A week of preparation finally led to the first day of the shoot. The entire set had been arranged with exhausting precision, and now everything was ready.
Avin had insisted that I be present on set. It was written clearly in the contract that I didn't want any changes made to the script, so technically I had to supervise the process. At the time, it sounded like a smart decision. Now it just felt like a punishment. I was already tired of the chaos that came with filmmaking.
Still, I had a reason to endure it.
I had to prove to my father that I was capable of more than he believed. That I could do something meaningful on my own. Yet the irony was almost cruel. If he ever discovered that I was June Valare, the author behind the story and secretly involved in this entire production, he would never allow me anywhere near his company again. Not even a small corner of it.
So, naturally, I lied.
That evening, after inventing some harmless excuse for my father, I drove to the shooting location.
The set looked impressive. Tall spotlights illuminated the area while technicians hurried around adjusting cameras, cables, and props. The faint smell of makeup powder mixed with the metallic scent of equipment filled the air.
My eyes wandered around curiously until they suddenly landed on Ishaan.
He was sitting comfortably in the director's chair, slightly leaned back, flipping through his script. A hairdresser stood beside him, carefully fixing his damp hair. Under the golden glow of the lights, his sharp jawline and calm expression made him look almost unreal.
Not going to lie. It should be illegal to look that good while doing absolutely nothing.
"Why are you staring at my bro like you've got a crush on him?"
Avin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts like a slap.
"Oh-well…" I stammered, awkwardly tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"He looks fine, doesn't he?" Avin smirked.
"Are you gay by any chance?" I replied dryly.
He blinked in confusion.
"No, I mean you keep complimenting guys. First Arnav, now Ishaan. It's like you've been dying to-"
"You know what? Shut the 🐟 up" he cut me off, grabbing my wrist before I could protest.
"Hey! What are you doing-?" I shouted as he dragged me across the set, earning curious looks from everyone nearby.
"Yo, Ishaan! Look!" Avin yelled excitedly. "She's the one I was talking about."
Ishaan looked up from his script.
First he glanced at Avin, then his eyes shifted toward me.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I felt confused, nervous, and strangely aware of every emotion running through me at once.
"Oh" he said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "The pyjama girl."
A smug smile appeared on his lips.
My face immediately burned with embarrassment.
"Pyjama girl?" Avin repeated, turning to me suspiciously.
"Oh… well… yesterday I-"
Before Ishaan could finish the sentence, I grabbed his hand and pulled him aside so quickly that the chair behind him nearly tipped over.
"Ishaan, listen" I whispered urgently, my cheeks still warm. "You don't need to tell him."
"Okay, okay, June" he chuckled softly, patting my head like I was a child.
I barely reached his shoulders.
He bent slightly closer to me, his voice low and teasing.
"I think I'm into authors now."
He smirked before casually walking away, leaving me standing there completely stunned and questioning what had just happened.
When I turned back, Avin had wrapped his arm around Ishaan's shoulder, laughing about something while Ishaan pretended to choke dramatically.
They actually looked… good together.
I would be lying if I said I hadn't done some research on Avin after our first meeting at his office.
After scrolling through his social media and watching his interviews, I had assumed he was the typical rich, cold businessman who rarely smiled. There were barely two photos of him smiling online.
During our first meeting, he had seemed arrogant too.
But watching him now, laughing so freely with Ishaan, I realized I might have judged him too quickly.
He was actually… chill.
The kind of person I wouldn't mind being friends with.
Since childhood, I had only ever had one truly loyal friend. And after losing her, I believed I would never feel comfortable calling someone else a friend again.
"Hey, June! Come here!"
Ishaan's voice echoed across the set.
I walked toward them slowly. "What?"
"He's thinking about changing the script" Avin said casually.
I froze.
My arms crossed instantly as I stared at Ishaan with a deadly glare.
"Relax, little duck" Ishaan laughed, patting my head again. "No one's touching your precious project."
"You-!" I raised my hand dramatically as if I were about to hit him.
Obviously, I wasn't actually going to.
Just then a cheerful voice called out from behind us.
"Avin!"
All three of us turned around.
A girl with vibrant red hair walked toward us confidently. Her makeup was light but flawless, and there was something magnetic about her presence.
"How are you, my love?" she asked warmly.
My brain stopped working for a second.
Did she just call him love?
Avin walked toward her and hugged her casually.
"I'm doing great. How about you?" he asked, resting his hand comfortably on her shoulder.
I watched the scene with visible confusion.
She noticed my stare almost immediately and approached me with a friendly smile, extending her hand.
"Hola. My name is Eisha Kapoor. And you?"
I shook her hand politely.
"June Valare. Author and writer of this film."
"June Valare?" Her eyes widened with excitement. "Oh my God, I know you! But I had no idea you were-wow. You're so pretty. Not gonna lie."
I felt my cheeks turn pink.
"No, you are!" I replied shyly.
"If you two are done with the compliments, can we actually start shooting?" Avin interrupted dramatically. "I'm the director of this film, remember?"
We all moved toward the shooting area.
Large spotlights were switched on. Cameras were positioned carefully.
The first scene was Ishaan's introduction as Agastya.
The mafia heir.
The scene began with Agastya stepping out of a sleek black car. His arrival in town was meant to be powerful and intimidating. But before he could even take a few steps, a group of hidden attackers opened fire.
The heir of the mafia clan being ambushed.
Of course, he wouldn't die. That would be a very short film.
The shoot went surprisingly smoothly. Every shot was captured perfectly.
I found myself genuinely impressed with Avin's direction. Managing such complicated action scenes with that level of control wasn't easy.
He really was an incredible director.
Eisha sat beside me, scrolling through her phone while I focused entirely on the set.
My eyes kept shifting between Ishaan's performance and Avin's instructions behind the camera.
Eventually, Avin called it.
"That's a wrap for today!"
The crew immediately rushed to pack the equipment and gather the props.
Ishaan walked toward me, looking exhausted. His shirt was splattered with fake blood from the shooting scene, and a thin layer of sweat clung to his forehead.
"So" he said with a playful grin, "was I perfect? Fit for your role?"
Avin followed behind him.
"Stop hitting on her" he said, lightly tapping Ishaan's arm.
I nodded slowly.
"You were perfect" I admitted honestly. "To be fair, you were always my first choice for Agastya."
Avin's head snapped toward me.
"First choice?"
"Didn't you read the novel carefully?" Eisha jumped into the conversation. "She literally described him. The hair, the style, the face structure… everything. It's obvious."
I suddenly felt nervous.
"Oh… well… I-never mind" Avin muttered awkwardly.
"So" he said quickly, changing the topic, "dinner?"
"No!" I replied instantly.
Both Ishaan and Avin stared at me.
"Why not?" Ishaan asked.
"Oh… I have some other things to do" I said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
"What things?" Avin asked suspiciously.
"None of your business" I replied with a sarcastic smile before walking away.
I got into my car and started driving.
The city lights blurred past my window as evening slowly turned into night.
While passing by a familiar street, something caught my eye.
Neer.
He was standing outside his band club, arguing with his girlfriend. Their voices were sharp and tense.
I immediately pressed the brakes.
His girlfriend stormed away angrily.
Before I could think twice, I stepped out of the car.
Neer noticed me instantly.
Great. Now this was awkward.
He walked toward me slowly.
"Did you see that?" he asked.
Then he sighed heavily.
"I did that for you."
I rolled my eyes internally.
Typical manipulator.
"After the breakup… I realized something" he continued hesitantly.
His voice softened.
"I think… I love you. Honestly."
The words hit me like a sudden shock.
And for a moment, I just stood there, completely speechless.
Bonus:
Avin's POV
"Hey, look… isn't that June?" Ishaan said suddenly.
Before I could react, I slowed the car and brought it to a stop near the curb.
My eyes followed the direction he was pointing at.
And there she was.
Standing under the dim yellow glow of a streetlight, talking to that same guy again. The one whose jaw I had nearly broken the last time we met.
My jaw tightened immediately.
Why the hell was she talking to him?
The memory of that day flashed through my mind. The way he had spoken to her. The arrogance in his voice, the way he had looked at her like she was nothing.
It still irritated me.
June stood there with her arms slightly crossed, her expression serious, while the guy spoke to her with dramatic gestures like he was confessing some tragic love story.
My fingers slowly tightened around the steering wheel.
"Oh" Ishaan muttered beside me, leaning back in his seat as he watched the scene unfold. "So this is the important work she had to do tonight."
A slow smirk appeared on his face.
My grip on the steering wheel tightened even more.
The leather creaked under the pressure of my fingers as irritation crawled up my spine.
And for some reason I couldn't explain, the sight of her standing there with him made something in my chest feel… uncomfortably tight.