Aaisha stands at the corner of a chilled water stream looking at an isolated van, a van of her favourite colour, a van once she used to travel in. It's been a year since she left this place, she couldn't muster the courage to go past that van daily.
It's the same place she met Aarnav for the first time, he was a lead singer in his band. She instantly screams at him while a wave of cold wind makes her come out of her daydreaming. She still remembers how melodious & serene his voice was. She subconsciously starts murmuring their favourite song, their first song together, in a same pitched voice.
She takes a trip down a memory lane. She wasn't an extrovert personality but the moment she saw Aarnav, she felt the adrenaline rush through her spines. It was something that she never experienced, she liked the feeling. Their eyes locked for a moment, he stared at her out of sheer amazement, he could see the sparkle in her eyes. She couldn't sleep a bit that night, she wanted to talk to him, she wanted to express herself.
Out of immense joy, she got ready early next morning, the most enduring night had finally ceased, she couldn't wait longer. She went to visit him at his band's place. They named it Cavatina. It was an artistic hall, located between ranges of Himalaya & Ganges, shed with a wooden ceiling & covered with wooden walls showing pictures of their group together. There was a black guitar, lying in one corner of a room, which Aarnav was using the other night. Other instruments were occupying the centre area. She felt a tinge of ecstasy there butAarnav was nowhere in her sight.
Greeted from behind, she was very happy to see him, her aesthetic smile was a proof of that. She conversed with him for two hours & they went for a lunch together. It was their first date. She generally didn't associate with people easily but she felt entirely different with him, she felt a presence of intangible bond between them. Knowing him more made her fall in love with him again, he was amazing, he was her dream-boy.
She, too, had learnt vocals a few years back but she didn't share it with him, asking to be a female singer in his band came as a pleasant surprise to her, this was the first time she kissed him on his lips. It was an exquisite kiss. They were staying late together & practicing on her vocals. And after two months, they came up with their first song, it was so very well versed, sung & composed that it got instantly famous.People loved it. They got a bunch of invitations to perform live in concerts, well they couldn't be happier. They stayed together that night, it was a soothing one, and they freed themselves to indulge in their first lovemaking.
Following week, they held their first concert together & it was a grandiose success. More concerts followed & so did acclaim. Their busy & rigorous schedule got herself fever a day before their 10th concert & she had to drop it. She slept while talking to him before the commencement of their concert, their concert was in Delhi & they were to come back next morning. She woke up next morning & found an SMS from him, it contained a title of their first song, she pleasantly smiled. She called his number but unfortunately it was out of reach. She tried again after an hour, it was still out of reach. They must have arrived by the time she thought & tried calling their other members' cell phones, with her apprehension, they were all out of reach. She was frightened. Morning news was running on a TV & the next news shocked her to death. Police found a blue van & four dead bodies inside it last night, and all four were presumed to be killed for an unknown reason. She froze, she couldn't feel anything, something inside her was carried away with the news that made her paralysed, she couldn't weep & she couldn't grieve.
SMS was sent 3 in the morning & it said 'Yahin Hoon Main'. (I'm here)
'Aaisha, Aarnav is crying, he seems to be hungry', says her mother, holding a four month old child, bringingAaisha to her senses.
'I'm coming my Aarnav', says a mother.