A Golden Mask

With his head high, and his wide chest puffed up, the six feet man, strode confidently in the direction of his black Sedan. Black, a colour he considered lucky, marked his personality too. Well known for his snide remarks and impolite behavior, Superstar Rajneesh Patel was famous for his bad guy repute.

Listening to the thudding sound of footsteps, Ganesh, who had been waiting outside Rajneesh’s house, stood up with a start. He had a feeling that today wasn't going to be an easy day. Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach, Ganesh gathered courage and spoke -

“Hello Sir!”

The tall man turned around and like a ferocious lion, roared “Who are you? Have you been following me?”

Ganesh muttered, almost shaking, “N…N..No Sir. My name is Ganesh. I am a small time journalist, working for the 'Shining Star' magazine. I have been waiting for you, since quite some time.”

“Oh! You wasted your time. I don’t interview cheap magazines”, growled Rajneesh.

A small voice inside Ganesh prompted him to run away. But he did just the opposite.

“Sir, big stars like you make small magazines like ours successful. Please Sir, I ask for not more than 15 minutes of your precious time.”

There! Ganesh had managed to target the right spot - Rajneesh Patel’s bloated ego.

“Oh! Alright” agreed Rajneesh and lifted his index finger, “but not a minute more than 15.”

“Sure sir!“ exclaimed Ganesh, as he wiped a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“Let’s sit on that bench”, suggested Rajneesh, in a tone which sounded more like an order.

Without wasting a moment, Ganesh pulled out a notepad and a pen from his jhola, and started with his questions.

To his utter surprise, Rajneesh answered all the questions honestly, without a hint of sarcasm. He must not be a bad guy after all, thought Ganesh.

Rajneesh’s good mood prompted Ganesh to gradually move towards more specific and personal questions.

“Your suicide attempt made a lot of news last year. I am sure there must be something that made you take such a drastic step. What was it?"

Ganesh knew that he had stepped into the lion’s den. He waited, anxiously, expecting a harsh reply. But, yet again, Rajneesh took him by surprise.

Looking at a distance, as if remembering a distant past, Rajneesh started talking in a completely different tone, a milder one. His face looked pale and morose, as if he was experiencing the pain and trauma of the past, all over again.

“Oh! I fell in love. The day I met Tanya, my life changed. She taught me that life was more than running after success, money and fame. She taught me how little things in life made a big difference. Together we would walk on the sand just to feel its fine texture, or read stories of childhood times. She taught me to live in the moment. Unlike any model or actress, she was neither pretty nor successful, yet she had a different, almost hypnotic power within her that drew me closer to her every passing day. We decided to get married. I still remember the sparkle in her eyes, when she agreed to marry me.

We planned a beautiful life together. But, God had some other plans. He took her away from my life.

I was completely crushed. When she left, she didn't go alone. She took away my mind and soul with her. My body stayed, but in a numb state.

I had reached a point where life seemed worthless. I missed her. One day I decided to go where she went. So, I popped in some sleeping pills and lay in my bed. When the housemaid found that I wouldn't wake up, she called for help. I was immediately taken to the emergency room. It took me some time to recover from the physical pain. The mental pain stayed. Nights used to be the worst. Sleep had eluded me.

But, yesterday night I slept sound, dreamt even. An angel appeared in my dream. He assured, “tomorrow would be a different day. A young man will knock on your door. He will call himself a journalist. He will show concern and try to understand your past. But beware, for he does not care about your feelings. All he wants is to dig out an interesting story for his magazine."

Ganesh, who had been religiously jotting down each and every word, suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He dug the pen into the paper, hard enough to create a noticeable hole.

“No one knows about the reason behind my suicide attempt. Do you know why? Because I chose not to disclose it.”, Rajneesh spoke through clenched teeth. “And what makes you, a small journalist from some ‘xyz’ magazine, think that I will tell you about it?”

Ganesh looked up to find Rajneesh glaring at him. His glare was frightening, as if it could pierce through Ganesh’s body and shred it to pieces.

There was a moment of silence. Finally the journalist spoke in a polite, official tone “Thanks for your time Mr. Rajneesh. I am sorry if I crossed a line.”

“You need to be careful of what you say and what you ask for. You seem new to the world of glamour. You have a long way to go, and you will learn your lessons along the way, like I learnt mine”, saying this, Rajneesh walked away.

Did Rajneesh Patel really experience the vividly narrated tale, or was it just an amazing performance by a brilliant actor? Who knows? In the world of masked faces and fake identities, nothing can be said with absolute certainty.

Ganesh shook his head, tore off and crumpled the paper, and found his way out. He had three more interviews scheduled ahead.