Hero

I am an actor. It is my job to pretend. I work in films, chiefly action pictures. I never get to play the hero. I generally play the best friend or the assistant. But what keeps me going is the fighting. I know its all playacting, that we never hurt anyone. But engaging other men in combat is very exciting. At least to me. I had never meant to be an actor. In fact I studied Chemistry in university though I liked Physics better. Well, I did not get a degree. The truth is that I dropped out. I fell into bad company too. But then someone told me that Mr Yash Chopra, the famous director was casting for his new love story. A voice from inside told me that I would be selected to be hero. So, I went and auditioned. I did not get the part. But, I began visiting studios more often thereafter. My first job was as assistant director. Ten years have passed since then. I am a well known actor today though films don't sell on my name. But I am making ends meet. I have a pretty wife and a young son. I have just bought a house by the seafront. Well, things are nice for me. At the moment. But we were not so fortunate before. We, meaning my late mother and myself. My mother was very pretty. That explains my good looks. Nevertheless, my beautiful mother came from a very poor family. By the time she was sixteen her folks were nearly starving. So she was taken to a movie studio. She was shown to every director in town. I use the word 'shown' because that is what generally happens in these cases. One particular director, a young, talented man agreed to cast mom. His film did average business only. But then, something happened. This director, Mr Roger Sen, was from a wealthy family. For him, directing films was more of a pastime than a means of earning money. After mom's film released Mr Sen made a proposal to my maternal grandfather. Mr Sen would pay my mom's family a certain amount of money every month. In return for this mom would become his kept woman. His mistress. Yes, you have guessed right. Mr Roger Sen is indeed my biological father. I was born in the late seventies. When I was three years old my father got married. Not to my mother mind you. But to the beautiful, rich girl his parents had chosen for him. The news of my father's wedding came out in all prominent newspapers along with glossy photographs of the couple. I still remember how my mother had fainted on seeing the news and the photograph. Before his marriage papa would come every alternate day. Then, it became every Sunday. Then, once every month. Whatever it was, the money never stopped coming. On the first of each month, papa's Man Friday Dokin would arrive at the door with an envelope containing ten thousand pounds. By then mom's parents were dead and her sisters married and settled. Dokin would always stay for lunch which would be quite a sumptuous spread.
Papa had no children from his marriage. In fact he was eager to adopt me. But neither his wife nor his parents would allow that. It was clear to me as it was to others that papa loved mom. In fact she was the only woman he ever loved. The lady he married was not too interested in him. Instead, she spent most of her time in parties, playing cards with girlfriends and tasting the new wines in town. In fact she was reputed to have a few boyfriends too. But papa was obliged to be with her whenever she was at home. We never visited papa's family. But when papa did come he brought lots of things for both of us. Clothes, toys, books, jewellery everything. On those rare days when the three of us were together I felt complete. No matter what papa did to mom he has always been my hero, my shining star. If I have become an actor, mediocre though, it is because of the wonderful films papa made. Papa and mom almost died together in separate accidents on 19th June, ten years ago.