Beauty Pageant Mussorie, 2021
All the contestants were getting prepared for the big event as one of the big names who was going to judge this big event was none other than India’s top-most makeup artist Deep Singhania. Deep was not just a renowned makeup of the country but also a heartthrob of all the ladies in the Mussorie city. The ladies lined up with their respective entry numbers in the backstage in order to depict their skills in the event and win the title crown of Miss. Mussorie 2021. As the main organizers of the event were checking through the contestants, they were surprised to find one of the contestants dressed in a simple bright salwar kameez. It was none other than our Aarohi. When the organizers came forward and asked Aarohi to introduce herself and explain the reason for her to take part in this prestigious contest in such simple clothes. Aarohi introduced herself as Rooh (meaning soul) and continued, “Sir/Ma’am is it only the outer clothes which defines the beauty of someone? Real beauty of any woman can be visualized even with very simple outfit because simplicity has it’s own elegance and beauty!” The organizers get impressed with Aarohi’s answer and gradually leave wishing her good luck for the contest. After the organizers leave, Aarohi takes out the lamp locket chain from her neck and whispers to it, “My goal is not to win the title crown of Miss Mussorie 2021 but rather my goal is to win an old friend! I want to make his heart emote the way it used to 20 years ago!” She smiles while saying those words, slowly pushes back her locket into her dress and then slowly lines up with the other contestants. Although the other contestants glared repulsively at Aarohi, however she did not pay attention to any of them and continued to stand in the line.
Soon, Deep’s long black Mercedes car lands right in front of the event venue. The organizers, the media and the excited mob surround around the car in order to ask him various questions. Deep answers all of them and slowly enters into the beauty pageant contest. After Deep’s arrival, the other two judges too arrive and with the arrival of all the three judges, the organizers alert the ladies that the contest is going to soon begin. One of the women laughingly mocks Aarohi saying, “I wonder what this loser is trying to do here!” Aarohi looks back sharply towards her, comes near her, helps her out with her dress and says, “Don’t worry about me, just worry about yourself!” Aarohi then smilingly turns around and lines up along with the other contestants with respect to her number. Soon the music of the ramp walk begins playing and all the women starts posing out their beauty in front of the judges. Deep and the other judges take remarks of each and every contestant. In a short while, Aarohi’s turn arrives and she walks out boldly infront of Deep and the other two judges. The other two judges are surprised to see a contestant dressed in salwar kameez and stare cluelessly at each other. Shortly, Deep lifts up his head and is shocked at the sight of Aarohi on stage. He lifts his pen and signs the music to turn off. Aarohi and the other contestants get startled with the sudden onset of silence in the auditorium which held the beauty pageant contest and slowly turn towards Deep. The latter lifts himself up from his position and starts taking slow steps towards Aarohi onto the stage. Aarohi smiles as she sees Deep approaching her and could feel her heart fluttering really fast in her chest, she said to herself, “Yes Rooh you did it!” In a little while, Deep reaches near Aarohi and glowers angrily at her while Aarohi is still smiling brightly lost in thoughts. Soon Deep’s loud and thundering voice fills the entire auditorium, “What the hell are you doing here?” Everyone shake in fear on hearing Deep’s sudden burst of anger. Aarohi shivers in her position and takes a step backward. After the sudden outburst, the second time, Deep catches Aarohi by her arms, shakes her fiercely and asks, “What the hell are you doing here?” The organizers panic seeing Deep’s anger, come towards him and try to free his clutches from Aarohi saying, “Sir, what are you doing, Sir? Leave her!” They succeed in freeing Aarohi from Deep, however do not succeed in calming down Deep’s anger. Deep continues to yell at Aarohi, “Do you think this beauty pageant is a joke? You have neither the class, nor the clothes, nor the BEAUTY to participate in this contest then how the hell did you land up here? Aarohi continues to shiver fervently in her position and starts to pronounce meekly, “Huh….I….I….” and before she could complete her sentence. Deep starts yelling at her again, “Just look at yourself, your bones can be seen protruding through your skin such that even a mild wind can blow you away!” The girl who had earlier mocked Aarohi lets out a loud giggle. The other girls join in. The organizers pitying Aarohi try to shush the women. Deep continues to Aarohi, “Don’t you dare try to participate in any beauty pageant again, a skinny ugly looking woman like you is not fit to participate in such a contest because here it is the beauty which matters” Tears fill Aarohi’s eyes as she hears those words. She was unable to speak anything and remains silent. Deep annoyed with her teary eyes says, “Don’t try to gain my sympathy with those tears, a bony ugly creature like you has no place in my HEART!” Aarohi eyes widen in pain and those last words made her feel something really sharp piercing through her heart. She was freeze-fixed to her position. Deep seeing her fixed to her position shouts, “Now will you just try not to waste any more of our time and get out!” Aarohi gathers her courage, shakes her head in agreement and slowly turns around to leave. The girl who had earlier mocked and giggled at her asks her, “You said to just worry about myself and not about you, now will you say the same thing?” after saying that she laughs out loudly. The other girls too laugh. Aarohi doesn’t pay attention to any of them. She only had Deep’s words revolving in her head, “bony…ugly…creature…no place in my heart” and unconsciously moves out of the auditorium. Once Aarohi goes out of the auditorium, Deep signs the organizers and the other judges to continue the rest of the beauty contest. They half-heartedly accept.
Outside, Aarohi still lost in Deep’s hurtful words slowly walks away from the auditorium while inside Deep had taken back his seat. (slow tune of ishq mein marjawan tu jo kahe woh karjawan plays in the background) It signed that both Deep and Aarohi had slowly started to drift away from each other completely and while it happened, there was a bright star shining above right between them in the evening sky above the auditorium as though it was quietly watching over whatever happened between Deep and Aarohi till now.
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To be continued.