An Encounter

CHAPTER 1

Tu Na Jane aas paas hai khuda! Tu Na Jane aas paas hai khuda! Tu Na Jane aas paas hai khuda! Tu Na Jane aas paas haiii khuda!

The crowd sang along. I strummed my guitar one last time in closure and looked up, the adrenaline still high after the concert. The crowd was cheering and I could hear them chant my name throughout, just like she always wanted. I smiled at the crowd, held up my guitar in salutation and blew a kiss. The noise just got louder and i could hear my enthusiastic fans scream for a repeat performance. I turned around and walked out of the stage, back to my green room, her thoughts clouding my brain.

There's only so much time one is allowed to grieve. Everything has to get back to normal after a period. Everything becomes a part of the past and you move on. That's what the world expects, its the social norm. That's what the human mind does too. You learn to cope. But only you know how much that person mattered to you. Only you know how much at loss you feel because that person is no longer around. On you know the pain you feel when you remember the days and nights you spent with them. Only you know how much you miss them.

I closed the door to my green room and slumped down on the couch. I could feel my eyes tearing up as I remembered that night. How could I have been so careless?

I wiped my face as I heard a knock on the door. My best friend and manager,Kabir came waltzing in, his stupid smile plastered on his face as always. I envy this man most of the times. How can someone be so cheerful, so happy at all times? How can someone be smiling in the toughest of situations? Answers to these questions is what i had been looking for, ever since that night.
"Rihaan, great show buddy! I'm so proud of you!" he came ahead and hugged me with all his might. I smiled back at him, returning the brotherly affection he showered on me. He has been my constant pillar of support over the years and has seen me in my best and worst alike. We met in school and were inseparable since.
"Listen, i'm going to rush to the hospital now. Meera has been having regular contractions. The baby could be here any time now. She's going to need me around." Kabir spoke with obvious excitement, the joy of being a new father shining in his eyes. I appreciate his commitment to our friendship, but at times like these, he acted really stupid. He should have already been at the hospital, besides his wife right now.
I stared at him and he smiled back sheepishly, running his hand through his thick hair, already understanding what i wanted to say. He walked silently to the door and turned the knob. Turning back at me one more time, he winked at me, "I know, I know. I'll take care of Meera and the baby. I'll let you know once she's delivered and you're coming there tomorrow anyway, but meet Mr Khambata before you leave. He wanted to talk about the next concert. Sorry, can't save you from the after party this time around."

I went into the washroom and splashed water over my face. I have always hated crowded places. Parties were never my thing. I'm sure if she didn't want it, I'd never be a part of the industry either. The glam and shine was not me. Usually, I keep to myself, do my job and leave. Kabir handles everything for me. He's the best at his job and there's nothing than having a manager who is also your best friend.
I took a deep breath and wiped my face. Quickly changing into my tee and hood, I walked out of the room. The ground had been cleared and the fans had left. The only people that remained were the ones invited to the party by the production team. I entered the arena and was surrounded immediately by the frenzied media. I smiled and slowly made my way in. I wanted to get over with meeting the producer and leave. I spotted him at a distance and made my way towards him.

It was well past midnight when i walked out of the NCPA at Nariman point. This place, that throngs with the people working across the corporate offices all through the day was now totally empty. I reached out towards the door of my car when i could feel the cool breeze of the sea on my face. I pulled my hand back and slowly walked towards the pavement. I could see the silhouettes of the high rises at a distance. I could hear the waves crashing against the tripods placed across the shore. Being at one end of the Queens Necklace, i could see the entire length of the area, shining bright. I could see some crowd further away, even in the middle of the night and all i could think of was, 'Does this city ever sleep?'