Their lighthearted moment was interrupted by Rohit's greeting, shattering the tranquillity and eliciting a range of emotions from Akshara, from surprise to shock to disgust, as the day's tensions resurfaced.
The atmosphere crackled with tension as Rohit approached Akshara and Abhimanyu with a falsely cheerful demeanour, his words laced with malice, resembling his underlying hostility. "Huh? Aren't you the actress who plays Sia's role? I believe your name is......Akshita Singh, isn't it?"
Akshara fought to control her rising anger, her mind racing with thoughts of Rohit's ill intentions. "It's...Akshara Singhania," she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
Rohit's venomous words cut through the air like a knife, exposing his true intentions. "I saw you going into Abhimanyu sir's room last night. I guess you two were working all night on today's scene," he said, a twisted smirk forming on his lips.
Before Akshara could retaliate, Abhimanyu intervened, his calm facade masking his simmering annoyance. "Hey...was it Kishore something Sood? Sorry, I am not good with names, you see!" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"It's Rohit Verma, sir!" Rohit announces, inwardly cursing the inaccuracy of his assumption as it was way off, yet pressing on. "You know my wife, right? I believe you were at our wedding," he adds, catching Akshara off guard with the unexpected revelation, prompting a flicker of surprise in her expression.
Abhimanyu brushed off Rohit's attempt to divert the conversation. "Yes, Rohit Verma it was. Anyway, did you go sightseeing yesterday or something?" he asked, his tone sharp with disapproval.
"Sorry..." Rohit's apology came out sheepishly, confusion evident in his expression.
"It seems like you are the only person who doesn't know that I was shooting an all-nighter yesterday," Abhimanyu's tone was dripping with condescension, his patience wearing thin.
Rohit's facade began to crumble under Abhimanyu's scrutiny, his embarrassment and anger bubbling to the surface before he hastily masked it with feigned innocence. "Oh....I went to bed early after shooting my scene, so I wasn't aware you had an all-nighter. My apologies," he muttered, his eyes avoiding Abhimanyu's piercing gaze.
Abhimanyu's frustration peaked, he fought the urge to confront Rohit head-on, his clenched fists betraying his desire to end the charade and expose Rohit's deceitful motives. As the tension thickened in the air, Ravi's voice pierced through the commotion.
"Abhi!! Why aren't you getting ready for the shoot?" Ravi's distant voice echoed, urgency evident in his tone as he hurried towards Abhimanyu and Rohit, who stood on the verge of confrontation.
"What are you doing? There are numerous reporters here today since we are shooting in a public setting. Do you want to be on the headlines again?" Ravi's whisper-yell cut through the tension, making Abhimanyu sigh in frustration at the reminder of the scrutiny surrounding them.
Maintaining his composure, Abhimanyu addressed Rohit with restrained annoyance, his words laced with calm authority. "Listen, Rohit, if you want to act tough and mighty because you're married to a rich businessman's daughter, do so after you wipe that sweat off your face." Abhimanyu's cool demeanour contrasted sharply with Rohit's boiling anger as he handed him a tissue roll and walked away with Ravi, leaving a seething Rohit in his wake.
After they departed, Simran intervened, her voice tinged with both concern and exasperation. "Oh my, so scary. Look at him changing his expression in a split second! Let's go too, Akshu. This snake is not worth our time" Simran's words were a mixture of amusement and irritation as she led Akshara away, Rohit's fury burning hotter at the sight.
Now, Rohit couldn't hold back his venomous words, his anger bubbling over as he directed his spite towards Akshara. "Hey, then why did you go to Abhimanyu's room? You didn't know he had an all-nighter? Are you thinking to hit on him, since he's a big star and could help you generate enough hype with some scandal?" Rohit's accusations rang out, fueling the flames of Akshara's own frustration.
Akshara, however, refused to be provoked, her voice calm yet cutting as she addressed Rohit's ignorance head-on. "Rohit, it's sad how simple-minded you are. Do you ever think before you speak?" Her words were a stinging rebuke, delivered with a hint of disdain as she took charge of the situation.
With a subtle yet pointed gesture, Akshara placed a tissue on Rohit's forehead, her actions a silent reminder of Abhimanyu's earlier advice. "Did you forget Abhimanyu sir's advice to wipe your sweat off before acting all tough? I mean, how dense could you be? Tsk....How do you even memorize your script with that head of yours?" Akshara's parting words were a final blow, leaving Rohit trembling with anger as she walked away, her demeanour cool and collected amidst the chaos.
-~*~-
The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as Avdesh addressed Abhimanyu and Akshara amidst the bustling activity of the set.
"We made some changes to our script, so let's discuss it before we start shooting," Avdesh announced, his voice cutting through the background noise.
"We are going to omit all dialogues and add a voice-over to the "walking on the beach" scene. It won't matter what you two talk about since the audio's gonna be taken out but do focus on your character's emotions, especially Sia. Samar, Abhimanyu's character can be all jolly and smile in the scene since he's clueless at the moment, but Sia can't be too happy or sad since she's still hiding the fact from Samar and the viewers alike that she has decided to take her own life, and this might be her last memory she will ever make with Samar." Avdesh explains.
While the director outlined the modifications, the gravity of the scene settled over Akshara, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and apprehension. "Once you two get to the stop line, face each other, set the mood, and hug. Feel free to Ad-lib and act like real lovers, you two can talk out the finer details of that." Avdesh instructed, his words hanging in the air as Akshara absorbed the weight of her character's emotions.
Abhimanyu nodded in understanding, his own gaze fixed on Akshara, a silent reassurance passing between them as they prepared to delve into their roles.
However, Avdesh's demeanour shifted, a hint of discomfort colouring his words as he addressed Akshara directly. "Uhmm... also, Akshara..." he began hesitantly, his gaze flickering towards Abhimanyu before trailing off awkwardly. Akshara's brow furrowed in confusion, a question lingering in her eyes as Avdesh hastily redirected the conversation "N-never mind. let's just rehearse and go right into shooting!"
"He should apologize if he wants to. What's he looking at me for?" Abhimanyu pondered silently, his focus returning to the task at hand as the scene unfolded before them.
Amidst the final touches of the makeup artists, Abhimanyu and Akshara stood poised, ready to breathe life into their characters and convey the intricate emotions that lay beneath the surface.
The atmosphere crackled with anticipation as the director's voice echoed across the set, signalling the commencement of the scene.
"Alright!" "Samar, Sia, Standby!" came the directive, setting the stage for Abhimanyu and Akshara to step into their roles.
As they stood side by side, Akshara couldn't shake the nerves coursing through her veins. "My goodness. I am so nervous..." she thought, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest.
But then, Abhimanyu's arm slid around her shoulder, pulling her close in a side hug, and a rush of warmth flooded through Akshara, tinting her cheeks with a rosy hue. His relaxed demeanour and charming smile eased her nerves, reminding her to stay focused on their characters.
"Akshu, you can do it, he's Sia's lover Samar and not Abhimanyu now. Just act naturally.....just like real lovers. You can't make mistakes like yesterday!" Akshara pep-talked herself, her determination steeling her resolve even further.
"Action!!"
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Hello lovely readers 💙,
How have you all been? I am back with another update. Please vote and comment on the story and let me know your thoughts on it so far. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.
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Stardust Serendipity
Fanfiction* SPORADIC UPDATES * Meet Akshara Singhania, a talented yet overlooked actress who has spent seven years chasing shadows in the ruthless world of Indian cinema. But fate has a curious way of orchestrating encounters, and Akshara's journey takes an u...
