Beyond The Golden Skies

♛ 11: Golden Opportunity •

In the canteen of Yash Financial Consultants, Ayush waited in line and ordered a coffee. The caterer served it in a paper cup and placed it on the counter. He stood on the balcony, taking in the panoramic view of the golden skies covering Sonambar. For once, the coffee tasted good. He checked the notifications on his phone- a missed call from an unknown number. Ayush rang it back.

"Hey, I got a call from you."

"Hello, is this Mr Ayush Singh?"

"Yes, speaking."

"I'm Naveen Bansal, first-level organiser of public events and gatherings. We are looking for a musician to perform at The Amore Grande inauguration party."

"What?!" His words made Ayush feel dizzy.

There was massive hype around Sonambar's first five-star restaurant. Getting a chance to participate in its inaugural ceremony would be a dream come true and open up new possibilities for his musical career.

"Would you be interested in joining us, sir?"

"Definitely!"

"We are offering 3,000 Rupees as the base payment. However, you we provide incentives based on your performance."

"Sounds good. When is the event?"

"Tomorrow."

"What are the timings?"

"The event starts at 11 in the morning and goes on till late evening."

Pain shredded his chest. Yash had scheduled a board meeting at the same time. He couldn't skip it at any cost if he wanted to save his job.

"I won't be able to make it, sorry."

"Oh, no worries. Thank you."

"Thanks."

Pushing his cup aside, he rested his head on the table, wondering why his life was this complicated. When he liked a girl, she turned out to be from a rival family. When he got a solid chance to live his dream, it fell on an impossible day.

A call from Sakshi popped on his phone, making his heart skip a beat. Despite his father's warnings, he couldn't resist her. His thumb clicked on the green icon.

"Hey, yaara."

"Hello, Ayush. Why did you refuse The Amore Grande offer?"

"So you gave them my number!"

"Leave that aside, tell me why you rejected it.

"My boss will chuck me out if I take leave. He's got a so-called board meeting I can't afford to miss."

"It's not every day that such an opportunity comes up, please think it over."

"Trust me, Sakshi, I'm dying to be there, but I don't have another option."

"Don't die! Stay alive and sing at the program," she said with a soft chuckle.

"My boss is waiting to fire me. I can't risk it now, I need money to pay the bills and for Papa's treatment."

"Give me your boss' number."