The back-stage was less like a back-stage and more like a VIP room full of famous people. Everywhere you look, there had to be someone you recognised. It is moments like this that humble me, making me realise that even with my first movie just an hour away from it's release and me being casted in Hollywood's next predicted it-movies, I wasn't where these people are. I was not exactly Hollywood's next Jennifer Lawrence, but to be honest, I didn't want to be her. I wanted to be me. The first Nandini Murthy. The girl from India who made it.

"Oh my, God. Is that Kris Jenner?" Navya mumbled into my ear, her eyes fixed at someone indistinctly. "Do you think I'll be thrown out if I ask her to confirm or deny Kim and Kanye's divorce rumours?"

"You will one hundred percent be thrown out." I tell her with a pointed glance. "Don't even think about doing that."

"I'm a journalist," She pouts, "When else am I going to end up in a room full of celebrities? Might as well take advantage of it."

"Navya, no." I tell her firmly.

She grumbled in return, "Fine. If you're not letting me have fun, at least you should have fun."

"Have fun how?" I cocked an eyebrow. There were so many people, and I didn't know even a single one of them personally.

"Go, introduce yourself to someone," She told me, "Make connections. You never know when it might come in handy."

I looked around the room. It was full of celebrities. Actors. Directors. Producers. Politicians. Reality stars. Influencers. And unfortunately, very few people were here for the man playing. Most of them were busy in their propagandas and talks, making 'connections' as we put it.

"No." I shake my head, gulping. I wasn't a part of the race yet, of the real it-world of Hollywood, and I wanted to enjoy this normalcy until it lasts.

Navya rolled her eyes. "If you don't have fun yourself, I might have to push you to have fun."

"How exactly are going to do that?" I looked at her suspiciously.

She just smirked in return. "By pushing you. Literally."

I narrowed my eyes going to question she meant by that when she pushed me.

Navya. Pushed. Me.

She literally pushed me. She fucking pushed me.

I gasped, stumbling, losing balance because of the long stilettos I had chosen to wear tonight, embracing myself to touch the carpeted floor and make a complete embarrassment out of myself in front of so many celebrities, but that never happened.

Instead, I felt a cold hand wrapping around my back holding me firm and I opened my eyes upon realising I hadn't hit the ground only to get lost in hazel orbs so close to me.

I think I forgot how to breathe in that moment. I lost my breath, and completely so, staring into the piece of golden in the hazel eyes of the man in front of me, and I had to tear my eyes away from them to take in his full face.

Manik Malhotra.

His hazel orbs fixed at me.

And that smile. That fucking smile on his lips.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath, making him chuckle as he steadied me before letting go off me and I immediately took a step behind. "I am so sorry," My cheeks flustered.

"That's no problem." He smiled amused, "It isn't everyday that a gorgeous lady falls into my arms."

My smile widens a little, and I could feel the blood rush to my face as a gentle blush spread through my cheeks. "Thank you for that."

He snorted a smile under his breath, forwarding me his hand. "I don't think we've met, have we?"

"We haven't," I reply, surprising myself with how small and shy my voice sounded as I take a careful step ahead to place my hand into his forwarded one. "Nandini."

"Manik," He introduces himself back even though he knew I knew who he was, his smile turning smugger as he brings my hand upwards, his lips touching my knuckles to place a soft chaste kiss there.

I think I lost my breath in that instant, my mind running a hundred thousand places but my world was reduced to the person in front of me.

Oh. My poor fangirl heart.

"It's a pleasure meeting you," I say, my voice still as coy as I bit my lower lip. Bonus points for me to not stutter or faint yet.

"Oh trust me," His eyes flicker to my lips once, "The pleasure's mine."

Someone calls his name from behind, a crew member perhaps, telling him the stage was ready. He nods to the man, taking a deep breath to leave and appear in front of the thousands of fans waiting outside shouting his name going insane.

But before that, he turns to me to give me another gentle smile. "I hope to see you around, Nandini."

"You will." I reply in a promise, making his smile widen before he gives me a parting nod, turning and leaving.

Dazed and star-struck, I stare at his disappearing figure until Navya stands beside me nudging me with her elbow and I turn towards her.

"What was that?" I growl, the smile washing off my face.

"Exactly, Nandini," she grinned, "What was that? The chemistry? Oh my my. It was as if you two forgot that the rest of the world existed too.."

"Shut up." I glare at her. "That is not what I meant. Why did you push me at him?"

"Sometimes fate needs a little push." She quoted one of the many journalist quotes she had on the top of her head, making me roll my eyes.

"This could have gone drastically wrong and I could have ended up embarrassing myself in a crowd full of celebrities." I tell her.

"But you didn't."

I just huff in return.

"Come on," she smiled, nudging me again. "Even Hollywood needs a little Bollywood. And you can't tell me you didn't enjoy this."

"I didn't." I lie, feigning another glare as I storm off outside to see the concert, and she doesn't follow.

*

''Cause I wanna touch you baby,
And I wanna feel you too,
I wanna see the sunrise and your sins
Just me and you.'

"Would you believe who I just ran into? Chrissy Teigen. Like John Legend's wife, Chrissy Teigen.. this is crazy-" Navya stops talking when I give her a pointed look.

"Shush." I tell her, annoyed to have to tear my eyes away from the performer of the night, and the incident that happened an hour or so ago not completely forgiven.

"For a girl who didn't want to go out tonight, you're really into this, aren't you?" She looked at me suspiciously and I shook my head in disbelief, before turning back to the stage.

"Oh my, God." She gasped, and I had to control the urge to roll my eyes as I looked at her again.

"What is it now?"

"You are not into this night, you're into the one playing." The smile spreading through her lips was smug. "You are totally into Manik Malhotra."

"No. Absolutely not." I scrunched my nose. "Forgive a girl for having good taste in music."

She cocked an eyebrow at me, still unconvinced.

I huff. "You either watch the concert with me or go inside and gush over the other stars alone."

"Latter." She picked her glass of champagne back again, shrugging as she turned to leave. "Have fun gushing over Manik Malhotra. Oops, I mean his music."

"Ha ha. Not funny." I dryly comment and she chuckled leaving as I let my hands fall on the cold railings, watching the stage.

The back stage passes led us into having an arial and direct view of the stage, and thereby, of the performer. Manik.

I had heard about him before, of course. I had heard his music. Read news articles about him, even come across a few paparazzi pictures of him. Seen a couple interviews too. But nothing, I repeat, nothing I had ever seen or come across did justice to the man in front of me.

He was in his element. He knew what his voice did to the crowd shouting their lungs out. He knew what his smile did to the fangirls in the front rows sticking their hands out for a mere touch of the superstar. He knew exactly what to do and when, looking unreal performing in his blue jacket under the night sky making it very difficult for just average girls like me to notice that even the stars in the sky above seemed dull next to the ones in his eyes.

Like I said, he knew what he was doing.

He knew what he was doing when he got up from his designated chair with the guitar still hanging around his shoulders to the edge of the stage, making the crowd go insane.

He knew what he was doing when he moved to the tunes of his song, dancing ever so lightly.

He knew what he was doing when he turned around to get a good look at the crowd of thousands standing in front of me with the flashes of their phones on and raised up.

He knew what he was doing when he looked to his side and up here at the VIP window.

But I am sure he didn't know what he was doing when his eyes met mine and lingered a little longer than they should have, just like I didn't know why the smile vanished from my lips, butterflies in my stomach and a shiver passed down my spine as I gulped visibly, feeling breathless.

And then he tore his gaze away.

*

At the end of the concert, I got back inside. People around were still talking. God, they had some energy, didn't they?

I picked a glass of champagne from one of the side tables, and spotted Navya in the crowd, talking to somebody. She could be really social when she wanted to be.

She waved at me from the crowd, walking to me as fast as she could as she linked her hand with mine.

"How was he?"

"The music was good."

She chuckled. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling. However, as of now, I want you to meet someone."

"You want me to meet someone?" I question suspiciously raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you. Now shush and walk." She pulled me to one of the corners and I followed her having no other option until she tapped the shoulders of one of the many people in the room, and he turned.

Tall. 5' 10" maybe. Black shirt. Utterly gorgeous and well dressed. Kind smile. Probably down to Earth. That was my first impression of the man in front of my eyes.

"Maddy, meet Nandini." Navya said, and I couldn't read the grin on her lips. Was she smiling so big because she liked him, or was she trying to set me up with him, or was she genuinely happy to make the two of us meet? I mean, with Navya, you never know what's in her head. "Nandini," she turned to me, "That's Maddy. I met him at work a couple months ago."

"Hi." I click my tongue, forwarding my hand and he instantly grabs it, shaking it firmly before letting my hand go and I immediately retrace it. "It's a pleasure meeting you."

"Trust me," he smiles, "Pleasure's mine." He goes on, "You seem familiar though. Is there somewhere I could have seen you before?"

"I'm afraid not." I shake my head.

"She's just being humble," Navya adds with a grin, "She has a movie releasing tomorrow."

"Ah, Paper Hearts, isn't it?" He asks.

I flustered as I nod timidly. Seriously, Navya?

"So that's why you looked familiar. My YouTube is filled with ads of your movie."

Damn Netflix for doing too much promotion work. "Sorry?" I smiled with no remorse.

He chuckled. "Don't be. You looked nice in the trailer. But I have to say, you look better in real life."

And now, I really did turn redder. I was about to thank him, but paused midway when we heard a throat clear behind us intentionally, as if to grab our attention. While Maddy just peaked at the person over my shoulder, I turn on reflex, and so did Navya, except I lost my breath the moment I did.

"We meet again." Once again, his eyes were fixed at me. For a person who just sang for hours outside, you'd think his voice would be rugged, but it wasn't. He still sounded honey smooth, or maybe I was biased to his devastatingly handsome form, and the fact that he was looking at me so intently didn't help much either.

I smile. "We do."

"I am going to step outside to grab a bite," he tells me. "Would you like to accompany me?"

"Now?" I look around dubiously at the star-studded room. Wouldn't he want to pause and meet them? Make 'connections'?

"Now." He replied, confident. "So, what's the verdict?"

I reluctantly look at Navya who just presses her eyes in re-assurance and then at him, his hopeful eyes still fixed at me.

"S- Sure."

As I follow him outside, there was only one thought in my head: perhaps, Navya was right.

Sometimes, destiny does need a little push. And only sometimes, that push has to be a quite literal one.

Vote. Comment. Share. And most importantly, hope you had fun reading.