The huge dome shaped tunnel had lights flickering from the top, they could fairly be called the evening counterparts of sunlight. There was no noise there apart from the buzzing engines of the passing automobiles. She was seated in one of those roaring sleek black Audi, heading straight challenging the laws of speed and inertia.
It was 31st December and it was the year which made her the queen of the golden screen. She was the leading lady every director wanted to work with, every co-star wanted to be rumored with and every other actress envied of. Today was not just the end of a succesful year for her but was also her birthday. There was a huge party organized for the actress in her Panvel Farm House. All A-List Bollywood Families were going to be there. Here she was on the expressway driving her convertible to reach the venue.
She was a diva and it was completely evident with the golden shimmering structured knee length dresss she was wearing. Her hair was left open to feel the cold wind of the night. There was some makeup, but she did not need much to look glamorous.
"Aravi, drive slow please. The media can make a big issue out of this."
Her PR Dave who was seated next to her screamed at her. He knew what the industry needed its actresses to be like. He would go very firm with Aravi to be that lady even though she was not meant for the elite and sophisticated lifestyle. He screamed and shouted repeatedly till she took him seriously and reduce the speedi. As soon as the tunnel ended she waited at the corner of the highway.
"Suck away even the last thing left of me.", she handed the keys to him and got out of the car to go sit on the passenger seat. Dave put the roof of the car on and started driving. He was used to these tantrums of Aravi.
She tried to calm down and tried to peep out through the car window just like a small kid does. In some distance she saw firecrackers up a hill sort of a place. She remebered that place very well. She knew it since she was a small kid. She looked at them and smiled thinking about all the old memories.
It was Aravi when she was 15. She was beautiful in her teens even without any makeup or designer dress. The expressway did not exist than and there was a stone mine company there. Her father used to work there as a manager and her mother was a housewife. Her family had sufficient to survive the daily battle with life. But it was not what Aravi wanted for all her life. She dreamt of more. Every birthday she used to go on the top of the hill. When the clock was closing 12 A.M. she used to stare at the sky filled with colorful dancing lights. She knew the world was celebrating her birthday and she used to be happy seeing those lights shining in the sky. She missed those days now. The freedom she had to live, laugh, love and dream.
She did not want to go to the party where there was hardly anybody who loved her or cared for her. People now looked at her either with lust, jealousy or sympathy. She was fed up of being monitored and judged fpr every action. She did achieve her dreams but at the cost of her life. For a moment she wanted to go back to the hill, sit there when the clock went closer to 12 and raise a toast to herself. No camera spying on her, no critics tormenting her and with the one who she had ignored for the past few years - she wanted to be with Aravi and not the stardom struck superstar Aravi.
"Dave, stop the car and take a turn"
"What?"
She waited and thought for a moment and than after a few minutes of silence she replied,
"Nothing I just thought I was living a Bollywood Film"
She smiled at herself and she knew she would not be able to go back now. She missed the old life but she had to live with memories alone.
She again looked towards the sky and wished to herself,
"Happy New Year Aravi"
By Anvi Mehta
It was 31st December and it was the year which made her the queen of the golden screen. She was the leading lady every director wanted to work with, every co-star wanted to be rumored with and every other actress envied of. Today was not just the end of a succesful year for her but was also her birthday. There was a huge party organized for the actress in her Panvel Farm House. All A-List Bollywood Families were going to be there. Here she was on the expressway driving her convertible to reach the venue.
She was a diva and it was completely evident with the golden shimmering structured knee length dresss she was wearing. Her hair was left open to feel the cold wind of the night. There was some makeup, but she did not need much to look glamorous.
"Aravi, drive slow please. The media can make a big issue out of this."
Her PR Dave who was seated next to her screamed at her. He knew what the industry needed its actresses to be like. He would go very firm with Aravi to be that lady even though she was not meant for the elite and sophisticated lifestyle. He screamed and shouted repeatedly till she took him seriously and reduce the speedi. As soon as the tunnel ended she waited at the corner of the highway.
"Suck away even the last thing left of me.", she handed the keys to him and got out of the car to go sit on the passenger seat. Dave put the roof of the car on and started driving. He was used to these tantrums of Aravi.
She tried to calm down and tried to peep out through the car window just like a small kid does. In some distance she saw firecrackers up a hill sort of a place. She remebered that place very well. She knew it since she was a small kid. She looked at them and smiled thinking about all the old memories.
It was Aravi when she was 15. She was beautiful in her teens even without any makeup or designer dress. The expressway did not exist than and there was a stone mine company there. Her father used to work there as a manager and her mother was a housewife. Her family had sufficient to survive the daily battle with life. But it was not what Aravi wanted for all her life. She dreamt of more. Every birthday she used to go on the top of the hill. When the clock was closing 12 A.M. she used to stare at the sky filled with colorful dancing lights. She knew the world was celebrating her birthday and she used to be happy seeing those lights shining in the sky. She missed those days now. The freedom she had to live, laugh, love and dream.
She did not want to go to the party where there was hardly anybody who loved her or cared for her. People now looked at her either with lust, jealousy or sympathy. She was fed up of being monitored and judged fpr every action. She did achieve her dreams but at the cost of her life. For a moment she wanted to go back to the hill, sit there when the clock went closer to 12 and raise a toast to herself. No camera spying on her, no critics tormenting her and with the one who she had ignored for the past few years - she wanted to be with Aravi and not the stardom struck superstar Aravi.
"Dave, stop the car and take a turn"
"What?"
She waited and thought for a moment and than after a few minutes of silence she replied,
"Nothing I just thought I was living a Bollywood Film"
She smiled at herself and she knew she would not be able to go back now. She missed the old life but she had to live with memories alone.
She again looked towards the sky and wished to herself,
"Happy New Year Aravi"
By Anvi Mehta
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