CHAPTER 9: RAY OF HOPE

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I was walking in a lush green dense forest. The dark brown woods contrasted with the bright blue sky. I was taking a peaceful stroll, with my hands folded to my back. I suddenly heard a movement of someone through the bushes. I got attentive. My hand slowly went next to my waist towards my dagger like I was expecting an assault. As I kept moving forward, I heard the jingling of anklets from a short distance.

I took out my dagger and slowly moved forward. Soon, I saw the source of the sound. I saw a woman. I couldn't see her face as I was standing behind her.

She had thick and long hair that covered below her waist. She wore simple white robes with a golden border on her saree. Despite the simple clothing, the perfectly worn saree defined her curves. The woman slowly turned around.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to announce that we will soon be landing in Coimbatore, our final destination. As we prepare for descent, we kindly request that you fasten your seatbelts and return your seatbacks to the upright position. The local time is 3pm, and the weather in Coimbatore is clear with a temperature of 28° celsius. On behalf of the entire crew, we thank you for choosing to fly with us today, and we hope you enjoy your stay in Coimbatore or have a pleasant onward journey. Thank you."

Dhruv woke up with a startle. He was sweating profusely.

I was just about to look at her face! I've lost count on how many times I got this dream. What was this dream about anyways? I don't know. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

"Hey, you okay?" Aayush asked Dhruv concerned. He was sitting right next to Dhruv.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Dhruv answered wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Dhruv was nervous. He didn't get why he kept getting this exact dream repeatedly, but one thing he was sure; This definitely was not just a dream.

Soon, Dhruv and Aayush landed in Coimbatore. They went to the closest restaurant and had lunch.

They took a taxi from there and reached their PG. On their way, Dhruv looked out the window in amazement. He was awestruck at the lush green beauty of Coimbatore.

Initially, he only saw buildings but as he got closer to his PG which was located a little farther from the bustling city, he got to see more and more greenery. Unlike Mumbai, the city had a hint of serenity. There was a balance between modernisation and sustainability.
(PG refers to a paying guest here)

"Welcome! Come in." The owner called Dhruv and Aayush with a smile and a namaste. He was waiting in front of the doorway.

With owner and his family's help, Dhruv and Aayush moved in with their luggage. Aayush and Dhruv shared a single room.

"So, what do you think?" Aayush asked looking around at the house. He was clearly disappointed. It was an extremely simple house. There was nothing much to look at. Though Aayush wasn't exactly comfortable, he didn't mind staying there for Dhruv.

"Well it's not bad!" Dhruv replied cheerfully. He was a man of simplicity.

That night, they had dinner with the owners family. Though the owner offered the simple food they could provide, both Dhruv and Aayush realised that they were giving the last of what they had. The children of the owner starved as there was no food left.

That night, neither Aayush nor Dhruv slept peacefully. The thought of the children starving for the completion of their meal weighed as a guilt. They chose that particular PG because it was closer to the main shoot location. But this couldn't keep going.

The next morning, Aayush and Dhruv woke up at around 4am. The owner and his family were asleep, so Dhruv and Aayush got ready quickly and sneaked out of the house to the shoot location.

At shoot location:
Dhruv and Aayush were gladly welcomed at the sets.
The director himself took Dhruv and Aayush around to introduce to the members of the set.

"She is the head of the makeup artist team." The director said as he introduced Dhruv to a woman.

Dhruv politely shook hands with the woman with a warm smile.

The woman took out a card and gave it to Dhruv. "This is our company card." She said.

Dhruv took the card, looked down at it and was stunned.

Turning to the director, Dhruv said "If you don't mind Director, I would like to recommend someone for my makeup."

To be continued

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To be continued.....
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Hope you guys liked this chapter. The upcoming chapters are gonna be very interesting so stay tuned! Thank you for reading!

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