The Superstar

29

"Salem. Let it go, man. She is beautiful, she is bound to have an attitude. You can't be serious about this." Aman was shocked to see Salem angry, especially about a girl. Salem was a chill guy with a bad temper, but never was he so angry at a girl. His wrath was not for the weak.

Aman thought of Salem's anger on Pari as a silly thing but when Salem called Wajid, he realised Salem was serious.

"See, the way she laughs with Karan. She doesn't even smile infront of me." He voiced out his envy to Aman.

Salem saw from afar the practice session of Pari and her dance group. Karan pulled Pari by her hand and was insisting her to practice one more time.
It was a silly banter between them but Salem was angered by her laughter and him touching her at every opportunity.

"Still, that is no reason to call Wajid. Let it go." Aman was serious, he didn't want Salem to do something stupid.

That evening, when Salem went to Oliver's he asked her, "Enjoyed too much with your boyfriend today?" Pari got the hint

"He is not my boyfriend. Not every boy and a girl is romantically involved. Not everyone is like you who roams around with 10 girls."

"Ohh...jealous? For you, I can even stop that." Salem smiled.

Pari just rolled her eyes.
"You are a fool if you think I am jealous. Who are you?  You are no one for me to be jealous."

"Really? I am noone?" He paused and said, "Pari, I love to make people eat their words. Don't challenge me in ways you can't deal the consequences." He said and sat at the table. She saw a group joined him sometime later. When she'd sneak in glances at him, he was already looking at her with those intense stares.

***

Pari had another fight at home. Her parents brushed it off thinking of it as another one of her tantrums. She wanted to buy a make up set and some more dresses for her annual day function which her mother said was an unnecessary expense. She could use of her money for better purposes than to buy thing she didn't need. But Pari angrily went to her room and banged the door shut.

Priya would usually stay silent on these matters but this time she went to Pari. Even she felt, it was high time that Pari understands and not behave like a brat.

"Pari, it's not a requirement. It's okay if you don't get a make up set or dresses. You can save up the money." Priya said.

"No! No! No! Kya ho gaya yaar agar meri ek chahat puri ho gayi? I just want this one thing and Mummy is denying that as well."
(Translation : What is the big deal if I buy the one thing I want?)

"Really? In the last 6 months, count the number of new things you have bought. May be, if you could have saved up that money, I would have taken your side today. You could have been thoughtful about your spends."

"And Pari, you shouldn't forget the days we have spent, when even one meal was a blessing. Today, you use all the little salary you get on yourself. Nobody has asked you to give it for home expenses and you haven't bothered to ask either. Aunty is saying to save it up for your own good."

Pari didn't argue further and decided not to buy the new things. Her anger was the peak. She hated the situation. Why must she suffer? After all what she asked wasn't much. They were simple things!

She cried tears of frustration and prayed that in her next lifetime, she gets a household full of riches and luxury.

***

As the annual day was over, she saw everyone complimenting her for her look and dance. She was glad that Ashley saved her by helping her with the make up. At the beginning of the day, she was extremely nervous about how the event would go and will she able to perform but now, she felt so relieved and happy.