The Prince's Indentured Bride

unrequited love

"I want to like you forever. Please like me." I let a tear roll down from my right eye while hugging her from the back.

Being in love is beautiful. Loving someone for no reason is a gift but yearning for their love back is the heart–breaking part, an unformidable destiny.

When in love flowers, messages and first snows are alluring but an unrequited love labels you; p*****t. I tried stopping another round of tears which pained my neck. I wasn't a perv.

"Ple.. ase. Let me love you." Begging for love looks like the most pathetic scene but nobody in this world can understand how much strong it makes us, an unbreakable wall of emotion.

Shadow walking her to her home and following her around only to keep your heart at peace knowing she is smiling, happy and healthy is the most romantic thing when in love. But you become a stalker when it is just you in love, not her.

I choked on my tears as my breathing became difficult. I couldn't help but cry. I cannot imagine a life where I am not able to love her. My heart feels empty if I don't see her every day. And I feel like dying when she finds comfort in someone else when I am ready to lay my life on death if asked for.

"I can't." She replied, her voice breaking with the shrill of the wind. My heart beat disappointedly as tears brimmed my eyes once again. I need her. She is the reason I feel happy, and deem to become a better man, only for her.

"CUT!" The director shouted. Rubbing my eyes, I clapped my co-star’s shoulder and encouraged, "You are doing fine Divya."

Although I was feeling a bit under the sun with this being the fourth NG already. "Divya, your eyes. Make them heart breaking, not soft. You didn't lose your father in this scene. It's a break up. We are already with this for three times."

The director went on and on about the details required for the scene; I had already completed my close shots; it was Divya's camera which was working so hard because of the wrong emotions being portrayed.

"I am so sorry Mendel. I don't know what to do." She apologized and sat on the chair beside mine. "Try remembering the times when you wanted someone to just notice you but they didn't. Bring in that disappointment." I tried helping her, it's not easy to get into the shoes of someone who only exists on screen.

"I tried but my love life is a happy space. I'm always happy that's why rom–com suits me but doing psychological emotions is difficult." I knew she was trying hard because the weight on main actors is just too much; rolling one scene hundreds of times will do no good but only make everyone exhausted and bring immense pressure.

"Then act. That's what we do." I spitted facts, but I realised it sounded too cold and rude.

"It's all about imagination. If you can't imagine what the director is expecting you to present then put yourself in the audience shoes and think what would they want to see."

My head was paining from too much crying and since the last shot I could only see Vhrea's face whenever I closed my eyes; her standing on the stairs of Ashtrick mansion with dishevelled hair and shrunk eyes, the lifelessness in her face sucked the life out of me. I guess if I lose someone I love, I could as well die with so much pain.

"I need to show breakup in a heart–breaking way. Kriag, how are you doing so good?"

"It's all about feeling the right emotion and being in that space." My head was throbbing badly. This must be the last scene and pack up for me, and then lunch with Vhrea.

"Does it involve experience in real life? Did you have a crush on someone?" She asked, too innocently.

"No, it doesn't always involve having real life experience." I replied flatly, maybe this was so cold again.

Something must be very wrong with my head, or I am extremely exhausted that I have started worrying about things which shouldn’t concern me very much. Like, the way ACP Abhishek stressed on safety at the memorial gathering of Richard Uncle, and something must’ve happened between Vhrea and big brother that was worrying her, I could see the trance of confusion through her, on the day we were skating.

It is not everyday that I get emotional share the disappointment I have in Gabriel’s actions towards my existence, I understand he has the duties of a King to fulfil, but that doesn’t give him the right to turn a blind eye on his one and only brother, not that his approval pays my car bills.

But it is just sorrowful, and pathetic that I crave for such a thing, as an acknowledgement for the things he didn’t like me to do. Bleeding my face got me money, and at that moment, in the rink, with her hands in mine, all I thought about was how good of a person she has always been to me, of course, from when we got into a better understanding.

My susceptible side, where I am just defenceless, only comes out while with her. The way she handles, and understands the situation is quite intimidating at times, but she does. And most of the times get sandwiched between me and Gabriel for not taking sides.

I wish no more for her to suffer the same fate. So I shall be a better person to her, and him. A light nudge from Divya bought my focus back to the profession I was determined to also excel in.

"As actors we hold the responsibility of making the viewers live the moment with us, relate with the circumstances and put them in the shoes we are dancing with."

I explained as kindly as possible. Because entertainment industry was too dangerous and filthy, one wrong move and you are murdered with non–existing allegations from the people who may have just seen your face on a banner.