by Nisha Sharma
“How did you know?”
“I followed my heart.”
Winnie stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“And I listened to what Pandit Ohmi told me to do.”
“Very funny,” she said as her father snorted with laughter. She hugged him again, and they continued to watch the crowd. She still had some time before she gave the welcome speech and thanked the theater and volunteers. Mr. Reece was supposed to arrive soon with his surprise guest, and there were a few other details that were still left.
Like Dev. She hadn’t heard anything from him since he’d texted her that emoji.
When she spotted Jai in his suit coming through the front door, she broke away from her father to meet him. He was carrying a giant box.
“Hey, gorgeous. Very nice suit.”
He grinned. “Thank you. Now that I’m free again, maybe I’ll catch me someone as hot as you here.”
“What? Whatever happened to Tara? The Indian Barbie look-alike you were at the carnival with?”
“Oh, we broke things off. Sort of.”
“Man, I’m sorry. You didn’t mention anything over the last few days.”
“Because it’s a ‘sort of,’ ” he said, smiling.
“Ah. Well, you’re better off, right? Come on, let’s take a peek.” Winnie motioned for him to follow her with the box to Eric’s office.
She opened the box and removed the first trophy from the bubble wrap. The plaque read FIRST PLACE—MEHTA FILM FESTIVAL and the date. The figurine was a star on top of a base that looked like a film reel.
“I can’t believe I’m really doing this,” she said. “I went from nothing to chair, then to nothing again, and now I’m part of a team that’s hosting a festival.”
“You mean you’re leading a team,” Jai said. “This is the key to your NYU application.”
Winnie grinned. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re so right. Things worked out after all.”
The door burst open, and Bridget came to a stop right before she would have slid into the desk. “You have to come and see this.”
“What? What happened?”
Bridget dragged Winnie through the door and into the lobby. “Winnie, look.” She pointed to a woman standing near the info table, talking to Winnie’s father, Eric, and Mr. Reece. Her hair was styled in a bohemian-chic cut, and the musical bangles on her wrist moved with each boisterous laugh. Winnie could hear her British accent from across the room.
“Oh my God,” Winnie said. “Is that who I think it is?”
Jai came up behind them and leaned his head in between Bridget’s and Winnie’s before whispering, “Who do you think it is? Because I have no clue what we’re looking at.”
“That’s Gurinder Chadha,” Bridget said reverently. “She’s supposed to come for the student film festival, but she’s here. Today.”
“This is your chance to really make an impression on your idol,” Bridget said. She gave her a little shove from the back. “Go get her!”
Winnie smiled her least-crazy smile when she approached the group. “Mr. Reece, Eric. Dad.”
Her father squeezed her hand. “Winnie, meet Ms. Chadha.”
Gurinder Chadha looked real, but in a surreal way, as if she had walked out of her TV and stood before her.
“My daughter is the one who organized the event,” Winnie’s father said proudly. “She took care of everything.”
“It’s an absolute honor to meet you,” Winnie said. “I’m surprised, since we assumed you were attending the Princeton Academy Student Film Festival in a few weeks.”
“I was in town. Your teacher called and said something exciting about a flash festival. Since it’s all the rage, I decided to come.”
“Well, we appreciate your time.”
“My pleasure. Is your movie in the lineup, Winnie?”
“Unfortunately, no,” she said.
“Winnie has been a leading member of the Princeton Academy film club for years,” Mr. Reece said. “The previous faculty advisor, Ms. Jackson, raves about Winnie as well. She may not write, direct, or produce, but Winnie knows more about film than most theorists I know.”
“You’re applying to NYU?” Gurinder Chadha said.
“Yes, ma’am. South Asian film studies.”
“Interesting. If you are applying, your qualifications must be very impressive.”
Winnie had to squeeze her hands into fists at her side to prevent herself from waving them in the air like a lunatic. “Well, other than the film club and film festival at school, I’ve attended NYU’s summer film camp, and I’ve had a few of my movie reviews published.”
“Ms. Chadha, Winnie is being modest,” Eric chimed in. “She’s worked at this theater for months. She has a special gift that I know very few people possess these days. She can splice film.”
“That’s marvelous,” Gurinder said. “I have never met someone younger than the age of forty who can splice film.”
“Well,” Winnie said, “I love holding film strips and piecing them together. I feel like I had a part in putting the movie on-screen.”
Gurinder reached into her small clutch and removed a business card. She handed it over to Winnie. “Let’s talk after the festival, but I want to give you this first in case I forget. I’m in the process of starting a new project, and I could use someone who knows how to handle thirty-five-millimeter film. There is also a bit of theory involved. Would that be of interest to you?”
Winnie looked at Eric, Mr. Reece, and her father’s smiling face before responding. “I would be honored.”
“And if you know of any students interested in producing…”
“You should check the second short in the lineup. Dev Khanna is going to be a star.”
Gurinder made a note on her phone. “I’ll pay close attention, then,” she said.
“We can show you around,” Mr. Reece said, motioning to Winnie’s father. “We are the chaperones tonight, it seems.”
“Great,” Gurinder said. “Let’s get going!”
Winnie thanked Gurinder one more time before she rejoined Bridget and Jai. “I can’t believe she’s here,” Winnie whispered. “I spoke with Gurinder Chadha. She’s my hero. Have you guys seen Viceroy’s House? Bend It Like Beckham? I need to get her autograph. My hands are so sweaty! I hope she didn’t notice.”
“The surprises aren’t over yet,” Bridget said. “It looks like you have one more person to talk to before we get started.” She pointed over Winnie’s shoulder.
Winnie turned to look. Raj stood to the side with his ticket in one hand, examining a film summary on an easel.
“Do you want me to kick him out?” Jai muttered.
“No,” she said. “We’re good. We’re…friends. Hey, Raj!”
Raj looked up and waved to her. He hesitated when he saw Bridget tapping her fist against her palm next to Winnie.
“You guys, can you go do your thing? We’re about to start.”
Bridget grumbled, but she grabbed Henry’s hand and pulled him away. Jai followed.
“I had to come,” Raj said when he approached her. “Can we hug? Is it weird?”
“Well, now that you are asking if it’s weird,” she said with a laugh, and then squeezed him around the waist. “Gurinder Chadha is here. Did you do that?”
“I may have told Mr. Reece about her schedule. He did the rest.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s the least I could do. I don’t know if Mr. Reece said anything else to you, but after I came forward and said that I wasn’t with Jenny the whole night of the fund-raiser, Jenny caved. I don’t know the details, but she spoke with the school counselor and admitted to lying and putting the money in Dev’s locker.”
“So Reece is going to clear Dev to be a part of the school’s film festival, too?”
“Most likely.”
“That’s awesome! Thank God. I know that probably meant you got detention, but I’m rea
lly glad you did it.”
“Yeah.” He looked down at the pamphlet. “And I’m grounded.”
“Wow, like a regular American kid?”
He laughed. “Exactly like that. My parents had to look it up just to make sure they were doing it right.”
“Well, if you’re out and about, it can’t be too bad. Are you staying?”
Raj nodded. “Is Dev cool with it, though?”
“I hope so.” She led him toward the movie hall and gave him one last hug before she checked in with her team.
When Eric called her name as she stood in the empty lobby, she knew she’d run out of time. Unless he’d slipped through, Dev hadn’t come. The truth was settling in fast now, like a roller-coaster drop.
“The show must go on,” she said with a sigh.
24
A BREAK FROM NORMAL MOVIE REVIEWS…
I know that I promised you all an awesome review this week, but I’ve been trying to fix things in my life, so I’ve been super busy. I will say this much: You know how I’m always talking about destiny and romance in Bollywood movies? Well, there is something that I forget to mention. If you try to avoid destiny, you’ll end up only hurting yourself. But if you go with it, kind of like a surfer with a wave, maneuvering the board and trusting your instincts, destiny can take you on one amazing ride.
Winnie was so happy she’d memorized her speech. After running through the schedule and thanking everyone, she teared up at the applause. With one final bow, she left the movie hall, and she snuck into the projection room just as the first film began to play.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asked.
She sat in one of the two folding chairs set up in front of the projection window. “I can’t be down there right now. Let me be annoyingly depressed for a minute. Do you mind if I take over for the first two clips? I need a moment. Mr. Reece is going to handle introducing the first panel, and then I’ll pretend to be chipper after that.”
Henry got up from his seat. “Fine, weirdo.”
“Appreciate it, Henry.”
He shoved his phone in his pocket and left. When the space was quiet, she kicked off her skyscraper heels. Waiting for Dev with so many witnesses around was humiliating. At least she wasn’t standing in the middle of a baseball diamond like Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed. That would’ve been so much worse.
In the projection room, she could get herself together. It was just her, the hum of the machines, and the sound of the movies. She dropped her head and let her long hair drape over the chair. The movie began playing, and she closed her eyes, sinking deeper into the seat.
She heard the door creak open, but she didn’t open her eyes. “I’m fine, Eric or Daddy or Bridget. Whoever it is. I got things under control. Just because I used to work with film and not digital doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“That’s good to know.”
Winnie’s eyes popped open, and she jerked upright in her seat.
Dev held two Robert’s Sweets cups. “Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“You brought ice cream.”
You brought ice cream? What kind of hello is that after an incredibly long time of sadness and depression? Haven’t you learned anything?
Dev smirked as if he knew exactly what was going through her head. He motioned to the extra chair next to her. “Can I sit down, or is this a private viewing?”
She smiled and waved him closer.
He handed her one of the cups before taking the spare seat.
He’d brought her Kit Kats and vanilla ice cream. Her favorite. They sat in silence, eating and watching the images play through the projection window.
Dev scooted his chair closer to hers until they were almost hip to hip. He placed his cup on the floor next to his feet, draped an arm along the back of her seat, and pressed a kiss against her temple.
“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping another kiss on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to screw up my one chance when you finally noticed me, and that’s exactly what I did.”
She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and let him pull her closer. She felt good for the first time since they’d fought at Dosa Hut.
“I’m sorry, too,” she said finally. “I should’ve taken a stand—”
“You did. This is…amazing, Winnie. And I know you were the reason Raj said something, too. Thank you.”
Dev leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.
Click.
“So why did you do this flash festival?”
“For you. Well, it’s for your movie but also for me. I wanted to make things right, but in my own way. You know that priest who gave my horoscope prediction? It was his suggestion.”
Dev laughed. “Of course it was. Winnie, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Ramdev Khanna.” Their lips touched again just as the theater burst into applause.
For a second she thought everyone had heard her conversation with Dev. Her cheeks burned as she peered down into the audience and noticed that the first short had ended.
“Shit,” she said, and passed her cup over to Dev. She moved to the control panel and selected the second movie, switching to the next clip as Mr. Reece made the announcement.
“You’re next,” Winnie said over her shoulder. “After this, you have to go down for the Q&A session.”
“What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”
“I would have told everyone that you weren’t able to make it.”
“Wow, then I had pretty perfect timing all around,” Dev replied. “Did you watch my movie?”
“No, why?”
He motioned to the screen. “Because I made it for you.”
The lights dimmed again, and she pressed Play. The theater darkened, and Winnie leaned forward to read the title screen.
KISMAT
DESTINY
The title frame faded, and the dedication came into focus. The words read: For Vaneeta Mehta. Circumstance brought us together, people drove us apart, but destiny helped heal all wounds.
“Dev,” she whispered. “That’s…beautiful.”
He ran a hand down the length of her back. “You’re not going to beat yourself up over whether or not we’re together for the right reasons, right?”
“No,” she said. “No, I’m going to follow my heart on this one. I still can’t believe I didn’t know your name.”
“I wish I could change it. Seriously. Ramdev? It’s so archaic, but it’s my grandfather’s name on my mother’s side.”
He handed her the ice cream cup. “Looks like you have a surprise on the bottom,” he said.
She really wanted to watch his movie, but because he had that sparkle in his eyes, mixed in with a bit of uncertainty, she took the cup.
She started tapping the object at the bottom with a spoon and realized that it was cylindrical. Her heart pounded.
“Dev,” she said, her voice shaky. She spooned up the silver bracelet, the same one that his mother had picked up at the store.
“Yeah,” he said, looking down at it. “I should have planned that better. You know how some movies have, like, jewelry hidden in food? This was supposed to be like that, but I think you might have to, like, scrub it clean or something.”
She gave a watery laugh. “It’s so gross,” she said. “You bought me the perfect bracelet.”
He took the cup from her before lifting her to sit on his lap.
“This is perfect,” she said.
“Even more perfect than your favorite cheesy romance scenes?”
She kissed him. “Way more perfect than that.”
Winnie jerked up in Dev’s lap when she heard someone on-screen say, “It’s my destiny to be with a man who gives me a cowbell.”
“Did I hear what I think I heard?”
“Yup.” Dev grinned. “Your story has been an inspiration—ouch!”
Winnie pinched his arm before laughing so hard that the sound had to be smothered with
vanilla-sweet kisses.
No matter how crazy her love life had become, fate had helped her find her Bollywood romance. She held Dev tight as she thanked the gods that her Bollywood hero had finally shown up, with his camera, his smart mouth, and ice cream in hand.
FOUR MONTHS LATER…
Winnie hadn’t had a crazy dream in a long time, but she knew she was in one when she stepped under a blinding spotlight, the only light in a pitch-black room. Her footsteps echoed like she was in a warehouse.
“What the hell?” She was leather-clad, diamond-studded, and belly-baring. Her perfectly curled and highlighted hair billowed around her shoulders thanks to a fanlike breeze.
“It is I, señorita.” Shah Rukh Khan’s voice echoed in the dark. A second spotlight shone a few feet away, and she could see that the movie star carried a red rose. He was also wearing way too much leather.
“Thanks, Shah Rukh.”
He walked purposefully toward her, his spotlight following every step of the way. “Congratulations on getting into NYU.”
She’d received the letter that afternoon. She’d berated Dev into applying, too, and he’d also gotten an acceptance letter. Winnie couldn’t have been happier. “My boyfriend and I also have summer internships on Gurinder Chadha’s new film. It’s local, so we’re pretty good candidates to help her.”
“You’ve finally gotten the happy ending you’ve always wanted. You’ve met your soul mate, and you’re going to college. See? You didn’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”
“You’re right. Dev is…amazing. Thanks. For all your help. You’ve guided a lot of my best decisions.”
His signature laugh filled the space. “You’re welcome. But there is still one thing left to do. Are you ready, señorita?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
A booming sound thundered around her, and blaring overhead lights flipped on. Dozens of people dressed in matching spandex unitards posed throughout the warehouse space. The scene looked absolutely ridiculous.