Chapter - The Song That Led him to Her

Chapter - The Song That Led him to Her

Shauryash's eyes remained locked to the spot where Sanyogita had just left . His keen gaze didn't miss the subtle shift in her posture, the stiffening of her body when he hugged her as though he were embracing a stranger. The usual warmth in her was absent tonight. Nevertheless, beneath her quiet exterior, he sensed something more alarming; an unspoken silence that chilled . There was only an incomplete “ I love you” from him, no response from her , even when he asked her— whether she could leave Prithviraj Singhaniya and choose him instead.

Only a painful silence sighed back to him .

Shauryash had slept with an empty stomach, he had spent nights even on roads , but nothing stung him more than her silence tonight . The same familiar truth whispered quietly in the air — he was again abandoned by those who once claimed him to be their closest.

His thoughts raced back to that first fateful day when he first saw her….

Shauryash remembered when he left Mumbai and embarked to Bangalore only to fulfill his dream . An opportunity finally kissed his fate. One night , he saved a boy who was the same age as him, from a local goon attempting to steal money from him . The boy shows gratitude and becomes his friend and cherry on the top he invited him to sing with them in their band if he was interested. And for Shauryash it wasn't less than a reality music platform.

And he introduced himself as “Yash” not Shauryash. Since he had left his old life, his name , and the weight of Singhaniya's surname beyond his age . Now , he was forging his own path , a new identity ; it's the beginning of his new life . No longer bound by family ties or expectations.

Bangalore has become his home for four and a half years. The city had become a silent witness of everything — his hunger and satiety , his failure and victories , his loneliness and the dreams he refused to abandon.

It was one of his friend's houses where he was invited to a family function in Gujrat and he would soon have to leave by the next morning. As he stood on the balcony , suddenly there was a drastic shift in the climate. Then the sky above seemed to morph another vast grey–ocean . The cold breeze swift through , creased his skin as though like a soothing whisper in his solitary world.

Shauryash still vividly remembers that late afternoon one year ago ,when the city’s prolonged spike in temperature brought it down suddenly. His eyes dilated in awe as he gazed around him. That abrupt change in climate was treacherous and alluring to any nature lover who enjoyed rain , and Shauryash was one of them . He stayed there for long , stretching his arms wide as if he were a bird in the earnest moment of taking flight and soaring to the highest level of sky to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Children’s laughter echoed through the air like a bubbly melody ripple through the quietness . Shauryash's eyes lifted on the sound of their laugh. ; he saw a group of children were dancing, wandering on the rooftop of an opulence bungalow. His lips curled into a knowing smile as he watched them play . But what truly drew his attention was a girl draped in a turquoise kurta and white palazzo, surrounded by peers .

Her eyes were blindfolded, and she laughed as if no life was existing beyond their fleeting moment. As if there were no tomorrow, no worries about failure, no struggle to survive daily expenditure . And no fear of losing the long sprout dream into reality.

Shauryash thought of turning away, suddenly she removed the cloth from her eyes and he stood still , unable to look away. He was standing nearby a building from where the balcony was easily viewed.

Suddenly, rain began to pour into the shape of fat water droplets. All the children's laughter grew louder like triumph and this time they jumped as if it wasn't rain but candy pouring bliss from the sky.

The girl too joined the chorus of joy . Although she was a young woman, what caught his attention wasn't her youthful appearance ,but her carefree laughter and playful enthusiasm with which she laughed among the children as though she belonged to their world more than adults.

Though she was no longer a teenager, there remained something strikingly youthful about her. Between her carefree laughter and the childlike wonder dancing in her eyes, she could easily be mistaken for an eighteen-year-old

Shauryash's gaze softened, and his heart momentarily urged to stay, wondering how someone could laugh so freely in a word that demanded so much from everyone.

For years he had measured life in audition, building his position in a music band , and gave lines outside music producer offices , just for, only for an opportunity. Yet , watching her laughing in the rain, he felt as though someone had momentarily paused the chaos in his head.

*********

He returned to Bangalore and jumped back into work. He had quit his job as a ghost lyricist for a famous singer a long time ago and joined an independent music band instead . However their concert was modest , while views on their albums were far from exactly a blockbuster hit .

His team had been facing serious money troubles oftentimes. Lately arguments were common . But Sujit, one of the guys with whom he had grown closest in the group, always managed to handle the situation. Sujit was really calm and kind-hearted, genuinely caring more about the team than personal fame.

Apart from Sujit there was another guy , named Aniket , who often talked about his grandfather telling him the stories of Raghu dakait who changed himself later into Balmiki and wrote Ramayana.

In the initial days, Shauryash would wake up to the hilarious sight of Aniket . He and Sujit exchanged a knowing laugh , sporting Aniket in his new goofy avatar . By the way, Sujit and Aniket were both Shauryash's roommates. They lived in apartments, and shared their rent. But Shauryash was very possessive about his guitar; he barely allowed anyone to touch it , in fact he still wondered how Sanyogita became the only person whom he willingly allowed to play it .

Now , returning back to his roomie's karnama. Sometimes Aniket would give pravachan on life ( epic life lessons) , like Baba who came down from the Himalayas , filling their ears with mantra, refusing to help with cooking , insisting that cooking was beneath a man devoted to the higher truth. During those days, he’d transformed into a self- proclaimed Siddhupursh , dissolved in his own world of hookah and meditation.

One morning Shauryash's eyes widened comically only to spot Aniket sitting cross-legged on the floor with a bedsheet draped over his shoulder like a saint. When their gaze met , Aniket's expression didn't falter; instead he looked calm and steady.

He often said solemnly "Money is temporary,"

Shauryash rolled his eyes , his words laced with irony "Then pay your share of the rent,".

Aniket's answer was as hilarious as annoying. "Material attachments are the root of suffering ."

Sujit grinned at Aniket’s theatrics .

Shauryash held back his amusement and frustration "Exactly. Then start by detaching yourself from my groceries."

Sujit exploded in laughter, while Aniket's jaw slackened immediately.

Shauryash would shake his head being appalled and give up on his roommate . During a recording session , Aniket spent time lecturing everyone about patience, discipline and inner peace which was a remedy of music. A few minutes later at lunch time, his transformation was quicker than the weather-cast , as he tasted the studio food and began yelling at the cook because it lacked chillies.

"Where is the spirituality now?" Sujit asked in a witty gesture.

"Spirituality has limits," Aniket snapped, full mouth.

From that day onward, the teammates unanimously address him as “Mirchi Baba”, the spicy wise man of the band.

There were plenty of things he had spent, bled with his friends, laughed with them too . It was on a rainy evening that Shauryash opened his soul into a solo romantic song , when Mirchi Baba suddenly sat upright as if he had discovered the biggest truth of life.

His eyes widened , “I've understood love!” he announced, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"What now?" Sujit muttered in disbelief.

Aniket raised a finger dramatically. "Love is like loose motion.” Mirchi Baba announced

"What?" Sujit almost choked on his tea.

While others applauded at his latest discovery .“ Arey Waha! Mirchi Baba's new theory of liberation ."

Aniket's eyes sparkled with wisdom as he added “ And break up is constipation. "

For a moment nobody knew whether to laugh or throw a pillow at him.

"Care to explain, O Great Mirchi Baba?" Shauryash asked almost teasingly.

Aniket shot a sharp glance at Shauryash’s remark , tagging him as “ Great Mirchi Baba" , nevertheless his arms folded proudly as he began to explain, “ When you're in love, emotions keep flowing, day and night. You can't stop thinking about that person.”

Everyone groaned , however some agreed with Aniket's philosophy.

"And after the breakup?" Sujit asked.

Aniket sighed deeply. "Everything gets stuck like a traffic jam—your thoughts , shared memories and then your daily life”

A burst of laughter filled the atmosphere of the room.

"So tell me," Mirchi Baba continued proudly, "which one is better? Loose motion or constipation?”

Ripples of laughter filled the room. Even Shauryash couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Looking back, he never imagined those cramped apartments, unpaid bills, and Mirchi Baba’s ridiculous philosophy would one day become cherished memories of his life .

**********
One evening at the counter of a restaurant where Shauryash did part time job as a singer, he was flipping through a few books and suddenly a girl approached him. He was standing with his back turned ,it was then the girl asked about the singer from last night .

His hand paused on the pages , as he turned slightly, peering over his shoulder before replying, “ Why are you looking for that singer? The performance wasn't exactly breathtaking."

The girl shot back, yet her voice didn't completely sound rude . " No, it wasn't that bad. “ She paused, slightly hesitantly . “ I mean it was melodious. Could you please tell me the singer's name? “

Shauryash's finger curled around the book “ Pease " — the aped caught him off guard.

Majority of the customers who visited this restaurant came for the ambience, the food and they belong to an elite status .He had been singing regularly there and barely anyone bothers to care about his name . They applaud his songs , tipped generously on occasion, but forgot him the moment they left . A very few ever bother to ask him name.

He responded indifferently , without turning back “ what would you do madam? why do you brother with some infamous singer ?”

Her answers were immediate: " Kala toh kala hoti hai . Ismein mashhoor ya gumnaam hon se kya farak padhta hai !" She retorted, clearly annoyed. (Art is art. What difference does it make whether someone is famous or anonymous?)

However , Shauryash chuckled at her reply. " Oh! When you're rolling a fancy car and living under an expensive roof philosophy sounds great , Madam ."

Her voice turned sharp , "Arey, bade baatdamez hai aap toh !" She asked " who are you ? I'll complain to the manager. "

Meanwhile, the manager arrived and called Yash over . Shauryash's eyes delighted at her calm behaviour; she had not reprimanded him like other rich girls who mock for his poverty . Instead she defined music as art not labeling it at someone's authority. She didn't speak for a moment when he faced her completely.. Still he noticed a furrow stubbornly tugging on her forehead and the thing that caught his attention was her eyes which held neither pity nor arrogance only irritation and curiosity in equal measure. Nevertheless, Shauryash couldn't look away as had never seen such beautiful eyes. He heard in poetry how authors pour their heart out to describe their beloved one…and even in movies .

Later that night, while replaying the conversation in his head, a memory surfaced. She was the same girl who he saw dancing in the rain , when he visited Gujrat.

He didn't expect to see her again. Yet a few days later…

Shauryash and his friends had been kicked out of a concert and they had to pay their money to the manager whom they borrowed money from. Despite this , they start singing on the street.

Some leave without turning their head towards them, while some choose to stay, listening. Then , he saw the same girl who was also there.. Shauryash's eyes flew towards her for a moment half out of instinct and half unknowingly. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement. He thought perhaps she truly saw him that day — as if an unspoken desire danced in those gorgeous blue-grey eyes to be appreciated for his talent.

She stayed. Even after several people had walked away, she remained there listening, her attention fixed on the song. There was something unexpectedly warm about her smile that made it difficult to look away.

Suddenly, he stretched his hand outside, approaching her while singing. The microphone wasn’t just a prop; it was a symbol. Shauryash spent his life wanting to be heard.When he offered her the mic, it was an unintentional invitation into his world. She accepted, and to his surprise, most wealthy girls would have smiled and walked away.

She didn't stop him . Instead, he saw genuine interest. When he playfully handed her the mic. He forgot about the crowd momentarily, he had expected hesitation, not a voice that blended so effortlessly with the melody as though she belonged on the stage more than he did.

Shauryash apologised for his earlier rudeness at the restaurant.

After that day, she began appearing more often. Sometimes during rehearsals or sometimes at small performances. Occasionally she simply argued with him. Somewhere between music, endless banter, and cups of tea shared after long evenings, friendship quietly found its place.

And somewhere between those endless conversations , he finally learned her name —

Sanyogita.