As the the shot came to a close, the ruddy-cheeked, blue-eyed man held her in his arms for a while longer, his blue gaze locked with her brown eyes. Mujhe kisi se pyar ho gaya, they seemed to say.
He recounted the first time he laid eyes upon her. The impulsive decision to drive to the Marine Drive apartment, and the smell of pakoras wafting from inside. And the beautiful black-haired girl who answered the door. A little stunned at seeing a fair, blue-eyed stranger at her door, she tried to brush away her untidy locks and accidentally smeared besan dough on her forehead.
Nargis. That was her name. Pretty and graceful just like the flower she was named for. She said she remembered him from the play "Deewar" at Pritvi Theatre. He said he was Raj Kapoor, Pritviraj Kapoor's son.
"Come in," she offered. Politely, he declined, knowing that no one was home. But inwardly his heart was racing. He knew that he had to have her in his film, Aag. "I must have her," He told Inder Raj Anand, his scriptwriter as he raced through his door, coming straight from Marine Drive.
So in she walked in the ninth reel. And in Barsaat, she matched his stylish persona with her delicate, innocent touch. The scene where they were in each other's arms, with Raj holding a violin, was etched in both their minds for eternity.
Every moment together felt like pure magic. Nargis knew that the looks that they gave each other while filming were real. So did Raj. Their hearts began to beat for each other.
"Good shot," He said with a slight smile, breaking away from her, seemingly disturbing the trance-like state she was in when they gazed into each other's eyes. With a little bit of coyness, he walked away with the rest of the unit for a break, casting a glance over his shoulder at the lady in white.
Raj had an obsession with white. And Nargis knew that. She dressed in white almost every day, and to him, she looked so pure and beautiful. But there were other things that stood between them.
He was already married to Krishna Kapoor. But Nargis was so beautiful, and the feelings they had for each other were real. They both knew that the chemistry between them wasn't just for the camera. Nargis had even turned down her mentor's film to work with Raj.
Then came the shot under the umbrella with the pouring rain. Every word that she lipsynced felt real. Every expression that he gave was genuine.
Pyar hua iqraar hua hai
Pyar se phir kyon dar ta hai dil?
Kehta hai dil, rasta mushkil
Maloom nahin hai kahan manzil
The words of the song seemed to mirror their situation in real life. His avatar, modelled on Charlie Chaplin's tramp, seemed to give way to his real feelings. And there was only one thing left to do...
The shot ended again. Once again Nargis lowered her eyes out of shyness and this time, instead of walking away, Raj tilted her chin up and locked gazes with her. Then, with a sudden movement, he leaned forward and their lips met. It was no accident.
The rest of the unit had gone, but the two of them stood together, Raj still holding the umbrella even though the "rain" had stopped. "I love you," He whispered, blue eyes shimmering with emotion. With the typical shyness of an Indian woman, Nargis shied away, hesitating from saying those three words.
"Lady in white," He said teasingly. She looked up with a smile, and whispered those words that he wanted to hear. "Mujhe tumse pyar hai," The crimson blush flooded her cheeks. Raj pulled her into a hug, and they stood there on the set, in each others' arms.