It was her P.R. It took a while for her to realize that. Her eyes moist and imagery still blur.
“You still feel he is going to come back to you?” The P.R. asked.
She didn’t reply.
“Common! I am your friend first, P.R., later. I know, you don’t wear a sari, that too a red one, not at least when you have a photo shoot.” The P.R. friend continued. “But isn’t he going to be there for some more days? Or has he fled from there as well? ...Coward!”
She was simply numb.
Sensing something was not too good with her, the P.R. inquired, “Are you O.K. princess?”
“No! I am fine! He has left from the rehab but hasn’t called nor has he come. I am worried. Would he be alright?” She finally spoke.
“For God’s sake, look at yourself! You are a model. You are about to start a career in films. You have a damn shit good life ahead. And why the hell are you after that man who is so messed up. Princess, get a hold on your-self” Trying to sit her down, the P.R. said.
“Shut up! Just shut up!” pushing her away, she continued, “This is my life and I know what I am doing. You are my P.R. and simply handle my schedule do not try to handle my life. And don’t you call yourself my friend. You don’t even know him and what he means to me.”
“O.K.! Princess! Tell me, what is the scene between the two of you? The media is already making up stories of your relation with him. Before they mess up let’s give them the truth.”
“See you are still talking like a P.R.”
“Isn’t that my job?”
She hugged her and broke down, weeping inconsolably.
“Princess, Princess! Look at me. You need to tell me the entire truth. But later, as of now, you have an entire unit waiting for your photo shoot, after which we have a meeting with Rabble Studios to work out the details of the film. I cannot cancel it sweet heart. Please do it, do it for me.” Holding her hand, “I promise I shall get him traced. He will … he will come back to you.”
Her eyes still glanced one last time at the cell phone but he didn’t call. How could he? He had carried all his belongings with him but not his cell phone. Even if he would have, he wasn’t going to call.
She had said, when they had parted, “Don’t ever show me your face again or call me up, I don’t want to hear your voice or see you ever. Go! Please go away from my life forever!”
She managed to mask her pain with grease paint and plastic expressions, she was good at that. Neither the camera nor the harsh lights could peel through to capture her real emotion that lay within.
“It is going to be a grueling schedule.” The producer explained, “It’s a travel movie so we are going globetrotting, we are going to travel almost the whole world. Rome, Italy, Melbourne, Bruges, New Jersey and finally Iran.”
Nothing could sound fascinating to her accept the last word he uttered.
“Iran?” she inquisitively asked.
“Yes! She means, no one generally shoots movies in Iran?” The P.R. chipped in.
“But you never know we may be the first ones in a long time.”
He would always say he wanted to visit Iran once in his lifetime. That probably was the only reason she took up the project.
*Do catch up, next Friday, with your late afternoon cup of tea or maybe coffee, the story of sHE continues.
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