He was there... and i was too

February 6, 2005 – one of my dreams was going to be accomplished! Voila, he will be there… I had joined an event management institute and was on Filmfare’s project that year. All I was looking forward to was a glance of my dream man, heartthrob – John Abraham as I called him ‘my Johnny baby’. Without any acquaintance it was difficult to expect him to respond even to my smile that I decided to give him once I meet. It was 2:30pm, a sunny afternoon – I was working at the venue, helping the security to prepare for the celebrity guest check-in. It was a literal check-in procedure. Never knew it was so stringent for these shining stars to enter this venue, where I was like a free bird.

The heat was killing all of us there, even the cops. It was like a sharp blade being pierced in my body without thinking of giving me some mercy. I could imagine the temperature that might just follow few months hence. I was begging and pleading God to start the next prahar sooner than it was decided.

I knew I was only working there to see that handsome face for even a split of second. We had no water to drink on the venue; they were kept for the Big Bs and other alphabets… I carried on with bubbles of laugh, cheering up other dull faces with my stupid jokes and by the evening almost all my co-colleagues out there knew about my so-called “hidden” passion in life with initials JA. They were waiting to see my face turn pink before it turns b(l)ack as the way it is.

The chariot stopped, the prince stepped out in white blazer-uff! So handsome – I could turn and ask nothing but, “is that an angel?” He looked so humble, down to earth and absolutely charming. While multi-tasking, I was appointed to ensure that the bottles of mineral water reached to those who needed them. But they were only kept for celebrities. “Remember only who asks for it; we do not have extra bottles. I have asked the manager to get it,” my supervisor in strict instructing voice continued, “they should not know about the shortage – be careful!”

I started doing my job enthusiastically. I had to get whiff of his perfume. So I only hoped he asked me for a bottle. “Hey girly, excuse me!” the hard gentle voice finally fell on my ears. I knew it was him. My heart skipped the beat. For a second the world was totally different for me. It felt as if it an empty venue surrounded me and he was the only one there, besides me. Before I could surrender to the situation and quickly transformed myself back to present. “Hey excuse me, are you listening? I wanted one of those bottles too…” I turned to confirm my judgment. How could it ever go wrong? “Yes sir,” I said it as gently as I could, hiding my excitement, “just give me a moment.”

I got the bottle in a few minutes. But when I reached his seat he was called on the stage. So I waited with the bottle in one corner where anyone would hardly spot me. “As soon as he comes down I will give this one to him,” I thought to myself. Someone interrupted me. It was the cop, who stood with me in heat, sharing jokes to keep me lively. Aha, now a cop like this is rare to find – at least in stereotypes; any which ways I had this one. “Aditi, you have managed to get water. Lucky. I know you were thirsty. Drink it and spare some for me if you can.” He was too polite to be refused. I was in a perplexed situation. I knew how thirsty he was. Probably, more than me, he had no JA to forget about quenching his thirst. So, I went against the set rules and gave him the bottle, which virtually belonged to my heart. But what made me happier was the ultimate satisfaction on his face. The charm had returned. I went back to grab another bottle, but they were all over. When he came down I had nothing to offer, but a smile. Soon enough, I saw him with another bottle given by some other girl. “John, you would act in a film script that I write,” I promised myself.