"I Didn’t Break Off With Bobby (Deol) Because Of A Pooja Bhatt!”

Socked hard by fate in the heart, smashing it into smithereens. Rocked off her ballerina’s balanced feet by a devastating punch of destiny. From her lover forever-parted, half broken-hearted, she stands at the crossroads of life. Bewildered. Life has done her dirty again. The dice didn’t roll in her favor and she found herself sliding right down to the bottom of the board. To wearily try all over again. It would have broken any girl. But Neelam Kothari is not just any girl.

Neelam, 23 only in chronological years. But with the wisdom of one who has seen many more. Life does that, so does love, or rather the breaking-off, if such an unfortunate event occurs. The shattering of a heart and the piercing of the soul makes a person see life in a different light, the weaker crumble into universal ignominy. The stronger rise like the Phoenix from the ashes of its own self, and soar with strength anew. Neelam, with the strength of her Scorpio sign is doing just that.

Till yesterday, I used to joke with her about the love in her life, the youngest Deol, Bobby. Inevitably, I would bump into them at various discotheques or private parties and our reactions were always the same. The red blush could be seen in the dark of the disco. The naughty grin. The silent ‘Oh no’ almost audible, and then the reluctant ‘Hi’. All the while holding Bobby’s hand who, each time, was totally oblivious that he was being observed, surely to be filled in later, outside my presence. All I could do was smile and shrug.

And the amnesia the next day. ‘Bobby? Now who’s that?” You’re not talking about the film are you? The one made by Raj Kapoor.” The trademark, whole-hearted laugh would follow and I would give up.