NO Shireen. Its just this time, for the first time they linked me up with the right girl', he lowered his voice.
I was stunned. I hadn't absorbed anything. He is fibbing, he is fibbing, is he? My mind couldn't take it.
At last, Ayan spoke again.
'I love you'

To be continued...