Stars & Dreams

10) Beta Leonis - Tend to be Insecure

"Hi Rumi...."

Rumi viewed him with a mixture of anger and pain and marched towards the elevator in the lobby. Ujjwal followed her and when they entered the lift, he apologized, "I am so sorry Rumi. I just don't know what got into me last night."

"So you deserted me? If you remember, I did not ask you to accompany me to the event." The lift doors slid open on the  fifth floor and she crossed the corridor while hunting for keys in her bag.

"I know Rumi. I wanted to go with you. And babe, I was proud of your performance."

That provoked her anger, "Oh really Ujjwal? Sorry if I am mistaken but I did not see any pride on your face last night." She unlatched the door and tossed her bag on couch. Ujjwal shut the door and faced her.

"Babe, I was overwhelmed by your screen presence. You could say that I was thrown off a bit."

"So you left me in the middle of an event and didn't bother to find how I would reach home."

"I did call you many times but you didn't answer."

Rumi shrugged nonchalantly. She opened her laptop to search for agencies. He took a position right behind her chair and observed her.

"Rumi are you listening to me? And why are you searching for agencies? Satish will connect you to right people."

"I have quit Satish's agency."

"What? But why?" Ujjwal dragged a chair and hauled himself on to it.

"I didn't like their terms. I dislike Satish's overbearing attitude."

"But you were alright with him so far. Why the sudden change? Do you know how hard it was for me to convince him to take you?"

"Well, now you don't have to convince anyone. I can survive on my own."

"Rumi, why are you behaving like this?"

Rumi shut the laptop and regarded him with indignation. "Why am I behaving like this? I was not the one to be unhappy about my friend's performance."

"I was not unhappy Rumi. I was just taken aback. How many times will you bring that up? I have already apologized for that."

Rumi gave a long sigh. She was aware that Ujjwal was the only who had stood by her when everyone else had abandoned her.

"Ujjwal, I want to do things my way. I don't want anyone dictating to me about my choices."

"I have never done that."

"I know Ujjwal, you have only tried to help me but others don't see that way. People think that they are doing me a favour because I am with you. Now that I have a chance to prove my worth, I want to do it my way."

Ujjwal pushed the chair back and stood up, "So one film and you want to push me away. I did not realize that you were so selfish."

"Oh now I am selfish is it? What do you call yourself then? Noble?"

It was Ujjwal now who took a long breath. He didn't want to lose her but he could feel her slipping away from his hold.

"I don't understand this angry young woman attitude of yours Rumi. You have never shared your childhood with me so I don't know what made you put up this angry wall around you. Do you know that you alienate everyone who tries to help you? First Ziva, then Satish and now it is me."

The tenuous control she held on her temper snapped, "Don't put the blame on me for our rift. You were the one who walked out on me during an important moment of my life. And I alienated myself from them because they think that I am this naïve person who does not know to look after herself in this big bad world. First Ziva demanded that I work for that creep, and then Satish decides what is good for me and now you. I don't need anyone to decide for me."