Stardust Serendipity

◉ Chapter 16

Abhimanyu glared at the unexpected intruder, his eyes narrowing as he took in the man's flashy attire. He couldn't help but feel irritated at the sudden interruption of his alone time with Akshara. He had been enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, but now his best friend had barged into the room, shattering the tranquillity.

"Hey! You can't just burst in here like that!" Abhimanyu exclaimed, his voice tinged with irritation.

The flamboyant man, seemingly unperturbed by Abhimanyu's annoyance, removed his sunglasses with a flourish and took a seat beside him. "Come on now. I've been trying to reach you all day," he said nonchalantly, "I thought maybe you weren't answering because your phone's battery was dead or something."

Abhimanyu's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "What are you even saying, dude? Weren't we just now talking on the phone when you made your grand entrance?"

As the two men exchanged barbs, Akshara sat there, her eyes darting between them. A nagging familiarity about the fancy man tugged at her memory, and suddenly, recognition flickered in her eyes. She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper but loud enough to catch their attention, "Uh... by any chance..."

The man, now turning his attention toward Akshara, his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Oh, seems like you recognize me! But since we've never officially met before, shall we briefly introduce ourselves?" He smiled brightly, revealing a set of dazzling white teeth. "Nice to meet you, I'm Arjun Jaiswal, a successful music video and feature advertisement director."

Abhimanyu couldn't resist a snort of derision. "Who says that about themselves like that, huh?"

Akshara, however, was more gracious. Her face lit up with excitement as she greeted him, "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Akshara Singhania." She extended her hand for a handshake, which Arjun happily accepted, his grip firm yet friendly.

As Akshara shook hands with Arjun, she couldn't help but think, "He's way friendlier than I imagined." The atmosphere at the table shifted subtly, the initial tension giving way to a newfound camaraderie, as the three of them settled into an uneasy yet intriguing conversation.

Arjun Jaiswal was a man of honour, he had started his career as a runway model and quickly garnered fame due to his handsome appearance and fit physique. However, since his true passion was always behind the camera, he made the switch and became an advertisement director during the peak of his modelling career. 

Through his persistence and dedication, he became a highly sought-after, award-winning director who not only directed famous actors and models for ads but also famous artists by directing their music videos. 

While Akshara sat there, her gaze distant and thoughtful, lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts, across from her, Arjun was a whirlwind of activity, talking animatedly and enthusiastically stuffing his mouth with food, a stark contrast to the serene ambience of the café. 

Beside him, Abhimanyu sighed deeply, his face etched with a mixture of annoyance and dejection. He had wanted to discuss something important with Akshara, but Arjun's impromptu arrival had thrown a wrench in his plans.

"Akshara, are you alright?" Abhimanyu's voice cut through her reverie, pulling her back to the present moment.

"Uh, yes, but what is going on here... I'm quite confused," Akshara replied, her smile tinged with nervousness as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Abhimanyu looked apologetically at Akshara, his eyes filled with regret. "I'm so sorry, Akshara. I was going to ask you first before inviting him... but what happened..."

Before Abhimanyu could finish his sentence, Arjun, ever the attention-seeker, interjected excitedly. "Oh, come on! Forget the boring talk... let's get to the point, bro..." He turned to Akshara, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Akshara, don't you want to become famous?"