In His Custody ✎ (MaNan)

✰ 33 - not a favour

I fell horribly sick the second half of last week, and opening my eyes itself had been extremely difficult, but I promised a double update: so here we go!

Der aaye, lekin durust aaye? :P

I do want to also celebrate our story being added to WattpadFanFictionIN's reading list (which is so so unbelievable honestly!) and it could not have been possible without your support <3

So thank you thank you, every spam commenter, active voter, and silent reader, kisiko bhi list se nahi chodd sakte :P

⭒

Manik

In the studio filled with darkness, a spotlight emerged on the stage before us. The moment we had all been waiting for had come. We huddled and walked into the beam that wiped out most of the hollowness in the arena, while our features mildly lit by the artificial set up.

Still nowhere close to the miniscule trinkle of fairy lights her fireflies left behind in that trail. 

On the car ride to the studio, I made a mental note of the instruments that needed collection, and seeing to that my guitar was in the boot, we arranged the rest of the group to take with with them Rose's piano and Cabir's drums from our hotel, and set them both up, thankfully in time for Khurana's entry into the soundproof space.

Cabir blasted the bass as the other instrumentalists quickly fell in sync at the first cue.  Strumming the guitar to set the tone, I began my piece at the right drop.

Dooriyan hai, hum mein kaheen

Though music seemed to carry itself using me as a medium to write its destiny, that particular day something had been intervening my natural flow and I was having to consciously tune myself into the vibe we were trying to create.

Deewaare hai dilo mein hai khadi

Sau raastey hai, manzil ek hi...

Unlike a few hours ago when I felt magnanimous peace walking down that familiar strip of land, as if she had left a part of her back in Lonavala. A vision as though she was by my side, her hand tenderly stroking mine while her wanderlust gaze traced their shadows in a magical trance, scouting those miniature creatures that brought her immense happiness as if she was on a mission to do so.

Kho na jaaye hum, saare yaheen...

And suddenly, I found myself eagerly looking for a sign, a symbol of hope myself; if anything, what should have been on my mind was music and the rehearsal that was either going to floor Khurana or floor Khurana but the dream during my afternoon nap had thoroughly shaken me, and an ambiguous fear that she was too far gone from my reach ebbed at the rims of my heart.

Mitado yeh, lakeero ko

Ek hi aasma hai, ek hi hai zameen

Why had she been affecting me that much? High school was over half a decade ago, I had no reason to be so melancholic about her or the memories of her. I was so over that, I had thought. 

Yet a symbol that would indicate our paths would cross again was all I sought; precisely then was when we entered a canopy and her fireflies glowed under its shelter. It could not be a never – that realisation calmed my nerves. I would finally get a chance to apologise for my immature mistakes and set myself guilt-free, and I could resume life again on normal terms, back in Manchester... far far away from Mumbai and India altogether where shadows of my tragic existence hopelessly lingered to chain me down at their first opportunity.