Much later that night, Akshara called Aarohi and hung up when she realized it was almost midnight. She put the phone down and looked at the ceiling, unable to decide. If she didn’t enjoy the kind of music the band played and the arrogant lead singer of the group, why was she still considering going?
A strange excitement started at the thought of being on tour, traveling, meeting new people, and seeing new places, but she knew it would make her entire family uncomfortable. Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone started to ring.
She answered. “Aarohi, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize it was late.”
“That’s okay. I just saw you had called. What’s up?” Her friend sounded sleepy.
“It’s not urgent. We can talk tomorrow morning.”
“Who are you kidding? I know you are dying to talk to someone or you won’t be able to fall asleep.” Aarohi laughed.
“I am going nuts, Aarohi.”
“Talk to me, darling. I only charge ten dollars a minute,” Aarohi mocked.
“Vansh wants me to go on a tour with him.”
“And?”
Akshara let out a sigh. “It is The Rule Breakers’ tour.”
“Wait. What?”
“Yes, that band is doing a tour for cancer awareness and to honor Vansh’s mom’s work.”
“Abhimanyu Birla, the rule breaker.” Aarohi laughed.
“Don’t say that name again. He is the reason I don’t want to go,” Akshara growled.
Aarohi chuckled. “If you have decided not to go, why are we talking on the phone at midnight. You are dying to go on that tour.”
“I hate you, Aarohi.” Akshara laughed.
“Yes, I know you do. Now, let’s talk reality. What do you want to do?”
Akshara let out a sigh. “I can’t decide.”
“So, a part of you wants to go?”
“Yes, but I think my family will not like it.” Akshara’s voice fell.
“If your dad and uncles don’t mind, would you go without another thought?”
Akshara thought for a moment. “If I tell my dad, he will never say no if I am sure about going. I don’t know if I want to go.”
“But you want to go.” Aarohi laughed.
“I don’t want to go because of him.”
“Oh, the ‘him’ being the guy you drooled over for years?”
“Please, not funny,” Akshara warned.
“Okay, I know you’re over him, but do you dislike him so much that you would give up on so much fun?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Aarohi giggled.
“I am on the fence, but Vansh tells me Abhimanyu knows Vansh is going to ask me to join him.”
“This is very interesting. So, he knows who you are, what you do for a living, and yet, he didn’t object when Vansh said you would join his band for their tour?”
“Well, he doesn’t know I was the one who called him names I cannot remember that night of the concert.” She bit her lip.
“He doesn’t need to know. So, what are you going to sing?”
“Well, the tour is going to be a mash-up style, so I will still sing classical with Vansh.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Yes, a lot of fun,” Akshara acknowledged out loud.
“So, you are going?” Aarohi cheered.
There was a long pause on the call, and Aarohi knew Akshara was thinking.
“Yes, I am.” Akshara finally decided.
“Nice. You can probably take another shot at asking him why he stopped singing your favourite classical music while on the tour.” Aarohi chuckled.
“I don’t care anymore. I am going on the tour for myself and not for anyone else.”
Aarohi laughed. “Good. I am going to go back to sleep. You deal with breaking the news to your family. Good luck.”
The next morning, Akshara woke up early, showered, and went into the prayer room well before her father did and waited for him. He had a routine every morning, and the hour he spent in the prayer room listening to music or meditating, Akshara had always found it to be the best time to discuss important matters with him.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Daddy.” She walked over to where he stood to hug him.
He planted a kiss on her forehead. “You are up early.”
She smiled, looking at him. “You know I ambush your mornings when I have to talk to you.”
He smiled. “I know, but you know what the deal is. You sing while I pray, and then we talk.”
Fifteen minutes later, they settled on the floor mat that was used for meditation.
“What do you want to talk to me about?”
Akshara took a deep breath remembering every reason she had listed for herself to go on tour. She had learned from her past conversations with her father that if she had the conviction to do something, he always agreed with her. If she was unsure, she walked away from the conversation not wanting to do it.
“Vansh has invited me to join him on an all-India music tour in honor of his mother and to bring cancer awareness.”
Her father smiled. “That is wonderful.”
“Yes, and I want to go on that three-month tour, Daddy.”
Her father wasn’t shocked as she had expected. “I thought you were going to focus on the music school.”
“Yes,and this tour will give me the visibility I need to gather sponsors and singers to expand the music genre that can be taught at the school.”
She saw the way her father’s eyes sparkled. “Interesting.”
“Daddy, the tour is with The Rule Breakers.” Her voice was soft yet firm.
“Oh, is it a western music tour?”
She smiled. “It’s a collection of songs, and they call it a mash-up when they match a much faster song to a slower classical song. It’s very popular.”
“Innovative. How does Vansh know this band?”
“The band leader is Abhimanyu Birla, Vansh’s best friend. You remember him?” she asked, dreading her father’s reaction.
To her surprise, her father smiled. “You know who he is, right?”
“Yes, the arrogant boy who walked away from classical music and started singing western only.”
Her father nodded. “Extremely talented but spoiled and arrogant.”
“Daddy, I want to be a part of the tour for Vansh’s mom’s sake and for me to get some exposure. If I am going to be dealing with kids, the school needs to offer different kinds of music courses.”
“Good thinking, Akshara. And while you are on tour, show that boy how to be humble and how beautiful classical music is and what he is missing out on.”
She let out a squeal of joy. “I will, Daddy. I am so happy to be going.”
Her father laughed. “I could tell you wanted to go by the way your eyes sparkled. Good luck, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” She hugged her father, relieved.
“What? Three months and travel all over the country? No.” Her mother looked at her adamantly when she told her about the tour.
Her mother turned to look at her husband. “And you agreed?”
Her father maintained his calm. “Naira, she is not a child. You need to let her do what she wants to do.”
“Then, I am going with her.” Her mother sounded like a child.
“Sure, Ma. You can go with me and get bored sitting in the hotel room all day.” She laughed.
“I don’t care. I am going.” Her mother was adamant.
“Okay, Ma. We can all go, and maybe even Daddy can sing with me.” Akshara laughed.
Akshara was thrilled to have gotten her father’s support to go, and when she shared her plan with her uncles and aunts at breakfast, there was a lot of support and cheering after some initial surprise. She smiled, looking at every one of her family members who she grew up with in that house, thanking heaven for the blessing she had in the form of her family.
* * * * *
The next morning, Abhimanyu went for a run in the open space behind his childhood home. The last tie he had to the memories of his mother were in that house. Even with the penthouses he owned in other major cities, this was his only home.
Last night’s meeting with the sponsor went well, and for the funds they were willing to shell out, he was going to allow them shoot the making of the tour for a reality documentary that would be released after the tour.
He let the loud music play in his ears as he ran back toward the house, thinking through the plan for the tour. The last piece of the puzzle, the wild card being Akshara Goenka. If she didn’t agree to go on tour for the expected reasons, then his friend had to find the next best, but he wasn’t going to settle for the next best for his tour. He wanted the best talent, and he would find it no matter what.
Abhimanyu shortened his run to shower before breakfast that morning.
His sister was going to tell their father about the marriage she was about to break, news her father was not going to like, although his sister has been separated from her husband for over six months.
Shortly after, he stepped out of his room wearing a t-shirt and shorts and headed downstairs to the breakfast area where his father was sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper.
“Good morning, Dad.”
“Good morning, Abhimanyu. Glad you are joining us for breakfast.”
Abhimanyu was usually away on a business trip or was still out exercising and rarely joined his father and sister for breakfast. Dinner, on the other hand, was mandatory, a ritual their mother had started, and they kept it up even after she passed away.
Growing up, Abhimanyu and his sister always saw their father for dinner, even if they didn’t all day. When he was away on business, he would call and talk to them during that time. Outside of that time slot, they spent the rest of their time with their caregivers when they were home.
Abhimanyu barely spent time at his home. The childhood he could remember was at Vansh’s house. He spent his hours after school at Vansh’s and only came home for dinner.
The passion for music was inspired from listening to Vansh’s mom sing when he went there for a school project in fourth grade. He asked Vansh’s mom to teach him how to sing, and he never looked back.
Everything that happened from there on out was what defined him, and it burned him on the inside that a person, his motherly figure, with such a good heart was fighting cancer.
He had found motherly love again from Vansh’s mom as a child, and it shook him to the core to even think about losing her. His eyes started to gather moisture just at the thought of her in the hospital, and he clenched his jaw, fighting the need to weep.
A phone call from Vansh interrupted his thoughts. He excused himself and stepped into the patio to take the call.
“She said yes,” Vansh said, laughing. “Akshara agreed to go on tour.”
Abhimanyu was taken aback. He had not expected her to agree on the first go around. “That’s great news. Good job convincing her.”
Vansh laughed.
“There is no convincing Akshara. She won’t do it unless she is completely on board with it.”
“Just like that?” Abhimanyu wasn’t over the surprise factor.
“Well, she has some conditions. Volunteering and support she needs for her music school she is working on for children.”
“Interesting. More than happy to help.”
“And she wants the ability to walk away from the tour at any time, no questions asked.”
“Sure.” Abhimanyu shrugged.
“I can’t believe this is happening, brother.” Vansh was ecstatic.
“Believe it, this is happening. We are going to make our mother’s voice heard all around the country.”
Abhimanyu ended the call with a smile. He could not deny that he was happy she was joining them. The woman with a divine voice was going to add a touch of softness to their style of music.