Chapter 10
"It happened 5 years back."
I had no more energy left in me to feel or react. I am in such a place in my life that no matter what happens I won't be surprised.
"Tell me everything. I want to know everything." I say with a blank expression.
Even though I feel anything but calm inside, my face is plastered with a calm expression.
I know he knows that. Even though my expression is blank, and I hold a calm face, my eyes give me away.
He hesitates to say. I can see the doubt in his eyes whether he should talk or not. He runs his hands through his hair and looks down.
"I have the right to know. My life is a mess at this point. I am here at a strange house, at a strange place with a stranger. I don't know what to do next. I can't go back home. I can't go anywhere. The least you could do is help me solve this puzzle in my head. In my life." I plead with him.
My eyes are filled with unshed tears. In and out. I am helpless. He is my only lifeline at this point.
I look down while tears flow down my face. I hate being weak. I hate showing anyone my weakness, but at this point, I have lost all my will. I feel his hands on my cheeks.
"I know baby. And I am ready to help you in any way possible. I know I kept you in the dark but it was not the right time baby. You were just out of a one-week coma. Even a little amount of distress could put you in danger. I couldn't take that risk baby." He says softly while wiping away my tears.
"I know. I am fine now. Just tell me everything." I say as I remove his hands from my face. I can be quite stubborn when I want to.
I see a flash of a hurt pass across his face, but he recovers soon.
"Alright what do you want to know?"
He asks.
"Everything. How did the accident happen? I know I was in there too when it happened then how am I safe?? And what happened after the accident? How did I end up here? In Mumbai!" I rant out all at once.
There is so much I want to know. So much I need to know.
" Yes, you were in the car when it happened. You and your parents were heading home that night after a late-night movie. Your dad was driving with your mom in the passenger seat and you were behind. He lost control on the bridge and the car skidded off. Luckily there were few people nearby who saw it happen and they dived in the water to save you. You were the first one to be brought out of the water and you were already unconscious. It was too late by the time they brought out your parents. They did not survive. You were given immediate medical attention and were saved." He says, sorrow evident The pain is hitting me with full force. I put my head in my hands as I cry. No. I can't become weak now. He has started talking and this is the time to know everything. I need to stay strong.
I take a deep breath and wipe my tears away messily and look up at him.
"How did I end up here? What about my relatives?"
He looked beyond uncomfortable when I asked the question. I could see him battling with himself whether to tell me or not.
"Tell me," I say sternly letting him know he has no choice.
"They refused to take you in once your parents passed. And you didn't want to stay there anymore after that. So you packed all your things, sold your house, and ran off to Mumbai."
Oh my God.
Now that was the last thing I expected.
How could they not take me in? After all that my father has done for them, supported them, now when we are in trouble they just turned their backs.
Unbelievable.
No wonder I ran away from there. Who would want to stay in a place filled with such memories around people who do not want you?
"You wanted to getaway. From the people there, from the memories there. Away from that life." I nod as he says.
I know if that happened now, I would have done the same.
"But what did I do here? I knew no one, I had no one. And I had no money!" I ask.
"Whatever money you had from selling all your things and house, you took that and came here. That money would not last forever and you knew it. So instead of joining college, you took up a job as a waitress in a 5-star hotel." I gasp as I realize how much I had gone through.
"You worked there for almost a year and you also used to give dance performances with a band there. Of course, you were very good so you soon were the lead dancer among the group and used to perform every Sunday. "
"But then how did I end up being an actress? In Bollywood?" I ask.
I still don't get how I made my way into Bollywood. Just because I was a lead dancer in some 5-star hotel doesn't mean I would fly into Bollywood.
"One night when you were performing, among the huge audience, was a director. He wanted a fresh face for his movie but was not finding someone up to the mark. When he saw you, he knew there was something in you that was special. Of course, it was a long process after that before casting you. But he was pretty sure you were the right person and he was right." He says as he looks at me with a small smile.
I don't know what to say. I can just say that these last 5 years have been not less than a dramatic movie. It feels almost artificial to believe something like that happened.
I look at him with uncertainty in my eyes.
"It's true. At first, he was pretty worried if you would act well, but you stood up to every expectation. Once the movie released you signed for 2 more the same year."
Wow. What did they even see in me? A normal middle class broken girl from the south, who ran away from her house. Maybe that's what made me different.
"The day you stepped in Mumbai and started living alone, you became independent and strong. Physically and mentally.
No matter how much he says, it is hard for me to believe. I try to think if I can remember something, anything. But I am empty-headed. Damn.
Just then something clicks in me.
"Wait. How do you fit in all of this?
I mean... How did we. . you know... end up together??" I ask awkwardly.
When did I meet him? How did we end up together? I remember him saying we were together for almost 3 years.
He smiled at me when I asked the question and looks at me.
"The director that first found you in the hotel... was my elder brother."