Author’s Note: This is not a fan fiction. Characters are different, but you should be able to spot the inspiration from GHSP and MB-EIEJ. 🙂

—

“It can not be a coincidence,” Siddharth Sen spoke out aloud while watching last week’s recorded episodes of his production house’s serial, “Does Ritesh get creative every third week?” An idea struck him and he saw the credits of all the episodes for the week. Then he took out some more DVDs from a cupboard and checked the credits for the episodes on them too. Then he called Diksha, his sister.

“Yes Bro! Hold your complaints about the serial, okay? I’m pretty sure our ratings are going to skyrocket this week,” she said even before he had the chance to say hello.

“Ritesh doesn’t write all our episodes?” he asked her.

“He is the story and script writer.”

“That’s not the answer. I see another name being credited in each episode and it keeps changing every week.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Why do we do that? That’s the reason the story keeps going here and there.”

“Bro. We are producing twenty-two minutes of content, five days a week. Do you think it is possible for a mortal human to write all that content given our deadlines? We do not have the luxury you have in making films. One person just can not do it. But Ritesh supervises everyone who is writing, gives the overall direction to the story and personally approves the story and screenplay.”

“How many people, sub-writers should I say, does he employ?”

“Three.”

“And they take turns in writing the story for a week each?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Bye.”

“You are not going to say anything to Ritesh, are you?” Diksha was worried.

“Of course not. This is your project. You know I won’t interfere.”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t mean I condone creating the sub-standard content that we are creating with the serial.”

“Not again, Bro.”

“Right. Bye.”

Siddharth sighed after disconnecting the call. He had inherited Sen Motion Pictures from their father Goutam Sen and had carried on the legacy left by their father very well. They produced movies – mass-market romance and action as well as those catering to the now emerging “multiplex market”. Siddharth himself had emerged as a super-star in the industry acting in his own production house’s as well as other movies. Even at 38, his popularity was not going down. And then Diksha had come up with the idea of making TV serials. He hadn’t been comfortable with the idea, but her logic could not be defied. TV was big, risk was shared with the channel. Unlike the super-hit or super-flop economics of movies, producing serials meant continuous, assured income.

“And TV serials connect with an audience, even your mass-market movies do not connect to!” she had an argument beyond economics. It was decided that she would run the show there and he had to leave it at that. He had a weakness for her. Fourteen years younger to him, she was already a sharp woman of business. But for him, she was a kid sister. Despite sticking to his word about not interfering with her project, he did keep an eye on her all the time. It was not possible to watch the episodes as they aired. But he made it a point to record them and watch them later. He hated the content. He never watched any other serials. But there was a pattern he could not miss. Every third week the screenplay and dialogs were better. They showed a touch of realism otherwise completely absent. The characters became tolerable and the writing showed a glimmer of brilliance – something that wasn’t destroyed even by the constraints of writing for a daily soap. Earlier he used to complain about the inconsistency of the characters, but Diksha knew her business. She wasn’t worried about his snob-stand.

“My audience is happy and is lapping it up. It is already number 3 across all channels on the TRP chart. And we will be number 1 soon,” she would say.

He still continued to watch and whine – to himself when she wouldn’t listen. Until he noticed the pattern that every third week, he actually liked something about the show. Soon he had pin-pointed it to the screenplay and dialogs. After going through the credits that day and talking to Diksha about the multiple writer, he knew what, rather who, made the serial watchable every third week.

—

“Madame Karishma Gupta. Is you screenplay ready? We need to send it to the channel for approval.”

“Give me two more hours Mou…”

“Ms. Perfectionist. I am sorry. I can’t. I know you have a version finalized and you are working on making it better. But babes – we don’t have time for that. No. Really. But I assure you – someday you will write for a movie of Sen Motion Pictures and then you will have all the freedom to perfect your art.”

“Right. I will write for Sen Motion Pictures – why not? You have the connections you will use for me, won’t you?” Karishma smiled as she mailed her the last version of her screenplay. The improvements she was working on will go as a fan fiction on her anonymous blog as usual.

“Some day Babes. Some day, I would be acting – what I am made for. And not running around doing administrative work. And I will be paired opposite one and only one – Siddharth ‘Sid’ Sen. Wait and watch.”

“Of course, I am waiting. How else will I get my big writing break, if not by writing for your debut movie.”

Karishma and Mou shared a friendly laughter and Mou went back to her work. But she was back within next five minutes.

“Oh God! Dear perfectionist. What would it take for you to keep your desk also perfect, and clean, for a change?”

“What happened?”

“Sky has fallen. Sid Sir is coming to the office.”

“So? He must be coming to meet Diksha Ma’am.”

“Diksha Ma’am is in Paris. Her assistant is going helter-skelter ever since the call has come.”

“So, are you I see.”

“Of course, I am. Apparently he wants to see the office, meet the staff…”

“Oh God!” Sudhakar, another writer on the team sitting in the cubicle next to Karishma’s, exclaimed, “I have heard that he always complains about the story and screenplay. What if…”

“Chill Sudhakar,” Karishma spoke calmly, “Ritesh Sir is not here either. He won’t bother meeting us. And Mou – Calm down. What do you want us to do? Clean up our desks, right? Consider it done. I’m sure he is not going to check the coffee machines in the office.” Everyone laughed at that. The coffee machine had not been working for at least a week.

“Yes. Yes. It’s my fault, isn’t it, if the office budget allowed purchase of this pathetic brand only. And if the service calls are not being answered…”

“Relax Mou. We are only pulling your legs. Go out. Receive him. Nothing will happen… If anything, he might find the heroine for his next venture as soon as he looks at you.”

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Hope what you are saying is true.”

Karishma shook her head smiling as Mou went away still looking quite worked up.

But Mou was back again after ten minutes, “He wants to meet the writers.”

“No!” exclaimed Karishma and Sudhakar in chorus.

“Yes!” Mou mimicked their tone, “Come with me quickly.”

“But Ritesh Sir is not here.”

“He knows that.”

“Even George hasn’t come in today,” Karishma mentioned the third member of the team.

“Yes. That leaves just the two of you. Save our jobs please.”

“Shut up, Mou,” Karishma ridiculed Mou’s idea that it had anything to do with their jobs or the future of the serial, but she was also quite nervous about the idea of meeting Siddharth Sen – the Siddharth Sen – that too in absence of Ritesh as well as Diksha.

—

“He has left? Already?” Mou was flustered.

Sudhakar and Karishma nodded, both looking quite confused.

“What did he talk to you guys?” Mou asked.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“He basically asked things that we write in the first page of our resumes. Where we have studied and worked, where we live, and funnily enough about our families,” Sudhakar offered the explanation.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it!” Karishma said, looking annoyed with all the fuss, “These rich, bosses are like that. Doesn’t Diksha Ma’am get fits once in a while, screaming crazily and asking for random things? Like sister, like brother I guess. He unnecessarily upset the entire office. Let’s go and do our work. Cleaning the desk, my foot!”

—

The afternoon was crazier for Karishma.She received a call asking her to come for a look test that night.

“Look test? Look there is some confusion. I am not an actress. And I have not applied anywhere.”

“But Ma’am I have all your details here. And…”

“Where are you calling from?”

“Sen Motion Pictures…”

“Right. I am an employee in the TV division. But I am a writer, not an actress. There is some confusion. Now, please let me concentrate on my work and you call the right people.”

But her phone rang again after ten minutes. It was the boss of the woman who had called earlier asking if she can come the next day.

“I am not coming ever. Look – I already told you. I have not given any auditions. There is some confusion. You are probably looking for some other Karishma Gupta.”

“Ma’am. You have a very good chance of getting this role. You have Sid Sir’s recommendation.”

“Sid Sir’s recommendation? I have never met him. Well – I mean…” she hesitated for a moment as she recalled that morning’s meeting. But surely that had nothing to do with her acting, “Okay. I met him very briefly this morning. But it had nothing to do with acting. He is a busy man, isn’t he? He must have confused my name with someone else. Now, please excuse me and concentrate on finding the right person.”

“Karishmaaaaa….” It was Mou back to her desk fifteen minutes later.

“What the hell is wrong with the world today? Will anyone let me work? I need to read the story Mou…”

“No time darling. Sid Sir’s office had called. You have to meet him in forty-five minutes.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“This is getting crazier.”

“Crazier? So something crazy has already happened? What’s going on babes?”

“I will tell you once I know. Right now I am out of my mind. How the hell am I supposed to reach the other end of the city in forty-five minutes?”

“Take a train.”

“I hate trains. Why do you think I am paying so much to stay close to office?”

“It won’t be crowded at this hour. You can take a taxi while coming back. But please reach there in time. I shouldn’t get blamed for not telling you in time.”

“God! Now you are going to go all bureaucratic on me.”

“What to do with people who are favourite with bosses?”

“I am favourite with nobody. Anyway – I will go and end this madness.”

“What is the madness?”

“Somebody seems to think that I should become an actress.”

“What… Karishma…”

But Karishma had picked up her purse and had run out before a baffled Mou could ask her anything.

—

(To be continued)