Sharin rushed past the watchman who casually did a limp salute. She couldn't contain her excitement. After pressing the button to call the elevator, she tugged at her handbag and unzipped it to pull out concealer. The early morning visit she was paying Deepika didn't allow her to powder her nose, she was on a tight schedule, so had to make the most of what little spare time she got. But all this would fall in place only if Deepika agreed. Sharin knew she will.

The elevator door opened and she entered gladly to find the full-size mirror. The watchman suspiciously observed Sharin as she moved side to side pulling at her skirt smoothing out creases. Sharin never wore skirts, it was always pants for her, made her feel more like a man, perhaps, and gave her a sort of man-weight in her male-dominated profession. She was checking how her bum looked in the tight knee-length skirt in the mirror when the door of the lift shut.

Sharin walked out of the lift with swinging hips and shoulders in high heels thinking to herself if she overdid the lips. They were bright burgundy, brand new, barely used. She walked as fast as the skirt allowed, she was hoping there won't be much walking today.

She rang the bell furiously.

Deepika shot up in her bed alarmed by the doorbell. Clutching her breasts, she quickly realized there was no one around her except an equally naked Ranveer beside her squirming in the blanket, visibly disturbed by the bell. She slipped out of the blanket rubbing her eyes looking for a piece of clothing. Defeated in her endeavor and annoyed by the vociferous spirit of her guest, she screamed, "Coming!" She fished out a new pair of undies from a drawer, slid them up and topped it with a shirt.

Ranveer woke up still dreamy-eyed admiring Deepika struggling with clothes.

"Get your clothes," she said.

"Who's it?" he ignored her.

Briskly walking out of her bedroom she shut the door only so that the bed wasn't visible from the hall while the doorbell got on her nerves. This better not be that Shah bitch!

She stuck her eyes to the peep hole and found a woman like Sharin. What is she doing here so early in the morning? She looked around, the room was littered with Ranveer's clothes, it's still one hour before the housemaid arrives. Deepika picked Ranveer's clothes and threw them behind the couch.

She opened the door with a frown with her upper body leaning out and rest still behind the door.

"Why are you breaking my doorbell?" she reprimanded in a hushed voice.

"I gotta talk to you. It's very urgent. Let me in."

She barged in even before Deepika opened the door for her.

"Whoa, whoa what got into you today?" said Deepika adjusting her shirt.

"What? Is it too much, the makeup? I'll redo it." said Sharin completely ignoring Deepika's attire.

"Are you on a date, Sharin? A fucking breakfast date? Whoever does that?"

"No, sit down."

Ranveer was up now with the realization that all his clothes were in the hall, he pushed the door a little to find an underdressed Sharin in an overdone makeup. After finding a somewhat comfortable place on the floor behind the door that hid him well and where he could easily overhear their conversation, he promised himself to never remove briefs before reaching the bed.

"So?" said Deepika as she let herself fall on the couch.

"Yeah. I got a call from my assistant at 3 a.m.," Sharin said as she settled very cautiously on the couch in front of Deepika. Deepika was pouting, impressed with the late hours Sharin and her team were putting in when Sharin screamed. As she sat on the couch something scraped at Sharin's behind which she fished out from a buried corner of the couch only to find it was a vibrator.

Sharin was hysterical as she screeched her lungs out glaring at the vibrator in her hand. She threw it on the ground, probably breaking it, quickly checked her hands for something unwanted, she turned and started chasing her ass like a dog, "Is it on my dress, is it on my dress? Oh my God? Tell me, it's not my dress."

Ranveer died curbing his laughter witnessing this mad but justified reaction. He bit on his fist rolling on the floor. Ranveer controlled himself and went back to the door to observe. Sharin stood protruding her derriere towards Deepika asking her to check if the vibrator had stained her dress.

"It's fine, Sharin. It's clean. It's right out of the box. No one used it," Deepika pushed Sharin's ass away from her clutching her shoulders to make her sit where Deepika sat earlier. "Relax. Alright? Relax. Now, what were you saying?"

Sharin composed herself and skimmed the back of her dress trying to evade the feeling of another person's come on her body, she calmed back into sophistication and steadied her breath.

"We've got a call from L.A., Paramount Pictures."

Deepika's eyes widened, "Wh.. No...Um.. Go on."

"They wanna sign you for a big studio film."

"Er...And what is that?"

"Lot of action and actors from around the globe, sort of an equivalent of Masala Bollywood."

Deepika nodded.

"They called this morning," Sharin continued. "We need to score this opportunity as soon as possible."

"What's the hurry?"

Ranveer was overhearing with the same awe as was Deepika. He felt proud.

"Well, they haven't got any black or Latina girl on board as yet, I mean as far as I can tell, but if they did, they'll probably drop the Indian actress."

Deepika nodded again. "What are they paying?" she asked.

"Err... A little less than what you'd have got a year ago."

"What?!" said Deepika offended. "No way! And you wanna grab it. What about all the brand value?"

Ranveer's pride was equally hurt, he moved closer to the door to listen to what Sharin would answer.

"Well, we need to test the waters. Nothing is final yet. Some believe they want to tap into the Indian market so they might go up with their quote."

"So there is no competition? Er.. from Latina.."

"Probably not. And that's where we can score, but there is a catch."

"What?"

The pride that Ranveer felt for Deepika was slackening, he found what discussions were like when an actress considered a movie where she wouldn't have much to do.

"If it is the Indian market they are trying to tap into, then it is highly unlikely that you would get any international brand endorsements after this movie, they would use you in promotions but won't push your image internationally through film PR. You're getting what I'm trying to say?"

"Hmm. Then...Wait. Why should I do it then?"

"Your market within India will become bigger than ever. I guess for a long long time. The audience for Hollywood action movies is expanding every day," Sharin breathed having made her point. "Also, you'll get that Hollywood approval."

Ranveer lay on his back on the floor his hands supporting his head, disgusted. He knew this eye candy culture in Bollywood was pretty prevalent but overhearing a meeting over such a casting decision exposed to him the sexism that was so out in open and how aware women are about it but still choose to go numb. Perhaps that's what the market is like. Perhaps they don't have much choice. Perhaps it's better to be an object on screen than be broke and be used in real life.

"What all actresses are on board?" inquired Deepika.

"British, Canadian, Australian," Sharin shrugged.

"So they want me to sign the contract?"

"No, not you. They'll first have to draw the contract, you can sign that even here, but I'll need to meet them today to finalize casting and match the dates."

"Today?"

"Yes, I already got the ticket, I just came here for your approval and anything specific you would want to add in the usual contract."

Ranveer rose himself against the wall. Sharin is leaving? Today? But he has something very important to talk to her. He looked down at his naked body and wondered. And how exactly am I supposed to do that?