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Sheila and Kris (Krishna, Christopher…?) woke up chirpy and eager at the break of dawn on the day of the advertisement shooting. At six, Sheila sat up on the bed, parted the curtains, peeked at the brightening spring sky and then fell back against her husband, snuggling and cuddling, burying her face against his neck, unable to smother her giggles. Kris loved her like that, all excited, nervous and full of life. He hugged her tight.

That they were full of life that morning is amazing and strange. For nearly four days, since they heard of their selection, they had hardly slept. Adrenalin-charged, they had rushed around, both trying out and buying a set of new clothes for their day in front of the camera. They washed the new clothes and ironed till the creases stood out like a knife’s edge. They had scrubbed and cleaned each other, shaved, oiled, shampooed. Sheila had gone to a salon for pedicure, manicure and a ‘special-facial’. The advertisement people had told them not to cut their hair. Kris had a ‘head n shoulder’ massage at his local barber. On those four days, they talked excitedly about the audition, the unsuccessful fellow-competitors and their surprise on being selected and, of course, about how it would be like on the main day. Every night, at least twice or thrice, she asked him if her giggles would pose a problem. Each time, he assured her that she would do just fine. The tension and excitement invariably led to intense sessions of love-making, tender, demanding, repeated and inexhaustible. They had never felt so young.

On the day of the shooting, they took an auto-rickshaw to the studio. They walked from the gate to the studio, nervous but taking in the hustle and bustle of the professionals, the glamorous and the wannabes. At the studio, they were given the clothes for the shoot. He got a rumpled pair of kurta-pyjamas and she got a shapeless nightdress. They changed into those clothes that resembled the ones they wore at home and then sat still in front of the make-up artistes who gave them a harried and disheveled appearance. On the way to the set, Sheila held Kris’s hand. She giggled and received Kris’ stare in return, though his smiling eyes comforted her. She let out another giggle and then maintained her composure till the end of the shot. The director was appreciative of their efforts and also thanked them briefly for doing it in just two takes. Their act lasted for twenty seconds before editing and eleven after. Sheila and Kris could make out that it was for some financial firm’s product or plan. They were supposed to be the couple that didn’t follow the right financial route. The couple that planned well had professional models in that role and they looked really good. Kris and Sheila were allowed to hang around and watch the show, away from the lights and well within the shadows. They held onto each other’s hands, taking in the amazing bodies and looks, never bored with the repeated takes.

Around half past eleven, after receiving their pay they left the studio. They took an auto-rickshaw back home. They were hungry and excited. Kris asked her if he could have a beer and she gave her consent on the condition that he would get her meat kebabs. He dropped her at home before going out to get the beer, the kebabs and something for lunch, maybe butter-naan and gravy. She wanted to eat at home, she said, and he knew why.

At home, she switched on their old cranky PC and typed a short story based on their experiences in the last few days. In the story, the couple that played their part in the advertisement felt the deep gulf between them and the other successful couple. She wrote about how that divide affected the lives of that poor couple, subtle changes to each one’s character finally manifesting into seemingly irreconcilable marital problems. She ended that story with that marriage facing disaster. She thought of adding a happy twist, like a meeting with the other couple and the comforting realization that lives on the other side of divide need not be as great as they thought. But she decided against that twist and stuck to the tragic ending. She quickly edited and posted the story on her blog. By the time Kris returned, she had already received a few of the usual appreciative comments. She switched off the PC and went to her husband.

She got the plates and a bottle of cold water. She unpacked the kebabs and the lunch. Kris poured out a glass of beer and took a long drink, the froth lining his upper lip. He watched her take a piece of kebab, dip it in the mint sauce and then biting one end of the kebab, teasing him with it, offering the other end and herself. He snarled playfully, leaned forward, took the offered end of the kebab, mixing the mint sauce on her lips and his beer froth and kissed her passionately. She burst into giggles.