Chapter 2: Chapter 1

<p>"Anashe, you have to move your waist, twirl it, twirl it, whine it, whine it, and whine it," Mrs. Agnes said, her hips swaying in sync with her words.<br/> She was my dance instructor, and she was helping me with my dance routine. She had a keen eye for every move, so I had to nail it, or she wouldn't be pleased.<br/><br/>"Michael, you are not in sync with the beat...you are slower than the song. Listen to the music, dance with it...Marianna, curve more, you need to get it right," she continued scolding us. I was exhausted. It felt like my pelvic bone had shifted, and my knees were throbbing. <br/><br/>I looked at Ayesha, pleading for some respite, but she just chuckled and whispered something to the director, who couldn't help but stifle a laugh.<br/><br/>"Okay, that's enough practice for today. You all need to rest. Tomorrow, we will be filming the last scene, and we'll be done. It's a big day, and we need you all at your best," the director announced, and we all sighed, collapsing onto the ground. I was so tired I could have slept right there on the studio floor. But Mrs. Agnes made sure we didn't get a break, insisting we practice at home to be perfect.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Agnes...I'll keep that in mind when I'm dreaming about practicing," Mike quipped, holding his nose bridge. We all chuckled at his sarcasm. Ayesha came over with a bottle of water, and I caught it as she tossed it my way. <br/><br/>"Well, a 'thank you' would be pleasing, you know," she teased.<br/>"A 'thank you' would be pleasing only if my body was in a state to please you," I replied, taking a drink.<br/><br/>"I should have known you'd be this rude...anyway, you know that in a month, we'll be starting to shoot the second sequel of 'The Rhythm In Love,'" Ayesha said, sitting next to me, scrolling through her tablet. "Can't a girl get a break?" I muttered.<br/>"You can't seriously be complaining...you're a background dancer in this new movie, and you're only shooting for the first time tomorrow. You've been on a break from acting all year, busy with photoshoots, modeling, and events. So, I don't get why you're complaining," she rolled her eyes.<br/><br/>"Uhh, it's just been a few months of not acting...like, seriously, six months, and you say I'm complaining. Wow, Ayesha, wow."<br/><br/><br/>After a quick, hot shower, I slipped into my Marvel pyjamas and got into bed, ready to sleep, when I received a call from my Aunt.<br/>"Auntie," I said, trying to sound excited, though I was about to doze off.<br/>"My Kaju Barfi!" my aunt exclaimed loudly. "Auntie, not that name, please," I groaned, closing my eyes.<br/><br/>"Oh, please...how are you?"<br/><br/>"I'm tired and about to sleep."<br/><br/>"Drink more water. You won't feel that way. You're too lazy," my aunt chimed in from the kitchen, where she was probably cooking or making tea.<br/><br/>"Is that Kaju Barfi?" my cousin asked my aunt, assuming she had just walked into the kitchen.<br/><br/>"Yes, it's our Kaju Barfi...she's complaining about sleepiness while it's still so early. Lazy, just like you," my aunt grumbled.<br/><br/>"Aunt, it's 7:30 am here, meaning it's nighttime for her," my cousin explained.<br/><br/>"Really? Then my Kaju Barfi needs to sleep...sleep is very important."<br/><br/>"Hey, Fakir," I said.<br/><br/>"Hey, Kaju Barfi. How are you?"<br/><br/>"Sleepy," I replied, my voice exhausted.<br/><br/>"Then go to sleep. You shouldn't have answered Mom's call. She has no timing at all," my cousin advised.<br/><br/>"Fakir...you disrespectful boy!" my aunt shouted, and I heard something being thrown, followed by a scream. I laughed as my aunt dropped the call, and I gratefully closed my eyes.<br/><br/>The next morning, I woke up at around 4 am to get ready. I had a lot to do that day, including a live session with my fans and a photoshoot for Vogue magazine. Ayesha and the rest of the staff arrived as scheduled, and we set up for the live session outside by the pool, with the sun rising.<br/><br/>"The Instagram live has begun," Jacob, our camera operator, whispered to me. I checked the number of viewers, and it was rapidly increasing—no surprise, considering I announced the live session a week ago. When about 12,000 people had joined, I started the session.<br/><br/>"Morning, morning A's family!! I hope you're all doing well. Today, I'll be talking about 'The Rhythm in Love'! I'm super excited, just like you guys, as we'll start filming next month. I honestly can't wait to meet the mystery main male character...yes, you got it right. I also do not know who will be joining me in my movie adventure, but fingers crossed, you all will love him. So, since you all want to ask questions, today we'll be having a Breakfast and Questions session solely based on 'The Rhythm in Love'," I said, smiling into the phone camera.<br/><br/>*When is TRIL being released? I honestly can't wait?*<br/><br/>NB: Words between asterisks (*) are questions by fans, interview questions, or comments made.<br/><br/>TRIL - The Rhythm In Love<br/>TRIM - The Rhythm In Me<br/><br/>"Well, probably next year, depending on how quickly the filming goes. But mid-year next year."<br/><br/>*Are there going to be any returning casts?*<br/><br/>"Ah, that's a surprise. But you guys know this is a sequel to 'The Rhythm in Me,' so we won't be focusing too much on the previous characters' lives. But expect to see some old and new faces and wait for the trailer you might never know what it may expose."<br/><br/>*Nice Iron Man hoodie...where did you buy it?*<br/><br/>"Stick to the questions related to our session, guys. But since you asked, and I can't refuse...I buy all my Ironman merchandise from Marvel merchandise. I'll write the website down on my story—happy shopping!" I said, munching on an orange. I was a huge fan of Marvel movies, especially Iron Man. He's my hero!<br/><br/>*Why haven't they revealed the Main male character?*<br/><br/>"I seriously have no idea. I'm as curious as you guys, but I think it's meant to be a surprise. Or the male lead might be someone big—like bigger than all of us. But I don't know, to be honest."<br/><br/>*When are we going to get the photos for TRIL?*<br/><br/>"I think it's too early to release them. But you'll get the ones for TRIM. I had a photoshoot last month, so they might be out today or tomorrow."<br/><br/>*You have eye bags...didn't sleep much?*<br/><br/>":() Yes...yesterday was a busy day, and today is twice as busy. No time to sleep; gotta work for you guys to get your content, after all."<br/><br/>*You do know good sleep is essential. We want you to take rest. Tomorrow, content can wait for a while. We need you to be healthy and well. My father and mother say, 'be healthy always; it's more important.*<br/><br/>"Thank you so much. I definitely will get some rest. Just that we have a lot of pressure here, but we will try and get some good sleep. Your parents must be great parents."<br/><br/>*I Love you, baby A. Let's get married!!*<br/><br/>"Ahh, thank you so much...isn't it too soon for marriage? You need to take me on a date, and soon too, because I'm stuck here eating alone," I said, pretending to make sad baby faces and then smiling again.<br/><br/>*What about Liam?*<br/><br/>"Well, he has to wait. You come first. And besides, who is here with me right now—him or you?" I asked rhetorically, jokingly.<br/><br/>*Oops, did I just get rejected?~Liam's comment.*<br/><br/>"Oh, poor little Liam. Better luck next time," I said.<br/><br/>*Liam hey*<br/><br/>*Liam joined the live session. Wow.*<br/><br/>*Liiiaaamm hey baby*<br/><br/>"I guess Liam stole the limelight once again. Poor me now," I acted sad.<br/><br/>*You know the Liam effect~Liam's comment*<br/><br/>"And I hate it," I said, eating more food.<br/><br/>Ayesha signaled that I had to end the live session as time was up. I nodded towards her. "Well, guys, that's all for today. I wish we could spend more time together, but unfortunately, this girl has to work. Thank you to the lovely fan who sent me the good stuff—bee and vanilla-scented body wash, lotion, and perfume...they smell heavenly and have become my favorite. Just ordered more. Thank you to everyone who joined my live. Byee!"<br/><br/>I didn't have much time to talk, as I had to prepare for the scene shooting. Later that day, I had to go for a photoshoot for Vogue magazine, and I was thrilled about it.<br/><br/>I am Anashe Anika Ambani, an actress, singer, and model. I was born in Zimbabwe, and my mom is fully Indian, while my dad was fully a black African Zimbabwean man. When I was four, we moved to India, and at nine, my mom was diagnosed with severe amnesia, leading to her mental disorder. Then, we moved to America, where I started my modeling, singing, and acting career. Currently, I'm working on a movie called TRIL, which is a sequel to TRIM—a movie I released two years ago. Some things will unfold as time goes on, and we go through my story chapter by chapter.</p>