Stars & Dreams

7) Alpha Librae - Ambitious & Focused

Yohan stared at the shrouded sea. The heavy downpour concealed the sea from his view. And the monsoon made it impossible to visit the club or play football in his favourite stadium. Settling on the beach, he placed his arms behind his head and stretched his long legs. His life had neither a purpose nor an aim. He figured that his efforts to earn money or work in movies were only an attempt to please his grandmother. He had no real interest in performing for the camera. He concluded that he hated to do what others wanted. He didn't think he fitted anymore in a place where his only duty was to obey the man behind the camera. Was he such a mediocre performer that the thought of going to the studio depressed him more than sitting at home?

Grabbing a football, he rushed to the beach and kicked the ball around with unexplained rage. Soaked to the skin, he was oblivious to the torrential rains and ignored the lightning and thunder. The sea roared with fury and devoured everything it could find on its shore. Yohan's state of mind was like that of the sea. His anguish, his torment and his isolation struck him with their powerlessness. He ached for someone to call his own. He yearned for someone to appreciate him and longed for a warm soul to soothe him from his pain. Like his grandmother had been. He missed her and her last words echoed in his head, that he was born to create magic...Was he?

He paused and took a brief look around him. Just as his grandmother had mentioned, he wanted to create that elusive magic. He had been in denial so far but now under the grey clouds, with the sea thundering and the sand wet under his feet, he realized that he wanted to make stories that would touch hearts. He wanted to believe in the trust that his grandparents had conferred on him. He wanted to repay them with his creation of art.

He knelt and touched the wet granule of sand. Soon, this sand would be swept away by the sea like all those people dear to him who had been swept away by death and he would be left alone without foundation to deal with life.

His grandmother had been right. He did care for the accolades that went hand in hand with fame. He hungered for a place in the galaxy of stars. He desired to prove his detractors wrong.

The sudden streak of lightning interrupted his train of thoughts. He picked up the ball and sauntered back to the house. A cold shower and a meal of sandwiches cleared his head of confounding introspection. He had no offers from any film maker or director or production house. He was practically jobless. What were his options then? Should he pack up and trot the globe or beg for some part in a movie? His uncle was prepared to entrust him with a role in a superhero movie of their home production. Nina was the female lead and it had been understood by all that he would be the male lead.

But did he want to do it? The thought of going back to the studio, face the camera and listen to some maverick director, distressed him. He hated it....

For want of doing something, he started clearing his storage places. There were clothes and bottles stacked in a corner. The maid must have collected everything and placed them in the corner. While dumping old magazines into a garbage bag, a folder slipped out of the pile. Yohan recognized it as the folder that his grandmother had given him to read. He opened the folder and gave a sardonic smile at the title of the story,

The gypsy's blood...

He guessed that it would be like one of the shows she watched, supernatural and inconceivable...

But the first line caught his attention.

Mantra was born at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Like a ferocious tigress, she would not rest till she brought to justice the people who had wronged her.

Yohan did not pause till he finished the story in one go...The captivating story written by his grandmother put a spell on him. Going back and forth between London and the barren desert of Rajasthan, it is the journey of a gypsy girl called Mantra. Like a fearless warrior, she fights a lone battle for the injustice done to her. Compassionate but courageous, an innocent Mantra from Rajasthan travels to London and wages a war against those who had betrayed her.

Mantra fascinated Yohan. He was astonished by the range of all powerful emotions that Mantra elicited in him. She would kill for love and die for the ones she cared about. She had no inhibition about exposing her deepest fear or her unrelenting determination. He wished he could be like her and discern her passion.

His grandmother's manuscript gave him a purpose. He could not wait to bring the story to life on the silver screen.

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Rumi knew she was procrastinating but she could not help it. It was three months since Vasujit handed her the pen drive but she had not yet decided on the character. She knew he was not going to wait for her long but she was confused. The script was so multi-dimensional that it was hard to choose one character out of the three. Written as a film-noir, the protagonist has three sides to her personality. An honest woman that she reveals to the world, her alter-ego that torments her about the crimes she commits and a suppressed self that goads her to breach the law. Usually, when a film is made about such alternating personalities, the same actor would do all the roles but in Vasujit's script, all three traits of the character would be played by three different actors thereby confusing the viewer. The original character, her second self and her inner voice, all three had strong presence in the script and Rumi pondered over the roles.

She would be meeting Vasujit tonight at the preview of the movie and she was abashed that she was still undecided about her choice of role. Actually, she was tense and excited about her debut on the big screen. Her role might not be significant but she did work hard for the part. As a side kick to the female lead, she had tried to create an impression of a lapdog with her ridiculous sense of humour. She hoped that her role had not been chopped to a ten-minute appearance in the movie. Also, her last meeting with Vasujit worried her. She had been shocked when he had grabbed her and placed a hard kiss on her lips. She should have pushed him away but at that precise moment, she had been shaken out of her mind. Thankfully, she had left for Mumbai the next morning. Otherwise, it would have been embarrassing for her as well as Vasujit. During the time that she worked under him, he had not come across as creepy or unpleasant. He had maintained his distance with all of them though he did yell unnecessarily. So after the moment of aberration that night, she pondered if it would be wise to accept a role that Vasujit recommended to her. Sighing at the maddening riot of thoughts, she decided to look her best tonight at the preview. She wanted to impress those present at the event. Someone might notice her and offer a role.

Maya and others had messaged that they would assemble around seven. Rumi sighed in nervousness and wondered if Ujjwal would be willing to go with her. Before she could key the words in her message, Ziva's words about her holding on to him stopped her.

She would go on her own. Maya was bringing her partner and others would be coming with someone. She messaged Parth and Ritika but they were busy with their own problems. Rumi decided to go alone and prepared for an elaborate bath. Sifting through her wardrobe, she picked an ankle-length black dress. The halter neck exposed her smooth shoulders and enhanced her long limbs. She bunched her newly washed stresses into a bun at the top, giving her a vulnerability that she was unaware of. Applying the liner on her lids, she wondered if she needed to brush her cheek with powder but she decided against it. The strappy high-heeled sandals completed her outfit. She studied her reflection in the mirror. Something was amiss. She spotted the bracelet that Ujjwal had gifted her. She clasped it on her wrist and grabbed the clutch. Checking for her cards and cash, she dropped the tube of lipstick into it and rushed out. The door bell rang. Frowning at the unwanted visitor, she yanked the door open.

"Ujjwal?" she glanced at him in surprise but he was gazing at her with admiration.

"Wow Rumi! You look gorgeous."

"Thanks. What are you doing here?"

"Don't you have to attend the preview? I thought I would go with you."

"Oh..."

"Hey, you don't mind... right?"

"Nope... Come on, we are getting late."

And it was Ujjwal who drove her to the theater.

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