WHEN THE STAR DIES

Major Characters:-

Sagar Raj Khanna : A popular filmstar.

Radhika Khanna : Sagar's second wife, runway model.

Roshni Sharma : Sagar's ex-wife, choreographer.

Monali Khanna : Sagar and Reshmi's daughter.

Preetam Kohli : Monali's live-in boyfriend.

Pragya Desai : Radhika's assistant.

Dinesh Rathod : Sagar's friend and co-actor.

Rakesh Rathod : Sagar's secretary.

Lola Kapoor : Editor of Movie Maniac.

Devika Sen : Radhika's younger sister.

Priya Chawla : Sagar's biographer.

Shyam Adnani : Film producer.

Deepshikha : Filmstar.

Nalini : Cook in the Khanna household.

Amit Mukherjee : DCP, Crime Branch.

Inspector Gokhle & S.I. Reddy : Police officers.

& Neil Bose : Famous model & Radhika's friend.

CHAPTER - 1

THE PARTY

4th March, 2017.

It was a busy day for 'Parfait', a top event management company in Mumbai. They were coordinating the grand celebration party hosted by famous movie star Sagar Raj Khanna on the occasion of his receiving Padma Shree and Moviefare's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last year Sagar had officially turned fifty, though his critics said that at least five years could be added to that number. His father Raj Kumar Khanna had been a famous film producer. Sagar had plans to follow his father's footsteps in near future.

The decorators were busy from the morning bedecking the sprawling garden and pool side area of Khanna Mansion in Mumbai. Their hard work was showing now. Strings of blue fairy lights, colourful streamers and soft music had turned the place into a fairyland. The entry gate was embellished with colourful garlands. Above the gate was a white flowery arch upon which was written CONGRATULATIONS SAGAR with red roses.

The party area was divided into cocktail zone, buffet zone, adda zone and dance floor.

At 5 pm Sagar's wife Radhika returned from her dress rehearsal. Before going into the house she briefly stopped to supervise and approve the arrangements.

Twenty-five-year-old Radhika Khanna nee Sen was Sagar's second wife. She was a successful runway model. His first wife Roshni Sharma was a famous choreographer. Sagar and Roshni's daughter Monali was an interior designer. She lived in Noida with her live-in boyfriend Preetam Kohli. Sagar and Roshni had a mutual divorce in 2010. According to grapevine Sagar had to pay a lump sum amount to Roshni to get her sign on the dotted lines.

Three years later Sagar met Radhika at a fashion show. She was the Show Stopper and he, the Chief Guest. Radhika was twenty five years younger than him. But that did not stop them from falling in love. After dating for a year they finally tied the knot in April, 2014. It was ironic that Sagar, who was once the matinee idol of Radhika's mother, now became her son-in-law.

Many people criticised Sagar for marrying a woman young enough to be his daughter. They said Radhika was only after his money. But contrary to public belief, even after three years of marriage their relationship was going strong. Sagar allowed Radhika to pursue her career and did not curb her freedom. Radhika was also a non interfering wife. Probably these factors helped them to lead a happily married life.

Radhika entered the house and saw Sagar's secretary Rakesh coming out of the kitchen. She was aware that their cook Nalini had a soft corner for him. Rakesh looked visibly drunk. He mumbled "good evening" to Radhika and walked away without waiting for her reply. Radhika scowled at him and climbed up the stairs. She wondered why Sagar tolerated this disgusting oaf and his equally irritating father.

Rakesh's father Dinesh Rathod was Sagar's friend and co actor. Both had started their career with the same film. After giving screen test, Rakesh bagged the hero's role and Dinesh got selected as the villain's sidekick. This was not unexpected as Sagar had his producer father to recommend and finance him. Such nepotism was quite common in tinsel town. The movie became a hit and Sagar didn't have to look back after that. But Dinesh's career was not equally successful. Initially he used to get side roles. But after that he stopped getting work due to his starry tantrums, alcoholism and late coming habit. Stranded in a chawl with a wife and small son, his condition would have been deplorable but for his friend Sagar who stood by him during his tough time. He recommended Dinesh to his producers and requested them to take him in their movies. Their friendship did not wane with the passage of time. Dinesh's wife died when Rakesh was just eight years old. He failed to give the much-needed company to his son because of his daily shooting schedules. Without the supervision of parents Rakesh fell into bad company. Being a high school drop out there was no scope for him to get a decent job. During that time, Sagar came to his rescue. He offered Rakesh the post of his secretary against a handsome salary and also gave him a room in his spacious bungalow to stay.

Radhika felt Sagar had done everything he could do as a friend. Yet there was something that baffled her. She had often felt that he was scared of the two. She wondered why.

Radhika found her younger sister Devika lolling on the chaise lounge sofa of the drawing room, watching Tom and Jerry on the 52 inch television screen. She had arrived from Kolkata to spend a few days with Radhika.

"Get ready li'l sis," said Radhika. "The party begins at 7 pm."

"What's the use Didi?" replied Devika. "Anyway you'll steal the show."

"Shut up and get up," scolded Radhika in mock anger. "You'll look fantastic in your new red dress. I've asked Zarina to help you with your make up."

"What about you?"

"I'll do my own make up. Pragya will be there to help me. Now get up girl!"

Devika yawned and stretched herself on the sofa. Then she got up and switched off the television. Radhika lovingly pinched her cheek and hastened towards her dressing room where her assistant-cum-dress designer Pragya was waiting for her.

Sagar was feeling happy after ages. But he felt that the awards he received could have come earlier. No one could deny his contribution to the Indian movie industry. He had given several hit movies and received two National Awards along with countless other filmy awards. But he never gave importance on building a strong lobby. Hence the awards he deserved came late. Sagar looked at his iphone and saw it was nearly 6 pm. Someone knocked on the door. It must be his make-up man Aslam. Sagar got up from his arm chair and opened the door to let him in.

The guests started arriving from 7 pm. The first lot to arrive were the journalists. Among them was 'Movie Maniac's chief editor Lola Kapoor, who came with her team of photo journalists. She looked chic in a black designer palazzo suit. Lola had been trying to get an exclusive interview of Sagar after he received the twin awards. She hoped today she might get the chance. Her eyes swept across the garden to see what the others were doing.

Dinesh Rathod was standing near the cocktail bar with a glass of Bloody Mary in his hand. Lola's mouth twisted in a sarcastic smile. She'd like to know why Sagar humoured this third class actor and his hoodlum son in the name of 'friendship'. Lola didn't believe in such nonsense. Friendship thrived between equals. She suspected that they knew some dark secret of Sagar and blackmailed him with it. She must find a way to know that secret.

Next she saw Priya Chawla, the young journalist who was working on Sagar's biography, enter through the main gate with her boyfriend.

'My! She's looking hot enough to give the Bolly babes a tough competition,' thought Lola. 'I wonder if her relationship with Sagar is purely a Platonic one.'

She took a glass of Pink Lady from the cocktail counter and settled down in an obscure corner from where she could keep an eye on every guest.

Soon the guests started pouring in. Sagar's ex-wife Roshni Sharma arrived with her daughter Monali and her boyfriend. Roshni thought no one knew about her recent trip to the US, but she was wrong. Lola knew. Moreover, the lip job she had done there was too apparent. Roshni wore her thin hair in bouffant style and paired it with a gorgeous Anita Dongre anarkali suit. Monali exhibited her abundance of adipose tissues in a cropped top and micro mini. Lola knew that Sagar had set up an interior designing business for her at Noida and also gifted her a duplex apartment in a posh locality. Her boyfriend Preetam Kohli, who was a software engineer, shared her apartment free of cost.

Producer Shyam Adnani entered, hand in hand with Deepshikha, the leggy heroine of his forthcoming film. Lola tried to remember when was the last time she had seen him make a public appearance with his wife, the good natured, roly-poly Dolly Adnani, the only daughter of business tycoon Tribhuvan Pandey. Everybody knew that Shyam, who was then a struggling film director, married Dolly only for her father's money. After Tribhuvan's death Shyam used his money to set up his own production house, Tribhuvan Pictures. Dolly remained happily busy in her shopping sprees and kitty parties and chose to turn a blind eye to her husband's promiscuous ways.

Radhika, the hostess of the party, looked stunningly beautiful in a white, sequinned chiffon sari paired with white, front-knotted sweetheart-neck tube top and matching accessories. Lola guessed that the sari was a Sabyasachi creation. Radhika was followed by her assistant-cum-dress designer Pragya and younger sister Devika, who looked pretty in a short red dress. Lola tried to guess how much money this gorgeous model would be getting after Sagar's death. Then she waved the sinful thought out of her head and concentrated on the other guests.

Her eyes narrowed as they caught sight of a tall handsome young guy loitering beside the swimming pool, sipping orange juice. That was Neil Bose, the current craze of the modelling world. He looked dashing in faded blue Gucci jeans, black Chanel t-shirt and black Versace sneakers. Neil was first spotted by model coordinator Sunil Bhargav during his visit to Kolkata to conduct a fashion show and attend his niece's college fest. Neil was then a student of B.Com Final Year in the same college. In the fest he participated in a fashion show. Bhargav was highly impressed by the way Neil carried himself. He was 6 feet 1 inches tall with a gym trained muscular body and sweet, innocent face. The combination, Bhargav felt, was deadly. He met Neil after the show and the rest was history.

Lola was confused about the relationship between Neil and Radhika. To the world they were colleagues and very good friends. But, considering the age gap between Radhika and Sagar, Lola wouldn't be surprised if something more existed between the two. Both of them were Kolkata-based Bengalis, belonged to the same age group and had common fields of interest. Neil had his share of occasional flings, but he had no steady girlfriend. In one his interviews he said that his idol was Sherlock Holmes, and he often applied his method of inductive reasoning in real life too. He also said that if he hadn't been a model he would have definitely joined the detective force.

Looking at him Lola smiled sardonically and thought, 'Too bad that we lost our James Bond to the modelling world.'

Sagar opened a bottle of Bollinger Champagne amidst cheerful exclamations from his guests. Hardly had their voices settled down when a couple of sirens were heard outside the gate, indicating the arrival of high ranking government officials. All eyes turned towards the gate as two cabinet ministers briskly walked in with their bodyguards. The photographers went berserk with their cameras. Sagar and Radhika cordially received the ministers and led them inside the bungalow. The importance and prestige of the party increased multiplefold with the appearance of these heavyweight ministers. Lola remembered that few years back, one of these ministers was charged with a corruption case. Mr Minister spent loads of money and used his connections to make sure that the charges against him didn't get turned into a chargesheet. It was common knowledge that the public had a short memory. It was again proved when the same minister won the next election with a large margin.

The two ministers left after half an hour. Lola was sure that they received a handsome donation from Sagar for their party fund. But it was doubtful if the money would ever find its way to the fund. Even public figures needed incentives to make public appearances for someone else. Nothing came for free in this tinsel town.

It was past 10 pm. The party had now reached it's peak. Tonight's guests mostly featured a veritable who's who of movie personalities and models. Lola was sure that they had been hand-picked by Radhika, as Sagar was not so class conscious. Dinesh Rathod was a glaring example of this.

Suddenly there was an uproar near the cocktail bar. Lola was not surprised as very few filmy parties ended without a drunken brawl. She got up to see what the matter was. Deepshikha's revealing clothes seemed to have triggered the libido of Rakesh, who was stone drunk from the beginning of the party. While dancing with her, he touched her inappropriately. When Deepshikha protested Rakesh tried to force himself on her. Then the security guards moved in and separated the two. Both of them threw obscenities at each other and the matter took an extreme turn when Rakesh called Deepshikha a cheap whore and she burst into tears. A furious Sagar dismissed Rakesh from his job and ordered him to leave his house immediately.

Rakesh refused to move but Dinesh came and took his son away. Before leaving, Rakesh turned to look at Sagar with hateful, venomous eyes. Then he spoke the following words.

"People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others,

And people having dark secrets shouldn't ruffle the knowers' feathers.

If one dares to play with fire,

The consequences will surely be dire."

Dinesh whispered something into his ears and dragged him away. They left the party leaving a bitter taste behind.

Within fifteen minutes of their departure, Sagar left the party and went indoors. Radhika said he was not feeling well and needed some rest. She apologised to the guests on his behalf and requested them to continue the party. But the festive mood was gone.

The guests expressed their concern over Sagar's health and wished him a speedy recovery. Then they quietly proceeded towards the buffet counter, which was an indication that the party was now coming to an end.

Lola was pleased to note that her photographers had video recorded the entire episode and had taken several photographs from different angles. She could already visualize the cover page of the following month's 'Movie Maniac'. The evening hadn't been a waste after all. She recalled Rakesh's threatening words before he left the party. Probably she should approach him and try to learn that 'dark secret' in exchange for some money. Lola thoughtfully walked towards the buffet counter.