"I...I can explain." He said, without any guilt.
Self-assured.
As if he knew this was coming, he knew it will happen.
And if that was true, then there was no doubt his speech is going to be rehearsed, afterall he was an actor.
"No, don't explain" she held up her hand in rejection.
Her eyes were teary, but not vulnerable. Despite the hurt, despite the betrayal- she stood still, without hanging her head low or fleeing from there. Why? Because she knew she wasn't wrong.
"Don't justify yourself. Not now please."
She wiped her tears before continuing, reminding him the sentences he said, whenever she was insecure.
"she's just a friend",
"There's nothing between us",
"You are over-reacting"
(Sobs) "Hell, yes, I am overreacting. Y..you know why I am not shouting? yelling? because I know ethics, manners. So just tell me why? why did you play? I didn't force you for date, you agreed politely."
He sighed
rubbed his temples
muttered a curse under his breath and...
"BECAUSE YOU ARE A THORN ON MY SIDE." He held her both shoulders pulling her impossibly closer.
"Everyone! (grits teeth) everyone in the company mocked me saying you could tame me. HELL NO. I am not a child to be tamed. As for your love! throw that love away. I don't need constant coddling." (sighs) "I...hated the way you had the power to affect me. Yes I wanted to destroy you, I wanted to ru..."
Before he could continue a sharp stinging slap landed on his face
"LISTEN MR.RAJ AMOGH" she held his collar tightly and pushed him back by the equal force he pulled her.
"I may have loved you, but my self-respect and my heels are way much more important than you. I joined this company on my efforts, my hard work. So its bold of you to assume that I'll kick away my career for someone like you. And listen I am not sad or something because you are leaving me. I am thankful to my god that they brought your reality in front of me before it could have got late. And you (Points at his chest and pushes him back) you'll ruin me? (scoffs looking away) listen you dumb piece of loosened braincell, when my own family couldn't pull me back from my dreams, who the hell are you?"
Without another word, she left.
She didn't want to confront to anyone.
She didn't want to explain either.
Because that's what she learnt, to accept what life throws. But never compromise on oneself, because the one who brought you in this world would never like you to ruin yourself for someone else.
Soon after she reached her apartment, she plopped on her bed crying her heart out. This isn't how it was supposed to go. Her all plans were shattered. But she convinced herself. What happened was for good only. Before things could get worse, the God warned her. Her optimism was infectious. She was a firm believer of God. So, her main belief-
What happened was good
what will happen will also be good
what is happening is also good.
So, no regrets.
She blinked her eyes.
wiped her tears.
and well, it was skincare time. Why waste it on someone who doesn't deserve your tears. And besides she was very clear that she was attracted to him, she didn't love him.
Everytime she felt a pull to someone she asked herself two questions-
1.Can I live with this person for 50 years?
If yes, then next question
2. If I bind myself to him, will I be able to live even a moment without him?
If the answer was no, then ofcourse she never made a move.
To her, human feelings are very fragile. So her main motto?
Never do bad to someone even intentionally. Leave everything on God.
But that notion sometimes had to halt. Because she would take her revenge herself, excusing that maybe God was too busy, so he gave her the idea to fight for herself.
And that's when the idea struck her.
She'll ruin this egoistic man, because right now, she was saved.
Next time, someone else, different game.
End result? ruining an innocent soul.
To Raj his main goal, main pride was his fame, name and reputation.
If without any fault, Raj stooped so low to ruin her, then indeed she has every right to stoop to his level, because he was faulty.
She realised how her salary was deducted every time.
How every other day other secretaries would mock her for her inability.
It wasn't inability, it was planned.
She took her phone and dialled a number, someone who knew the deepest secrets of him.
Someone who was in headlines for being ruined by him.
But his fame and name again, defended him and everyone blamed the poor woman.
Reason? she insulted Raj Amogh in front of media.
And that mere excuse, gave Raj a reason to pinpoint her, that her case was somehow made up to target him and insult him more in media out of jealousy.
It was Tara Sapra, the once rising star, who career got dumped once she crossed paths with Raj.
And perhaps, this single action of Kruthi was a promise to herself that there will be no second Kruthi.
Or worse,
No other Tara Sapra.
Kruthi dialled Tara's number.
She got her number from her ex-manager who worked in the same company at present.
Through the previous news scandals, Kruthi came to know that Raj Amogh and Tara Sapra worked together in a romantic-action movie. That was Tara's debut film as well as a huge hit.
Tara's character was appreciated more by the audience compared to Raj's character. And for the first time Raj Amogh was foreshadowed.
Then the celebration night came.
The hall was decorated with luxury decor and posters of the movie "Love at the shot" poster everywhere. A gun in Tara's hand in that poster and Raj Amogh's arm around her waist as if unaware of Tara's schemes in the movie. The poster was a perfect representation of the movie title.
And that's when two biggest things crashed at the same time.
Tara was about to reveal her dating relationship with Raj Amogh, to the media.
And some behind the scenes went viral on internet.
Romantic? yes.
Out of context? extremely
Those were some unseen pictures of Tara.
Not controversial pictures.
But in scandalously short dress that left a little to imagination.
And ofc the social media was extremely interested.
Because an actress who rarely wore revealing clothes, was depicted in pictures with sexy dresses (The dresses she tried for the shoot according to stylist but ended up dressing in modern clothes- cuz that was her style)
She looked at him.
shouted
blamed him.
But where was the proof?
and that very night was the greatest rise as well as greatest fall of Tara Sapra.
After a few moments, Tara picked up the call.
Kruthi with a hesitant, lowered voice asked "T...Tara Sap.."
The person on other line said, cutting her sentence in between.
"She died weeks ago, committed a suicide" A muffled dry voice said from the other end. It was unmistakeably Tara. Kruthi got confused by those words. Why was Tara saying this? And that's when it hit her.
"TARA STOP, YOU WON'T HARM YOURSELF FOR SOMEONE LIKE HIM" Kruthi shouted on the phone call.
The line went dead.