Part 02
Episode 05 – Something isn’t right, Is this love?
Until here: Pranay has finished recording his album. It has created a sensation among his fans. Nayanika’s innovative ideas for promoting it are proving successful. She has even planned for a concert tour release of the album. But Pranay seems to be facing a mental block. Nayanika suggests him to go to his mom’s and he does.
For a whole week Nethravathi carefully examined the changes in her son’s behavior, he was more calm and laid back, his actions were mature, his words were thoughtful and most importantly his worst trait of all; the sudden emotional outburst had drastically reduced. Is this the result of that girl? she pondered. Nayanika called Pranay twice in a day and updated him about everything that happened. They spoke not more than ten minutes but in those ten minutes their heart exchanged a million words that their mouths never uttered. Nayanika knew that it would be rude for her to ruin the moment between mother and son and Pranay understood that she knew this. This was the kind of bond that they shared. They knew each other’s words and action even without either of them expressing it.
Pranay was packing to go back to Dawn City on Sunday morning, Nethravathi saw him whistling a tune and playfully arranging his stuff. She looked at him for a minute, then went to his door and asked, ” So you are going back today?” “Yes, mom” he replied without looking at her busily searching his things. ” When will you come again?” “I cant say mom because as soon as I go back I have to start preparing for my concert, then I’ll be touring and then there is this album release and promotion. So I guess maybe after I am done with all that?” “Ok, that girl, what’s her name ?” “Nayanika” “ha….Nayanika, is she coming with you to the tour?” “Of course mom, why do you ask? She is the one who will be managing everything.” Nethravathi was silent for a few seconds. Pranay was still whistling “The next time you plan to come, bring her with you Ok?’ she said smiling at him. He nodded. Nethravathi came out of his room.
Nethravathi had seen her son being exceptionally merry before, she had seen him enjoy the pleasures of life, she had seen him ecstatically happy with Leila but she had never seen him so contented and peaceful. She had not seen him in this state of mind where people do not yearn for more and more gratification but feel satisfied with whatever is in their hands. Her son was finally understanding the meaning of life, he was realising something which she had tried to explain him the whole time. Finally he was changing unknowingly because of a random girl. It pained her heart a little, to see him grow for the sake of a strange girl but was relieved that it was happening at last. If that girl was the reason for this, they are then destined to meet each other, she thought. Pranay finished his packing and came down. He hugged his mother. Nethravathi kissed him goodbye and wished him a safe journey. She waved at him as he walked out to his car. Just like her son, her mind too was at peace now.
Meanwhile Nayanika had become unofficial owner of Pranay’s business in Dawn City. In a week’s time she was ready with the whole plan for the tour. They would be starting right after Pranay’s return from Rose City. Her mother Shalini worried looking her wear out day and night, but she always knew that whenever her daughter worked like this, the outcome would definitely be victorious. Pranay’s whole music management team now acted under Nayanika’s supervision. It was not any kind of submission to her as an authority. Instead it was her ideas and work ethics that were so inspiring and attractive to them that they felt like this could not have been done any other way. She was always open to suggestions from other team members. She perceived that great things are done not by a single person but with the help of a great team. She never monitored them, she worked with them. Nayanika in fact had more say in Pranay’s professional life than his best brother Rohan did. Sometimes she would stop for a minute and wonder, ‘is it she who is doing all this or is she guided by some mystical force?’
It was Saturday night, she was checking the emails as usual before going to bed. Pranay had called her a few minutes before and said he would be coming to Dawn City next morning. Her heart was throbbing with joy to meet him. It was difficult though, to exactly say that she missed him cause she busied herself all day. But she surely experienced that void which you sense in the absence of a favourite person. After replying to important mails she went to bed. As soon as she laid her head on the pillow her tired eyelids drooped and she went to a deep sleep.
She was dressed in a beautiful white dress. It looked like a wedding dress. A good looking man in a black suite stood beside her holding hands. He said something that made her cry tears of joy. They both kiss and walk from the garden into a beautifully decorated party hall. A crowd which was waiting inside welcomes them. There is a soft music playing and everyone starts dancing. They too dance for a while. Suddenly a loud shot of bullet is heard. Everyone panicks, the man who was with her is hit, he is bleeding from left chest. She screams hysterically, a woman dressed in a red gown walks from the middle of the crowd with a gun in her hand. She looks at her with fiery eyes.
Nayanika woke up with a bounce. She reached out for her phone, her screen showed 4:30 in the morning. For God’s sake why do I dream such princess tales she thought. Was that an ordinary dream? Or was it a vision we know not yet. Nayanika anyways seems to dismiss it.
Pranay reached his mansion at 2:00 in the afternoon. He texted Nayanika to come at 5:30 in the evening. He was too tired to start anything right away so he went to take a refreshing nap. Later in the evening when Nayanika came she saw him sitting on the sofa in his living room, sipping coffee on one hand and browsing his laptop with the other. He had just come out of shower. He looked fresh and clean. His sight made Nayanika’s heart skip a beat.She smiled broadly, her eyes twinkled. Pranay too sensed her presence and looked up. Their eyes met. She walked towards him, he towards her and they both hugged. They spent a whole minute immersing themselves completely in that sweet moment. Nayanika was first to come out of the trance. “Let’s go to the studio, shall we?” she asked. “Yes, right I… I have listed out the songs to perform” ” Oh that’s good, I have got ready all the outfits for the shows, the second edition merch and….she went on talking and entered his studio. He followed her.
They spent the whole evening together. He rehearsing and she making work calls and listening to him and helping him out. Then all of a sudden a brilliant idea flashed across her mind. She came bursting into his studio from his office room. “Pranay what do you think about adding background dancers for your final performance at Hope City?” she said with her sparkling eyes. He did not hear, she went near him and removed his headphones. “Pranay what do you say about having background dancers for your final performance?” she repeated to him even more excitedly. “Whatever you say baby” he said carelessly pinching her cheeks and put on his earphones again. Nayanika opened her mouth in a confusion , ‘he said ba…oh forget it…she shrugged her shoulders and went back. Pranay saw Nayanika sleeping on the couch, when he came out. She had sorted everything for his final day performance. She had sat on the couch to rest but had fallen asleep unaware. It was 10:00 in the night. He woke her up, she looked at her phone, there were 5 missed calls from her mom. She panicked, “Oh my God, I have to call my mom, its too late I have to go home, how did I sleep for so long… I called Mr. Pradeep from Daredevil Dance Company he said he would be coming tomorrow…”, she spoke in a single breath as she dialled her mother’s number on the phone. Pranay smiled at her, fondled her head and said “Don’t worry, tell your mom that you will be staying here tonight and we will talk about Mr. Pradeep tomorrow OK?” She made an interrogative face, at the same moment her mother received her call and spoke from the other side, “Hello Nayanika, what the hell were you doing until now? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” “Mom I am sorry I am still at Pranay’s studio I got so busy that I forgot to see your missed calls” ” Ok Ok now don’t try to book a taxi and come home, if you are at his house stay there, Come in the morning.” “hello hello mom…” Shalini had cut the call. Nayanika was dumbstruck ‘my mother only trusted me with Anagha how come she is letting me stay with him?’. Just in time Pranay called her to dinner downstairs. She went down. Pranay’s old housekeeper Ramu was pleased to serve them. They talked random stuff while they ate. Then Pranay showed Nayanika to the guest room on the first floor. It was a spacious room with big glass windows on west side and a sit out on the north side overlooking the garden and pool below. Nayanika liked the room instantly, she loved the fragrance of jasmine that came from the garden. Pranay wished her “goodnight” and went to his room. He had no plans to sleep early that night so he took his notebook and started scribbling.
Nayanika was the first one to wake the next morning. She felt she had not slept so peacefully in a long time. Her soul was rejuvenated and the chirping of the birds in the garden made her affable. The sun was slowly rising up in the east and she went out to the garden to feel the first rays of sunshine. Pranay who usually woke up at eight, was up early that morning. He came out to the sit out on his side of room and saw Nayanika enjoying the sun rise. He lost himself looking at her for a while. She too saw him and waved. Pranay came down to her. She told him that she would go home and come back at 10:00. He nodded and asked her to go in his car. She agreed and he sent for his driver.
The next couple of weeks Pranay spent rehearsing for his tour and Nayanika was busy promoting it. She was totally successful in creating the exact feverish momentum required for the grand release of his album. They started off from Dawn city with the release of his second single ‘Desert Flower’ . Both his concert and the song was a massive hit. Then they moved to Blue City, Sugar City, Emerald City, Gold City, Purple City, Love city and so on subsequently releasing two more singles in his concerts. Everyone in social media, newspapers, news channels, magazines only spoke of one thing and that was Pranay, his shows , his songs and his crazy fans. The papparazi had now begun to cover Nayanika exclusively with Pranay though she still called herself his manager only, the media speculated them as couples, pictures of them spending time together at hotels, restaurants and at the concerts circulated everywhere. As far as Pranay and Nayanika, deep down they knew that they loved each other but nevertheless kept denying it.
Finally, the last stop of the tour was here. They both had spent five months touring the country together. They reached Hope City a week before the show. Nayanika never shunned from responsibilities no matter how much ever fun she had. She made sure that everything was organised perfectly for that day. Pranay too was ready with his performance. The night was slowly setting in and Starlight Stadium the biggest in the city and country was already beaming with festive spirit of the crowd. The ‘lovelies’ as loyal fans of ‘Mr.Lovestruck’ called themselves had begun chanting his name. The stage was all set and Pranay appeared on it with a boom of fire works and the hysteric sound of his guitar. He performed all his hit songs one after another and made the crowd dance to his beats. Almost to the end of the show the big projection screen on the stage behind him displayed the cover of his album and it was officially released. The joy of the crowd knew no bounds, as soon as it was released the whole stadium thundered with ecstatic cries. Nayanika who had been running here and there backstage managing everything, sighed with relief. At last months of her hard work had reached its ultimate goal. Pranay looked at her from the stage. She smiled at him and sent a flying kiss. His face brightened even more. He took the mic to his hand, “Well this is actually the end of my performance tonight but I have been waiting to sing a special song for a special person. This one’s for you” and he began…..” Never thought would meet you in my life, You came as a ray of shining starlight…Nayanika looked on with her stunned almond eyes. Pranay had never told her about this special performance which means that he had been practicing secretly. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. He bowed down to the crowd when he finished. Then he spread out his arms and Nayanika came rushing to him, he picked her up like a little girl and they both kissed. The joyful shouts of the crowd reached the sky, amongst them was a pair of agonised eyes looking at the stage…
To be continued…
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Words from within... 
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