"Dad hey!.. I got a really good gig today thought I would tell you.... Yeah sorry, I know it's office time....okay…thanks dad" Aarav smiled, one hand pressing the phone to his ear while the other was busy brushing his hair back.
The door swung open and Jp peeped in, signaling toward the stage. He nodded and showed her the hairbrush, she took it and began brushing his hair back while he spoke.
"Okay dad I told mom as well...um okay? Send how much can. Okay bye" the line went dead, and he thanked her for doing his hair.
"Who was that?" Jp asked as he roughly shoved his phone into his pant pocket.
"Dad" he said, putting on a jacket. She wondered how much more he would adorn himself.
"You don't live with him?" She asked, her eyes following his movements.
"No"
"Why?"
"Jayapriya...the show?" He reminded with an amused look
She grinned rather sheepishly and watched as he walked onto the dark stage where the others waited for him, he adjusted himself behind the tattered drum set.
Squinting to get a better look, she realized that none of them had a uniform dressing sense. Half were in t-shirts and the other half in shirts- with a grimace she decided to do something about it later on. Nagma was the one who was actually well- dressed, a dress and Indian jewelry. Looking down at her own dress she decided she looked better than them all.
Lights flooded the stage as the audience cheered. This was it. She had worked the whole week to make sure they had everything they needed for this show, too hard in fact.
Biting her cuticles, she watched as Aditya addressed the crowd. It was just as an opener for another big band whose show it actually was. But according to all the research she had done, many bands became popular by opening for bigger bands. And the more popular this band got the more money she would get.
The lights were dimmed as the band began to play and got into their element. This was her first time attending a rock show, she wasn't one for music in the least.
Her eyes roamed over the stage, flitting toward the gigantic poster behind them. WBAC- All India tour.
Two things struck her mind, one- who names their band WBAC? And two- all India tour? The gears of her mind worked as she absentmindedly a bit into flesh instead of nail making her yelp.
"shit" she whispered and looked around for a band-aid. Surprisingly rock shows have a med kit always around? Why? She didn't know and frankly didn't want to.
The small room was hot and smelled of sweat. She frowned as she sat in a wobbly chair, kicking the alien t shirt that lay on it. The horde of people shouting outside was deafening but the music was ...never mind.
She picked up a small bottle of water from a crate - if one could call it that- and drank thirstily. The past few days had been hard. She had barely eaten more than four meals a day...at home she would have eaten every passing hour. Servants would bring her water. Her lower lip quivered at the memory.
With a new determination, she reminded herself that she would find a way to get out of Chennai... She would never accept defeat in front of her father. Never.
Finishing off the bottle she got up and watched the band finish its last segment.
"You've been a great audience" Aditya laughed. He seemed almost...dare she say it ...charismatic ? Bold even. Look, he even had a personality...of his own!
"Hey. Water." darshan demanded, stepping into the room. Sweat dripped down his chiseled neck, wetting the v- neck t- shirt which she just noticed...was black. She blinked at him and then narrowed her eyes.
"What?" He asked wiping the sweat off.
"Who knew you could look hot" she shook her head and walked off to get them all water leaving him rather confused.
"Good job guys" Nagma grinned as she entered the room, followed by the rest.
They each took a bottle of water from Jp who felt rather...dare she say it? Like a servant. Gross. She got lost into her memories almost immediately.
"You were awesome" Aarav smiled, snaking his hand around her hip.
With her lips set in a tight smile she returned the compliment.
"Guys, there's stuff we need to do now" Jp snapped out of her dream land and looked at them making nearly everyone groan.
"Two things actually. One - we get paid and two- We all go out tomorrow night and I tell you a plan of mine"
"Whoo! To success !" Aarav smiled and raised his water bottle. They echoed his cheer and began chattering right away while Jp left to collect the paycheck, technically it would take time, but she was sure she could bully them into giving it early to her.
After everything was packed, and they had been paid, they set off to go home. The bikes drove away while Jp got ready to walk. She looked at her watch. 12:15 am. She mentally prepared herself to walk home.
"Girly, come" Rudra called and signalled her towards his black car.
"You know where I live?" Jp asked, wondering how rich these people were, considering all of them had vehicles except Aditya and Madhav who were chauffeured by Darshan and Nagma.
"Yeah Aarav told me he said," said you've been walking home... had I known I'd have offered to drop you earlier on."
"That's sweet thanks... oh and you all did a good job today" she looked around at the leather seats and at the dashboard that looked too expensive to touch, a confirmation that he was indeed rich or from a rich family. She was too, but her dad would never buy her a car, she thought with disdain. Even though he had two, she had to 'earn' hers! Unfair...
" Thanks, What happened to your thumb?" He pointed at her poorly bandaged thumb that was hastily hidden away
"Oh uhm... Fell"
"On your thumb?"
"Yea...people fall every day" she shrugged.
He looked at her rather skeptically for a second and then looked ahead. "If you say so"
She tugged at the fibers of her pant, looking out the window at the yellow streetlights that splashed light onto the wet asphalt, a few stray dogs here and there, one passed out- hopefully not dead person on the sidewalk. The familiar roads- and unfamiliar people.
"So Aarav said you started this band?" She asked, thankful to have broken the silence that had started becoming awkward.
"Yea...him, me and Nagma. We were friends since kindergarten"
"Oh that's sweet...and the rest?"
"Aarav brought them in. He is a talent scope... Gives people a chance if he knows they are talented" he said. She could swear she saw a tint of pride.
"Nagma is pretty talented too. I could swear I saw a guy swoon when she did the thing ...on the guitar...alone?" She said, a bit uncertain about what it was called.
"Bass solo...yeah she's...talented" he said rather abruptly. Her eyes narrowed. Ooooh! He didn't like her that much eh? Oh, this was gossip worthy!
"So you live alone?" He changed the topic, something she noticed immediately
"I live in my friends house" she said, suddenly withdrawing a bit.
"Parents?" He asked hesitatingly.
"Kicked me out of my house" she muttered rather bitterly knowing it to be untrue.
"I'm sorry" he muttered.
She nodded "they just want to ruin my life. I will do what I set out to" she leaned back, her eyes set on the road.
He looked at her for a split second. The lights glistening on her rather insolent face. She was annoying, but she did the work well he would give her that.
He drove into a street and stopped in front of the house. It was dark.
Sighing, she pulled out her phone, quickly dialing her friends number.
"Yeah I'm here ...what do you mean? Dude! I was at work. Charu....my things?" She frantically got out and ran to the porch finding a couple suitcases there, the door was shut tight.
"You know I have nowhere else to go" she said sitting down on the porch. " I promise I wasn't partying I was working. Yes, I was at the show. The band ... But-"
The call cut, and she looked up at Rudra who had left his car and was standing by the gate.
"What happened?" He asked, even though he had guessed it.
Her lip quivered as her face crumpled up, and she began to sob into her hands. Blinking, Rudra inched closer and awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's...okay...don't cry' he said wincing at his own horribly chosen words. Honestly, he wished he had a little more emotions.
"I don't have a place to stay any more she said between sobs.
"Yeah, I understood by your baggage....sorry" he muttered as she glared at him, "I know someone you can stay with ...rent-free?"
She almost resembled a lost puppy "you do?" She sniffed.
--------------------------
"No" Nagma crossed her arms.
Rudra turned to look at jp was sitting in the car looking at them.
"Dude, she has nowhere to stay ...she's our manager" He said "come on... it's good to rescue stray..." he trailed off as she raised a brow
"Okay. But she pays for her half of the groceries and now entering my room"
"Heart of gold baby" he grinned and turned to go back to the car as Nagma rolled her eyes; Thankfully she had a big house and lived alone.
She watched as he carried her bags and walked behind her to the door where they both scurried in. Pointing the way to the guest room and watched as Rudra settled her in.
"Here's cash from my side for a week of her grocery payment" he said, handing her a few notes.
She nodded, knowing that he wouldn't give a reason if she asked. He left soon enough, and she walked over to Jp's room.
"Make yourself comfortable. Don't enter my room. If you need anything ...ask. There's pizza on the table. You can eat if you're hungry. Goodnight" she waved and walked out while Jp smiled to herself. Finally, a room of her own. And her dad thought she couldn't handle herself. What a joke!
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