September 1990 has arrived. Two months had passed since Aashiqui had swept the country, but the madness showed no signs of ending. The film is still running in many theatres, its songs still played everywhere, and the four newcomers had become stars. Among them, Adil Ali had emerged as the biggest sensation.
His life had changed so rapidly that sometimes even he struggled to believe it. And with every passing day, Adil Ali found himself living a life he had only dreamed about. Simple things had become difficult.
Going to a market was impossible without attracting attention. Outside music stores, boys recognized him immediately. Girls whispered among themselves before asking for autographs. Even children knew him as Rahul from Aashiqui.
One evening, while buying books near Dadar, a college girl suddenly froze after recognizing him.
"You're Rahul, aren't you?"
Within minutes, ten more people surrounded him. He escaped with the help of a police officer. And by the time he escaped, he had signed twenty-three autographs and missed buying the book he had come for.
One morning, when he reached D. G. Ruparel College, he immediately realized something was wrong. A crowd had gathered outside the gate. Not students. But Reporters, Photographers, Magazine journalists and fans.
Someone had somehow learned that Adil attended the college regularly. Cameras were already waiting outside.
The principal himself came outside with a worried expression.
"Adil, you can't enter from the front today."
Within minutes, a peon escorted him through the back entrance. Even then, several students spotted him through the corridor windows and excitement spread through the building.
"Adil has come!"
"Our superstar is here!"
Girls from other classes abandoned their lectures and came outside.
Some boys climbed over benches to get a better look.
Teachers had to restore order before classes could continue.
From that day onward, he rarely used the main gate.
Meanwhile, the canteen had become a strange place. Earlier, students argued over cricket and examinations. Now every table seemed to discuss Aashiqui.
Whenever Adil sat with Sameer Malhotra, someone would eventually approach.
"Can I have an autograph?"
"Will there be Aashiqui Part Two?"
"Did you really cry in that last scene?"
Sameer enjoyed every second of it.
One day, while signing a notebook, Adil heard his friend laugh loudly.
"Arre, don't forget us after becoming Amitabh Bachchan."
Everyone laughed.
Across the canteen, Aishwarya Rai sat with her friends and simply smiled at the chaos. Unlike everyone else, she still spoke to him normally. That normalcy had become surprisingly comforting.
But college wasn't the only thing that had changed.
The success of Aashiqui had exceeded even Gulshan Kumar's expectations. One afternoon, Mahesh Bhatt invited all four newcomers to Vishesh Films.
Shah Rukh Khan arrived first.
Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal followed soon after.
Gulshan Kumar was smiling from ear to ear.
"Congratulations, children. You have made history."
As a reward for the film's phenomenal success, generous bonuses were handed out.
Adil received ₹2 lakh. Now His toyal earnings from this movie has reached ₹3.5 lakh.
Shah Rukh Khan received a bonus of ₹1.5 lakh. While Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal each received ₹1 lakh.
But money wasn't what surprised Adil most. The thing surprised him more was the endless film offers.
His drawing room had begun looking like a producer's office.
Directors, assistants and producers visited every other day.
One evening, Arif Ali entered the living room and found four different producers waiting.
He stared at them and muttered,
"This house has become Bollywood Studios."
The offers themselves were astonishing.
Mahesh Bhatt wanted him for Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin opposite Pooja Bhatt.
Lawrence D'Souza approached him for Saajan, where Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit were already attached.
A producer from Venus Films wanted him for Phool Aur Kaante, a project being planned with a young Ajay Devgn.
Another producer discussed a romantic drama that would eventually become Deewana.
David Dhawan offered him a light-hearted entertainer opposite Divya Bharti.
Several banners wanted nothing more than "another Aashiqui."
Some even openly said,
"Just give us Adil in a sweater and six songs."
Fees offered to him climbed rapidly.
₹5 lakh.
₹8 lakh.
₹10 lakh.
One producer even offered ₹12 lakh and profit sharing.
Arif Ali often sat quietly after the producers left.
Then he would remove his glasses and shake his head.
"Two years ago, I worried about paying your college fees."
"Now people are offering enough money to buy a house."
Meera Ali had become equally busy. Fan letters arrived every day. Some came with poems. Some contained handmade cards. One girl from Jaipur had written fifteen pages explaining why Pooja should have returned to Rahul.
Another simply wrote:
"If Rahul cries, I cry."
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan's popularity had also exploded. Though Adil stood above everyone else, Sameer's character had become beloved by audiences. Producers praised his energy and dialogue delivery.
Rahul Roy became the favorite choice for romantic films.
Anu Aggarwal became the newest dream girl.
And everywhere, the magazines celebrated the new generation.
Filmfare called Adil "The Romantic Prince of the Nineties."
Stardust declared him "India's New Superstar."
Star & Style praised Shah Rukh Khan as "The Scene Stealer."
Screen magazine wrote that Mahesh Bhatt had introduced four stars at once.
Yet despite everything, Adil remained the same person inside.
He still worried about exams.
He still argued with Sameer Malhotra over lunch.
And sometimes, while sitting quietly in class, he caught Aishwarya Rai looking toward the noisy crowd surrounding him with amusement.
Adil didn't know why After becoming a star She and Sameer is the only person who treated him like ordinary friend. Something he appreciated more than he admitted.
But while fame had already arrived, another battle was beginning. Because every producer in Bombay had the same question. Could Adil Ali repeat the miracle of Aashiqui?
And for the first time since becoming a star, Adil himself didn't know the answer.