It’s Just A Prank

It was a lazy rainy day. Though there hadn’t been any heavy rain, a regular drizzle had turned the whole surroundings wet and cold. Nikki aka Nikitasha Khosla sat cosily in an upmarket café at Juhu, sipping her coffee and gazing out of the large glass window. She loved the dull, yet romantic weather as it always made her hopelessly romantic and she craved for a long car drive with Parminder, her boyfriend. From her seat, she could clearly see the entrance of the café. She had a blood-stained knife laid next to her. Hidden cameras were focused on her. She was at the cafe along with the other crew members to shoot some funny prank scenes for their upcoming show- ‘It’s just a prank’. Arrangements had been reached with the café management for the shoot. Nikki’s team had already shot ten episodes at various locations in and around Mumbai and it had been approved by a youth-oriented TV channel. Nikki was ready to play the prank on anyone who would walk up to her or notice the bloodstained knife beside her. There was really no script and she had to improvise as the situation developed. Today she was to act like a lady in distress who had murdered her boyfriend! To draw unsuspecting men easily to her, she had been dressed seductively. She wore a sleeveless maroon frock with fine blue and white paisley prints, showing off her fair skin generously. Her streaked pixie haircut and a nose-ring gave her an edgy look. A couple of the unit members played waiters and yet another three members played customers. As it was still early in the evening, the café had very few customers and she had to wait for men with roving eyes. So far, nobody had come near her table or locked eyes with her. Nikki checked her phone. A message arrived on her mobile phone just then from Charlie aka Charan Lele. He was sitting outside the café in a van and directing her from there. He wrote, “Nikki we are losing time. Open two more buttons of your dress. That is the only way we can get our victims fast and also place the knife on the table.” Nikki casually opened two more buttons and readjusted her dress to reveal her cleavage generously. She then placed the blood-stained knife on the table to readily attract peoples’ attention. She donned a lost look and waited with the coffee mug in her hand. Charlie’s next message came-“You look perfect now. I can see an ‘old uncle’ walk in; he could be your victim, attract him. Good luck!”


Nikki looked at the door as an elderly man walked in speaking casually to somebody on his mobile phone. He slid the hood of his jerkin and looked around to select a seat. Nikki’s presence caught his eyes. Nikki, who had been waiting patiently till then caught his attention and gave him a desolate look. That man ended his telephonic conversation and pushing the mobile phone into his trouser pocket; he moved towards her table and tried to settle on the table next to her so that he could take a good look at her. Nikki swung into action; she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye and looked straight into that man’s eyes. The moment she had his full attention, she invited him to join her at her table. Unsuspecting her, enthusiastically he came over to her table. As he was about to sit he noticed the bloodstained knife on the table and stiffened. Immediately Nikki caught hold of his hand and started asking for his help, saying, “I have murdered my boyfriend. Please help me to escape from the police. I don’t know anyone in this city. Please…help me!”


That man turned pale and tried to shake off Nikki’s grip. Nikki’s team members gathered around, literally preventing his escape. When enough footage had been canned, capturing victim’s desperate and frantic efforts to deny and flee, Charlie walked in and announced in style, ”Hey! Cool...It is…just a prank!”


All the team members laughed and clapped. The victim wiped his sweat and tried to smile at the hidden camera putting on a brave front. But in no time, he quietly slipped out of the café in embarrassment. Nikki touched her makeup and settled down again, waiting for the next victim to arrive. In less than five minutes a man in his forties walked in. Nikki repeated her act. As the man was about to sit down opposite Nikki, he noticed the blood-stained knife and predictably panicked. Nikki started her act all over as planned. The man tried to flee calling for hotel staff’s attention. Unit members acting as customers gathered around. Within seconds, even as everyone watched him, he was having seizures and fell to the floor. Shocked at the unexpected turn of events Nikki panicked, her mouth went dry and she herself was about to faint. Charlie came just in time and supported her. Everyone clapped and the man who appeared to have had seizures a moment ago also got up and started clapping. The team had played a prank on her now!


Controlling her fright and tears Nikki clapped and laughed a well-practised laugh. The shoot for the day was over. Nikki went into the makeup van parked at a distance to change. She was still shivering and controlling her tears. Though she was very embarrassed, she shuddered at the thought of a man having seizures due to panic. It could have really happened!


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Nikki’s show ‘It’s just a prank’had completed a successful first week on the television and a party had been organized for the team members and the press by the Production house.

Nikki went to check on her mother. “Mom, are you ready for the party?”

Mrs Khosla came out of her room dressed loudly in a designer saree. Looking at her mother Nikki frowned and remarked, “Mom, you have overdone your lipstick and makeup. Please tone it down.”

Mrs Khosla looked defiantly at her daughter and snapped, “Nikki, your dress is too skimpy and embarrassingly revealing. Why don’t you change it?”


Nikki silently shook her head and moved away to the balcony as she did not want to spoil her big day by getting into yet another argument with her mother. She felt it was easier to ignore her than to get into a full-blown argument and a verbal duet. She started checking her smartphone to read the messages and also tried to see whether her transport had arrived. Nikki wasn’t comfortable with her mother’s interference in her profession. Yet she had to bear with her as Nikki’s recently widowed mother could not be left alone in their hometown. Nikki’s mother did not approve of Nikki’s choice of revealing dresses or the roles she essayed and she disliked the concept of ‘It’s just a prank’ the most. She would often comment on the show negatively, saying, “What is so funny here? How can shocking or embarrassing someone be funny?” And Nikki, at first, had tried to convince her mother by saying, “Youth like such shows, our show is modelled on an international show with similar pranks or mom, you are too old-fashioned and you don’t understand the latest trends.” But when Mrs Khosla would argue endlessly, Nikki had told her mom categorically, not to watch her shows. Regular tiffs between them were common. Whenever they had tiffs, Parminder would intervene and calm both of them. Today Nikki missed Parminder’s presence the most. Parminder was the programming head of a television channel. He was out of the town on an important business meeting which could not be avoided. Nikki sighed and thought, had he been there, he would have handled her mother better.


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Nikki was the only child of her parents. She had a pampered upbringing. Soon after her graduation, she had come to Mumbai against her parents’ will. She wanted to get into films or television. Her father was an army man and he had not approved Nikki’s plans. He believed that Nikki could do better things in life with her degree in Psychology. He wanted her to aim for higher education and be of use to society. But Nikki was firm about her plans and her parents had to relent. She was fairly talented and more than that she had the required attitude to achieve whatever she wished. After the initial hiccups, she had managed to model for a few products, act in a couple of music videos and with Parminder’s help she had got into the team of ‘It’s just a prank’. Nikki had achieved all this in just a span of three years! By the industry standards, her growth was enviable. Today was a big day for her and she had to make the best use of it to further her career. She couldn’t be bothered or be distracted by her mother’s comments. She decided to put aside the niggling thoughts and mentally prepared herself for the party. She rehearsed some stock answers and checked and perfected some poses for the Press cameras!

*******************************END OF PART 1*******************************

 

Thanks for the fb, kkrish.

Hmm...some editing error and your point noted, ma'am.

 

@Amulet,
Lol! Commercial products, their recall value and associations are definitely interesting. No other brand can beat Amul in creative ads. Just check out!

 

It’s Just A Prank....Part 2
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As Nikki and her mother reached the venue, Nikki requested her assistant to seat her mother comfortably and take a good care of her. Loud music was being played to keep up with the party spirit. Nikki went to meet Charlie and the other team members who had already gathered in an adjacent room. They were busy discussing the amazing public response and the introduction of a couple of more characters to play pranks in future. All the crew members were excited with the response their maiden show had received.

Later the producers of the show congratulated Nikki and took her around the party hall, introducing her to the other important professionals from the entertainment industry. Nikki thoroughly enjoyed all the adulation and the encouragement she received.


Just then Charlie came looking for Nikki and announced that the Press meet was about to begin. He asked her to get ready to pose for the Press photographers before that. Nikki asked, “Charlie, allow me to touch my makeup before that, where is the dressing room?”


Charlie pointed towards a room at the end of the long corridor. Nikki said, “Give me just ten minutes, I will be ready.”


Nikki was very happy. She had been looking forward to such a limelight moment all these days and finally, it was there for her. She had to live those moments fully. She was thrilled with the idea of a ‘Press meet’ and the publicity it would provide. Better publicity translated into better opportunities. Nikki felt proud of herself.


As everyone had gathered in the party hall, the corridor was nearly deserted and Nikki walked along the empty corridor towards the dressing room. Just as she opened the dressing room door, she saw a man in his thirties there with dishevelled hair and untidy clothes. She excused herself and stepped back thinking she had entered the wrong room. But suddenly that man shouted and rushed towards her with a knife in his hand. Nikki was amused! She was not scared at all; instead, she burst out laughing. Wasn’t she a part of so many such pranks in the past? She thought Charlie had tried to play a prank, yet again. She started laughing uncontrollably till that man reached her and grabbed her waist roughly. He roughly pulled her into the room and shut the door behind them with his leg. Shocked, Nikki tried to scream but she just couldn’t! She felt suffocated by the strong smell of his stale sweat. She tried hard to push him away, but he was way too strong for her.


Holding the knife to her throat, he asked her menacingly, “Are you enjoying now? Laugh...laugh as much as you like. You enjoy scaring people in the name of pranks, isn’t it? Do you know what it means to be shocked, scared or embarrassed?”


Nikki stared at him from the corner of her eyes. Due to fright, she was speechless and her limbs felt paralyzed. His hands were very rough on her delicate skin and she felt like vomiting as she found his stench unbearable.


He continued, “You will end up killing someone shortly. Before that let me kill you.”


Nikki tried hard to understand what he had just said. She wondered as to why he was accusing her? Had he mistaken her for someone else? Was he a hallucinating drug addict? This thought gave her some strength to talk. “You have mistaken me for someone else. Please let me go. I am an actor.”


“Hah…ha…ha, look at your reaction when you are scared! You make a living trying to scare daylights out of others!”


Nikki now knew that her attacker had some grouse against her show. She recovered a bit and she started negotiating, “I… I am just an actor. I do whatever the director tells. Talk to the director. Please let me go. Shall I phone and call the director?”


“No! Do you think I am a fool to let you use the phone or go? Give me the phone instead.” He shouted into her ear, nearly deafening her. Meekly Nikki handed over her iPhone to him. He immediately flung it at the wall dismantling it.


Seeing his aggression, Nikki was trembling now. She had to do something to escape from her attacker. She cried and pleaded, “Please don’t harm me. What have I done to you that you should punish me? I will not do such shows in future, I promise. Please let me go. My team members are waiting for me. Anytime they will be here in search of me.”


He tightened his grip further and retorted, “Are you trying to scare me? Don’t you remember what you have done to me? Recall your shoot outside the Bandra station…”


Now she recalled. Nikki and her team had shot a few scenes outside the Bandra station where Nikki had to catch an unsuspecting passerby’s hand and shout that she had been molested by him. Victim’s reactions of shock and denial were the subjects of laughter that day! She now recalled the very volatile and confused guy who had overreacted; the whole unit had pacified and promised him that they would not air the scene involving him. Yes, undoubtedly, it was the same guy!


Nikki said, “Brother, according to our promise we deleted that scene.” She thought she could now get out easily.


He shouted, “Do you know what it means to be falsely accused of molestation? Life will be ruined…”


“I am sorry. That was just… just for the show...” She tried to reason.


He thundered, “I have spent two years in prison. I have been brutally beaten up by the police. My career was destroyed. Nobody trusts me anymore. My life is in ruins. All this happened because my landlady wanted sexual favours from me and when I refused she made the false accusation of molestation against me. I was an easy target as I was poor. You played the so-called prank on me and brought back all those painful memories from which I have always run like a fugitive. You rich people have no idea what kind of situations a poor man has to go through in life.”


She sensed his grip getting tighter as he choked on his words with emotions. He was breathing very heavy and his eyes were bloodshot. Emotions had made his grip a little too tight now and Nikki was finding it very hard to breathe. Even as she struggled to catch a breath, she noticed tears forming in the corners of his eyes. There was silence for a few seconds. Nikki remembered some of the techniques used by Psychologists during their counselling sessions to calm their patients.


Nikki broke her silence and deliberately spoke in a low pitch, “I am… really sorry. I am an army man’s daughter. Early this year, my father died while protecting our country at Kashmir. I belong to a middle-class family and… not a rich family as you have assumed. I do understand how one has to… work hard to earn a living. This is the first time I am meeting… someone who is so deeply hurt. Please don’t kill me. I… I would like to make amends. Please give me a chance and tell me in what way can I undo my mistake? I am sure taking my life won’t help you get over your hurt and… humiliation or …gain anything at all for that matter.”


He held her tighter still but his knife was not steady anymore.


“Brother,” she continued, “… please tell me how I can help you?”


He replied in a gruff, “Nobody can help me. Killing you will get me into the jail but it will also reduce my agony. Outside I struggle to get two meals a day. In a jail, at least I will get food and shelter. Today nobody gives me a job. I am tainted for no fault of mine. I am suffering for something that I did not do. So let me kill you and give a message to everyone to never ever play with anyone’s emotions or life.”


Nikki pleaded emotionally, “I am the sole support for my old widowed mother. You would be killing two of us, not just one. I promise to deliver your message to the public. I am sure our unit would also understand our mistake and correct.”


He snapped, “I don’t trust you or anyone. You people think you can play with our lives and get away. I will not let it happen that way. My message should reach one and all. I don’t mind dying for that.”


Though he continued to rant, Nikki noticed his grip loosening and her confidence returned. She felt for sure that he would not harm her anymore. Without resisting him Nikki said caringly, “With my death, a lesson will also be dead… don’t you think so? People will then sympathize with me and not with you. Please allow me to live and prove you that your lesson is well learned. I will also help you get gainful employment, overcome your past and rebuild your life.”
...
...

Nikki could hear his loud laboured breath. She also realised that she was no longer in that man’s grip! He dropped his knife and started sobbing bitterly. Nikki had managed to touch his raw nerve.


Even as her attacker continued to sob, Nikki touched his shoulder gently and asked, “Can I assemble my phone? I promise no harm will be done to you. Please come with me. I shall arrange for some food and our unit manager shall take care of your other requirements for now.”


Seeing his meek and pitiable stance, Nikki was emboldened. She calmly reassembled her phone and waited for her assailant to regain composure. Leading him by hand, she walked out of the room with a changed paradigm.


*************************************END*************************************

*All the images have been taken from the internet for representation purposes only.

 

Thanks for this candid feedback, kkrish. I always thought I was an oddity for disliking such forced gags. Most of these shows are totally staged and many Indian shows like the MTV Bakra have fallen flat. The foreign shows cross all the limits; perhaps it is okay as per their culture and social settings. If something on these lines were to be tried in India, it would create a havoc in Indian family lives!

 

Thank you for the feedback, Rihana.

I have been an odd one in the group for disapproving such shows. In reality, mild leg-pulling or a gag is okay, but trying it on TV as an entertainment (forced) doesn't fit into my belief system.

I am told that most of these original gag shows are from Canada; they must be a real cool lot to suffer embarrassment and still be sportive enough to laugh it off!