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"This is my wife, Rynah. And Rynah, he is my cousin, Abhimanyu Malhotra," Viaan introduced us, making us nod at each in polite greeting.
"So sorry that I hadn't been able to attend your wedding, I was busy tending to the emergency in the export sector," Abhi apologized but Viaan dismissed it.
"It's fine. Glad you were here to take care of it. It would have complicated the matters at hand if you hadn't tended to it."
"Now about Raghav..." Abhi trailed off casting a fleeting glance at me and gulping out loudly.
"I am here for that," Viaan mused as he asked, "did you do what I asked you to do?"
"Yes, the head of the news channel was more than happy to invite you over to their prime time," Abhi nodded his head, making me look at Viaan bemused.
"News channel?" I asked in a clueless tone, making Viaan look at me.
"Yes, a news channel. How good are you before the cameras?" He asked.
"Well... I don't know. I have never been to one before," I replied hesitantly feeling scared of facing a camera, where the entire world would be watching me. Even the slightest mistake would be humiliating.
"Then let's find it out this evening," Viaan answered stilling my heart for a whole second. Holly freaking molly! He was going to take me to an interview. A freaking news interview! I seriously hated his surprise department because he gives shocks rather than pleasant surprises...
42. BAYAALEES
Thestylist fixed my hair for the umptieth time as I sweated away like a polar bear in the Sahara desert. It was a miracle how that happened in an air-conditioned room and another miracle was the people hovering around me like the bees around the queen bee, didn't wince at the sight of my perspiration.
And it wasn't like I was in the tropical regions like my home country, yet here I was sweating more than what I had in my entire time in Hyderabad. And mind my words, heat in Hyderabad is insufferable due to the lack of humidity in non monsoon months...
I was in a drilled and striped long-sleeve blouse upon a classic black pencil skirt. My hair pulled in a high ponytail and my makeup kept to minimal. If truth be told, I felt like the first lady. Powerful and beautiful.
My eyes found my husband and Abhimanyu sitting on the recliner corner discussing something with the editor. There were a pair of stylists hovering over them making the final touches for the camera, not that they needed it any way, yet they tended to it. We were waiting in the green room inside the news studio. The stage was being set.
I glanced at the notepad in my hand for the one last time to prepare myself for the questions that I was supposed to answer but nothing seemed to enter my blank brain. I was able to read but not understand. My nerves tingled threatening to morph into panic as my breathing accelerated for the second time in the last fifteen minutes. Any time now and we will be called.
The gentle knock on the door got our attention. And just as I feared, the assistant director stood by the door with an exam pad in her hand and a Bluetooth in her right ear as she nodded at no one in particular before looking up at us and announcing, "the stage is ready. Please follow me."
Viaan who was in a double-breasted navy blue blazer over a white shirt and white trousers got up, shortly followed by me and Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu wore a black blazer over a white woven t-shirt and black trousers.
Both the men were head turners and when two handsome men came together, a lot of drooling happened around. And so the same happen again, girls around didn't spare a chance to drool at what was mine, pissing me off incredibly. It was quite amazing to learn how I could be pissed off and nervous at the same time. But both the negative feelings subdued as soon as Viaan reached for me and placed his hand on the small of my back. He leaned over my side so that his lips were teasing the skin of my earlobe, creating shocks and tickles to travel down my body. I felt my pulse implode in my ear and my breathing accelerated.
"Take a deep breath and relax. If you feel overwhelmed or not able to answer anything they ask, just blink at me thrice back to back and I will take control of everything."
His voice and the breath created another shiver to trickle down my rigid spine but his words warmed my heart. I nodded at his words wholeheartedly, with a smile spreading on my lips.
Without wasting any second, Viaan slightly nudged me towards the door, guiding me out of that terrible room. The assistant director who walked a few feet ahead of us directed us to the studio.
The decor of this place was quite classic like that of a multinational company. The white walls with the slight scent of lime in the air had me wondering if this was what the news agencies often looked like.
We entered the room where the studio was set. The whole setup was different from what I had anticipated. I was lost for quite some time in my admiration for it. The spotlights had covered the entire floor on the sides illuminating the whole stage. There were many small screens fitted together to form a big display on the wall behind the sofas which were in the middle of the room. The lady who had been sitting on the sofa in her prim and proper red skirt suit, stood up to greet us with a huge smile. Her caramel blonde hair tied into a perfect high ponytail letting her long straight hair reach down till her slim waist. She was truly a sight to behold, especially for men. Fortunately for me and her, none of the men accompanying me even bat an eyelid that way.
All three of them had been very professional. That was good, I suppose, because she did look very friendly. I had no idea about what I would have done if she'd show anything apart from professionalism toward Viaan.
And as far as I knew, Abhimanyu who had been recently married would absolutely not want to sabotage his relationship with his wife.
"I hope you are ready for the live broadcast," The blonde anchor, whose name was Gina, spoke after settling down on the sofa after us.
"Yes," Abhimanyu replied while Viaan just nodded his head curtly in reply.
While on the other hand, it was the cue for my stage fear and camera shyness to come back and cling to me like a baby monkey to its mother. Nevertheless, it dulled to an extent when Viaan’s hand discreetly reached over my side to give mine a slight squeeze. He must have sensed my dread.
"We are going to go live in three, two, one," The cameraman announced before Gina started talking, "Welcome to Spotlight On The Trendsetters. Today we have the game changer, the dashing, brilliant business tycoon who made it to the Forbes yet again this year in the top ten businessmen of the year. None other than, Mr. Viaan Raivardhan along with his beautiful wife, Mrs. Rynah Raivardhan!"
