PICTURE PERFECT (FAR FROM PERFECTION)

5.

I walk through the sets, examining what type of environment it actually is, so I can get into my character.

I notice a few girls gathered in a corner with smiles and tears. What a contradictory expression!

In the middle of them, I spot a smiling Darshan who is busy hugging them and giving them the memories of life.

In a moment, the crew members separate him from his fans and he waves at them.

As soon as he turns around from them, he wipes of the smile from his face.

He takes deep breath and gets into his costume. To be honest he looks breathtaking in his costume.

My long nails dig into my skin as I hold myself back from gaping at him.

“Whoa... Darsh... Who did the magic upon you? You look... Unusual”, Nikhil says and punches him playfully in the stomach.

“Shut up, old man”, Darshan snorts.

“You don't mean that”, Nikhil glares at him.

“I mean it in every fucking way”, Darshan says back.

“Language”, Nikhil warns him and Darshan rolls his eyes at him.

“Ma'am, your dialogues”, a crew member comes and hands me a pair of stapled papers. I smile at him which he returns and runs back.

Another man goes to Darshan and does the same. He quietly keeps staring at the paper. One look at him and you would know that the words are jumping off his head.

An unreadable expression on his face.

“Are you fine? You look disturbed”, Nikhil asks him.

He scratches his nose as if keeping something inside him. “Yeah I am. I just... Uhh... Need to memorize the lines”, he nods.

“Are you sure?”, Nikhil asks genuinely concerned.

He nods frantically and dismisses Nikhil.

And then, he disappears from my sight.

“I don't know what's up with him”, Nikhil comes to stand beside me kicking the dust beneath his feet. “He doesn't ever talk calmly.”, he continues and I stare at the spot where he was standing a few minutes ago.

“But, apart from all that, you are looking pretty beautiful”, he compliments me.

“Thank you”, I thank him and pass a smile.

He smiles back.

“By the way, you seem to be sticking around Darshan all the time”, I probe a conversation before the shoot.

“Yeah, he and I are childhood friends. But, right now, he has a more disturbing life than I do.”, he gives me a small smile and as I open my mouth to ask something, someone calls him. He gives me an apologetic smile and nearly runs away.

Well, I had read in a few blogs that his wife and he were in deep marital problems. I just hope everything goes fine.

I memorize each letter thoroughly so there is no need of any ad-lib.

As I am called to the set, I see around for Darshan. Because he isn't here and I can't do it without him.

Nikhil goes to the side and calls him up.

Ten minutes later, he is on the set in his costume which consisted of a tropical printed shirt with three of his buttons open and a black dress pants.

He had a few chains and his hair was let free and as a result it fell around.

“I.. I am sorry... I was in the washroom”, he pants heavily and takes a deep breath.