HEARTFULLY ENTANGLED - CHAPTER 15 - THE PLAYFUL ENCOUNTER

 15 - The Playful Encounter

"Some people meet you in dreams. Some people meet you in reality and make you wonder whether you are in a dream."

The vast stage of the cultural hall was decorated with a digital painting of splashed colours and drifting musical notes in the backdrop. The soft glow of overhead lights washed the stage in a gentle warmth, making the backdrop shimmer slightly. A few musicians were scattered across the stage, some chatting in small groups, some lost in tuning and practicing with their own instruments. The sounds of indistinct chatter blended with strumming and twanging of guitars, tapping of drums, humming of violins, warbling of flutes, and many more musical notes, floated in the air, creating a dreamy atmosphere. It was captivating.

But my entire self focused only on Arun.

As I stepped onto the stage, he took his guitar and settled on a wooden stool in the left corner of the stage, placing the guitar on his lap, his head bowed slightly. 

My heart thundered as I headed towards him, unzipping my sling bag, my eyes glued onto him.

He hit the guitar with one of his palms, and then his fingers skimmed up and down the strings once, and then his thumb moved up over the strings, the fingers of his other hand placed still over the frets. The movements were very slow, but despite the motion of his fingers, no music came.

Was his guitar not working?

Or the mixed music that floated around me swallowed the music from his guitar?

Or was he just warming up?

I narrowed my eyes, pulling my school ID card out of my bag which I always carried wherever I went.

Within a blink, his palm struck the guitar again, repeating the same motion, but at a speed of lightning, the fingers of his other hand dancing over the frets. This time, a ripple of rhythm flowed out of his guitar, sharp, alive and soothing.

Wow!

It was the most beautiful music amidst the sea of music that filled the air.

His fingers definitely had the magic to weave such soulful music. But what made me stunned was the speed of his fingers. Especially, the different motions of each hand at a time, which was not at all easy! I wouldn't even write A in one hand and B in another hand at a time without messing it up. But how could he make different motions with each hand at a high speed so effortlessly, so beautifully? As if he had a meticulously manufactured engine inside him!

Shalini was right.

Anyone could watch those magically moving fingers, not only for the entire day, but also for the entire life without getting bored. 

While I was mesmerized for a fleeting moment, someone crossed me, hiding his view from me, pulling me out of my trance.

Oh god!

What was I doing?

I was not on the stage to admire him or his fingers or the music he weaved. I was there for a mission. A mission to introduce myself to him in a playful yet unforgettable way. 

Taking a deep breath, I gathered all my courage, and resumed walking towards him, retrieving a notebook and pen from my sling bag.

As I stood in front of him, my heart drummed inside me, loud and frantic than the musical drums over there.

His fingers froze on the guitar and his head tilted up to meet my eyes.

Those sea-green eyes! 

They looked turquoise coloured now in the reflection of the plain white t-shirt he wore and the headlights above him. Like a midnight ocean, catching moonlight!

And, his face was not just beautiful. He was unconventionally beautiful. He would make anyone wonder whether he was real or a beautiful illusion. How could I be an exception?

My breath hitched at the moment he met my eyes, wondering how someone could be this handsome?

He drew his slightly angled eyebrows together. "Who are you? What do you want?" His voice was puzzled.

I blinked, pulling myself out of my trance.

It's the time to act, not to admire.

Get, set, ready!

Mission on!

I gulped, masking the chaos inside me with a small smile, flashing my school ID card for a fleeting second with a hope he wouldn't see it properly. "Sir, press," I said in a trice, slipping my school ID card back into my sling bag quickly. "We are here to cover the concert and the young artists performing here. Can I have a quick interview with you, sir?" I clicked my pen open, my other hand holding the notebook.

Waah! I was acting perfectly. No doubt I was a drama queen.

He shook his head blankly. "No. Not interested. You can approach any others. Moreover, I am not that big of a celebrity to give an interview. I just play guitar." He turned his concentration to the guitar again, his thumb sliding up the strings, creating a twang.

Monkey! 

Would it cost for him to smile?

I liked his humbleness, but I frowned inwardly for not even smiling at me. At least for a courtesy! He indirectly told me to leave, too. But how could I leave just like that before completing my playful mission? 

Diya never steps back from her missions. Period.

"Please, sir," I said in a pleading tone. "This is my first assignment. If you say no, I will feel like I failed in my first assignment itself. Please, sir. Just two minutes."

He took a deep breath frustratingly, looking up at me again. "Okay, but why are you covering your face?"

"That..." I gulped. "Dust allergy."

"I don't feel any dust here."

"But I feel."

He sighed, rubbing his fingers against his forehead. "Okay, what do you want to ask?"

Success!

I cleared my throat, controlling my racing heart. "Your name?"

"Arun."

I scribbled it down my notebook though I already knew it, laughing inside, and then glanced at his guitar. "Guitarist, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you performing solo or are you a part of a team here?"

"Team."

One word answers! 

And, the chatterbox me, hated it!

I frowned inwardly again, scribbling his response in my notebook. "Do you know to play any other instruments, too?"

"Yes. I know ukulele, keyboard, piano, and violin, too. But guitar is my favourite."

Finally! Thank God! He spoke some extra words.

"Interesting." I raised my eyebrows, noting it down. "What makes guitar your favourite?"

He bit his lips and took a moment to respond. "I think it's because, I learned to play guitar first, and the music from it was the first ever beautiful thing I felt in the world. Though I found music from everything is beautiful later, our first ever always carries a special place in our lives, right? So guitar is my favourite."

Hearing it, my mind flashed an incident. One of my seniors in our school proposed to me in my ninth grade, placing a letter and rose in my school bag without even my knowledge. He mentioned to meet him in the football court of our school after the school hours, if my answer was yes. He mentioned he would be waiting for me in the football court. I was literally scared and informed my parents about it immediately, showing the letter to them. My dad just smiled, comforted me, and said softly, "I don't find any wrong words in his letter, kuttima. He just has an attraction or innocent crush for you and thinks it as love, I guess. You are growing. You might get proposals like this, but you should not get scared and run away like this. You should convey what is in your heart politely yet strongly without letting them feel rejected. So, let me come to your school tomorrow and wait outside the football court. You meet him and answer him. I hope he will understand and will not disturb you hereafter. In case he tries to misbehave without understanding you or if he gives you even a slightest problem because you didn't accept his proposal, just give a voice. I will be just outside the football court. I will immediately come inside and rip him off. Okay? Instead, Krishna and Payal's daughter should not get scared and hide herself somewhere, just because of a silly teenage thing." He smiled warmly. "Also, you, too, might get attracted towards anyone in this age. That's not a problem. It's totally normal. But always remember, our first ever always carries a special place in our hearts, but it will be even more special, if our first ever stays the same forever. So think a million times before accepting or proposing to anyone."

Later, I spoke to that boy, and he didn't disturb me after that.

When Arun said, 'Our first ever always carries a special place in our lives,' I couldn't help but find a tiny piece of my dad in him.

It made me love his answer. It utterly revealed how much of an emotional person he was. It gave me answers for the thousands of unasked questions about him. He looked and felt exactly the same way I imagined. It made me trust him just like I trusted my dad. It dissolved all my nervousness into nothing.

I smiled warmly. "What are the other things you feel beautiful in this world except music?" I asked.

He fell silent for a moment, his colours suddenly draining from his face. "I don't know how to answer this question," he said.

Oh shit!

Why did his face scream a pain?

Did my question make him remember something unwanted?

I didn't want to play anymore. I initiated the fake interview itself just to give him a curiosity about me, just to trigger a forbidden fruit effect in him so that he would wonder who I was, so that it would make me unforgettable in his memories. And, when I met him again truly to get his friendship, I would not be a stranger anymore in his mind. I would be that girl who played with him. It would be easy for me to enter his unapproachable circle. That was all I wanted, and I believed I could achieve it with only one more question to him.

I decided to end my play, and smiled mischievously. "Okay. Leave it. I wanted only two minutes and two minutes is almost done. So now, the final question," I said.

"Hmm," he hummed, shaking his head.

I bit my lips, chuckling. "What would be your reaction, if a girl had a crush on you and disguised herself as a newspaper reporter just to have a talk with you?"

He blinked, and then narrowed his eyes, looking at me puzzled. "You mean....?" His voice trailed off.

I stepped back, locking my eyes with his, the playfulness dancing in my voice, "Yes. You are right."

He widened his eyes, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and shock.

I added, "I will meet you soon again without a face mask. Bye, Mr. Handsome." I ran away, laughing, turning back to get a glimpse of his expressions.

He clenched his teeth, looking away, running his fingers through his hair, and stamping his foot on the stage. "Damn it."

Nothing to say! Shalini was damn right. He was devilishly handsome, especially his handsomeness peaked when he yelled. 

I halted my legs for a fleeting second, and said loudly, my voice blending with the musical sounds around, "Don't get angry, Mr. Handsome. It attracts me more."

"What?" He frowned, turning to me, rising to his foot with guitar in his hand. "You don't know about me. Better don't mess with me," he said sternly, staring at me.

I shrugged. "I would love to mess with you, just to know about you. But don't worry, I will be gentle in messing with you."

He gritted his teeth, stepping towards me. "You..."

Oh god! 

Would he hit my oversmart head with his guitar itself?

I widened my eyes, my voice still playful, "You want to see my face now itself, it seems. But good things take time, Mr. Handsome. I will definitely come in front of you again. Not as a stranger, but as a positive change in your life. Wait for me." I laughed and ran away without even turning back this time. 

As I dashed down the stage, my heart raced, not from running, but from the thrill of what I had just done.

Though I was always playful and naughty with my parents, Vijay and my close friends a lot, this was the first time, I attempted it with someone I barely knew, someone I trusted just by looking at his eyes and by hearing some of his words. And, I didn't regret it even a bit. Because I saw myself in those eyes and I felt a piece of my dad in those words. How could I not trust him? 

Still, my heart raced which I never felt whenever I played with my family and friends. Maybe, with Arun, it was not just a play. It was the beginning of something new and it was really thrilling, making my heart race.

I reached Shalini, mingling with the crowd, and turned back to see him. 

He was on the wooden stool again, practicing with his guitar as if nothing had happened.

What the hell!

Did he ignore me just like that?

Shalini laughed. "What did you say to him, Diya? He yelled at you, it seemed."

I frowned, removing my duppata from my face. "Leave it. I created a bollywood kind of scene with all my courage, but he is sitting as if nothing happened. How can he?"

"Oh." She laughed. "Why did you create a scene?"

I scrunched my nose. "I have a dream of building a children's home na? CHILDREN HOME." I stressed my words. "HOME, where they will get not only shelter but also a family. How can I leave him just like that even after knowing he has no family, especially when I feel pain in his eyes?"

She shook her head frustratingly. "I don't understand what you mean. He is not a child though."

She was wrong. Every child doesn't look little. Some children look like him, too. With almost six feet of height, with stubble, with eyes that have seen too much too early, yet carries pure love and innocence.

I forced a smile, turning my eyes back to him as he practiced guitar in his own world, a sudden emotional wave crashing in my heart. 

"He feels like a child only, Shalu," I said, my eyes fixed on Arun. "Only a child can suffer even with cancer, still can play with a smile. A child can only exhibit beauty even in brokenness. Like a broken bangle inside the kaleidoscope. The same way, despite the pain in his eyes, he survived, earned, learned a few musical instruments, teaching you all, and is living. He exhibits beauty in brokenness." I turned my eyes to Shalini. "Just like a child. So he is also a child."

She widened her eyes, her jaw dropping, covering her mouth with her palm. "Diya, what happened to you?"

"Nothing." I shrugged. "But I want to meet him often. At least on the weekends. I just initiated a playful conversation so that he will remember me, so that I will not be a stranger when I meet him next time, so that it will be easy to begin a conversation. But he shrugged me off his mind so soon, it seems." I pouted.

"Why do you want to meet him often?" She asked, looking at me puzzled.

"To erase the pain of loneliness from his eyes, and to make him understand he is not a broken bangle, but the kaleidoscope. I want his friendship for it." 

She gazed at me stunned for a moment, and then shifted her eyes to Arun, a warm smile appearing on her face. "I have seen the best of him. Still, I have seen a few negative emotions in him, too. Like, frustrated or angry or grumpy in different circumstances. I thought it was normal to see those emotions temporarily in the teaching profession. But if you feel a permanent pain is present behind those negative emotions, I too wish he gets healed, and I believe you can do it with your knowledge. But how will you meet him? Are you going to join our musical academy? But how will it be possible when you are aiming for at least 95% of marks?" She turned to me. "Maybe you can join half a day weekend classes, if you can."

Wow! The best idea. It would be a relaxing time for my continuous studies, too. And, I needed to attend the classes, only till I got his friendship and mobile number. Then I would be able to talk to him without a barrier, even if I didn't attend the classes.

I beamed as I shook my head up and down. "Yes, Shalu. I think it's the best idea. I will talk to my parents and join your music academy soon."

"Yayy!" She exclaimed, raising her hands for high five. "Ready to slay."

I laughed, reciprocating the high five, my eyes drifting back to Arun.

Vijay intervened. "Akka, why are you laughing?"

He was a question bank! Always bombarding me with questions!

I turned back, pinching his cheeks. "Simply, shonu. Music has become my favourite suddenly and I am going to join guitar classes. So I am happy."

"Shall I also come with you?" He exclaimed.

Wow! If Vijay too came with me, Arun would get two people in his life to heal his loneliness.

"Okay." I raised my hands for a high five to Vijay, too. "Let's rock!"

He reciprocated the high five, his eyes glittering in excitement.

Shalini whispered in my ears playfully, "But don't sight him too much. He is only mine to sight, but I give only a little rights for you, too, to sight because you are my best friend. You can sight him a little in the classroom, but not too much. Got it?" She bit her lips, controlling her laughter.

What the f...!

I wished I could speak bad words to scold her, but I hated using bad words.

I frowned, pinching her upper arm. "You may be a little generous to give me a little rights. But I am not that generous. He is mine to sight and I am officially cancelling your rights to sight him. Totally! Look at him again and I will burn your eyes." 

"Ouch." She winced. "Possessiveness in a single meet. Kuch kuch hota hai."

"No." I frowned. "It's not about him. It's about you and your words. If you control me, I will dominate you."

Waah! My mass dialogues sucks!

I bit my lips to control my laughter.

"Oh." She scrunched her nose. "Okay. I will not control you. Let both of us sight him equally." She laughed. "But if he gets to know this one day, he will feel to vanish from the earth."

I laughed, turning back to him. "No. If he knows this one day...." I placed my palm on my chest playfully. "...he will be like, oh god! Why did you create me with such a handsomeness in a way all girls are sighting me," I said dramatically.

She laughed. I, too, laughed. 

Vijay looked at both of us puzzled, parting his lips open to question.

But I said before he could ask his question, "We are discussing a fun movie, shonu. So we are laughing."

"What movie?" He asked innocently.

I shrugged. "Pagal dostis (crazy friends)."

Shalini burst out laughing. "The story of two friends, not fighting over a man, but sighting over a man. And, the man getting traumatized when he knows it," she said.

He blinked. "Yeh konsa movie hai, akka? (Which movie is this, sis)?"

"Superhit movie, Shonu. But only for grown ups like me, not for you." I bit my lips controlling my laughter, ruffling his hair.

"I am grown up, too," he said innocently.

"No. You are just in 8th grade now. You can watch this movie when you reach 12th grade like me."

"Oh." He nodded his head innocently.

This boy! My sweetie cutie brother!  He was such an innocent, who would believe anything I said, and I would always spin harmless stories to him, making fun.

Before I could poke more fun at him, the announcement about the beginning of the programme blared through the speakers.

Shalini gasped. "Okay, Diya. Let me go. The first performance is ours. We are going to play a medley." She stepped away, her fingers clutching her long gown, turning back. "Arun sir, too," she said, only to make my heart flip with excitement, and ran away.

I beamed as I held Vijay's hand, my other hand pulling my mobile out of my sling bag. "Shonu, the programme is going to begin. Let's sit in our seats."

He nodded excitedly.

I glanced at the seat numbers in the tickets in my mobile and led him to the middle of the second row, my gaze flicking back to the stage involuntarily. Of course, just to steal a glance at him.

But the lights were completely off at the stage, the darkness swallowing the entire stage.

Oh god!

Why was I not getting enough of seeing him?

I sighed at my own new ridiculousness which I couldn't control, and settled on my seat, still my eyes waiting for the lights on.

The time trickled down, the murmurs of the crowd, filling the air. But nothing registered in my mind. My ears waited for the music and my eyes waited for his arrival. 

After about ten minutes which felt like an era, a melodic flute music blended with the crispy guitar music pulsed through the stage, the different coloured lights slowly blooming on the stage, revealing seven musicians seated in a neat semi circle.

My eyes immediately found him, ignoring every other, even Shalini who was also playing guitar.

Sorry, Shalini. But I couldn't take my eyes off him.

He was in the middle of the semi circle, sitting comfortably on the wooden stool, his guitar on his lap. His eyes were fixed on the strings, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in concentration as his fingers moved effortlessly on the strings. 

The soul stirring theme music of the movie 'minnale (rehne hai tere dil mein movie in hindi)' swept through the cultural hall, transforming the ambience into something dreamy. 

But honestly, music was not even necessary for me to turn the ambience into dreamy. 

He was enough for it.

Him and the way his fingers moved over the strings were more than enough for me to turn the world around me into heavenly dreamy.

I lived every moment of the medley as if I was living in a fantasy, a permanent smile tugging at my lips, my eyes drifting between only his face and his fingers. 

I wished the medley could go on to the eternity, but just like everything else in the world, it came to an end, too. It ended within seven minutes, but it weaved a life long memory inside me.

He didn't appear on the stage again.

Though the entire concert was full of life, the first seven minutes were my favourite. Because of him.

When the concert ended at about night at 10'o clock, Vijay and I exited the cultural hall and reached our home within five minutes, my heart stuffed with memories and happiness.

While having our dinner, I told my parents about my wish of joining the music class, and they agreed, too, without much questions, making the day even more unforgettable.

Later that night, I laid down, hugging my teddy bear, burying my face in its fur. My thoughts were completely occupied by him. The way our eyes met for the first time, my playful drama with him, the way his fingers magically danced on the guitars, the music from his guitar, the feel of the music, the feel of him, my parents' permission to join the guitar class, the thought of meeting him again, the thought of getting his friendship, everything played in my mind on loop, my lips carrying a permenent smile.

What the hell happened to me?

I thought my strange craving to see him would fade away after seeing him, but the crave to meet him multiplied intensely after actually meeting him. Of course, for a good cause. But the way my heart was flipping, somersaulting, racing, fluttering in the thoughts of meeting him again were not my plans. The way he occupied my mind when I was awake and the way he ruled my dreams when I was sleeping were not my plans, either. It just happened, and I couldn't help it even a bit.

He was the first one who changed the way my heart beat. 

I had no idea why my heart was doing some kind of magic in the thoughts of him, but the overlapping voices of my dad and Arun echoed in my mind, "Our first ever always carries a special place in our hearts, but it will be even more special, if our first ever stays the same forever."

I didn't know what the future held. But for some unknown reason, I felt his thoughts would forever make my heart perform the same magic. And, it kept my smile alive on my face.

But did his thoughts make my heart perform the same magic forever in reality? 

Obviously no. You all know it already.

But there are a few more Arun and you all didn't know. Keep reading to know it all 😜.

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With Love,
Nilah R.

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