Par Kyon✓ | Kyon Series

8. chicken

8. chicken

The duo waited outside the cafe, even though it was a small homey cafe, it was filled with the neighborhood children and happy parents, and watching the cafe get so crowded was making Akshara anxious. It was common for Akshara to be so hyped and excited for her performances but the very moment that she would have to go face the crowd, her anxieties would drown her.

"You know what, forget it." Akshara said, chuckling as she pulled Aarohi alongwith her, "we should head home, its late anyway."

"You are chickening out, aren't you?" Aarohi chuckled, shaking her head, "tum kab se itni fattu hone lagi? Mujhe laga THE Akshara Goneka, kisi se nahi darti." She teased Akshu only to her frown back.

"I don't get scared of anything. Okay. I am just... tired."

"Okay, chicken," Aarohi teased her, flapping her hands, even the one which was tied to Akshara, "pak pak pak..."

"Aarohi!"

"Akshara..."

"Its not that I get scared..." Akshara replied, on a serious note, enough to get Aarohi's attention, "I... my heartbeats...they race so fast... and sometimes I can hear them so loudly..." Akshara gulped, she had spoken about this only to her parents who had immediately come to her aid, and that was the reason they tagged along to all her performances, so Akshara would look at their smiling faces and let go of her anxieties. "Issliye... chod, you won't understand..."

Aarohi's shoulders slumped down, "kab se ho raha hai ye? Tune kabhi bataya nahi..."

"Tune bhi toh nahi bataya ki school mein bacche tujhe bully karte hai." Akshara raised her eyebrows and Aarohi sighed. "Hum dono alag hai, but ek cheez common hai."

"Kya?" Little Aarohi looked at her sister, "humare family?"

"Nahi," Akshara smiled at her adorable sister, "ki hum dono ek dusre ke saath nahi rehna chahte. The hate is mutual and we can shake one that."

"True." Aarohi chuckled, as they shook hands by their other free hands, "We're almost closer to the end of this horrible day, and we can end it on a better note, if you go and sing." Aarohi nodded, while Akshara frowned.

"I thought you hated my voice, and that I suck."

"Well, I did mean that you suck, but not your voice." Aarohi covered it with a shrug, ignoring Akshar's glare, "also, I love your voice, it helps me calm dow. But..."

"But?"

Aarohi shook her head, muttering a soft nothing, she understood why her parents attended all of Akshara's performances, and she tried to understand but could not because it was unfair to her too.

"There you are!"

The girls heard the familar sweet voice and smiled looking at their parents, all dressed up for the performance, "how have you two been? Anyone's hurt?" Karthik asked, looking at Aarohi, because he knew Akshara could take care of herself.

"You okay, Your Highness?" Karthik knelt down and asked the sad Aaru who only hugged her father.

"Oho, dekho, papa ki chamchi." Naira took Akshara in her arms, caressing her hair as Karthik and Aarohi pouted in annoyance.

"Chamchi nahi, princess." They both replied in unsion, habituated to Naira's comment on them, Akshara chuckled.

"Anyway, hum chale andhar?" Naira asked, as she faced Akshu, "you good baby?"

Akshara nodded, a little scared, "thanks for coming," She hugged Naira and Karthik, dragging Aarohi with her and Naira took her second daughter in her arms too.

"Also, surprise for you two," Karthik announced showing them the silver key to their handcuffs, "we thought Akshu could play better without the cuffs, so here you go." He unlocked the both of them and they sighed, rubbing their wrists.

"Freedom has never felt so good before." Aarohi exclaimed, looking up and sighing.

"I can even taste it." Akshara replied, stretching her arms.

Their parents smiled amongst themselves, both their daughters were dramatic and exactly like Karthik, which to Naira's displeasure was Karthik's favourite thing to tease her about. But things were better than before, because it had been five minutes since they had arrived and none of the sisters had taunted or made fun of each other.

"I feel much better now, I'll try my best to perform." Akshara nodded and Aarohi stood with her parents, waving her a bye and they entered the cafe, Naira enquiring the girl about her studies.

There Akshara went towards the little stage the cafe owner had made, it was the cafe's 10th anniversary and it was a locally famous spot for the people and Akshara's breathing rose as she looked at the crowd in front of her. In her school, the lights would often be dimmed and that would help her relax and sing, but here, here she felt too surreal and scared. Her heartbeats rose again, louder than the mumuring of the crowd, and she gulped, rubbing her hands against the other, clutching on to the guitar behind her back. The performers before her were so good, and the crowd did not seem to mind the little mistakes they did, but would the understand if she left mid-way? They'd laugh at her and Akshara would never be able to sing in public again.

"And next is Akshara Goenka, singing and performing on a bollywood song..."Akshara shook her head, her anxieties were rising and she looked at the table her parents were seated in, to her surprise she saw her Kairav bhaiya too, eating a cheesecake with Aarohi and they all waved at her. She held the mic, unable to speak up and she stammered and never did Akshara feel such pin-drop silence before.

"Karthik, her anxieties are getting out of hand..." Naira spoke softly to her husband, Kairav and Aarohi listening intently, "I think..."

"Yep, we need to get a consultation done."

"But what now?" Kairav asked, feeling sorry for his little sister, "Akshara won't be able to sing again if she does not sing now."

"I have an idea!" Aarohi said, smiling, and she took Kairav's hand and ran towards the stage, standing right upfront.

Akshara and the rest of them watched the little girl walk right upto the stage, stand in front of the crowd and Kairav watched both his sister, a little embarassed to get so much attention.

"Aaru?"

"Tu crowd ko mat dekh," Aarohi shook her head, pointing to her and Kairav, "just think that Kairav bhaiya and me are the only ones here, and sing like you do meri sherni." She smiled and in that little moment, Akshara felt the most loved and a little tear welled up in her eyes.

_