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They both stared at each awkwardly in silence until Veda took pity on them and took the phone back.
“When are you coming, Raash?”
Raash? They should call her Rash, Harsh thought. She was exactly like a rash. She made him feel itchy and left a burning sensation behind.
“How long are you going to stare at yourself?” Agastya murmured from behind him making him jump.
“Don’t creep up on me!” Harsh yelped.
Agastya stared at him. “I. Don’t. Creep.”
If affronted dignity had a face, it was Agastya Kodela’s in that moment. Harsh rolled his eyes at his brother.
“I wish you were here, Raash,” Veda said.
Harsh shuddered. Please God no! The best place for that woman was as far away from here as possible.
“Harsh,” Agastya said, drawing his attention back.
“Hmm?”
“I’m very proud of you.”
Harsh stilled, his heart starting a slow, thudding in his chest.
“You’ve worked hard, trained hard, and done your best. No matter what happens tonight, I want you to know I’m proud of you and you should be proud of yourself too.”
Acutely conscious of Veda listening in, her conversation falling silent, Harsh said, “What do you mean no matter what happens tonight? You think the movie might flop?”
Agastya reared back. “I didn’t say that. I-“
“That’s what you think, isn’t it?” Harsh laughed, a bitter sound. “All of you think I’m this loser, a duffer who can get nothing right.”
“That’s not true.” Veda came to stand beside Agastya, her hand with the phone hanging by her side.
“Statistics say that movies with newcomers are rarely blockbusters. In fact, only a very small percentage even break even. You should be mentally prepared for any result.” The tinny voice from the phone had all three of them looking down. Veda raised the phone and glared at the screen.
“Nobody asked for your opinion,” Harsh snarled at the back of the phone.
“Just because you don’t like the fact I’m stating doesn’t make it untrue. I’m not saying you have no chance of having a huge hit on your hands. I’m just saying the odds are not in its favour.” Raashi was nothing if not relentless.
Harsh grabbed the phone from Veda’s hand and turned it around so he could meet the viper’s eyes. “I promise you one thing, Raashi Gadde. Irrespective of what your fucking statistics say, I am going to be the biggest thing to hit the Tollywood film industry for decades to come. Tonight,” he said, holding her gaze. “Is just the beginning. Generations are going to know my name. I am going to be the fact that skews every future statistic.”
“Why don’t you first learn how statistics work?” Raashi suggested with a poisoned sweetness that had his vision misting red with rage.
“I don’t need to,” Harsh told her brashly. “By this time tomorrow, I am going to be the only statistic that will matter.”
Raashi yawned. “Whatever,” she said, not even bothering to control her boredom at the conversation. “Akka I’ll call you later, okay? Have a good night. You too, Agastya Anna.”
And with that, she was gone leaving behind a stunned silence from the older couple and a seething anger in the one still holding the phone.
Rage like he’d never known it before ignited within Harsh. He’d show her. He’d show everybody. By the time he was done, Harsh Kodela was going to be a household name, and the only name on everyone’s lips.
Especially hers. Even if he had to fly to the fucking States to tattoo it there himself…
