4. A Choice, A Hope:

“An actor huh? Finally wanting to stop cheating yourself?”

Sidhanth Raizada looked up at his son, his dark eyes popping from above metallic frames, as the thick glasses resided low over the tip of his nose. He flipped his eyes back to the contract paper in his hand and let out a sneering laugh, before dropping the paper on the bedside table.

He looked at his son, who sat on the recliner, stretching his legs, crossing his ankles, tugging his one hand behind his head even as his other hand lazily pressed away the buttons of the remote that controlled the large LED attached to the wall.

“I’ll at least have you off my back” Arnav answered not looking away from the television.

“How can I even expect better reasons from you anyway?”

“Your bad, you don’t seem to learn at all! You should give up on me really”

Sidhanth Raizada pushed himself off the bed vigorously into a standing position and walked towards the long French window, tugging his hands inside his coat pockets. “I’m tired of this argument with you Arnav, come straight to the point, what do you want from me? I’m sure you have two healthy hands to sign the contract yourself, why are you even here?”

“I want you to give the tunes” Arnav spoke firmly before letting his legs fall off the recliner while resting his elbows over his legs, his hands clutched together as he looked up at his father awaiting his reaction. Sidhanth turned around swiftly meeting Arnav’s gaze, his one hand reaching up to slip away his glasses as his eyes narrowed in confusion.

“What?”

“Actually sir, as you can guess, we really cannot look for a ghost composer now. The risk here is very high. Since bhai would even be acting in the film it might lead to more chaos. However, if you can give the tunes, it will still be under SS musicals and no one would know”

“And I know you have these stack of compositions stored in your library, never used and a few extras from the movies you have done in the past, we can use them you know?”

Arnav and Aman explained taking turns while all Sidhanth did was to gather it all thoughtfully.

“And sir, this would be the end of it. One last album that is all we need” Aman spoke using his hands.

“How much does he pay you?” Sidhanth Raizada asked now looking at Aman who was standing leaning onto the wall nearby while the distinct Bollywood music echoed around the old man’s room, as the music channels in the television were being changed quite rapidly, as Arnav shifted his eyes back to the screen.

“Sir?”

“How much does my son pay you?” Sidhant repeated his question whilst Aman leaned away from the wall and walked towards the bed where his uncle was sitting. Aman took a moment to ponder over the question as he looked between the father-son duo in the room, both of them representing the perfect nonchalant, less-reactive, postures.

“I don’t pay him dad, everything I get is ours” Arnav answered not shifting his attention from the television and Aman chose to remain quite.

“Right, that explains the loyalty”

“Watch your words dad, I guess you only have permission to say anything and everything to just me…..”

“---Uh bhai, I better leave the two of you alone”

“We both can leave him alone in about a few minutes Aman, up for a drink?” Arnav spoke cutting Aman off with such sudden warmth in his voice, which might be a rare occurrence to anyone else, but not him.  Aman smiled, despite Sidhanth’s glare and walked towards the wooden cupboard to fetch three wine glasses. Arnav twisted the bottle open just as Aman arranged the glasses for him before he poured the thick maroon liquid into each of the glass, carefully letting the fluid slide from the walls of the tumbler. Offering one of the drinks to the older man, Aman walked back to the corner of the room deciding to remain silent and non-existent being well aware of the wrath that Sidhanth Raizada has for him.

“So?”

Arnav asked his father before taking a swig of his drink watching as Sidhanth stared at his own drink even more thoughtfully. “It has finally come to this then? Buying tunes from your father? Is that what you are suggesting?” he spoke this time directly to Arnav.

“If you sign up the contract to make the music yourself, you will have to sit through the music sittings son”

“We can take care of that. You can sit in the sessions too. The music will only be released from SS Musicals. Not particularly me. It can be us though”

Sidhanth’s grip on his tumbler was stiffening as his lips pressed together forming a straight line. He was losing his cool and Arnav could tell that from his body language. His father glared at him in the next instant and spoke in his low, uneven voice, impatience spilling out of it in right amounts.

“This is a musical story Arnav. A musician should sit, listen to the story, get absorbed into it and the tune should come naturally for the given situations, you cannot just give the passionate director a damn readymade tune alright? It’s a complete injustice to the whole project as such!”

Arnav completely ignored everything he just heard, as he extended his hand to pour himself another drink, while lifting the bottle to ask Aman if he needs another.

“I’m speaking to you Arnav!” he heard his father say in revulsion causing his shoulders to slouch in defeat.

“I’m sorry dad! I can’t do better than this. I’m sorry that your son cannot do any better, please just….just just stop expecting for me to change, I’m afraid that’s not happening!” he raised his hands as if giving up, stumping the other two men in the room.

After what seemed like a quite long pause that involved Sidhanth staring at his son with complete expressionless eyes, Arnav heard him sigh and relax back on the chair that he had been sitting in.

“Just say yes or no dad! We will just leave..”

“What will you do if I say no?”

“We can really look for other alternatives…”

“Are you really that desperate Arnav?”

“Exasperated is what I would like to call it”

“Alright then, let’s do this. I’ll give you my tunes. In fact I will sit through the musical sittings and if there is anything that might inspire me, I’ll make a new tune as well….”

“---but?”

Sindhant Raizada laughed out loud at that and stood up walking to fetch the contract paper from the table. “You know me too well son, yeah I have a clause too…”

“Shoot”

Arnav saw his father walk towards another end of the room to collect what looked like a pamphlet from a long linear paper-holder, which he folded opened, the thick card-paper of it filled with splas of and he observed as his father dropped the object on the bed nearby, spreading it wide open revealing its contents.

“Edinburgh Fringe Festival” he said letting his one finger point down at the object on the bed even as Arnav could see Aman walking forward to take a look at it from the corner of his eye.

“What about it?”

“It’s in this August, and you will take part in it”

“What??” Arnav exclaimed incredulously just as Aman picked up the pamphlet to study the content.

“It’s the Edinburgh festival? The festival of all arts?”

Arnav heard Aman read out, but his eyes were only attuned to that of his father’s, communicating multiple questions.

“Every year thousands of performers take to a multitude of stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, operas, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events”

Arnav sniggered at that. “You’ve got to be shitti----kidding me dad!”

“You pay your ghost musicians, don’t you?”

“I’m ready to pay you as well…”

“This is the best way, if you decide to pay me Arnav”

“Oh crap! NO! I will have to make my own music in that contest! What are you even thinking before proposing this? Why would I come to you if I can really do that?”

“You don’t have to make a whole album on someone else’s terms at least? You can do whatever you want, whichever kind of music you can, just one single composition will do. I don’t even want you to win the contest or anything, just pass through the audition. And then you are even free to quit and come back. Plus you have plenty of time until then, go travel the country and explore your mind to see what you can make. I’m telling you Arnav one sincere attempt from you is all I’m asking. Just do it, thinking it would be the last time you are making music….”

“Dad, dad, dad, you are missing the point here, I cannot make music!” Arnav pointed out.

“Cannot, is a very coward word Arnav, but anyway, this is what I propose. Accept this and when you come back we can do the Jash Raj film. For once and for all I’m off your back. Otherwise, you can choose to look at your own other alternatives, like you said earlier” Sindhanth shrugged with finality in his voice and turned away from the two younger men in the room, before walking back towards the window.

“End of the day, it’s your choice to make” Arnav heard him say as he can see his father finally taking a long pull of his wine. Numerous thoughts juggled inside his mind, options weighed themselves against each other and all his paths seemed to be reaching a dead end.  

Scotland?

Madass!

**

Khushi pushed the front door of her house making it bang the wall behind, alerting her arrival only to be greeted by an empty house. Frowning, she checked the time on her wrist watch that barely indicated a few minutes past nine, and her frown only grew wider. Just as she took two conscious steps inside, Coco ran to tug at her feet and Khushi smiled picking it up whilst hugging it, as the creature cooed into her neck.

“Hey kiddo, how was your day?”

Coco waggled her tail causing Khushi to chuckle, as she tugged the animal inside her elbow. “Alright, we can talk all about it while on bed, tell me dearie, is he still working?” It jumped out of her hand at that and started jogging towards the back-door in the kitchen the lead out into the sea-shore. Khushi simply followed, her fastened pace quite enough to keep up with the little animal’s running.

She walked out of the house following Coco, into the porch, as the darkness of the night engulfed her combined with cold sea breeze, she walked inhaling the typical wet sand aura owing to the little drizzling that has started. Khushi switched on the lights of their balcony before running along the porch railing leading out into an adjoining brick shed. As her footsteps echoed along with Coco’s little barks she saw the place illuminated by a soft yellow light and one corner was a long black couch over which her father lay, with his one hand tugged under his head and other holding a book he had been reading while his half resting posture looked completely attuned to the book. Sighing Khushi walked towards him with determined stumping steps and unfolded the extension of the couch letting the cushion lay flat, over which she snuggled beside her father, circling her petite hand over his round tummy. Instantly his hand lifted up allowing her inside and rested on her head, caressing her rough locks away.

“Tired honey?” she heard his soft voice, even as her head moved rhythmically over his breathing tummy. She pressed her cheek more over him, just as she felt Coco, climbing up to rest over her neck. She involuntarily caressed Coco’s silky fur mirroring her father’s actions.

“It has been a long day Coco” she said pouting a little and the animal cooed sounding like a cat.

Sameer Gupta chuckled as he let the book in his hand lay closed over his chest. “I thought I asked not to wait up for dinner Coco, didn’t I?”

“I was reading and kind of lost the track of time”

“---You are a pathetic liar Coco”

Sameer let out a suppressed laugh again, his hand continuing to caress her hair. “You should really apply those typical conditioners they show in advertisements to your hair honey…”

“I wish my hair was naturally silky like yours Coco, I’m such an unlucky one, am I not?”

“Alright alright, I rest my case; you do have lovely hair, okay?”

“Hmm….” She heard herself say barely before curling more into the side of her father, her eyes feeling heavy and her ankles feeling numb, with constant work over the accelerator.

“You don’t really have to do such tiresome back to back trips honey, I thought you just said it will be a part time job until you decide your subject for a diploma”

“Coco, I also said that travelling ensures I get time to think through a lot and I’m still thinkiiiiinnngggggg” her lazy answer was teamed with a sudden growling sound her stomach has uttered, causing Sameer to shuffle into a sitting position.  “That is our dinner call, come on Coco, let’s go” he said picking up Coco from her shoulder and walking towards the exit of the parlor.

“Dad?” he heard her finally talk to him and turned around with only a slightest hint of smirk in his face.

“I, uh, you know right?”

“What honey?”

“I’m sorry”

“Pizza for dinner is really a good idea then!”

“Perfect I will say, and how many joined you today?”

They own a training agency in surfing on the shore of the Belhaven beach, Cathy’s Learn to Surf, Sameer being the sole instructor with a couple of other locals assisting him. Surfing has been one of his passions back then, when he was holidaying in the very same village and he had been an enthusiast to learn the adventure sport. Catherine, his wife was his instructor all those years ago and the mere reason for him to love the sport even more and set up this small agency, having excelled in the sport over the years. The locals always rented boards from his parlor while the tourists who seldom visited the village that was away from the Edinburgh city, mostly preferred him over the lavish academies that were far away from the shore. However with the summer coming to an end and the rainy season kicking in, Khushi knew the new surfers will eventually reduce--- another reason for her to take up the full time job, which she wouldn’t tell him anyway.

“Two I guess”

She heard her father say, just when the telephone of the office demanded their attention as she watched her father walk towards it and pick up answering in his typical cordial tone, which soon turned into excitement that in turn resulted into her own bewilderment.

“Sidhanth! Is that you? Wow what a pleasant surprise man!”

“Arnav, yeah ofcourse, How he is doing?”

“The Fringe festival? Really? That’s awesome Sidhanth. You know right? He should be around within a week to be able to get admission into the auditions”

“Yes, yes of course!”

“Oh, don’t be silly, my place is just a couple of hours away from Edinburgh, definitely, yes Siddy, of course!”

“Yeah, alright”

Khushi was definitely not that dumb to not process what that little conversation meant, and much to her annoyance, the sudden unannounced phone call completely disturbed what she almost believed to be a peaceful night after a long time.

Damn you Badass!