The Goan Debacle

I

Oh my god, this means the location is Goa” Diya was excited.  

After a gap of more than three years in the industry, taking up side kick roles in a number of movies, she now got the opportunity to be the lead actress. It was the debut movie of Kiara Bakshi, who had assisted high profile directors in delivering many blockbusters. Kiara has been in the industry for more than a decade and with the producers ready to invest in her mellifluous plot, she finally got a chance to helm the set.  In search of the lead actress that best suits her character; she decided to give a chance to Diya, an actress who was in search of an Ostentatious breakthrough in her career. The photo-shoot was already completed with Diya and as it took time to materialize the monetary aspects for the movie, Kiara was getting worried for Diya. Finally, when everything was set Kiara rang up to her to inform the location of shooting.

“Yes, and my secretary will speak with you later, the time and the schedule. So take care” kiara had cut the phone abruptly, deciding not to rejoinder her sequestered excitement.

   

It was almost midnight when she made the call to Diya.  Kiara moved the blanket over, covering her nudity with a towel, while Rishaan lay snoring at her side, with his face ducked in the pillow. A couple of hours back, they were passionately kissing and the feel of his wavy hair on her face had just pushed her to the limit. She found the marks of her nail on his back, and her bite marks on his neck that reminded her of the ecstatic moment, she had been through. She ran her fingers gently down to his spine to his waist and further deep as she slowly caressed him. Her mind had taken her a few years back to the sets of the blockbuster movie “Parineeti “where she was assisting the renowned director R.L Malhotra. Although experienced, he was most of time busy auditioning the characters for the various roles, particularly interested in the female auditions, where after selecting a handful of new talents, he would invite them one by one to his guest house for a private audition. Then it was all left for Kiara to ensure the set design was done in time, and coordination with the choreographer and the team, that boosted her confidence in her work. 

It was during the sets that that she happened to meet Rishaan and Diya for the first time.

“So you are basically a wildlife photographer. And why do you want to try this industry” Kiara asked Rishaan,  feeling interested in his long square chinned face  and free flowing wavy hair.  Rishaan was rejected by the lead cinematographer Raaghav, a man considered to possess a midas touch and undoubtedly the numero uno of the industry. Rishaan had noticed Kiara, running up and down the set, having discussions with the choreographer for a song sequence, and when she had reciprocated his constant gaze, he knew the best person to make a move was Kiara.

“No madam, my intention is to move up in life and I am seriously looking for this career. Give me an opportunity to prove myself” Rishaan prompted a feeble look to draw in a stronger feeling of sympathy.

“Rishaan, the industry’s huge so try some other sets. If you are striving hard to move up in this industry, I am sure you will never go unnoticed. And basically, this is a male dominated industry, so good luck” With a broad smile Kiara walked by leaving Rishaan disappointed. However, Rishaan did catch a positive vibration from Kiara’s smile that he decided to steal her attention, continuously waiting for her till the shooting time was over and trying to catch up with her in her apartment, often earning the wrath of her apartment gatekeeper, who never allowed him to enter the compound. Kiara, all the time, was watching him and finally after a full three week’s performance, one evening she called him to her apartment. 

“I cannot do much Rishaan, for there is a huge politics involved with regards to behind the camera” Kiara was in her night gown, when Rishaan had entered her room. He stared at her in a strange way and for a moment Kiara wished that the ground had swallowed her whole.

“Sorry, for a moment I could not take my eyes of you. What were you saying” Rishaan mumbled.

“Oh are you flirting with me” Kiara sounded a bit annoyed.

“Not at all, watching you all day from distance and then seeing you this close , I could not stop staring at you” Rishaan gasped as Kiara looked at him contemplating the situation and what he had just said. 

Rishaan then moved closer to her and whispered “I know a lot about you and want to know more”.

As Kiara stood stunned, Rishaan grabbed her and moved with a lightning speed to kiss her, when she whisked away.

“ I know you and you say this to all the girls” Kiara was trying hard not to look straight at him.

“No, you deserve more attention from me, I have started feeling you everywhere around me” 

With that Rishaan held Kiara tight and pulled her head by her hair, looked into her eyes and kissed her passionately. Then he pulled her head back and kissed the hollow of her neck up and down. Kiara, overcome by the intensity of his passion could not resist him and that night both of them ended up in bed together.  During that passionate session she fumbled to find his zip and as she felt him for the first time; now years after in her apartment with Rishaan, she was happy that she enjoyed a steady relationship with him in spite Rishaan being 5 years younger to her. A quick smile came over her lips as today Kiara Bakshi, who had come up from behind the shadows of renowned directors, was confident enough to direct a movie all by herself. Although not married after all these years of living together, she actually had hid one bad episode in her life that preceded, Rishaan’s appointment as the assistant cameraman for that blockbuster film, which was through her recommendation.

II

“So you want him in our team for this film, right Kiara” Raaghav looked into her eyes focusing as though his eyes were his camera. Nicknamed, the magician with his camera in the industry, he was roped in for the prestigious project,  Raaghav was in his mid forties, a lean body with sharp wits, and a genius in his profession. As of normal, his subject of interest was the positions of the artists, the best shots and lighting to suit the occasion and was thus not interested in any discussion that contradicts his view for enrichment of a scene.

“I feel he can give you a valuable support” Kiara replied with full of respect to a gem of the industry and considered an icon by many.

“Ok, I will but Kiara, you know such favors don’t come by without any offers” Raaghav was laughing when he closed the file which Kiara had given to him. The file contained some of the photos RIshaan had taken as a document to cite his experience.

“Tell me sir, what you want” Kiara was enthusiastic so as to share the information with Rishaan that there was progress in the meeting with Raaghav, for a position in his team.

“I want a massage from you my dear” Raaghav replied giving a small wink.

Kiara laughed” I would do it now sir” With that, she went and kept her hands on his shoulder and in high pitched voice asked” shall I begin on your shoulder”

Raaghav laughed joined by Kiara but he stopped abruptly.

“I want you to do a full body massage and that too on my naked body”  Kiara felt the effect of a big blow on her as an imponderable silence impaired her docility. She felt very weak and discomfit.  

That night when Rishaan had rung up Kiara to thank her for the support and to meet her at the residence, she had abruptly cut his call claiming that she was busy in a discussion, only to turn around to find Raaghav lying completely naked in his bed and the very sensation of Kiara seeing his nude body was giving him the necessary pleasure.  As Kiara remembered that day, a sense of derogation ensnarled her that she forgot that she was caressing Rishaan and unknowingly in a fist of anger,  pinched him. 

“Ouchh, what's wrong with you. it pains” Rishaan had jumped up from his bed.

“Oh I am extremely sorry. I was just getting excited thinking of our movie” Kiara replied trying to focus on the present day.

“Come on, you don’t think about such activity with your hands inside my pant” Rishaan replied feeling annoyed at being disturbed from the sleep.

Rishaan understood that Kiara was thinking about her working with Malhotra and he believed that in order to secure her job under him, she had many a times compromised with Malhotra, resulting in that sunken feeling of hers’ but the truth was that for reasons unknown to kiara, Malhotra had always respected her and even used to take opinions from her to design the scenes. Kiara , had a simple profile, was short and a little fat around her hips, which probably would not have interested Malhtora, she thought and her only distress was her night with Raaghav , where in after her massage she had to bathe him and that too he wanted her naked while they bathed together. She never knew why for a stranger like Rishaan she had to perform all this nasty acts but as years passed by with him, she was feeling realxed.  

“Ohk forget about it” Rishaan interrupted. “When will you inform Diya about the location”

“Already done” Kiara smiled.

Diya was with them the previous week and Rishaan had shared with her some of the snaps he had taken on his previous assignments in various films. Rishaan was taking over as the lead cinematographer for this upcoming movie and had to do some photo-shoot sessions with Diya, in order to make her perfect in the screen. During the sessions,  Rishaan became quite friendly with her that he started  feeling interested in her, while at the same time he ensured that his rapport went unnoticed by Kiara .

“You have a very wonderful smile Diya” Rishaan had put in during the photo-shoot leaving Diya reddened. Diya, who was excited on her new project, was feeling quite relaxed and free with Rishaan throughout the session.

“Diya, the smile of yours is going to steal many a heart. So be careful” Rishaan cautiously was building the rapport with Diya, leaving her blushing.

 Rishaan extended the sessions to have more time with Diya while Kiara was busy with the scripting of the story. And during one of the shoot, he had intentionally touched Diya’s lips forcing her to react by pushing his hands away.

“Oops, I thought I had just touched a cotton candy. It was so soft”

It didn’t go well with Diya but she now started watching him closely. Rishaan was a talented guy and Diya, knew that Rishaan shared a great relationship with Kiara, to an extent that they go roaming at nights, and she believed that the rest of the story about them were the crux for the gossip mongers and she never was willing to listen; Kiara was the director and he the lead cinematographer for this million rupee budgeted movie, and it was usual for them to have discussions extended late night.

“I will ensure that you shine like a diamond on the screen” Rishaan promised during the last day of the photo shoot holding her hand , which aroused her interest for him but her mind was ensnarled in the new role she was to perform.   It was agreed that the three of them would be travelling to the set together much to the interest of Rishaan. Since Kiara’s new film was a female oriented genre, she insisted that Diya shall remain with them to modulate her for the role of the main character.

“Why did you select Diya for this role. You told me that she was rejected by Malhotra in spite of her audition performance” Rishaan had once inquired to Kiara

“She was rejected from the lead role, RIshaan. Had she taken up the role in Malhotra’s movie, it would have propelled her career to a different level”

“But why was she rejected”

“She refused to sleep with him. This is what I appreciate in her” smiled Kiara

This is not what I appreciate in you thought Rishaan. 

(to be continued....)

Refugee

Refugees from Syria, let me call them the way current media puts it although I find them as survivors, were pouring into Europe until the tragedy in Paris, that rocked the European union to a decision to temporarily halt the influx of immigrants from the war torn nation. Germany, the leader of the block, held a larger share of the pie as the largest share of Syrian requests for asylum in Europe followed by Sweden, France, United Kingdom and Denmark also gave in their support for the asylum seekers. While United States lead the funding with the largest share of aid to the Syrian refugee crisis, the amount that accounts to almost 31% of the total aid donated to United Nations by various nations for this crisis. Australia and Canada have also pledged support by taking in the extra immigrants fleeing the conflict in the Middle East; however they were way behind Europe in supporting the crisis. Why Europe is more predominant in their support to this grave crisis, particularly the very ones mentioned above among which a few had even branded their country refugee-friendly?

Humanitarian concerns, the brooding image of the body of child Aylan washed up on the shores of turkey in the early September, the horrific death of refugees while trying to cross the Mediterranean fleeing the war torn area, the extraordinary images showing more and more refugees dying in their desperation to flee persecution and reach safety, did create shock ripples across Europe to the extent that Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany  in mid-September jumped on the bandwagon, saying her country could absorb every legitimate refugee who wanted to come. As Germany set example, the other European countries followed suit and all of a sudden Europe became really concerned in the case of fleeing refugees. In fact, the conflict in Syria has displaced 12 million people creating the largest wave of refugees to hit Europe since the World war II.

But as the present crisis hits headlines across the globe, where was Europe when due to the persecution of the Burmese government, there were 250000 people displaced from Burma in 1978 or similarly in 2015 when a million burmese became refugees owing to the Junta rule in Burma. Where was Europe when the south Sudanese civil war broke out in 2013 leaving more than 2 million displaced from Sudan. There were more than 5 million refugees in Colombia because of the long-running fight between the government and rebel forces. Between 1976 and 1992, over 5 million people were displaced from Mozambique due to the civil war in that nation.

In my view, Europe should have strengthened the UNHCR (the United Nations Agency for Refugees) and let United Nation play a more vital role to take control of the situation. This would have made sure broader participation of countries from around the world which would result in discussions in various forums, including the reasons for spiraling the crisis although any decisions however would have been vetoed by the permanent members as per their vested interests in the civil war in Syria. Greece, already reeling in an economic crisis, has more than 20 uninhabited islands near to their mainland closer to the Middle East. What would be the difficulty in providing relief shelters to the people (fleeing from the crisis) in one of the uninhabited island and ensure sufficient facilities for food and sanitation, at the same time lend a helping hand to Greece, who i believe, would have readily accepted the offer for leasing their land for this purpose. Of course there would be difficulties and scenario would not be as easy mentioned above, but as we have seen the left party in Greece already shifting their ideology to support Austerity or  various democratic governments trying to co-opt  with new policies that does not have the public support, it would be even easier for these countries to work together to build some sort of temporary relief for the people escaping the war and slowly relocate them to the mainland and in the mean while the politicians could try to win the confidence of their public to undertake the activity of relocation to their respective mainland .

Now let us look in a broader economic dimension to this resettlement crisis. It’s known to the world that the middle east is holding the prestigious World Expo 2020 and the World Cup 2022, Expo 2020 is expected to cost between $6.2 billion and $8.7 billion and almost 175 million dollar for the World cup event. With the imponderable revenue involved in the multi-billion dollar events along with the prospects of holding the Olympics, the greatest sporting event in the world in the near future, all economic focus will still remain in the Middle East for the years to come. This means that the global manufacturing unit for Germany, or the largest furniture retailers of Sweden, Multinational retailers and Power engineering company from France, Banking giants from United Kingdom, Processed food items and machinery from Denmark  for them all the revered market in the forthcoming years would still remain the middle east. Is Europe keeping this concept as their base while opening up the doors to the fleeing civilians from the war, regardless of the fact that there is no effective published plan for the resettlement of the other country’s citizens in their mainland nor has agreement been reached with countries concerning the eventual relocation of those who have lost their homes and lands.

I wish the world becomes a better place in 2016 for all living beings, not just the human beings alone, to live and dwell peacefully in their region.