HOHP Chap 21
Chapter 21: A standoff between sisters
“You haven’t been around the set much. I looked for you today and yesterday and you weren’t there. The shoot went on so long and I missed you. It’s too crazy Dido.” Madhu commented as she entered the room. Trishna turned only her profile visible as she gazed at her sister.
“I’m not needed much.” She said casually, hand lightly trembling as it rested on the counter. Madhu didn’t notice, too busy removing her clothing to get ready for bed.
“I need you.” She said, distracted. “Everyone talks like I’m some big thing, and Rashmini is always following me around, intimidating those people who do talk to me normally. And there are these strange looks I keep getting from some people on set- I don’t know what that is about. Maybe they are wondering what someone like me is doing there?”
Trishna contemplated telling her sister that those people were most likely the ones who had been spreading rumors about Madhu sleeping with RK but refrained. Even when she was angry, she didn’t want to hurt her sister so badly. Was it really Madhu’s fault that RK was so crazy about her?
But at the same time, Madhu was taking away all of Trishna’s dreams. Soon, she would be too old to break into the industry- Trishna didn’t want to do supporting roles for the rest of her acting career!
Two sides of Trishna, the ambitious actress and the sister warred within her. And, as in most cases with most people, the ambition won.
“And it’s all about you, you, you, nowdays, isn’t it Glycerine?” Trishna snapped, whirling towards her startled sister. Madhu recoiled in surprise, eyes wide as she looked at Trishna’s glowering form.
“I don’t…” She stammered. “What do you mean, Dido?”
“Don’t play the innocent!” Trishna snarled. “Not even two weeks have gone by and stardom has already gotten to your head, huh?”
“What? Dido, please, I don’t understand what you mean!”
Deaf to her sister’s pleading, Trishna adopted a high pitched voice designed to imitate and infuriate.
“Oh, Dido, where have you been? Why haven’t you been there for me while I live out your dreams and you see your future going up in smoke? Can’t you see my desire for attention is greater than your desire for a meaningful life?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Madhu snapped back, temper flaring as well. “You’re hardly on set, Dido! I try not to disturb you when you are because I don’t want to get in your way! I’m always waiting for you to come to me! But you never do! You know I don’t want to be in the film industry but that doesn’t matter, huh?”
“Don’t want to be in the film industry?” Trishna’s voice was escalating into a shout, but she found herself not caring. Ma and Roma were out shopping anyway, and Malik had a shoot so there was no one in the house. And at the moment, what the rest of the chawl thought of the sister’s never crossed her mind.
“If you didn’t want to be in the film industry, why did you say yes to the role Madhu? Face it, Madhu, deep down, you crave the fame, you crave the excitement…you want RK’s attention and you’ll do anything to get it!”
Blood drained from Madhu’s face as Trishna’s mark hit home.
Not the part about the fame and the excitement…why would Trishna even think that? But that part about RK, about wanting RK…that part was true.
Just because you know something about yourself, just because you’ve accepted that part of yourself, does not mean that it does not hurt when someone uses that against you. Especially if that someone is your sister. Especially if she had never indicated that it was an issue she had against Madhu. Trishna had always been protective. The about turn in attitude was shocking…and incredibly hurtful.
A tear spilled down Madhu’s eyes as she stared at Trishna.
“That’s not true. RK forced me into the industry Didu…he said he would blacklist all of you if I didn’t audition!”
Trishna softened, but bitterness still raged within her. “Does it really matter? At the end of the day you won the role…do you think it was because the producers were impressed? Wake up Madhu. Everyone thinks you slept with RK to get this role…”
“You were the one who tricked me into seeing RK, right-that’s what led to me going to the audition. Before, I said no!”
“I know.” Eyes closing, Trishna swallowed down her regret. “I didn’t think you would get the role.”
“Why?” Madhu sobbed. “Why push me towards this Didu? Why?”
“We all run after our dreams, Madhu. Would you condemn me for running after mine? I didn’t think you would get hurt. I knew you would stick to your principles, and I thought if RK tried something, I would be in a position to help you.”
“Any more help from you and I’m lost.” Madhu shot back bitterly. “You put yourself ahead of me, and you know what? I’m surprised at myself.”
“Madhu…”
“I’m surprised because I thought you would care more about what I was going through. Where were you in the days I needed you? When I had my first panic attack RK was the one to come calm me down. You haven’t been there at all for me! Too busy fuming over your lost opportunities. Well, I’m sorry you think your dreams are over, but you know what? It’s not my fault!” Madhu was shouting now, heedless of the frozen form of her mother and Roma who had been standing at the door.
“It’s not my fault that you don’t have the talent to be a major star! It’s not my fault that you don’t get call backs! It’s not my fault that you haven’t done much to invest into another career! And you know what? It’s not my fault that RK likes me rather than you!”
Throughout this tirade Trishna turned paler until she was almost bone white. But Madhu wasn’t done. Her chaudrahin blood was full out, and she wanted to hurt Trishna as much as she had been hurt a few minutes ago.
“You could be happy with supporting roles- you got into Bollywood right? But no! Nothing is good enough for Trishna Malik except superstardom! No matter who gets in the way- even family members!”
“Madhu.” Padmini said, stepping in, eager to stop her daughter before any permanent damage could be done to the sister’s relation. Madhu stopped at her mother’s voice, eyes closing in horror as she registered all that she had viciously spat at her sister.
“I-I’m…” She could’t finish the apology. What had she turned into, with only a few weeks in Bollywood? Would the end result be another RK, discarding people, fixating, thinking oneself above all rules and laws?
“I have to go.” Ignoring her mother and Roma’s calls, Madhu turned around and fled.
“You haven’t been around the set much. I looked for you today and yesterday and you weren’t there. The shoot went on so long and I missed you. It’s too crazy Dido.” Madhu commented as she entered the room. Trishna turned only her profile visible as she gazed at her sister.
“I’m not needed much.” She said casually, hand lightly trembling as it rested on the counter. Madhu didn’t notice, too busy removing her clothing to get ready for bed.
“I need you.” She said, distracted. “Everyone talks like I’m some big thing, and Rashmini is always following me around, intimidating those people who do talk to me normally. And there are these strange looks I keep getting from some people on set- I don’t know what that is about. Maybe they are wondering what someone like me is doing there?”
Trishna contemplated telling her sister that those people were most likely the ones who had been spreading rumors about Madhu sleeping with RK but refrained. Even when she was angry, she didn’t want to hurt her sister so badly. Was it really Madhu’s fault that RK was so crazy about her?
But at the same time, Madhu was taking away all of Trishna’s dreams. Soon, she would be too old to break into the industry- Trishna didn’t want to do supporting roles for the rest of her acting career!
Two sides of Trishna, the ambitious actress and the sister warred within her. And, as in most cases with most people, the ambition won.
“And it’s all about you, you, you, nowdays, isn’t it Glycerine?” Trishna snapped, whirling towards her startled sister. Madhu recoiled in surprise, eyes wide as she looked at Trishna’s glowering form.
“I don’t…” She stammered. “What do you mean, Dido?”
“Don’t play the innocent!” Trishna snarled. “Not even two weeks have gone by and stardom has already gotten to your head, huh?”
“What? Dido, please, I don’t understand what you mean!”
Deaf to her sister’s pleading, Trishna adopted a high pitched voice designed to imitate and infuriate.
“Oh, Dido, where have you been? Why haven’t you been there for me while I live out your dreams and you see your future going up in smoke? Can’t you see my desire for attention is greater than your desire for a meaningful life?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Madhu snapped back, temper flaring as well. “You’re hardly on set, Dido! I try not to disturb you when you are because I don’t want to get in your way! I’m always waiting for you to come to me! But you never do! You know I don’t want to be in the film industry but that doesn’t matter, huh?”
“Don’t want to be in the film industry?” Trishna’s voice was escalating into a shout, but she found herself not caring. Ma and Roma were out shopping anyway, and Malik had a shoot so there was no one in the house. And at the moment, what the rest of the chawl thought of the sister’s never crossed her mind.
“If you didn’t want to be in the film industry, why did you say yes to the role Madhu? Face it, Madhu, deep down, you crave the fame, you crave the excitement…you want RK’s attention and you’ll do anything to get it!”
Blood drained from Madhu’s face as Trishna’s mark hit home.
Not the part about the fame and the excitement…why would Trishna even think that? But that part about RK, about wanting RK…that part was true.
Just because you know something about yourself, just because you’ve accepted that part of yourself, does not mean that it does not hurt when someone uses that against you. Especially if that someone is your sister. Especially if she had never indicated that it was an issue she had against Madhu. Trishna had always been protective. The about turn in attitude was shocking…and incredibly hurtful.
A tear spilled down Madhu’s eyes as she stared at Trishna.
“That’s not true. RK forced me into the industry Didu…he said he would blacklist all of you if I didn’t audition!”
Trishna softened, but bitterness still raged within her. “Does it really matter? At the end of the day you won the role…do you think it was because the producers were impressed? Wake up Madhu. Everyone thinks you slept with RK to get this role…”
“You were the one who tricked me into seeing RK, right-that’s what led to me going to the audition. Before, I said no!”
“I know.” Eyes closing, Trishna swallowed down her regret. “I didn’t think you would get the role.”
“Why?” Madhu sobbed. “Why push me towards this Didu? Why?”
“We all run after our dreams, Madhu. Would you condemn me for running after mine? I didn’t think you would get hurt. I knew you would stick to your principles, and I thought if RK tried something, I would be in a position to help you.”
“Any more help from you and I’m lost.” Madhu shot back bitterly. “You put yourself ahead of me, and you know what? I’m surprised at myself.”
“Madhu…”
“I’m surprised because I thought you would care more about what I was going through. Where were you in the days I needed you? When I had my first panic attack RK was the one to come calm me down. You haven’t been there at all for me! Too busy fuming over your lost opportunities. Well, I’m sorry you think your dreams are over, but you know what? It’s not my fault!” Madhu was shouting now, heedless of the frozen form of her mother and Roma who had been standing at the door.
“It’s not my fault that you don’t have the talent to be a major star! It’s not my fault that you don’t get call backs! It’s not my fault that you haven’t done much to invest into another career! And you know what? It’s not my fault that RK likes me rather than you!”
Throughout this tirade Trishna turned paler until she was almost bone white. But Madhu wasn’t done. Her chaudrahin blood was full out, and she wanted to hurt Trishna as much as she had been hurt a few minutes ago.
“You could be happy with supporting roles- you got into Bollywood right? But no! Nothing is good enough for Trishna Malik except superstardom! No matter who gets in the way- even family members!”
“Madhu.” Padmini said, stepping in, eager to stop her daughter before any permanent damage could be done to the sister’s relation. Madhu stopped at her mother’s voice, eyes closing in horror as she registered all that she had viciously spat at her sister.
“I-I’m…” She could’t finish the apology. What had she turned into, with only a few weeks in Bollywood? Would the end result be another RK, discarding people, fixating, thinking oneself above all rules and laws?
“I have to go.” Ignoring her mother and Roma’s calls, Madhu turned around and fled.