The big day of concert finally arrived; Sammy along with her band-mates was at the venue since afternoon. That being a sponsored event, a huge open space that could occupy hundreds of people was arranged and they were already sold out. Backstage was crowded with band members, busy prepping up for the musical performance whereas, Sammy was being all finicky about her dress fittings.
"Straighten your back and loosen up a bit" said designer- Sara. "Is it alright now?"
"No..." Sammy shook her head, studying her reflection in the full-length mirror. "Can't we reduce the length of the skirt by an inch? I don't want to lose my leg and make a fool out of myself again."
"Can't you manage to stand at one place and just... sing your bit?" Sara shrugged.
"Of course, I can. But please do me a favour..." Sammy tilted her head in Sara's direction, who butted in saying, "Forget it" and raised her hands in submission "I might as well alter your skirt." Sammy snorted watching the expressions on Sara's face. They had gone through this many times in the past and by now, both knew how unpredictable Kabeer could be on stage.
Whenever Sammy sung a duet with him, he would suddenly offer her his hand; the audience would applaud and she would be left with no choice, but to string along and perform some stupid dance moves. During their last performance, she almost tumbled on the stage like an empty barrel. Damn!! She was so embarrassed and wished to disappear that instance.
It was early evening; her band mates had gradually cramped up in that not-so-spacious dressing room making it impossible to breathe, so Sammy went out to get some fresh air. As she walked up the stage, she saw Kabeer checking the microphone and sound settings with the tech guys. Everything looked perfect except Kabeer; his hair was a mess and so were his clothes; drowsiness veiled the brightness in his eyes, broadcasting his sleepless nights.
"All ok, Bhai?" she asked.
"Yes... Everything's perfect. I just wanted to double check." He sounded tired.
"I was talking about you. Come, let's sit here" Pointing at the space towards the edge of the stage, they sat down winging their legs down the stage wall. "I think you should rest up while you can. We still have three hours." She suggested.
"I know, but this one is bigger than the previous one and I just want everything to be perfect."
"I understand. But at this rate, you might end up unconscious even before the concert begins." Stating the matter-of-factly she smiled and suggested, "Why don't you just lie down here for some time and if anything comes up, I'll wake you up?"
"And you wouldn't take a no for an answer?" He smirked and Sammy nodded; Kabeer fainting right before the event was the last thing any of them would want. "Thanks for caring, Lil Sis" He pulled her cheeks and like a sweet little kid, he lay back on the stage closing his eyes. Sudden silence spread all around them and all she could hear was the tech guys rattling something amongst them, at a distance. Sammy sat straight, closed her eyes to find her calm, when almost an hour later, her phone rang loud making her jump.
"Kunal? What happened?" She whisper-asked through the phone.
"Why are you whispering?" He sounded extra loud in her ears.
"Because Kabeer is sleeping next to me. I don't want to disturb him." Shit!! Please don't take it the wrong way.
What? Please say I understood it wrong. "What do you mean 'sleeping next to you'? And who's Kabeer?" He prattled.
YOU ARE READING
Fated Under The Dark Sky
RomanceThis is my first book... :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friends, love, hope and dreams are the four pillars of teenage. While they mold the life for...