The Great Indian College Romance

36. Sing it out

My throat dried up and a strange sensation swooped in my stomach as I took in the scene before me. My head swam with a million different thoughts.

Siddharth was passing the microphone to Angad with a smile on his face and a friendly pat on his back. 

I blinked once and then twice still not trusting what I was seeing. 

The audience cheers grew louder and it was Orientation day all over again. I was in the audience looking at Angad Mehra on stage while the crowd chanted his name. 

It was only when Smriti yelled a very excited "Meera!" next to my ear that I became certain I wasn't hallucinating from exhaustion and hunger. 

Angad raised his hands and gestured for the audience to silence their cheers. An obedient hush fell over the crowd and he leaned towards the mic to speak. 

"It's really great to be here guys," he said, "And usually I am here solely to entertain you all and connect with you via music but this time I have a special purpose."

The crowd listened on intrigued. 

Angad's eyes searched the room and my heart skipped a beat when they landed on me. It was quite a distance from the stage to where I was standing at the back of the crowd. And yet we both just knew.

"There is a special someone I need to apologize to. For being the biggest idiot ever."

There were mixed reactions from the crowd. Some people cheered supportively, some booed, and some stood passively. 

All the while Angad didn't look away from my gaze. It was like no one else mattered. 

"I need to tell her that I love her. That she has become one of the most important people in my life. That running away from her was the stupidest mistake I ever made and every day I spent away from her was hell." 

I realized tears were running down my face at this point.

"I need to ask her for another chance. No mistakes this time from any side. This time we will do it right. I also need to promise her that I will never be the ass that runs away without a rational conversation."

I laughed through my tears at the last line. 

Smriti placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and I leaned toward her. 

"Meera this is the song we wrote together." Angad said, "And I must tell you now that I wrote the last stanza with you in mind."

I wiped my tears away and nodded at him. 

"This is for you," he said and then everyone else backed away from the stage. 

Shreyas handed his guitar to Angad who slung it around his neck and strummed the beginning chords of our song. 

"Broken and hurt, our hearts were wounded, infirm.

We were ready to give it all up, give it all up.

It could've been the end of it all,

If you hadn't let yourself fall.

You are my sunshine,

You are my lifeline,

You are my reason to be,

My hope, my life, my everything

Can't you see? "

He held the last note for a second before opening his eyes and looking at me.