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I just agreed to going out with a stranger.

I mean, he wasn't a perfect stranger, but even then, I knew nothing about him except his name and his music and his totally handsome and drool worthy appearance. And oh, that devilishly hot smile.

"So, Nandini," He looks at me as we walk outside, to the rooftop. "You're from India, aren't you?"

"I am," I answer, beaming. "Aren't you too?"

"My roots are Indian, yes." He agreed. "But I was born and brought up in America."

"I see." I answer.

"Tell me about yourself."

We halt by the railings and he leans on them, the way his eyes fixed on me made me shudder as I let my hand trail against the cold black railings, staring outside at the city lights.

"I'm 24. An aspiring actress." I reply, "That's all to me, I guess."

"That can't be true." He insisted, "Besides, I don't want to know your age or what you do for a living. I'd like to know you are, what you like, what you dislike. Tell me a little about that."

"I like reading," My face brightened up. "I read a lot of books. I write my fair share sometimes too."

"Reading, really?" For some reason, he sounded really surprised. "In the world I'm living in, it's kind of hard to find a celebrity actually interested in reading. Most of them just put on big glasses and pretend to be authoring books these days."

I chuckled. "Well then, to be fair, I'm not a celebrity."

"You're on your way to become one." He mused. "I heard about your movies release tomorrow. Congratulations, by the way."

I flush. "Thank you." Manik Malhotra had heard about my movie's release. I must be doing something right. Oh my.

"So, what kind of books do you like to read?"

"Anything fictional as long as it keeps me captivated." I answer, "I'm not very picky. What about you? Do you like reading?"

"I do, for a fact." He grins. "Shakespeare enthusiast."

"Oh my." I click my tongue. "That is some heavy stuff."

"Guilty for having a soft spot for the tragedies," he adds.

"You must've loved The Notebook then?" I cock an eyebrow at him, giving him the side eye. He was still watching me with a keen gaze, and my eyes alternated between looking at him and watching the late night city lights.

"Cried a tear or two... but you did not hear that from me." He joked, and I laughed.

"What about you? What do you like?"

"Music." He answers, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Music is my life, my love, my passion... my world, actually."

"That was evident in the way you sang today," My smile widened. "You were very good, Manik."

He grins even though I knew this was not the first time he was hearing it. He was worth far better compliments than the one I subtly gave him. "Thank you."

I had to make quite an effort in tearing my eyes away from him and looking back at the city lights, afraid I'd lose myself a little too long in the way he smiled.

"You seem quite attracted to the view?" He asked.

Only if he knew, I was dazed by him. "It's the sky," I answer nonetheless. "It's been a long time since I've been able to stand in the open air and stare at the stars."

"You like star gazing?"

"I used to do a lot of it as a kid," I answer, "But as life happens, you tend to lose things you used to love, isn't it?"

He takes in a deep breath, looking ahead too. "I think I can agree to that."

"You can?" My eyes flickered to him. "What is it that you loved and lost?"

"Friends."

I scrunched my nose turning to him too.

He snorted giving me a glance again. "I used to be in a band. It was five of us. Now... I play alone."

I couldn't help but ask.. "What happened?"

"Life." He simply answered.

"I– I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say. I didn't even know their story, was it a sad one or was it just a group of teenagers growing out of their friendship phase and finding their own purpose in life?

"Don't be. It was a long time ago." He answered. "And... at least the stars look beautiful. It doesn't seem like a bad night to reconnect with something you once loved and lost."

I knew he was spinning the topic, and perhaps it was for the better. It was a good night, and shouldn't be made dull by revisiting tales of the past. Some chapters are better remained shut. "Mh-hmm," I pull a little smile on my lips, turning my eyes back to the sky. "It's weird how looking at the stars makes you feel. Like they're so close, yet... untouchable."

"Do you aim to touch them one day?" He asks, and I wasn't sure if we were talking about the stars that adorned the night sky or the ones in the floors below- celebrities, really, but the world termed them 'stars'.

"I don't know if I want that yet, but I hope I can if I make my mind to touch them someday." I answer.

He slightly chuckled. "Remember loving the stars comes with a lot of dark. You don't get to choose the good parts and eliminate the bad ones in this world. Stars don't shine without the darkness too, after all."

"You know they teach us in physics about how a star's- any star, even the sun's- light reaches us a lot after it leaves from there. It travels the universe, hmm?"

He nods, scrunching his nose, puzzled.

I go on, "The same way, it's light lingers for some time more even after it's gone.."

"Yes."

I smile. "Maybe I aspire to be a star in that sense. I would like to leave some light, something mine that lingers on even long after I'm gone."

"A legacy?" He asked.

"Something like that." I answer.

The smile spreading on his lips was utmost curious and amused. "What do you truly aspire, Nandini?"

I take a deep breath. "I think I aspire to be known by everyone someday."

"Fame," he clicks his tongue, "Trust me, fame is overstated. You can be known by everybody.. you can be the most famous person in this world but all of your achievements are in vain if you return home to loneliness, if you're a nobody to everyone– it's dull, duller than you think."

"The world knows you," I say, gulping. "So, what do you aspire? Whom do you aspire to be?"

"I am perfectly content in who I am today," He answers with a little smile on his lips, "But someday if I do want to be greater, I hope I'm a somebody to someone. That's all that matters in the end, really."

I give him a smile in return too.

He goes on, "But since you want to be famous first... what's your plan?"

I giggle. "I don't have a plan etched out yet," I play along, "But starring in your friend's movie seems like a great place to start."

He frowns. "My friend's movie?"

"Cabir. Cabir Dhawan? He was the one who gave me the tickets to today's show and insisted I come here."

"Ah." He rolls his tongue. "Of course. But wait, you're in the next movie he's directing?"

"I am, yes." I blush.

"Oh, so you're the talented newcomer he keeps boasting about in Serenity Now that he keeps boasting about?" Manik teased.

I control the urge to roll my eyes. "I should be flattered, but that isn't me. I'm not in Serenity Now."

"Oh?" He goes on, blinking his lashes rather innocently. "Then you are the irritating newcomer of the untitled project he's directing?"

I feign a smile. "That would be absolutely me."

He laughs. "I'm messing with you, you know? I don't know how many projects Cabir has been up to these days."

"I know you're messing with me." I scrunch my nose, half smiling too. "Besides.. no, he hasn't been up to a lot these days. Insists he wants to take up one at a time."

"So you're working with him in the current one he's filming?"

"I am." I nod.

"Are you," he pauses, "Are you Aryamman Khurrana's leading lady?"

"Guilty as charged." I answered, but watched as the smile on his face receded a little.

"Interesting." He commented, and although his eyes were fixed at me, they seemed suddenly distant as he gulped. "Come, let's go."

"Weren't you hungry?" I asked, puzzled, "Didn't you want to grab a bite?"

"Just an excuse I used to get out of there." He answered, huffing some air from his mouth. "It's getting pretty late. Come, let me drop you back to your friends inside."

Confused at the sudden change in his behaviour, I just followed him inside having no other option. A couple minutes ago, he seemed someone like me in a city full of celebs, and now, suddenly, he seemed just like one of those stars we just talked about.

Untouchable. Unreachable. So close....yet so far.

*

The next morning:

When sunlight seeped in my room through the windows and flying blinds, I let my eyes flicker open. I lay in bed struggling with sleep, knowing I had a noon shoot today, and I had woken up much before needed.

Of course, the urge to go back to sleep was strong, but the greed to reach out to my phone and check the critic reviews was stronger.

My movie had released.

I gulped as I woke up in my place, lazily reaching out to my phone and the first thing I did was switch on my socials.

My phone was bursting with notifications. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat– even my WhatsApp.

What was going on?

Before I could find out what it was, there were knocks on my room's window.

"Come in," I called, knowing it was Navya as I tore my gaze away from my phone's screen and she entered holding a bunch of papers in her hand, throwing them all on my bed as she silently stood up with an unfathomable expression on her lips.

I nervously picked up one of them, and lost my breath when I saw the photograph on the front page, printed with unmissable headlines in bold: 'Everything to know about Manik Malhotra's concert last night: from crazy fans to rumoured new lady-love Nandini Murthy's support.'

Oh fuck.