Pani – a story we wish were true – part 21

Surprise ! You don’t need to miss me today !?

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After 5 minutes of continuous laughter,

Charlie: Guys enough ! I think now we need some damage control.

Krissan: (suddenly serious) Yeah guys i told you this would hurt both of them badly.

Utkarsh: They might not talk to us.

Ayaz: Don’t stress your tiny heads too much. They would be upset right now but soon it will be all good. After all we are all friends and friends do play pranks on each other.

Charlie: Okay then lets go and talk to niti first. Parth is busy with Disha so lets give him some privacy.

All of them head towards niti’s vanity.

Niti is crying like a baby and her best friend veebha is not able to do anythign for the first time because she knew what had happened was really disturbing for her.

Charlie, Krissan, Ayaz and Utkarsh enter the vanity and on seeing her crying like that feel really ashamed of their act. Ayaz being the big brother moves towards her and sits beside her.

Ayaz: (putting his arm around her shoulder) Choti please don’t cry. We’re sorry but it was just for fun. We didn’t realise it would turn into this.

Niti: It’s okay bro. I’m not mad at you guys. It’s just that. It’s something else that I’m upset about.

Charlie: What is it Niti ? What is it that is disturbing you ?

Without answering the question Niti leaves the vanity. Utkarsh tries to follow her but veebha stops him saying she needs some time alone.

***

Parth: Disha stop ! At least listen to me once !

Disha: What should I listen to Parth ? Was that also a scene for the show ? If yes, where were the cameras ? I couldn’t find any !

Parth: It was just an accident.

Disha : How many times do you come across such accidents and that too with that girl ?

Parth: Listen Disha I let you go before for not trusting me but this time if it happens again then I can’t let it go.

Disha: What do you mean ? So you would break up with me ? Of course you would ! You’ve found your new love on set.

Parth: (Shouts !) Enough ! You don’t trust me ? Fine ! I don’t give a damn ! Don’t you try to contact me ever again ! And what happens in my life should no longer bother you !

Disha leaves angrily and so does Parth. He is coming towards the vanity when he sees Niti coming out of the vanity and crying. The two of them come face to face. At first Parth feels like wiping her tears and consoling her but then decides against it and both of them move away in opposite directions.

After the shoot that day, when Niti is sitting on her couch and thinking about the incidents of the day, her door bell rings. She opens the door after wiping her tears to find Utkarsh standing at her doorstep.

Niti: Utkarsh ? What are you doing here ?

Utkarsh: When my friend is so sad how do you expect me not to come ? May I come in ?

Niti: (confused) Yeah sure please come in.

They sit on the couch and Utkarsh hands her a box.

Utkarsh: Medicine for your tears.

Niti: Medicine ?

Utkarsh: Just open it.

Niti opens it to find a black forest pastry in it. She is rejoiced to see the sweet step taken by her new friend.

Niti: Aww thank you so much utkarsh. I love it.

Utkarsh: Great then go ahead and eat it away.

They share the pastry and after that Utkarsh tries to talk to her about Parth.

Utkarsh: Now do you want to talk about it ?

Niti: Umm Utkarsh I…

Utkarsh: I can understand. He is my buddy therefore you might be confused as to whether you should talk about him in front of me. But trust your friend I wont share it with him.

Niti: What should I say Utkarsh. I’m not mad at you all for the prank. I’m mad at myself because I let him affect me so much. I don’t want to but it just happens. I can’t help it.

Utkarsh: I would suggest don’t think about it too much. Just live in your own world.

Niti: I agree to it. But then sometimes such incidents disturb me a lot.

Utkarsh: For that, I promise we would not play any pranks on the two of you at all. We will give you your space.

Niti: Thanks Utkarsh. You really are a true friend. And thanks for the pastry once again. It was so yummy !

Utkarsh: Madam, dosti mein no sorry, no thank you !

At this both of them laugh out loud as Utkarsh mimics Shah Rukh Khan.

****

As the show starts reaching the peak, the work load for all the actors increases too much. Most of the time, they are all on sets as it was not only manik and nandini but also the others who had various scenes and opportunities to perform.

Along with this, what the situation was off screen was the same as on screen. Manik and Dhruv were best buddies, so were parth and utkarsh. Nandini and Navya were best friends, so were niti and veebha. Nandini and Dhruv were the new friends as also niti and utkarsh. After veebha it was utkarsh with whom niti was most comfortable on sets. This however used to upset parth at times, however he did not realise the reason for the same.

One morning, when niti reached the sets, she was handed over the script for the day and on going through it she started feeling weak in her knees and her body went cold. Veebha saw her sitting on a chair outside her vanity and came to her.

Veebha: Niti what’s wrong ? Where are you lost ?

Niti just handed her the script for her to see it herself.

Veebha had a look at the script and found the script to have a scene of manik and nandini’s accidental kiss.

Veebha: Niti i know what you are thinking but this is something you cant help. I mean since we have all signed the contract which says that this show would require all such type of scenes.

Niti: I know veebha and professionally i wont mind doing that. But while signing the contract i wasn’t aware that me and parth would share so much of awkwardness.

Veebha: But we’ve all noticed that you two do bring out a scene really well. I mean being professional is not a problem for the two of you.

Niti: But veebha how can i be professional in this thing that too with him ?

Veebha: See, it’s just an accidental kiss. I think the two of you will definitely crack it.

Just then the director calls out niti’s name and she leaves.

When she reaches the music room where the scene was to be shot, she sees parth standing there and her feet stop right there at the doorstep. She is lost in her thoughts when she hears her name. It was parth calling her for the rehearsals.

“Rehearsals ? We will first rehearse, don’t know how many times and then the actual scene ? Oh lord till when would i have to bear this sweet torcher ? Did i say sweet ? No i did not mean that. Its definitely not sweet. Its bad ! really bad !” she thinks to herself lost in her thoughts when parth shakes her awake from her dream world.

Parth: (shaking her shoulders) Niti ??

Niti: Huh ? (she takes a look at his hands on her shoulders and jerks herself away from him).

Parth: (confused) Come lets rehearse.

Niti: Why rehearse ? We’ll be able to do it. Lets just directly take up the scene.

Ayaz: (just entered the room) Ohoo niti ! Directly your scene haan ? What about the others ? Not required right ? So eager you are for your scene ! Muaah !!

Parth gives him a tough look and ayaz just moves away.

Precap: Pani kiss !!

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So friends i hope you are excited for the upcoming Pani kiss. We’ve all seen the manan kiss on screen but what was the story off screen ? I am going to unfold that soon. But for that please keep supporting more and more to motivate me to publish the next part soon.

Thank You.