It was all glamorous.
The lighting's shimmered and blinked,the beautifully decorated stage and most importantly the carpet readied for the ramp walk. Everything screamed attention,fame and that was definitely not a good thing in the books of Sejal.

"Katu, why am I here?"
Sejal asked with unusual suspicion lacing her tone ,to which Katyusha returned only a little shrug.

Without any warning Sejal was sent hostling into one of the changing rooms with a very heavy frock.
Okay.

A heavily designed pretty frock.

"Get changed,quick."
Katyusha shouted being bossy. That should be one of her favorite past time.

Sejal pulled the door open and threw the frock on a nearby chair ,the room now filling with many of the models while the showstopper was getting painted with all the makeup making her face look like a cake layered with numerous cream levels.

"Why do I change?"
Sejal asked.

"Damn. Lady, can't you follow orders even for a while. Like can you just wear that and let me check the outfit so that when the model comes we can get it all done perfectly. Now hurry baby."
Katyusha complied and ran to one of the model to alter or whatever the hell was happening in this very place.

Sejal stood there for a moment and contemplated her options of putting on the frock or not. It shouldn't be big of a deal to just try some beautiful dress,of course carrying that thing on the ramp will be a difficult task which Sejal was happy about not having to do it.

Zipping up the back part securely Sejal stared at the mirror dolled up in that maroon coloured frock with little golden embroidery work exquisitely done on the upper half till the waistline in a diagonal pattern. Automatically her hand went to caressing the infinity locket which was giving the finish up touch to the outfit.

Somebody gave a knock on the door to which Sejal replied a 'coming', then there was another knock which irritated her, suddenly there was buzzing sounds which made her perplexed of the situation of how come a door vibrate making her realise that her phone was the persona.

It was an incoming video call from Darshan,so not like of him because he survives on text messages.

Keeping her chances at stake Sejal answered the call only to find a blank screen black in colour and irritatingly screeching sound,which was definitely a Darshan type of trademark. Sejal could only conclude that either those were some walls of a washroom or maybe -

"Hey beautiful."
His familiar voice filled the audio and the screen started to become more clearer firstly with an outline of a human then slowly Darshan popping in with some work out T-shirt waving like a small kid onto the camera as if magically Sejal could transport herself to him.

"Dr Vyas you never said about your work out schedule." Sejal accused him.

"Oh! No beautiful you got that wrong. I actually signed up yesterday for a membership so I came clothes shopping alone, ultimately I got confused between selecting a yellow band and blue....which one should I take ....Oh My God! Are you getting engaged?"

At first Sejal didn't understand why Darshan acted like a panick attacked patient then realising they were on a video call it became clear for her,because of her all decked up frock it was an evident reaction from him.

But engagement went too far!

"Noo. I am at Katyusha's some show, trying a frock for one of her model."
Sejal explained and slowly relief flood over his face making her facepalm or to say camera palm the screen.

There was a knock on the door again which became the que for Sejal to end the video call to which Darshan made some irresistible puppy faces,in the end both of them forgetting the actual purpose of the call which was selection of a colour.

A girl in the Jersey of crew lead Sejal to one of the chairs for make up which was turning odd because she was supposed to just try the dress so Sejal made a call for Katyusha and magically she seemed to be disappeared from the scene or to say the set itself.

A man started doing her hair even before Sejal could speak and another female started with makeup.

Sejal wanted to kick both the persons in the not so subtle area of their bodies because they wouldn't let her speak and she didn't wanted to move and ruin the makeup because even a small smudge in the mascara will give her a cardiac arrest. Yeah she is suffering partly from a make up OCD.

"Miss Seghal you are the replacement for Diana."
Another girl said wearing a crew jersey,sticked a badge of number seven on her maroon frock.

By now both her make up and hair was done and the outcome was so perfect that she could readily be mistaken of being the shows topper today.

At first Sejal didn't want to comply with the sudden upthrown task of the ramp walk,readily throwing a tantrum to which the crew  had responded so very patiently like being used to such situations on a daily basis.  Sejal was in desperate need of Katyusha,and it was like Katyusha had made it a life mission not to show up until the water gets above the head.

"You look gorgeous birthday girl."
Sejal almost swooned recognizing the accent. It was definitely Nikhil,and she was sure about it because Katyusha mentioned something about him coming over.

But then again Sejal realised this man didn't even wish her on her birthday even knowing that it was her birthday,he was the rude version of Darshan in her books so very tentatively Sejal turned to her left simply ignoring Nikhil although she knew he was addressing her.

"I know Katyusha can be an asshole sometimes but -"

"Don't you dare bitch my friend!" Sejal reacted defensively to which Nikhil gave a little smirk which was too far in standards from the trademark smirk of Aryan.

She bit her tongue not understanding why did she compare Nikhil with Aryan.

"Okay. I know you wouldn't want to go on the ramp,but it's the demand of the situation unless you want me to deck up like a handsome doll."

Nikhil said and almost laughed finding his own statement crazy.

"It's been years. I don't think I can do it."
Sejal replied although she knew that if Nikhil asked her one more time on that thick accent of his she would readily walk down the aisle also with him.

"Come on. Just at least for old times sake." Nikhil played his last card to convince her.

"Like how they say Ol'sake."
Somebody spoke which made them both turn to their right and Sejal gasped finding the next to unexpected person standing on the door.

"What are you doing here?"
Sejal asked confused to find him here.

"Came to click a picture of yours."

Nikhil gave a hearty laugh to this reply and went to give a shake hand to Tiger.

"The opening act is of our dance crew." Tiger replied addressing Sejal and with a little bow in front of her he left.

Everything seemed confusing to Sejal now of how Tiger ended up being here and how Nikhil knew him?

"So are you doing it?"

"Yes. Only for Old times sake."
Sejal replied joining the other models in the row.

The show started with an eruption of thunderous clapping followed by the calling of numbers serial wise and the models going out one by one.

After the third model Sejal was excited for the show because it felt like years when she had learned to walk on the ramp without slipping or making a fool out if herself. It took days of training to get the perfect walk or to say basically run on those stilettos and strike the best alluring pose.

When the number seven was announced Sejal took a deep breath in and took confident strides walking on the ramp as the lighting gave a rejuvenating effect as the embroidery illuminated like little pieces of diamond. Sejal reached to the end of the ramp and gave a front pose by placing her right hand just below her waistline and leaving her left one free,making an eye contact with the crowd then the panel of fashion judges in the centre she wasn't surprised to find sitting Nikhil in them but finding the ex-hot girlfriend of Aryan sitting there was shocking.

Then after a second she gave a back pose to reward the art work on the back of the gown,walking back to the line of models for the last run of the show as the crowd cheered now for the showstopper who was in a golden non ending long frock.

Sejal watched the panel of judges and found Mahima giving one smug look to her where else Sejal couldn't figure out why she was finding everyone in this place first Tiger,now Mahima but only if she could find Katyusha.

~

One more time if that Diana called her a bitch or any other foul word Sejal was ready to smash flat on her face,she was only stopping because this could spoil Katyusha's big day here.

"You are a fucking bitch for snatching my opportunity!" Diana hissed and Sejal lost it.

"Hello dear I want to hit that nose of yours but I know how much of a face value a model has that's why I am not doing it,atleast give me some credits." Sejal replied in the most polite way because she knew how sometimes these models can be bitch asses.

"You think this is a joke to you. Because you know Nikhil you whore around and snatch my place!"

Before Sejal could even reply as blood boiled in her veins of how could that lady call her whore and where the hell was Katyusha, Mahima stepped in.

"I can understand your feeling dear. But you can't expect anything more than this from them. Like mother,like daughter."
Mahima spoke with poison lacing her tone.

What the fuck?

"They just search for opportunities to snatch precious things. Wench."

"Excuse me. Why the hell will you bring my mother?" Sejal shouted,all self control long lost.

"You wouldn't have even known her and maybe you don't know where she is right now."

"I know Suhana Bhattacharya very well,a snatching bitch and I know she is dead burnt to ashes or buried six feet deep in the ground." Mahima spoke without a flicker of any emotion,her words shooted like the scars of a knife directly at Sejal.

Suddenly with the mention of her mother Sejal became that emotionally wounded baby again not understanding how to handle someone's hatred for her or her mother,with all the will power she just prayed to not let any tears start to flow as her jaw squared out of desperation and hurt. She wanted to shout on Mahima for making this so dirty but out if anxiety words wouldn't form nor be spoken. She felt so numb.

"That's enough Miss Pandey. Can you atleast maintain a decorum of a dead person for God's sake." 
It was tiger who spoke but Sejal was not even in the condition to be thankful to him.

"Miss Pandey I think you know very well that she is a doctor,surgeon. So she doesn't need this opportunity,and you being an idol for thousands of models of fashion industry shouldn't have bought up something personal in so much of public."
Nikhil spoke in a very authoratative pitch giving a piece of brain to Mahima.

"I just hate this." Mahima spoke and restrained herself from ending the sentence for the sake of her reputation.

"Why bring past in the present and make future the puppets of past?"
Nikhil spoke like a wise man and Sejal was now sure that both Darshan and Nikhil were twins because only they could end up quoting even in a situation so cut through like this.

Thankfully Sejal was changed to her normal outfit as Nikhil pulled her out from the room leading to his car,while Sejal made a hearty note to treat him for standing up for her and a mental note to kill Katyusha as soon as she appears from wherever she had disappeared to.

"What is that Miss Pandey's problem?" Sejal asked leaning into the back window of his car.

"I know about it but I guess Darshu would be the right person to explain this mess."
Nikhil spoke removing a cigarette from his back pocket.

"That's bad you know."
Sejal said pointing the thing between his lips.

"I know."

"So I don't understand why will Darshan know about something which has a hatred involving me and my mom against Mahima."
Sejal asked confused.

Before Nikhil could reply her phone buzzed.

Hey beautiful,
I feel like it's been days we didn't go out,can we go out for a dinner tonight

*Puppy eye*

And you didn't choose the colour for mehh
**Sad face**
*Saddest face*
- Dr Vyas.

Sejal let a small laugh escape her lips reading the message.

I'll think abt it

So sorry
Was in a hurry

-Sejal.

Kk

I am making chicken then

Will wait for uhhh
-Dr Vyas.

Sejal slipped her phone back into the pocket smiling to herself which lead to a smug looking session from Nikhil.

It felt so weird of how people get connected,like few weeks back she didn't even knew somebody named Nikhil existed but now they were standing on a comfort level in an eye level.

"Because Darshan is Aryan's best friend."
Nikhil said taking a short drag from his cigarette.

Wrinkling her nose due to the smell Sejal took a moment to understand of what Nikhil said because she was still smiling in Darshan zone.

"Whoa! So this hatred is somehow connected to Aryan me and my mom. . . Wait .. shit .... I knew it."
Sejal started thinking and talking at the same time.

"How do you know? Wait it should be better what do you know?"

"That Mahima is his old hot girlfriend. I spectuc-"

"Whose?"
Nikhil asked pausing between his drag.

"Can you stop drinking for now. Aryan Shetty,more who?"
Sejal said scrunching her nose again.

Nikhil started laughing heartily and threw his cigarette onto the ground crushing it with his shoe,while Sejal stood there even more confused.

"I think you definitely need that dinner with Darshu."

Sejal couldn't stop herself from being shocked of how did Nikhil know about the dinner.

"We are twins and we teleport. And Miss Pandey is definitely not his girlfriend."
Nikhil said still laughing.

"Maybe ex then." Sejal said not amused by the situation at all.

"No darling she is his Mom."

What the twisted hell!?

Mahima Pandey is Aryan's mother.
Air couldn't pass through her nasal canal after getting to know the truth and how stupid her assumption had turn out to be.

•    •    •     •    •

Hello!!

U guys want me to reveal something from the past in the next chapter or present?

How's everyone??

Missed meh?

Have a nice day:)

Love,
Sana Afreen.