Unyielding Nomenclature

"Goodnight Nandini."

His words echoed in her mind. Had it really been so long since she had heard someone call her by that name, her real name? She had expected it to sound strange coming out of his mouth, to seem like a foreign language to her ears. And yet, when he said her name, it felt true and honest and...normal.

Normal. Her life hadn't been normal for years. Ever since she had run away from her abusive parents at the tender age of twelve she had forgotten what the word meant. Normalcy was not in her fate, her life had something else in store for her.

She had been given a new lease on life by Munnabhai. He had taken pity on her and found her a home to stay in, a place where she could make a living. Her life as a dancer was a glamourous one, and she truly enjoyed every bit of it.

But when she finally laid her head down to rest late at night and let her mind wander, she felt an emptiness that she was afraid to explore. She was unsatisfied, disillusioned by the meagre gifts she had been granted. It was a pain that she was unwilling to understand, a hole that she was convinced she would always live with.

And yet, when she was with him, she slowly felt that hole disappear. When he looked at her, she knew he was looking beyond the dancer. When he looked into her eyes, he could see her soul. He could see the depths that she herself had forgotten had existed. And it made her feel alive. And when he smiled at her, she felt that for once in her life, the whole world made sense.

And this scared her more than anything else ever could. The emotions she felt were wonderful and indescribable, but they were dangerous. Futile. Munna had told her Zaheer was terminal. He had stomach cancer. That was the reason they had met. She was meant to fill his last moments with fun and happiness. But when he was gone, what would be left for her? She had become too involved, too attached, and she was going to pay for it.

Every moment they spent together, every time she let her feelings grow, their time was slipping away. Each moment was counting down until they had used up every last prayer.

Soon it would all come to an end. The light of her life was flickering. And soon she would return to her lonely, restless nights.

"Rina!"

She heard the call from downstairs and shuddered inwardly at the name.

But after all, as much as she wished it weren't true, she knew she would have to finally get used to it. The whole world knew her as Rina, and it seemed that after all this time, Nandini was gone.


Author's Note: This was my entry into the Item Number challenge at the bollyfics community on Livejournal. It is also my very first ever piece of Bollywood fanfic. Please review, concrit is appreciated!