The Demise of a Star

The night was hard to sleep and the morning not letting Manju wake up. But once his mind started remembering everything that was scheduled for the day, he just got broke through his sleep. It was the day for publishing his book and a small conference was about to start by 11:30a.m. He is not a professional but he managed to have a conference with few of the press person and tiny mass of public with the help of his childhood friend Mahendra from Gujrat. He woke up and brushed his teeth. Washing his facing he had a close look through his teeth and face. As there will be lot of people and quite a number of camera so he didn't wish to be known as the author with yellow teeth. You just can't trust the media. Not matter how serious you may be they make you seem funny to everyone watching you. He was watching himself from the eye of what the people there could possibly notice about him. He took a bath and put on the nicely ironed suit left unused since bought. Keeping the cosmetics on the bed he went to have the breakfast he already kept ready before his bath. Omlette ,toast and a glass of juice in a plate. He couldn't complete as if the nervousness was in the stomach rather than in his mind. The clock showed 10a.m ...time to hurry he thought. He quickly put on the pair of chocolate coloured leather shoes, unbuttoned his shirt and sprayed the deo over his body then put on the buttons and the white pocket square. He stood before the mirror took a deep breathe, stiffened his chest and hands and went out.

While moving downstairs he made a call to Mahendra. He was about to pick him up from his location. But he was busy listening to dandiya( Gujrat traditional dance)songs. All his playlist just start like "aae haloo". Manju waited for a while and Mahendra reached. Manju went in and said " hurry up brother. we will be late . A minute late and the media person over there will be making news over it". Mahendra replied "you got the best manager , need not worry brother the time I reach is the perfect time not what the clock says" ....I could never get him but he never let me complain over his managing works. We reached on time and quickly went to the stage. Sitting on the stage ,testing the speakers Manju took a look over the crowd. The people were busy yelling ,making arrangements and they seemed not at all anxious about him or the book. He search for someone on the internet, took a quick look and chuckles softly. Then he switched off the phone. Mahendra sat beside him and few other person from publishing team. The doors were closed, cameras pointed towards the stage and everything started being live.

Manju felt as if he saw him in the crowd Infront. His eyes took a quick search but nothing. The first question was warm enough to start with. One of the kind person just asked him " how are you, sir?". He replied with a smile " I am fine , how r u". The question came on how everything started , his writing career, his dreams etc. One of the lady from a newspaper asked " tell us something about your book. What is it based on and who's face is in the cover?". A lot of but strong questions came forward.

Everything will depend on these absolute answers which he had prepared for. How to display the person in black on the cover?. He started speaking " the person on the cover is known to all of you. He was a friend of mine and Mahendra. A person with immense struggle, knowledge and skills that was enough to make any of feel to be like him, talents that was easy to make bad people around feel like suppressing him. He used to tell that we two were his only friends. He came through many like us but everyone he said found him boring. He said the God had made terms and conditions for his friend circle. Only the people with letter M were close to him - I (Manju), Mahendra and Ma (his mother). We were his dumb friends. We used to fall on the row beside him in school. All the credit to him for the good grades. (Manju and Mahendra chuckles). But our hardship started after school he left for further studies cracking the engineering exams and we struggled hard collect the passing grades." The people started murmuring as they were bored of listening to some usual story. Manju hold the speaker and said "Sushant......(the crowd still murmuring)... Sushant Singh Rajput ( the crowd paused). The cameramen were seen to be clearly focussing the camera on him. Manju could see how a name strongly changed everything in the room. "The Demise" ( name of the book) is all about my dearest friend. It is a story of the famous left out star Sushant Singh Rajput. It is a story when he used to be a boy, a son and a brother. Everyone have a different story for him as he left without a proper note. How nice of him right?. Didn't blame anyone ....just left after taking his breakfast. Many of you think its financial, for some he couldn't cop up with his love life, some say he was too weak to face the situations.....and a lot of other shits. Let me tell you ' he is just the best piece of cloth to put on, he was warm, comfortable but all he lack was a name..a brand name to make him seem what he already is'. But he loved being not branded. That left some of the people so called Godfathers to feel insecured of such a star taking a ride to the heights so well into the industry that might lead other struggling actors like him to fill the space in the industry making it tough for the actors with paid recognition. He was haunted with "Nepotism"... I don't need to explain much about it. But its deadly and hard to remove. He never thought the big telescope he had in his living room would be searching for him in the dusky little stars". Saying so he stood up and started to walk off the room. Some of reporters ran after him to get something more. But Mahendra managed to arrange a safe passage to the car and both were back home. Manju switched on the mobile. There were some missed calls from home. He didn't feel like answering. He could still feel the absence of Sushant in the car. He was exactly like the way we saw him in "KAI PO CHE". He climbs out the car to the roof. Reaching home they had the lunch and Mahendra asked to him rest for sometime.

At 6:00p.m they need to attend a small party by the publisher at a luxurious hotel in the town.

After taking rest Mahendra and Manju started off for the party. They entered and it was filled with press reporters and some influential people from the industry as well. The guest list was all made by the publisher's party. After answering the questions to the press persons Mahendra and Manju took a corner and a drink. They looked around. Everyone in the same posture...a drink in hand, costly Manish malhotra designer suits and gentlemen talk and laughing out not too high nor too low. Meanwhile they were observing one of the director cum producer from the industry approach them. He offered to film his story after successful publishing of his book. He spoke so generously about how close he was with Mr.Sushant and he was willing to film his life. We were happy because this would be definitely great for everyone to see how he faced everything and how he was haunted with Nepotism. But while we were thinking he added " just a small change , cut the nepotism part as other people in the Industry will not feel like welcoming it". That actually blew manju's mind , Mahendra was as if he would slap the guy. But Manju did something that was harder than the slap could be. Manju cleared his throat and gently speaks" I don't accept the proposal". Mahendra chuckles. Manju completed his drink in a single breathe and walked out piercing through the cameras and press people like a star looking out at the postering revealing SUSHANT picture with a smile. Mahendra walked with him. Mahendra ran to Manju saying " that was way hard than nepotism on his face, man!. This would haunt till he demise". Both kept smiling and Sushant as well.