STORY I: TWO FRIENDS (part III)

Continued……….

The journey to Olives seemed longer than I thought. Both Katherine and myself behaved like strangers as we had nothing much to share. It’s strange how time can turn two close friends into strangers.

We arrived at Olives. The guard opened the door for us. Even he couldn't help throwing a glance at me. As for me I was enjoying my fifteen minutes of fame, thanks to my superstar friend.

As we entered the lobby, my eyes got stuck on the various television and film stars wandering freely. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the hero of a television serial whom I secretly admired. I even spent some sleepless nights when he died for a brief period in the serial. Along with him was his reel and real life wife Kamya.They are said to have fallen in love while shooting for this soap which led to their marriage eventually. As of now they are happily married and alive both in their serial and lives.

Amidst all this star gazing I forgot I was with a star myself. Just for communication sake, I asked Katherine...."is that Kamya Sachdev from Kkahaani Hamareee Gharrr Kii......."

"Ya they do some daily soap I heard......"

She said in a way as if daily soaps were a lowly thing for her; after all she is the future film actress.......

"You watch these daily soaps Radha?" .....asked Katherine in a surprising tone.....

"Occasionally" I replied. Although daily soaps were my oxygen like many other Indian wives..........but she was Katherine......she was different.

We or rather I settled down at the least visible corner of the restaurant. Within no time a waiter who looked more like a manager arrived at our table.

"One whiskey and one soft drink...."was Katherine's immediate answer.....

My ears rose on hearing the w word which Katherine ordered for. Katherine drinks whisky......I mean I know we tried it a couple of times during our college life.......but...............

Anyways she’s a star she can drink whiskey, bear,or any alcoholic beverage on this earth. All I can afford and think of in my wildest dreams is a soft drink, which she rightfully ordered for me.
My life is a total waste, I thought for the nine hundred and ninety ninth time since I met Katherine.

Just then I shot a question towards Katherine as an attempt to get the communication rolling......"So how’s life with Ryan?"
My attempt to lighten things didn't go down well with Katherine.
"Ryan is my past Radha, we haven't seen each other for a long time”, she replied.
I cursed myself for the bad choice of question but since I started it I had to end it too. So came my next question...."but how? I thought you two were good together".
This question didn't help things either.

"Not everything is as good as it looks Radha....."She replied in a pensive tone.

I could see she was not happy loosing Ryan but wasn't ready too share the reason for loosing him with me either. She gulped down the glass of whiskey even before I could take the first sip of my soft drink glass. Something about her told me that she wasn't happy with her life. How could an actress not be happy with her life, I wondered.

She gulped another glass of whiskey and asked. “So tell me something about your family Radha.Do you have kids? And how is Mr. Hrithik Roshan? Does he still love you as much as he used to at the time of your marriage?" she asked with a sense of deja vu.

"Ya, I have boy. His name is Soham and yes Shyam still loves me as much; thankfully”.

“You are lucky Radha; you have everything you asked for”.

It felt strange; Katherine telling me that I am lucky.

“Look who’s talking. I thought you knew a thing or two about being lucky”.

My sudden answer took her by surprise; she tried to change the topic…….

“Are you doing a job or something?” she asked……

“Ya, I teach in a primary school”

“What!!!! They most brilliant student of our batch is a primary school teacher……”she said puzzled.

“Teaching is a difficult job Kat, and I took the job only this year, so this was the best I could get”

“But I thought you weren’t going to work. Then what happened? If you wanted to work you should have started straight away.”

“Better late than never” was my defense, but who was I trying to fool. She must have guessed by now…………….

Something about her was not right. She didn’t seem happy and was drinking like a drunkard. I realized that she is not a occasional drinker but a drunkard she finished four five glasses of whiskey. I was confused. Should I stop her, should I leave or should I ask her problem?

Finally the silence was broken as her mobile beeped. She read the message and she got more miserable.

“Bloody arse fucker………..do hell with your movie…….do hell with your modeling……bloody piece of shit……just fuck off………”Katherine was unstoppable.

The entire restaurant was staring at her. She was drunk like anything and I didn’t know what to do. Finally she stopped and started crying like a baby. She was really upset and I could feel she was helpless too…….

“I can’t take it anymore Radha……... I just can’t………... That producer thinks I am his bloody servant……….Calls me up every night thinking I am his piece of shit…………..

I am human too ……….I too have bloody feelings damn it……why can’t he understand”

I understood clearly what her problem was. Everyone knows what happens in this field of glamour but nothing strikes harder than when it happens to someone you know. Katherine was just another victim of this artificial world. For the first time in the evening I felt that Katherine was not as happy as it seemed before. This harsh world has taken its toll on her. I could see that behind all that makeup was simple girl just like me. But the only difference was that the whole world knew her an d she had nowhere to escape.

“Now what do you have to say Radha………..I told you where lucky……..”She said wiping her tears.

“You have a loving husband, a kid …….. What more do you want?...........and all I have is a bloody career.”

“I don’t have a single person with whom I can share my feelings……….I had Ryan,

I loved him. But who would like to stay with a girl who gets banged every night just to act in a bloody movie”

“Do you remember you once said……….. Career is not the only thing in life Kat......you need to have a good family.....at the end of the family is what you live for......................

You were right Radha………..”

To this I can only say …….“Not everything is as good as it looks Kat….”

I couldn’t believe I was repeating what Katherine just said………

“What do you think I am doing this school teaching stuff just for fun?

I have a bloody family to run.Shyam has been out of job for six months now Kat; I somehow manage arrange for Soham’s school fees and you say that I am lucky……………Is this what you call lucky.Yes, I have a good family but that’s it Kat………Family doesn’t get you your meals Kat…………..It’s not easy Kat …….it’s just not easy……………”

I couldn’t help stopping my tears. Everything happened so quickly. Katherine noticed tears in my eyes which mellowed her down a bit.

“It’s funny Radha. We did what we thought was best for our lives but yet none of us are happy………….”

“Ya, life sure knows how to play games with us….” I said.

“You know Radha, now I feel a more complete person after talking to you; and you are the first person to know that superstar Katherine is quitting films.”

“What?????”

“Yes, you heard it right Radha…….let this movies go to hell, I am going to look for Ryan. I’ve had enough……What do you think will Ryan still love me?”

“Of course Kat who wouldn’t love the most beautiful girl in the college……..”was my reaction. I couldn’t believe that I finished a superstar’s career even before it began; but I had no regrets. I felt I did something good irrespective of what her fans would think.

“You know Kat I loved Ryan too…………”I said naughtily.

“I knew you bitch; but I am not going to give you Ryan you already took my career……..”She said and we shared a good laugh for the first time inn the evening. It was just like old days when we had no responsibilities, no fear, no worries……….

We felt complete…..free……..

She took out a bundle of notes and handed it over to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“My signing amount” she replied.

“But what am I going to do with it?” I asked. I hadn’t seen so much money together at a single place.

“Take it Radha; I no longer want this money. Money and Fame was all that I wanted for so long……now free me of this burden”.

“But……”

“Radha, it’s for Soham. Give him the best education. He’ll have to grow up and become what you wanted to………..Just tell him you met the superstar of India………”

I wiped my tears and kept the bundle in my purse. Life has taken us back to the point where we last parted. In a scope of few hours we lived an entire life. Both of us were a new person now. Both ready to live life again and in a better way.

Katherine dropped me near my home. I persuaded her to come to my house but she refused. She said she’ll come with Ryan.

After three years Katherine is happily married to Ryan. They both form a perfect couple. Ryan is a manager in a private company. Katherine is surprisingly a house wife now and is a die hard fan of the serial Kkahaani Hamareee Gharrr Kii......

She makes a perfect housewife except for the fact that Ryan has to bear with her woeful cooking but she is trying……..

Radha used the money Katherine gave her to buy a computer. She opened a small computer coaching for kids three years back with that computer. Now she has a full time computer training center. She has left her job and does full time teaching in her coaching class.Shyam helps her to run the coaching. Now they are no longer employed but run their own business.Soham has turned out to be a great student just like her mother and hopes to become a successful Software Engineer when he grows up.

Both of them are leading there lives to the best of their capability but most importantly they are leading their lives happily………………..

Abraham Lincoln once said, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years”.