1: An Aimless, A Conflict:

Tune Into me

1: An Aimless, A Conflict:

Sunday Edition, Mumbai Times                                                                              Page 23

Singer, Music Director, Arnav Singh Raizada, is yet again in news for reasons other than music. Reportedly, the legendary Sidhanth Raizada’s only son has been accused of Music Plagiarism by one of the upcoming Singer-writer, Prem Shah. If sources are to be believed, the young talent who came into lime light through Television Reality show Singing Sensation claims that all his compositions and songs have been used by Raizada, for which he was even offered quite a huge amount in return. Apparently, all tunes of the latest Raizada musical-Bepanah, are Shah’s own compositions and the young musician suddenly demands full credit for the album’s success. Shah, has even claimed that except for the first two block-busters (Pyar hai, Pagalpan) delivered in his debut year, Arnav have been buying tracks from the upcoming musicians throughout the seven odd years of his career. While this was easily dismissed as a publicity stunt of Shah, by most of the Page3 celebs, Raizada however continued keep mum, as usual.

The star-kid, known for his tantrums in his musical recordings and arrogance in award functions, has never left any stone unturned to be in the limelight for wrong reasons. The latest being his high-end dramatic break-up in a private party, with the model turned actress, Smitha Rathod who he had been dating since about an year. “I caught him red-handed with another girl in his bed”, the actress gave an open statement and yet it didn’t manage to earn any reaction from the apparent player himself.

If it’s the showbiz we are looking at, the smoke of rumors will be filling around the starry air, but how much of it is because of the actual fire, is something yet to be known.

Keep watching this space for more updates.

Divya, Editor, Page3, Mumbai Times.

**

“Keep watching this space for more updates, Divya, Editor, Page3, Mumbai Times. So, I’m actually watching the Divya herself, I would love to hear the more updates you were talking about Divya…”

Dressed in a thick white full sleeved sweater t-shirt, thrown over a pair of torn black-jeans, his slightly long hair held back by a typical thin hair-band accessory, his mystic dark eyes glinting with little mischief, the corners of his mouth lifted coyly, Arnav leaned back in the sofa, as his eyes momentarily glanced the paper that was thrown over the glass table and then fixed his eyes back on the girl sitting across him.

His eyes scanned her body language quite willingly and a distinct smug adorned his face. It looked like she was quite enjoying the view that was right in front of her, her girly antics perfectly hidden behind her professional aura of a woman that she claimed to be, and things like this, definitely wouldn’t go unnoticed by Arnav.

Sexy combination!

“Not many would recognize, but I’m a decent looking guy myself….” He sneered.

She looked up, surprised that he had caught her noticing him and swallowed hard, pushing away any traces of nervousness as she resumed her professional exterior.

“It’s the news going around since many days, and for all we know it might be the truth even, I don’t understand why am I the even being questioned here, you could try and justify your stance rather?”

“Uh, uh, don’t get me wrong darling, you aren’t being questioned here, not at all. And you are right, there are a lot of rumors around, and yet I chose you, to have this conversation, are you really complaining about it?”

“Sir?”

Arnav stretched his one hand and used his other to fold the long sleeve up towards his elbow, making the compressed folds of garment to reside at the muscle of his toned arm, keeping his eyes all the while attuned to his actions, a body-language he most involuntarily used to announce the superiority around. “Have you ever thought that words could look sexy?” he spoke not lifting his eyes as his hands continued the same action at his other sleeve.

“Words?” he heard the girl ask, confusion evident in her voice and he finally looked up resting his elbow over the hand of the sofa as he met his eyes with that of her apprehensive ones.

“Aha! Words. I heard your words through your article, and they sounded sexy. After a little bit of digging in, I gathered that you have wanted an interview from me for so long now…”

“I’m here for an interview sir….”

“That is all you want from me?”

Her smiled died on her face, as she registered what he was suggesting. Just as he expected, she stood up abruptly, pushing the sofa behind her a little and she looked down at him, with what seemed like an insulted look. “I’m sorry Mr.Raizada, I’m quite aware of your reputation and your antics, but let me tell you this, I do not work under you for you to think you can have your way with me, and I’m not the kind of girls, who use sex for their professional development….”

“In that case, Divya, I feel sorry for you. I really did think, that your too small of a skirt…” he paused getting up to stand facing her, his one finger pointing to her exposed thighs, “Freshly made hair, more than one opened button of your shirt, thick kohl and rather bright lipstick, suggested something else…” he made his lips straight mocking disappointment, even as his eyes continued to look at her flirtatiously.

“My bad, anyway, nice meeting you..” he said extending his one hand forward.

Just as he expected her lips parted into a flirty smirk as she pushed her hand inside his, which he held rather firmly, his fingers pressing her palm suggestively with the intention between the both of them being communicated perfectly.

“Senior Editor in chief?” she asked raising an eye-brow.

“No more Music-Plagiarism news or digging in….”

“---I’ll disprove the previous one with a new article even…”

He smiled pushing his lower lip to tug inside, as his tongue rolled inside his cheek, quite impressed with his own self. And Arnav Singh Raizada handled another threat of a situation, yet again, in his own way.

**

“Are they equipped with the tracks of those two movie songs Aman?” Arnav asked not lifting his eyes from his phone as the car race on his touch screen increased its speed, while Arnav walked along the long corridors of the 7-star hotel, whilst using his fingers to swipe when needed.

“Yes bhai, I told them the rules….” Aman almost jogging to catch with his cousin’s long strides.

“The mike shouldn’t be working even for a second…”

“I’ll take care of that”

As the stage filled with his band and electrical equipment greeted him, the darkness of the evening illuminated with bright stadium lights, Arnav walked, the guitar hanging to his one side just when the thousands of spectators roared in excitement. He waved and blew air-kisses at the female lot in the front, and held the stand of electronic microphone as he waited for the song to play in the back-ground.

Just as his very own composition, the one that came out of his initial passion, that he knew no longer existed now, started playing in the background, the crowd roared yet again, unaware that the musicians acted as if playing the instruments live and he would even be doing exactly the same in about a few seconds.

Lip-sync to his own song playing in the background…

***

I breathe the air that I live in,

I whisper to the wind that blew in,

Hoping the tune would come along,

Wishing the void would somehow fill along..

But the days continued to remain bleak…

And I continued to remain aimless…

Aimless days,

That stretched, for times undefined,

And yet here I’m, sailing through the tides with no endeavor,

Waiting for the beam of an uncertain shimmer,

But Aimless days continued to haunt the nights…..

She closed the book with a thud sound, squeezing her eyes shut, even as she tried to recall the vague dream yet again. Something was wrong with her, she realized.

Music!

She sighed hating the way the mere word sounded as she whispered it.

Khushi pushed the wooden object vigorously aside, not wanting to remember anything the book might remind her, as she plopped her elbows over the study table, burying her face inside her palms, her rough wavy early morning messy locks coming in way of her fingers which she hastily pushed behind as her eyes closed forcing herself out of those weird images of the vague dream.

A soft sensation at her feet, the little licking sound caused her to swerve her eyes down, even as her lips started curving up into a pouty smile.

“Good Morning Coco! Come, come come come…” she lifted the Yorkshire terrier placing it on the table, just as it licked her slender long fingers at her nails that were painted with black.

“Are you hungry kiddo? Hmm? huh?” Khushi caressed the long brown furs, tugging its forehead using her palm, as she continued to speak sweet nothings through her pouted lips. Coco lay flat on the table  completely surrendering itself to her master, as the big jewel-like eyes looked at her, khushi noticed the little wobbling the animal was doing around the things on the table.

“Oh, it’s nothing; I had that dream again. Can you believe it? That’s like the third time I’m seeing the similar dream, the words are different this time though…” she made her lips straight as Coco continued to look at her, alerting its leafy ears.

“No, it’s just the eyes again, I don’t recognize them, really!”

Coco cooed, sounding like a cat as it gave up wobbling sitting right ahead of Khushi’s face. “Do you think there is some chemical imbalance in my brain?”

Little coco jumped yelping a little, throwing itself onto Khushi’s chest, causing her to chuckle, as she gathered the dog in to her arms, her palms continuing to caresses the glossy fur of the animal. “No, no? okaaay!!” she giggled just as the dog’s little raccoon paws tickled the sides of her neck.

“Okay okay, little macho man, I get it, thanks for the love.. Ow..”

Khushi continued to play and laugh along with the animal, which is when she heard the sound again. A distinct piano played, while a dominating guitar echoed along with it. Both the dominating instruments, picked up a soothing tune, even as other instrumental sounds of brass, drums and bells remained in the background, giving the whole tune a much needed modern peppy rhythm.

Khushi squeezed her eyes shut, as the familiar agitation engulfed her and she was quite distressed with herself for even identifying the separate sounds of each musical instrument. She opened her eyes with Coco, still nuzzling at her neck, as she glared at the exit of her room, determined to settle the torment inside her, in her own way.

Khushi Gupta cannot stand the sound of music!

**