A tale of two stars

A tale of two stars

 

A.

No sooner did he enter the set, than the fans started showering applauds. That's the thing with the stars; forget about the superstars like him, Aarmaan Kapoor, the most popular face in the world of Bollywood, the busiest and most charming face of Indian film industry. Fans gather near the set from early morning even if he is supposed to appear during the noon. He agreed to work with a budding director like T. Rao because he liked the script very much. Normally he doesn't work with anyone except top 3 directors of Bollywood at present.

He takes a look at the set carefully. He does that every time. He will always have the final say That's one of the most informal yet important clauses for him to sign the agreement with any director. Perks of being the most popular star, you see!

 

B.

What's this place? Why is he sleeping in a room that he is not familiar with? Where's his mother? There's she. What's she wearing, a torn saree? Has she gone mad or is he having a bad dream? What's wrong with the room? Plasters seem to be moving out of the walls, ceiling and walls are full of dirt and spider nets. It's a typical living room of a lower middle-class Indian family. What's he, the most famous face of Indian cinema in modern times, doing here? His mother seems to be waving her hands at him. He can't see his mother in this attire; he closes his eyes and wishes the nightmare can find a way out as soon as possible.

 

C.

The migraine seems to have got better of his desire and determination. Anyone who knows AK is aware of his unparalleled tenacity and insurmountable will. He always seems to find a way to his quest. But this migraine is turning out to be a worrying sign. This is the third time in a fortnight; he has fainted on the shooting set. The director is deeply concerned because AK is not just any other actor. We are talking about AK. The producer, renowned businessman Mr. S. Bijlani, is pissed because he is the one funding capital to Rao; more re-shooting means more expenses. He is getting a bad feeling that AK might decide to scrap the contract due to his health issues. And if AK quits, there's no way this movie is going to return him anything close to what he has invested so far for it. 

 

D.

Not again! These strange dreams are eating him alive. How on earth can he end up having breakfast with dried and unhygienic pieces of bread in a plate that seems noxious and blood-colored smelly tea in a glass of steel? Where's the special fruit salad that his personal chef prepares for him every morning? Since when has he stopped bothering about putting on extra calories? What's his PA up to? Why hasn't she called him up today? Is it a rest day? Oh, crap! He must be having some issues with his memory. Or is it worse, has he lost his sanity?

 

E.

There you go! Bed sheet as clean as you can literally view the threads, bed as large as it can occupy any average-sized room fully, room as widespread as ballrooms! That's what you call living life to the fullest.

Oh no, his personal phone starts beeping. It's Samita, his PA and an extremely efficient one. He hangs his phone up and listens to the voice message. He got disappointed after hearing the message as it wasn't anything important, she just wanted to know if everything is fine, and she could be of any help now. He was expecting a new contract offer for an upcoming big budget film.

Samita has been calling him up for no real reason, as if she was looking for an excuse to do so. He knows the signs very well. She wants to get intimate with him. She gives off some vibes. No, it’s not that he doesn’t find her attractive. In fact, there had been instances where well-established people who he knows very well, had tried to take her out on dates! But Samita has made it clear that she wants him to ask her out. But here's the thing, he is losing interest in most of the things, he’s feeling tired all the time.

F.

The eye-contact with the doctor is making him uncomfortable. He understands that he is supposed to be undergoing some medical treatment. He is not able to connect the dots. All he remembers now is that he has been having this queer prolonged dizziness. He has also been suffering from loss of memory and getting stand-offish from reality. Images and conversations are appearing as flashbacks in bits and pieces. He vaguely remembers his mother's conversation with him before the doctor's appointment was made. Where is this place? Why is he not able to recognize the place? Oh wait, did they arrive here riding in an auto? They did! Goodness me! He has got 3 cars in his disposal. What's happening? Why is everything looking like the pieces of a familiar jigsaw puzzle, jumbled up in possibly the hardest manner?

 

G.

"Who are you?"

"I'm AK. You know that."

"Oh, I know that. Tell me what you do for a living?"

"Come on! You don't know what Aarmaan Kapoor does for a living?"

"I want to hear it from you."

"I'm an actor, the best in the business."

"Why are you here? Do you know who I am?"

"You are a doctor, probably the best in the business. Otherwise, why would I be sitting in your chamber?"

"Yes, I'm the best. Let's concentrate on our business."

"And what is that?"

"Do you remember how you have reached here?"

"Yes, I remember. I reached here riding on an auto and that bothered me."

"Why is that?"

"Man, I'm Aarmaan Kapoor." -He strokes the doctor's desk in madness for a couple of times. "I have a personal assistant who earns more than most of the ministers in our country and you are asking me why that bothered me?"

Psychiatrist Dr. M Palodhi understands that this patient is a hard nut to track.

 

H.

"Samita, answer the phone, damn it. It's urgent." -He was about to use some sophisticated slang, but he feels a nudge on his shoulder. 

"Get away from me. How dare you enter my room without my consent?" -He turned towards the offender and found her sister, Amisha, shivering in fear. She is no different, anyone would be scared with the look he had on his face and the manner he opted to talk with her.

She wanted to pacify him as he was getting agitated, always living in a trance. But the response from his big brother scared her big time. 

Their mother, Mrs. Hema Kapoor who lost her husband, their father, Mr. Rajveer Kapoor at a very young age, was standing by the door. She lost him not to death, but to a younger lady who hypnotized him with her beauty and destroyed their family. Since then, Mrs. Kapoor had to show a lot of strength and patience. But the present situation is getting out of her hand; she can't watch her son in this manner. She has tried her best, even reached out to her brother, famous orthopedic surgeon in Delhi, Mr. S. Rathore for help. Dr. Rathore advised her to take Armaan to Dr. Palodhi. Things have not improved by any means. Mrs. Kapoor is getting weaker, psychologically, and ofcourse, financially. 

I.

Shooting for the films is strictly prohibited. Aarmaan has had to spend his days lying on the bed. The migraine and the everlasting uneasiness have been keeping him bedridden.

Today is a better day though. People from same profession have come here to see how he is doing. The team includes quite a lot renowned names including number 1 director D. Choudhary, number 2 and 3 actors F. Faisal and C. Kumar respectively, everyone's heartthrob Miss Naina Thakur, Choreographer Mrs. T. Prakash and many more. 

Armaan is feeling good because it's always hard to connect to people when you are at the top but despite that, friends and competitors have come to wish him good health. Everyone is interacting with him and checking on his improvement of health, except Tania Saigal who was supposed to act in the lead role opposite to Aarmaan in the upcoming thriller of D. Choudhary who loves to add fresh faces in his movies. Tania is an extremely talented actor and has proved her worth in several short films on numerous occasions. From the first day Aarmaan met her, he got a feeling that she has fallen for him. That's not an unusual thing by any stretch of imagination, many have fallen for him over the years. Aarmaan doesn't entertain these at all since he got rejected by the gorgeous lady, standing in the same room, none other than Miss Thakur. Aarmaan couldn't believe when she said no, he didn't know until then that someone had the guts to deny AK 's proposal. Anyway, he has moved on.

He would be elated if Sagar came. Sagar Khanna is new face in Bollywood and has been nailing the negative roles to perfection. Aarmaan likes him a lot and treats him like his brother. He's been having this strange feeling of late. How about getting him wed to Amisha, his sister? They look great together, don't they?

J.

"You look better than the last time we met."

"That's due to your medicines, doc. Tell me how long I am going to be under medication?"

"Not much longer. Let's talk about something interesting. Shall we?"

"I am aware of the tricks, doc. You are assuming I'm a psychopath. You want to show the world that I'm mad. Don't you? You want to ruin my career." -Aarmaan got out of his seat in excitement. 

Dr. Palodhi is intelligent enough. He quickly changes the topic- "Tell me about your family."

"My family? You're serious about it?" -He somewhat calmed down.

"The last day, I had a discussion with your mother who should be sitting in the hall right now. She is an epitome of strength. You should know that. Do you know why you're here?"

"I'm said I'm having troubles with my memories. I am having a terrible migraine and stuff. I'm getting mad. Am I not?"-He sat back on his chair.

"No, you're not. You know who you are. You know your problems. You are just not able to accept that. You're acting like a coward and you know that. The abnormalities that you are growing, is not just hurting you but ruining the peace of your family as well. Where's your responsibility? You are the one who is supposed to look after your mother and your sister. You'll have to stop acting and face the reality. You'll not get away like this." 

Dr. Palodhi played in the front foot and it somehow caught Aarmaan off his guard. He wanted to confront with same attacking intent but could not, tears started rolling down his cheek. It lasted for a whole one minute. Then he fainted, right before Dr. Palodhi's eyes.

 

K.

Mrs. Kapoor is staring at the full moon from her bed through the window at night. Sleep won't come and she knows it. How easy would it be to give up! When she fell in love with a struggling businessman, she was only 19. She knew little about the reality. Mr. Kapoor had no family because he was an orphan. Her family wasn't ready to let her marry a stranger who had no family to show for. She fought a lot and she had to. She was thankful to his big brother that day for helping her out and persuading the family to give a nod to her wedding.

Little did she know that the happiness would last for merely 6 years? First 3 years passed happily. Aarmaan happened during that time. They were so happy and content. Then Mr. Kapoor got a breakthrough in a huge business deal and got rich within months. With money comes the desire to earn more money. In no time, he got involved in a relationship with a waitress at a hotel. At first, the whole thing was just a fling. It didn't take much time to take the companionship to bed.

When Mrs. Kapoor got to know about all these, it was already too late. When divorce papers were signed, Mrs. Kapoor didn't want anything from him in return except a living place for the children. Mr. Kapoor gladly accepted this proposal, and he was ready to sacrifice most things to get rid of the apparently meaningless relationship, his failed marriage. He handed over their old home at Old delhi to Mrs kapoor and the children and moved on to the new home at NCR. 

The whole situation left Mrs. Kapoor in disarray. She had no guts to seek help from her parents who she once didn't care to take advise from, when she decided to marry Mr. Kapoor. Her big brother, who has always acted as a shield, helped her immensely that time, both emotionally and financially. 

L.

"How old were you when your father did that?"

"I was 5 year-old kid. I don't remember much about it. All I knew was that my mom had to go out of our home a lot. I wasn't used to that situation until then. After a few years, I came to know that she had to attend court, meet lawyers and also find a job for herself. We weren't poor when my father left but she knew she had to get a job."

"So she started giving tuitions?"

"And sewing. It didn't take long before we got poorer."

"What about your sister?"

"She was a 2-year-old kid when all this started happening. When my mom went out, it was my responsibility to take care of my sister. Can you imagine, doc? A 5-year-old kid having to take care of a 2-year-old kid, that’s insane."

"Did you get to meet your father ever again?"

"I don't know why I keep mentioning him as my father because he didn't do anything that can vouch for his fatherhood. Yes, I met him on several occasions. It didn't change anything. He never loved me nor my sister."

"And what about the woman who was the culprit?"

"I absolutely hated that woman, doc. She took the life out of our family. One day, she even dared to visit our home and regret for having brainwashed my father. What did she expect? Forgiveness? Good behavior? A closure? If I were in my mother's place, I wouldn't even have made the tea that she made for her. As time passed, I learned to understand that my father was the bigger culprit."

Then both stopped talking for a few seconds. Dr. Palodhi was planning the next set of questions whereas Aarmaan got lost in his world of thoughts.

"I understand. Now let's talk about your hobbies. When did you start liking acting?"

"Oh, doc! Since I was 7 or 8, I knew what I wanted the most. We had a small TV back then. My mother wasn't a big supporter of the fact I was becoming addicted to TV but she couldn't help it. We were all she had, and she just couldn't restrict me from doing that."

"And then?"

"Then, what?"

"You know what I am asking. Then what did you do with it? Who did you become?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple, Aarmaan. What did you do with your love towards your acting?"

Aarmaan Kapoor's face was turning red. He held his head with both hands. He tried to show grievance but couldn't. Words were at shortage. It took exactly 5 minutes to regain his composure. When he did, the agitation was gone; a sense of regret and shame seemed to have immersed his face.

"Why did you have to do that?" -He could say this, only this.

Dr. Palodhi knew that the resistance is over, the flood is imminent.

M.

Amisha and Abir were loitering outside the main entrance of the Lotus Temple. It is their favorite place in the city. The situation is bit more tensed today. They are getting worried about their future. They were almost certain to get married to each other until her big brother disapproved this. It had to do something about how their father left them. He is not ready to take a risk with his sister's life. He just doesn't care how good a guy Abir is, he will never be ready to be okay with a love marriage.

The whole situation has worsened since he started behaving in a weird manner. She knew he always has had a keen liking towards acting. He has idolized different actors on different occasions. But this is different. He is seemingly living a different identity altogether. He is living a life that no one can connect to. Recently he is talking to an imaginary girl named 'Samita'. Neither she nor their mother has got any clue who she might be. 

She knows Abir for quite a lot of time now, it's been 5 years. She has never seen anything remotely similar in him to what her brother is worried about. She knows anything can happen in future. Things can change in moments. But what's the guarantee anyway? Isn't it better to take a risk with a known face than with a stranger?

N.

Mrs. Kapoor is seating opposite to Dr. Palodhi. Today is a day when the patient is seating outside the chamber in the hall and the guardian of the patient is supposed to have the conversation with the psychiatrist. 

 

"So you think he will be alright?" -She is eager to know where he is now in terms of regaining his sanity.

"He soon will be. But it's your responsibility as well. You can't just escape that. You must admit that you created a distance from your son. You were so busy healing your own wounds that you didn't get enough scope to see your son's."

"But doc? What would I have done? I knew he liked acting. But how would I have allowed him to pursue a Career in acting?"

"You were afraid that one day, he might leave you like his father did?"

"Yes. But did I ask too much?"

"I heard he got a break in theatres. I heard it was you who didn't allow him to travel to Mumbai. I heard that was the chance of his life."

Mrs. Kapoor couldn't make eye contact with the doctor. Dr. Palodhi continued-

"Listen, Mrs. Kapoor. You all did terrible things in life. You all messed up. It all started with your husband. Don't get me wrong but that happens. Marriage is not the manifestation of love; shit can hit you anytime, just like a wink from a waitress did tricks with him.

Then it was your turn. You had to stop your son from choosing a career that he would have cherished. And the saga continued. Aarmaan is now against love marriage. He is intentionally hurting his sister by not allowing her to marry someone she likes. Wow, now the circle is complete. Isn't it? It won't be long when your daughter will be seating where Aarmaan was seating until today."

Mrs. Kapoor burst into tears. Dr. Palodhi waited patiently and slowly, the crying stopped. 

"But how did it all happen, doc?"-That's what she managed to say after the storm of tears passed.

"That's a long story. I am not going to bore you with medical terms. You must have heard about identity crisis. That's what happened with your son. He was starting to live in a world that didn't exist. He built whole new characters to suit his ideal world. He set his lifestyle and outlook in accordance with the life he thinks he should lead. It ultimately went out of his hand. To him, the reality was a nightmare. He was submerged into a trance. He was happy in his trance. Whenever he woke up from that, he thought he was having a bad dream. To him, reality seemed too harsh to accept. You get that?"

"I get that, doc." -Dr. Palodhi was aware that Aarmaan has entered the room. He wanted him to know about this. That's why he kept having the discussion. Mrs. Kapoor, however, wasn't ready. When she looked back, she saw her son, standing with a sense of familiarity, not some stranger, giving out some alien vibe!