The Price - Part 5

The Price

A Novelette By Varalotti Rengasamy

Part E

“Why not,Raghavan? Why not, I say. You do one thing. You come and meet me tomorrow at eleven in KR Studios. Just tell my name at the gate and they will let you in.”
Raghavan’s face lit up for a second. But then he remembered.

“I’m sorry, Chandar. As the annual audit is going on in our office I can’t come out during working hours. Shall I come in the evening or night – any time even at mid night?”

Chandar patted on his shoulders.

“I am going out of town in the evening. Vidya, why don’t you come with his photo album? As soon as I come back to town we can have the screen test.”

Vidya did not know what to say. But Raghavan answered for her.

“Thanks a lot, Chandar. I will ask Vidya to come and see you at eleven sharp in the KR Studios.”
Chandar gossiped for some time before taking leave of them.

“What happened Vidya? Did you see Chandar? What did he say? Can I become an actor?”
Raghavan was anxiously asking Vidya as he was stepping into the house the next evening.

“He said he would try his level best. But I am not very confident. You should know that Chandar is not a good person to be relied upon in matters like these. We in our family circles have never given a damn to him.”

“No Vidya, don’t talk like that. As of now Chandar is the only hold we have. We have to somehow make him do something. Otherwise we’ll be in trouble. Because I have resigned my job today.”

“My Goodness! Why did you do that? It’s not fair, Raghavan. You should have discussed with me before taking such a drastic decision.”

“I didn’t plan for it, it just happened like that. While in the office I was constantly thinking of you and your meeting with Chandar. That led to a few careless mistakes in my work.

“I apologised, of course. But my boss was also tense because of the audit and started shouting at me. He gave me hell. At one point I could not bear that any further and put in my papers just like that.”

“What shall we do now?”

“Vidya, I don’t have much of savings. Since I have put in less than four years of service I wont have substantial terminal benefits in terms of PF or gratuity.

“With whatever we have now we can easily manage for two or three months. I am sure I will get an acting chance before that as I am going to try for it full time."
Vidya was shattered.

They did not hear anything from Chandar. Raghavan badly wanted to contact him; but could not. He went to the KR Studios a dozen times.

He was told that Chandar was not in station and in his absence they would not let him in. Raghavan abandoned Chandar as a source and started looking for an acting chance himself.

Ten days passed. Nothing happened. Raghavan lost all hopes and soon panic set in. He lamented about his condition to Vidya.

“Either I am going to kill myself or I’ll lose my mind. One of these things is sure to happen.”

Vidya did not know how to console him.

Vidya thought of approaching her rich father for help. He can definitely help her; he had so much money that he himself can produce a movie with Raghavan in the lead.

But before doing that he would throw enough words to hurt her feelings and puncture her ego. Vidya did not want to hear those words, even if they came from her father.

She preferred to kill herself than being insulted by her father. She lay awake the whole of that night thinking a way out of their present impasse. In the wee hours of morning she had reached a grave decision.

Early in the morning Vidya took leave of Raghavan with an ashen face. “I am going out to see a friend.”

Raghavan was too engrossed with himself to say a yes or a no. He did not even know that Vidya was going out. He did not have the strength to go out looking for chances that day. He just sat in the drawing room with a blank look on his face.
It was three in the afternoon when Vidya returned. Raghavan was in no mood to see the extreme pain that was evident in her face.

He still had a blank look and no one was in a mood to eat or even talk or do any thing. They continued in that kind of stupor till five in the evening when an enthusiastic Chander walked in talking in a beaming voice.

“What Raghavan, why are you looking so dull today? Okay, we don’t have the time to discuss your moods. Both of you, pack up your things and be ready to leave this pigeon-hole for good. You have less than an hour.”

Raghavan could not make head or tail out of what Chandar said. Vidya avoided looking at him.

“How can a Bollywood hero live in this dungeon? I have leased out my friends bungalow in Juhu. That’s the place where budding stars should live. We are moving there right now. And I am going to live with you.

“Do you have an one Rupee coin with you, Raghavan? Thank you. That’s my advance payment for acting as your agent looking after your call-sheets, bookings, rates and the rest.

“This is just a token payment. But you should know that I am a tough negotiator. I will grab ten percent of whatever you earn as a star. Agreed? Thanks again. Now sign this stamped agreement. The packers are waiting outside. Make it fast.”

It is now anybody's guess what made Chandar decide in favour of Raghavan !
I now realise why you are giving us the story in " small doses" !
It is easy for us to guess what price Vidya perhaps is already paying for her husband's stardom ! How can any man be, ever, so insensitive ?
Do we have to wait for full 10 days ? You are heartless, Sridhar, to make us think on bizarre lines !! You have cleverly avoided, dropping even a hint & left it fully to our imagination. Well, that is what you are - a master story teller !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Dear Chitra,
Anybody's guess could go wrong and at times could go right also. For if a writer proves his readers guesses wrong all the time he is not a good writer. At times he should allow his dear readers to have their guesses right.
How can a man be so insensitive? A million dollar question. The Accountant Raghavan was not that insensitive. Because he was not ambitious and loved what he did for a living. (You see that applies to all accountants, including yours truly)
But the Actor-aspirant Raghavan (or for that matter a person who aspires high political positions or covets a major prize) belongs to a different species where the rules applicable to human beings do not apply.
I was shocked to see an open interview by a famous director (famous in the 80s). He told the world openly that he would send his wife along with the financier into his bed room and patiently wait outside. Immorality is something; a person exceeding the limits of morality is pardonable. But this cruel insensitivity is something I can never digest. Even if you buy the whole of earth and Heavan paying that kind of price, you are making a bad deal.
Raghavan is now totally preoccupied with himself. In that spotlight there is place only for him.
As for the waiting, well, you have to. To think on bizarre lines, well, it's your choice.
Thanks for the title master story teller, which is conferred on me more out of affection than out of regard for my competence.
love and regards,
sridhar

Dear Sridhar,
I could not imagine a woman like Vidya stooping like that, I believe that she had not been immoral. Something else should have happened. She could have gone to her father instead. That is peanuts compared to what you have suggested. I cannot believe that.
With warm wishes,
varloo

hmm... i agree with varloo. when vidya did have a choice she could as well have gone to her dad. But something tells me, vidya did not do anything wrong. hope i am right.... nice reading...

purnima

hmm... i agree with varloo. when vidya did have a choice she could as well have gone to her dad. But something tells me, vidya did not do anything wrong. hope i am right.... nice reading...

purnima

Dear Sridhar,

With its twists and turns, the story is moving with a fast pace to reveal what price Raghavan really has paid for his fame. Vidya has made it possible for him to achieve his dreams and what it is that she has bargained with remains to be read and in the meantime, guessed! Most of us are thinking in the same strain and let us see what it is that you have planned for us and the poor Vidya. Going from the beginning lines of this story, whatever it is, it simply cannot be good. I only hope that it is not good for Raghavan only and not Vidya. Why should she pay such a high price for a silly man's whims? I'd rather that Raghavan loses her and she be good riddance:) That's a costly price anyways.

L, Kamla

PS..And, puhleez, why should we suffer for 10 whole days because of Raghavan??!

Hello Sridhar,

Another instance of woman helping her man achieve his dreams - but then, at what cost???? No, I don't want to think in line with others - I'm sure Vidya haven't gone to that extent still & I'm sure this lady is strong enough to handle guys like chandar.
Pls don't portray Vidya as the scapegoat. (Going to chant some shlokas to protect Vidya - Courtesy : Chitra)

As long as women feel there's no life beyond her man & marriage, these kind of instances bound to happen - we are being pushed to the edge & one day the women will start thinking beyond marriage & man & then the menfolk had it.
already I see a lot of women who prefer to stay single & are taking a new leap of faith elsewhere (away from marriage & man )- atleast they might find a new road to ride OR the least, learn to fly on their own / for themselves.

Sridhar, don't you think next saturday is toooooooooooooooooo far????????

Dear Varloo,
Yes it is unimaginable what people would do for getting what they want. I like your affinity to goodness and morality.
I wish to say only this: that the success people get is absolute peanuts compared to the price they pay for it.
If at least one young person who is about to make a major decision on her life learns this lesson, yes, this serial would be worth its trouble.
regards,
sridhar

It is really heartening to note that we still have many people who shudder at the implications of the decision taken by Vidya.
I love the way you have put your point across, especially the emphasis you gave by posting the same message twice.
Message received, loud and clear, ma'am
regards,
sridhar