"Get a hold of yourself, will you?" Shahid said. "Ma'am, water," he directed Sharin.

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah, right away," replied Sharin as she rushed for the fridge.

Shahid handed Deepika the glass of water, she felt extremely embarrassed by her behavior, she had never even shown any emotion to her team, and now she was crying all over herself in front of Shahid Kapur, a guy she barely knew.

Sharin, too, was out of her waters. She couldn't see what she could do in this situation, it wasn't her job to deal with boss's tantrums and breakdowns, she did care for Deepika, mainly because she was her biggest client, was thoroughly professional, and on top of her game currently, these are not the times when you have nervous breakdowns; tantrums maybe, but certainly not breakdowns.

All she managed was throwing out the other assistants. She wondered if she should send out Shahid as well, but he had taken over the situation so well she couldn't imagine what she would if he were to leave.

Also, Shahid didn't seem to be in any mood to leave, he had perched himself beside Deepika on the armrest, handing her tissues and water maintaining a gentlemanly distance but overbearing nonetheless.

"Just relax," Shahid said. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it, it's normal, especially in these working conditions and hectic schedules."

Deepika had stopped crying but hung her head in shy embarrassment.

"There is nothing to worry, really," he said. "It could all be a misunderstanding. Trust me, these are normal in relationships. It'll be fine. You have a four-film contract with Ranveer, right?"

Deepika sniffed, "No, this is the last of the three."

"Hmm. Interesting."

Shahid got up from the sofa moved about with careful steps in the tiny space. After pondering over for a few minutes, he said, "I don't want to raise an alarm, but you know, this is...I mean... this might be, you know... the end of it."

"Huh!" Deepika stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know I'm no expert, no one really is, you see. But this is what happens when contracts get over."

"Sir, I don't think Ranveer is anything like that," Sharin amazed Deepika with her sudden opinion. Deepika thanked her from within for saying that.

"Well, from what I've seen, he is definitely one of the most intelligent people in the industry, even though he projects an impulsive image."

Deepika knew that was true as well. She has depended on Ranveer's judgment in so many creative decisions, right from Piku to Finding Fanny, and she wasn't stranger to the rigorous rehearsals and planning behind those crazy marketing ideas and eccentric clothes.

"But we can still give him a benefit of doubt," Shahid continued, "if you say so, but even then, you see, he is just saving himself trouble, or should I say, heartache(he said with an eye roll), by severing ties, probably subconsciously. I mean, you'll find a lot less time together, now that you two would no longer be working together, and relationships do slacken down when this happens, and add to that the insecurity that comes with dating an actor, I mean, no one can really blame him if he really wants to....you know... part ways, of sorts."

Deepika listened intently to the inevitability of the end of her relationship. She had limited choices, she could leave him and be miserable, or cling to him and watch him do to her what Ranbir did. And even if Ranveer was better than that, how could she pull him down and make him miserable. She can't force him to love her back.

More tears rolled and she buried her eyes in the tissues.

Shahid got a little worried about watching her cry. He paced down to the door, and back.

"And are you even sure you love him?" he said.

Deepika frowned.

"Are you sure, I mean," Shahid continued, "you are not missing him just because he is going away? Missing is not loving, is it? It's difficult to really tell."

Shahid looked satisfied with the argument, for it made Deepika stop crying, but given her vulnerable condition, had Shahid argued that the world is flat and rests on the back of a giant turtle, there's fat chance Deepika would have accepted without question.

Shahid made a few more consoling remarks before leaving. He wished her lots of luck and health and made a mental note to use this scene in some movie where he fishes out a troubled damsel in distress out of the dark depths of depression.

After he left, Sharin sat close to Deepika an arm over her shoulder, and said, "Did that man make any sense to you? So stupid, making so much out of a tiny incident."

"Yeah, certainly," said Deepika. But her eyes said she wasn't thinking what she was saying.

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