Diary: Whispers of the Heart

Diary: Chap 7*** Let's Rock!!!

"Those who are hard to be loved are the ones who need it the most."

This sentence changed my mindset. It worked like "Burnol" ointment, which instantly relieves burnt skin. The more I analyzed the medley suggested in the letter, the more I loved it.

"That's exactly what I need ... That's what I want to perform..." ~I thought.

Joy and all were suspicious of the letter and unhappy with my decision to play the medley. But for me, the whole concept of performing had changed. I no longer wanted to play for revenge. I wanted to sing for my love of music, for my love for AR Rahman. I wanted to perform to pay respect to my passion for music. We rehearsed day and night and in fact, as the pressure was gone, I enjoyed every second of the rehearsals.

My heartbeat was wild on the day of the show and seeing me on stage increased the unnecessary noise and chaos. For a few seconds, I stared blankly at the large audience and then said -

" I am sorry guys... I apologize to the faculty and to all my friends, right from my heart for whatever happened a few days back. "

"I apologize to Asif, Rishabh, and all other brothers of the Sign band. I hope all will be forgotten and forgiven."

It was an anticlimax for the crowd, who expected some filmy revenge action.

I took a deep breath, looked at the crowd, and started

"As my finger touched the keyboard, everyone present blessed me with silence and I started..."

"Kahin to.. Kahin to.. Hogi woh, Duniya Jahan Tu mere saath hai
Jahan main, Jahan Tu, Aur Jahan, Bus tere mere Jazbaat hain...
Hoti jahan Subhah teri palakon ki, Kirnon se..
Lori Jahan raat Ki,
Sune teri Bahon meinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...................."

As I completed the line, there was a huge roar among the girls...Movie 'Jane Tu Ya Jane Na' was a recent hit and this song was a favorite among the girls...

" yaarai kaettu endhan nenjil
idappakkam needhaan nuzhaindhaayoa
undhan uyiril undhan peyaril
valappakkam en peyar saerpaayo"

I continued... These were the lines from a huge Tamil hit song "Dating- from the movie Boys."
Those lines were followed by an energetic Alap from the song "Sa re ga me".. from the same movie 'BOYS'...
All the Tamilians just went crazy. No one had anticipated this.

& then Anthony grooved with percussion as we started

"O hamdam ...O hamdam suniyo re
O janiyaa suniyo re
O janiyaa ... shaam ko khidikee se
choree choree nange paaon chaand aayegaa

O... En Uyire... O... En Uyire..."

The blend of Hindi and Tamil words worked wonders. Everyone present enjoyed every bit of it.

As we ended the song, we got a response we couldn't have imagined in the dream. The cry of "Once More" echoed everywhere.

And when we were finally going off the stage, Asif and Rishabh pulled us back to the stage & we sang again but this time together with arms around each other, and the whole college sang the chorus.

"Oh, man! The most memorable moment of my life"

I looked above. The sky was painted black, but the moon was shining bright.

I looked at the moon and thought -

"I know that the girl who sent me the letter is present here in the crowd but I wish I could just say thanks to her once.

Hope I will someday know who she is..."

Time plays funny games...

The same crowd who had embarrassed me, hurt me, failed me, turned me into a hero. As I got down from the stage, there were handshakes and hugs from seniors, classmates, and people I didn't even know.

In all this mess, I completely forgot about Mr/Ms. Freshers competition that started after our performance. I tried to escape, but a few seniors caught me and forced me onto the stage forcefully. As I walked down the ramp, I got huge applause, as I was the hero of the moment.

Everyone was happy. The energy and happiness of the youngsters filled the atmosphere with crazy vibes. I came down, searched for a chair in the corner, and settled in. My heart was content, happy, and relieved.

Things happen when you least expect them.

I was judged the best performer of the day. The principal congratulated me while handing over the trophy. But the excitement didn't end there. As if the day had written my name all over it, I was judged as Mr. Fresher.

Within minutes, I was back on stage, but this time reluctantly. It was really embarrassing to stand on the stage next to MS Fresher who flashed her smile as if she had won the Miss World title.

I am a loner by nature and was tired of all this attention. I wanted the ceremony to end as soon as possible. So, I could disappear somewhere in the darkness. But I was unaware that destiny had written something else. I was about to experience something that would become a memory for my lifetime.

 One of the most special moments of my life - "when I saw her."

"It was love at first sight..."