Malini: Shagun llb kar rahi hai.
Shagun: Aur tum? What's your name?
Sai: Sai.
Malini: Tumse milke acha laga, Sai. Would you like to look at the second room ?
Sai: Haa! Of course!
Malini opens the door to the second room. Sai peaks inside.
Sai: Mein rahungi.
Malini: Achi baat hai. Now, like the ad said, it will be 2000 rupees. Chalega na?
Sai clears her throat, resisting the urge to tell Malini that she's making the rent really low.
Sai: 2000 thik hai!
Malini: Toh cheque de dena, thike?
Sai's world comes crashing down as she realizes... She doesn't even have 500 rupees in her name.
Sai: Abhi dena hoga kya?
Malini: Ha. I've never rented my place out before, but I assume they take rent up front , right?
Shagun: Ha, aisa hi hota hai.
Sai secretly wants to strangle shagun, but forces a smile. Sai briefly considers fibbing.
Sai(with honesty) : Kya mein ek hafte ke baad rent de sakti hu?
Malini: Mujhe nahi pata... Shagun here already gave me a check. Ye sahi nahi hoga.
Okay, now sai REALLY wants to strangle Shagun.
Sai: Mujhe maaf kardo. I shouldn't have wasted your time...
As she walks towards the door, the buzzer sounds.
Shagun: Shayad aur ladkiya aayi hai, rent pe rehne ke liye.
Malini's buzzer sounds over and over again as she makes her way to the door. The thought of returning back to Gadchiroli makes Sai shudder. Sai's aaba and maushi never supported her to be an actress, unlike other parents in Gadchiroli. (Bas assume karo) Ever since she told them her dream to act, they had scoffed at her. And they've been counting the days until she comes home, tails between her legs, ever since. She reaches the doorway, and stops in her tracks. She turns around, just as Malini reaches for the buzzer.
Sai(with determination) : Ruko! Suno. I need this apartment. Sachme. Aur mein nakki bata sakti hu ki abhi jo bhi aaye hai woh mere jitne desperate nahi honga.
Malini: Aage bolo, Sai. I'm listening.
Sai(taking a long breath) : Suno, mein chahti hu ki tum ye jaano ki...Mein yaha ek actor banne aayi hu, aur ye safar bohot mushkil hai. Sachai ye hai, ki aaj tak maine kisi bhi cheez ko itni buri tareeke se nahi chaha hai. Yahi ek apartment hai jo mujhe mumbai mein rehne degi . Mere pass abhi ke liye paise nahi hai, par mein wada karti hu ki mein jaldi paise de dungi. Bhale hi abhi jo aaye honge unke pass 2000rs honge par unhein iss apartment ki meri jitni zarurat nahi hai.
She stops her monologue, breathless, and looks between Shagun and Malini. They look sympathetic and shocked.
Malini: Sai, mujhe khushi hui ki tumne hume ye sab kuch bataya. Sach toh yeh hai, ki baat paiso ki nahi hai. I don't really need it. Mein lecturer hu, aur mein ye apartment apne kisi colleague ko bhi rent pe de sakti thi. Par mein unse nafrat karti hu, aur mein akeli hu. Isiliye maine rent itna kam kiya.
Sai exhales, sighing. A smidgen of hope blooms in her chest.
Malini: Agar Shagun agree karti hai toh...
She looks over at Shagun, who nods.
Malini: Tum mujhe ek hafte mein paise de sakti ho?
Sai(shocked) : Ha, bilkul! I'll get you the money. Bohot BOHOT shukriya .
Her elation quickly fades as she realizes: the only way to get it, fast, is to do another singing telegram. But she pushes the thought away, deciding to deal with it later.
Malini: Badiya! Welcome to the apartment!
Shagun: Chalo group hug karte hai!
The girls grab Sai and pull her into a big hug. At first she resists, she's never been one to hang with the girls and didn't sign up for late nights of gossip and magazines. Shagun grabs Sai tighter, smiling into her face, and she realizes she's never felt this relaxed since she moved to Mumbai. The girls pull out of the hug, and they can hear muffled shouting from outside. Malini moves towards the big, beautiful picture window and looks down.
Malini: Arre nahi...
Sai walks towards the window, and looks down the sidewalk, and her heart drops. A crowd of angry women has gathered. The buzzer rings incessantly.
Malini: Mujhe nhi pata tha ki itne log aayenge. The ad was up only for five minutes.
Sai marches to the window, leans out, and looks at the gathered girls.
Sai(shouting) : Suniye, ladies! The place is rented, so scram.
She sees the face of her rival from before and sai flips her off. Sai smiles and shrugs letting her know it doesn't bother her. And shuts the window.
Malini: Wah, Sai... I don't know if I should be terrified or impressed.
Shagun: Shayad saari Gadchiroli ki ladkiya aisi hi hoti hai !
Sai can't help but smile, and they all start laughing.
Malini: Toh... Shayad hume khushi manane ke liye acha sa dinner banana chahiye.
Sai's stomach rumbles, and she realizes she hasn't eaten since last night.
Shagun: Ha, sahi kaha!
Sai's about to agree as well, when her thoughts return to her money situation. The thought of it, makes her stomach curl, she isn't hungry anymore.
Sai(lying): Darasal , mujhe lagta hai ki mujhe mere cheeze organize karna chahiye shift karne ke liye.
Malini: Arre yaar! Can't you do it after dinner?
Sai: Mein... Um... Mujhe kuch kaam bhi hai. Rain check?
The girls look disappointed but nod.
Shagun: Baadme milte hai, Sai. We'll save you some leftovers.
...
Sai hurries out into the hallway and makes sure the door is firmly shut behind her. She takes out her phone and hits dial, cursing herself under her breath.
Boss: Arre Hello, Sai! I was about to call you! Kisine call karke tumhare baareme pucha. Mermaid statue singing 'gram. Payment...600rs hai ... Kal subah ke liye. Should I mark you down as a yes?
Sai: Mein 1000rs ke liye karungi.
Boss: Ab Sai, greedy math bano. 600rs is the standard rate.
Sai sighs in frustration.
___
A/N
Gimme votes.
YOU ARE READING
Sairat: Muskurahatein
FanfictionTo make ends meet as an actress in Mumbai, Sai Joshi takes a job as a singing telegram. She's not looking for love, but sparks fly with her first client: a sexy Nagpurian lawyer, Virat Chavvan. Will she choose love, or risk everything to become famo...
