11: An Insinuation, An Innate:

"How can you possibly hate music Khushi? You of all people?" he found his voice low and inclining completely away from his senses that were probably asking him to shut up.

"And why am I even answerable to you?" she stood high on her heels, with her hands going on her hips even as her eyes continued to look at him, yet not meeting his gaze right in the eye. He caught that and his curiosity increased.

"You no longer do music?" he continued to inquire ignoring her disinterest in the topic. He then saw her roll her eyes and gather herself with answers as she looked up to meet his questioning gaze yet again.

"No.." she stated this time not blinking an eye.

"Don't play---??"

"--No"

"Guitar"

"No"

"That grand piano of------?'

"---No" she was cutting him off before he could complete and that just annoyed him, may be for the first time since he had arrived in this place. Arnav was annoyed, beyond a limit and was even furious. He still has to figure out what exactly is making him furious though.

"Don't even sing?"

"No...NO...NO!" she announced using her hands to support her answer.

"Cathy would never want you to..."

"Excuse me!" she interrupted him her voice sharply cutting him off. "There is no need to get my mother into this. This is my decision. And I'm sure she would have wanted me to do whatever that makes me happy. And I chose this!"

"Staying away from music?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Hating it!" she corrected him quite defiantly and he had to step back letting out that exasperated breath.

"You are incorrigible as ever!" he snapped, anger filling itself into his eyes as he shot one last disapproving look at her before turning around and walking away into the university.

**

Arnav-Khushi @ 14:

Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein

Hamesha Yunhi Chalti Rahen
Yeh Hamari Mulakatein  Hamesh Yunhi Chalti Rahen
Beeetein Yunhi Apne Sare...

"Stop...stop Maddy! Just stop! That's pathetic singing!" Arnav exclaimed putting his guitar away while Aman's hands stilled in air at his sudden outburst. Khushi swallowed the further words that she had intended to sing and look to her side at him completely annoyed with his interrupting.

"It's Khushi, and pathetic? Did you just call my singing pathetic? Arnav seriously??"

The school music room was filled with musical instruments, the white surroundings filling in with grey electrical equipment forming their effective background, as Khushi stood in the center area, with her mike in hand, Aman standing behind her at drums and Arnav alongside her with his guitar which was now placed away.

"Khushi doesn't suit you, Maddy does and yes, that was pathetic singing, look at the pace of the song, it's so damn slow!"

"Exactlly, and that would not be the case if you were giving the right rhythm Arnav, what the hell have you been doing holding that guitar? Counting the strings?"

"What rhythm do you want me to give? It's not happening! The tune you chose is too slow and...and there is something missing. Even he wasn't able to tune in the drums...look at him, he looks so lost! You scared him with your singing Maddy..." Arnav said with his tongue in cheek and walked towards Aman to stand beside him.

"I was giving the beat Khushi..." Aman answered quite perplexed at being targeted as he made sure to keep his eyes away from Khushi who was now looking at him pointedly.

"He was trying to, but it's not happening, tell her that Aman, it's alright." Arnav pushed him more by slapping his back and Aman for a moment nervously looked between the two fire brands in the room. "Uh, its kind of dragged, but we can, we can work it, we can you know work something together..."

"Argh! You tell me this now!? Like seriously? How much more irresponsible can you both even get?" Khushi yelled throwing her hands in air.

"And you are very responsible to make such pathetic tune?"

They were now standing on either side of the drum equipment effectively sandwiching Aman between them, as they continued to throw daggers at each other.

"Huh! I at least made the tune and these are pretty good lyrics!"

"Of course the lyrics are good, Cathy helped you with those but it's the tune that's not working!"

"If you were not happy with the tuning, why didn't you tell me earlier? We have been practicing the same thing since a week now, and one day ahead of the competition you have the nerve to tell this now?"

"I thought we can work it somehow but this is just not happening! Something is missing in this.."

"What is missing Arnav? What?? Why not say what's missing, so we can try and incorporate it?"

"I don't know okay? This tune sucks! And I can't do it, it's not working for me"

"You are impossible Arnav! I sat with mom, made the tune sitting with it completely for two whole days, gave you a readymade melody, and made arrangements for the competition, while all you have to do is to sing it, perform it. After practicing for good five days, you chose this day to complain about everything? Why am I even stuck with you every single time!?"

"Stuck with me? Why don't you ask the music academy that somehow seems to be thinking we will get them the prizes every year!"

"Huh! It's not the music academy you jerk! It's you! You deliberately chose to get stuck with me in every damn situation. Because, its time you face the fact Arnav. You can't do anything alone! Me, my home, my mom, my music lessons...you are just stuck with me everywhere, Deliberately!!!"

"----don't give yourself such high importance, you self-obsessed geek!"

""Arnav you..."

"Okay time up, time up!" Aman finally stood up from his place after spending good few minutes of being the spectator of the verbal tennis match that was happening and Arnav continued to look at her, anger filling his nerves as her last words continued to increase his fury even more. He gave her one last angry glare, his brown orbs doing the effective job of conveying his wrath, before turning around to walk in purposeful long strides exciting himself from the room.

**

She always did that. He contemplated as his gaze was attuned to the guitar strings in his hand. It has been her own way of ending an argument. Like they say, hit in the right area where it hurts the most and she never failed to do that. Not that it affected him the way it should, somehow it didn't. But it angered and disturbed him. That much, he cannot deny. They were stuck with each other and, something or the other has always just driven them to be together in music. He had accepted it while she always found it difficult to accept. More so, they find it difficult to get along well, at least well enough to sit and be able to make one good melody.

Rage filling in his senses completely, he hit the chord of the guitar causing it to utter an angry node. And just like that, a lead riff started playing in his mind and within moments he equipped himself with the guitar and the keyboard, incorporating it into a rhythm and thus formulating a riff to the actual tune that Khushi has made. He was completely indulged in it for the next ten hours because of which he found himself rushing to the competition venue the next morning running almost an hour late to the given time. And when he finally reached, he instructed his driver to get the electrical music equipment that he brought along with him and walked inside quickly to find Khushi.

"What the hell Arnav? We lost our chance to go on the stage..." He ignored her completely walking ahead of her directly to Aman and gave him the bag that he brought with him.

"Record the riff in that keyboard and set the tempo..." he ordered and Aman nodded.

"Whats going on here?" Khushi walked in the green room almost marching around Arnav trying to figure out what was happening while Arnav completely ignored her setting the guitar and helping Aman to arrange his drums.

"Arnav!" Khushi yelled and he chose the exact moment to pause and turn back to look at her.

"What?"

"Our chance is long gone..."

"I already talked to the event manager, we will be called in again.."

"Oh, so didn't think twice to use your reputation again! Great! And all this for what? For the tune that you hated?"

"Nope, for the tune that I modified" he stated and turned to Aman. "Did you record the riif?"

"Yes Bhai.."

"Play it..."

And just as Khushi waited quite impatiently, the soft rhythm started playing from the electronic keyboard and Arnav took his position with guitar starting to play it along with the rhythm. All Khushi did was watch, with an undefined disorientation embracing her. He could tell that she was impressed, yet, he can see the rebel was still quite evident in her stance.

She hated it when he changes any of her tunes, but he ended up doing it every single time. The basic tune is what she formulates, but he had to bring in amendments to make it sound the perfect symphony which they had always managed to create, together, quite oblivious to each other.

"Would you please come and sing instead of playing a statue there?" he said after a pause.

"The slow tune doesn't fit this..."

"Exactly! So you will fasten the pace a little and modify the words to sound slightly western, thin your voice and still sing in the same tune..."

"Why don't you get your own singer who would listen to your orders?" she rolled her eyes.

"I wish I could Maddy, give your ego some rest and let's get done with this; I know you can do it"

Ye tumhari meri baatein

Hamesha yun hi chalti rahein

Ye hamari mulakaatein

Hamesha yun hi chalti rahein

Beetein yun hi apne saare din raat

Baaton se nikalti rahe nayi baat

Phir wahi baatein leke geet koi hum likhein

Jo dil ko haan sab ke dil ko chhoo le

Baatein suron mein yun hi pighalti rahein

Baatein geeton mein yun hi dhalti rahein

To her amusement, when they took the stage after about a few minutes, the words played along with the new rhythm quite perfectly and she found herself slipping into the song as her voice played with the nodes. And that's when he joined, humming along, nodding his head to the flow, multitasking with the guitar as the electronic keyboard played its part with Aman working on drums efficiently, completely in sync with one another.

Ooo..Ooo

Na na na na na na

Ooo...

Geeton mein ye haan humko khushiyon se hum saja dein

Jo sune kahe wo hum se gaao na