CHAPTER 1: 4:00 A.M.
#Unedited
~4:00 A.M., the hour where legends are either waking up or going to bed~ pinterest.com
SCENE 1
LOCATION: MANGALORE
TIME: 4:00 A.M.
Showers are the coolest and the hottest thing invented by mankind.
Showers make you sound like some international pop star. You win all the fake arguments in here. Showers are the only place where you can dance like a sunbeam and cry your eyes out to your content. According to a scientific research, showers beat the business conference rooms for taking the most important decisions in life.
She stood under the cold water droplets. A smile overflowing with radiance was dancing on her mouth.
The girl, whose name was Nandini Murthy, was spending the time of her life under the coolest and hottest thing invented by mankind.
She was madly, deeply and passionately in love with showers. A luxury which wasn't available to her in the early years of her 'adventurous' life.
She made her way to the small kitchenette of their little cottage and set the pot brewing for her favourite ginger tea with an air of ease. Opening the door of the balcony, she lain on the round swing, sipping her cup of tea.
The balcony gave the scenic view of Mangalore's ocean. The crescent moon was cradled and lured back to sleep by the gentle swashing of waves. The sky was concealed in the assorted shades of black and dark azure. Nandini widened her smile, pitying the people who hate mornings, after all, 4:00 a.m. was the most passionate hour of the day.
Nandini intently gazed at the to and fro movement of the waves, in a spur of moment countless memories enveloped her. The beachish air was choking with nostalgia.
She sighed aloud. Thousands of stories were woven under the street lamps of this town. This town had fought with her, lived her nightmares. It has seen her frustrating for the lyrics of myriad of songs. It has grinned when she was reading under the bed with the aid of torchlight past time at Little Angels Orphanage. This town was tranquil yet powerful for it had taught Untamed Embers that you got to conquer the things you own.
Anyone with a normal range of hearing could easily listen to her pounding heart. She smiled. It was a smile that filled her face with radiance, touch her mouth with sudden exhilaration and anxiety and made her hazel orbs shimmer. Beginnings, she thought and grinned. Beginnings always makes you clutch at your stomach. They send adrenaline down your spine and fire through your veins. Beginnings make you feel the most alive.
She closed her eyes for a moment and try to picturize the Space College. India's No. 1 College of Music and Arts. The elegant building with a lush green lawn, the image she had admired on the internet.
Her thoughts took a turn to those people who taunted them. A sassy smirk beamed on her face.
According to them, they, the 'unworthy orphans' of the needy Little Angels Orphanage got an undeserving blessing from the Lady Luck herself to win a scholarship to Space. However, the victory was not some idiotic and folly blessing instead the palpable determination of the Untamed Embers to prove a long line of crap-heads wrong. Nandini, the girl who was directionally challenged since a long time had to proved herself that this time she was on the right path.
The balcony door burst open and she was brought out of her reverie.
"I knew I'd find you in here, Nandu, gobbling your ginger tea and daydreaming about us," said an unmistakable girlish voice. Nandini jumped on the swing in mortification.
"You scared the crap out of me, Navya," I winced and straightened my burnished hair with my hands.
She giggled and sat on the swing, drinking the tea from her cup without noticing it. "Well, Nandu, I am naturally terrifying," she smirked in a typical bollywood style.
"Well, Miss Naveli, I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a smarter statement that that," Nandini rolled her eyes.
"Why is that you win each and every verbal argument against me?" Navya whined.
"Because I speak fluent sarcasm," Nandini replied in her sugar-coated voice. The two friends burst into laughter.
Navya Naveli, the girl who looks fragile with those finely chiselled features, shining hair the colour of brown-black and dreamy eyes as chocolate as cocoa beans. Delicately made though Navya was, she was strong - the strongest of all of them, it seemed to Nandini sometimes. Guts of steel and iron will, that's how she characterized her Drama Queen these days.
The two friends were engrossed in giggling their hearts out at the most silent time that they failed to notice the four pair of eyes capturing this memory in their hearts.
"Good Morning people, your rays of hope are back," Aryaman cleared his throat to seek the attention of their two friends.
"Ray of hope? When will you stop sugar coating shit, Arya," Abhi chipped in.
"Whatever," Aryaman winced.
"Lack of vocabulary is starting to show, Mr.," Nandini said and patted Aryaman's back in pity while Abhimanyu's russet brown orbs held the shine of victory and his facial muscles were contracting in a sly smile.
"Guys, gentle reminder, we need to leave for Mumbai from MANGALORE which takes 16 hours and 5 minutes, according to Google. We also need to visit Little Angels for...," Navya trailed of the sentence.
She did not want to accept that they were leaving their home maybe forever, nobody wanted. The trio went silent. Although they were ecstatic when they received the scholarship but they were agonised over the fact to leave the orphanage.
Nandini was the most affected by the situation they all were in. The wall clock was ticking away. It was 4:15.
Nandini's thoughts returned to her beautiful friends. Rahul, Priya, Ineesha, Nawaza and Sarah. She loved all of them but she had a special corner in her heart for Rahul, he was the most youngest and has been tormented at such a young age. She used to live in that orphanage when she was about Rahul's age. If it had not been her friends and Mother, she might have been suffering depression until now.
Aryaman could not see his friends in such uncomfortable quietness. He hated their silence. It was equivalent to their physical pain. He knew their silence was mentally tormenting them if not physically.
Aryaman Murthy. Well, he isn't a Murthy but possessing no surname of his, Nandini wanted him to take her own surname. That's the fathomless bond they share.
His coal black eyes always held mischief and laughter every time. But Nandini after seeing so much pretence in her little span of life was aware that he had his bad times too. He was the one who moved on quickly from his past. His acceptive nature was one of the most admirable trait of his personality. Aryaman had one of the nicest faces. Pleasant and friendly. He was handsome in a subtle, quiet way an he dwarfed them all with his height and broad shoulders.
"Guys, I have a news to make," Aryaman announced in his cheerful tone. "As we're going to Mumbai by road, we will also be visiting India's one of the best amusement park, Imagica, today."
The trio's eyes widened in surprise. Aryaman had definitely managed to knock the socks off of his beloved friends.
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SCENE 2
LOCATION: MUMBAI
TIME: 4:00 A.M.
In a magnificent and elegant mansion situated in one of the porch areas of Mumbai sat a guy in his early 20s in the dim-lit attic room on a wooden chair. His face crinkled, lines decorating on his forehead and face displaying an array of emotions yet mind well, his emotions were filled with desperation and frustration at 4:00 a.m. He was awake the whole night, frustrating his charming face over the lyrics of a song.
The table made of mahogany wood displayed seven mugs and the last one still filled with black coffee. The crumbled paper balls were also decorating the beautiful vintage room.
His mind trying to remember the tune while his hands doodling some words on the paper.
The guy was named Manik Malhotra. Stinking rich and sinfully hot yet with a beautiful soul and golden heart reserved just for his friends, the FAB 5.
"f**k!" he swore aloud and got up from his chair in exasperation. After all, writing lyrics was the most elusive task for musicians and especially, aspiring musicians.
He opened the window of his attic room. The cold air hit his face. He longingly stared at the streetlights.
He drank the view in front of me. The sky was black but not jet black. It was the dark you see before the end of tunnel, he thought. His caramel orbs unconsciously glance at the clock decorated above the table. 4:00 a.m. it read.
It was the usual time when he came back from clubbing but today, he decided to complete the song. He was a true procrastinator and the job required completion as they have to practice for the upcoming college project.
You don't often find him gazing at the roads of Mumbai glistening under the light of street lamps at this hour. It is not his start of the day. He chuckled at his thought. He likes the hour when the sun is overhead and the roads blanketed by countless cars. He is not an early riser.
Minutes gone by and he turned his window close and decided to retire. After all, tomorrow is going to be a very long day because FAB 5 is going for an outing in Pune. The college won't start till Monday and they'd decided to spend the weekend at his farmhouse in Pune.
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SCENE 3
LOCATION: MUMBAI
TIME: 10:00 A.M.
Bichhu mere naina, badi zehereeli aankh maare
Kamsin kamariya saali ik thumke se lakh maare
Manik tussled in his bed and covered his ears with pillows and got under the duvet and turned the opposite side, away from the window which was glistening with the start of day. Cabir smirked and Mukti giggled while Dhruv sighed out of relief. Alya was already snoring on the wooden chair. Cabir made the volume to maximum.
Note hazaaro'n ke, khulla chhutta karaane aayi
Husn ki teelli se beedi-chillam jalaane aayi
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa chadha ke aayi
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa chadha ke aayi
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa chadha ke aayi
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa hadha ke aayi
Manik cursed aloud. "You **cking mudbrain Cabir! Apna item no. band kar nahi toh I will suck the life out of you." Manik hissed closed his ears in uttermost frustration.
Cabir's face was plastered with a wide sly grin, "You bloody Dementor! Maar na toh mujhe chaiye, kamine. I have wild fantasies to chop you into pieces and feed you to vultures."
"Cabir, yaar, sone de, 5 minutes more," Manik whined in his cranky tone. The most important fact about The Manik Malhotra is that he is the cranky morning person.
"Manik, you look so tried, buddy. I would love to give you a massage on the throat using both hands if you don't wake up," Mukti screeched and was ever ready to pounce on him while Manik decided its the best to give up your sleep if you wish to live.
"Ugh!" he exclaimed in annoyance.
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa chadha ke aayi
Aaayi ! chikni chameli chhup ke akeli pawwa hadha ke aayi
"Will you **cking stop this annoying song or I need to kill you the 7th time in my mind and the last time in reality, Mr. Cabir Dhawan?" Manik threatened while Cabir smirked and increased the volume. Alya finally smashed the off button in frustration.
"Manik, go get dressed quickly. You should have woken up early. It would be midday when we reach Imagica and you would be the reason for my tan, as a result, I'll go cranky, spoiling my photos and fun. Manik Raj Malhotra I would not spare you if I do not enjoy the rides," Alya spoke the words with a hint of menace.
"Alya stop trying this hard. You know I won't be scared of you out of everyone," Manik spoke with enthusiasm and hugged his beloved friend while Alya dot him one on his stomach, laughingly.
Manik made way towards his bathroom but not before commenting and getting into his mood. "Cabir, I hope that in your wild fantasies vulture moan in delight on feeding such a magnificent and stunning piece of flesh that they start quivering with sexual tension."
"That's our Manik!" chuckled the silent Dhruv.
"Glory!" Cabir rolled his eyes.
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Author's Note
Manik Malhotra. The cranking morning person who fantasize about killing happy morning person and the irony is Nandini Murthy, the happy morning person.
Upcoming Destination: Imagica.
Watch for fireworks caused by the atomic magic of collision unless you're scared of rollercoasters.
Do comment.
Stay happy hamesha
Keep smiling and reading.
Arcane
Edited by miss_writer - 7 years ago
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