Reality Ever After

Part 26. Physics & Pa

Dedicated to my Pa ♥️
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Alya, Cabir, Dhruv and Mukti had gathered at Cabir's house to help Cabir edit their performance video. All of them were tensed and low. They had been trying to get the video edited the last few hours and it wasn't an easy task. All 4 of them had different opinions on how the video should look but they agreed on one thing that the video should adequately cover all 5 band members, giving each of them enough screen space. But at the same time, when they had made the video, it looked quite out of sync. Cabir had tried explaining to everybody that they couldn't show any of them playing an instrument when there were lyrics in the background. They had to show Manik singing wherever any kind of lyrics were sung. Also, whether they liked it or not, Manik was the selling point in the video. And if they kept showing everyone else more and less of him, people wouldn't watch it anyway. And once again, all four of them had landed up in an argument on how they'd never get noticed if that was the case. In this entire frustrating atmosphere, Cabir had landed up making one version which showed all of them more and less of Manik just to prove it to them on how hideous the video actually looked. 
Cabir - Guys, this video doesn't look good at all. Just look at it. Manik is singing lyrics somewhere and the camera is focusing on me playing the drums. What sense does this make?
Dhruv - Haan par Manik toh poore performance mein lyrics gaa raha hai. Waise toh hume koi screen space hi nahi milegi. Koi notice bhi nahi karega hume.
Cabir - I understand Dhruv but aisa video koi bhi nahi dekhega. This will bring no publicity. In fact, yeh aur bura lagega.
Dhruv - Toh hum aur kar bhi kya sakte hai? Aise toh obvious hai ki sirf Manik ko hi offers milenge. Aur mujhe pata tha yehi hoga. Isiliye Talent Hunt ke time pe mujhe FAB5 chodna tha. Manik ke rehte hum mein se kisi ko bhi koi notice nahi karega. Yeh baat main tum logon ko kabse samjha raha tha. But tum logon ko main hi villain lagta tha us mein.
This time, nobody said anything and kept shut. Though they didn't doubt Manik's intentions, the fact that they didn't get any offers had hurt their self-esteem a little bit. But at the same time, they were all a little guilty that they were holding Manik responsible for it. They had never faced this kind of dilemma ever before.
Mukti - Kya ho gaya hai humein? We are fighting for these things like more screen space in a music video? Like seriously? Yeh humaari friendship se zyaada important kaise ho gaya?
Alya - I understand what you're saying Mukti. But we have to make a career too na? College is about to get over and we have no good offers in our hands. What will we even do after college?
Cabir - I don't know mann. It's all such a mess.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Cabir went and answered the door to see Manik. Manik entered Cabir's apartment and saw the rest of his friends there too. All of them were sitting together and looked very grim and serious.
Manik - What's up guys? Why so serious?
Cabir - Kuch nahi yaar. Video edit kar rahe the.
Manik - Oh great. Ho gaya ya abhi bhi baaki hai?
Cabir - Uhh. nahi.. Ek draft version banaya hai. But I don't think it looks good.
Manik - Chal dekhte hai. Uske pehle. Plates aur glasses nikal. I've got rum, coke and some good old chicken wings.
Cabir - Haan ek minute.
All of them soon poured drinks and sat down to watch the video. As Manik saw the whole video, he could obviously see the attempt of ensuring that they all got noticed in the video which meant less of him. Not like he cared about more screen space or anything. But the fact that his friends had tried to do this, kind of pinched him a little. However, he was trying to empathic towards them. It was a little unfair that he got all the big offers unlike the rest of them. But they were a band. And they needed to overcome this. They couldn't let such a menial thing break their band. And to be fair, this video was very badly made. If he was a viewer, he'd not watch it more than once.
Manik - What do you guys think about this video?
Cabir - I think it's shit.
Dhruv - Mujhe theek laga.
Mukti - I'm not a fan of it either.
Alya - I don't know. I've seen it too many times to have an opinion on it anymore.
Cabir - Manik, tujhe kya lagta hai?
Manik - I don't think it's upto the mark. Agar main viewer hota, toh shayad dusri baar nahi dekhta. And this video doesn't glorify us as FAB5. This is trying to showcase that every band member is seen on-screen. Which technically, is not our goal.
All of them agreed but they didn't say anything.
Manik - Guys, I know aaj jo hua, usse tum log bohot disappointed ho. And trust me, I'd rather not have those offers without you guys anyway. In fact, I'm not even thinking of pursuing them. Because music, for me, is FAB5 and our friendship. Agar hum saath mein nahi hai, toh music se bhi koi matlab nahi hai.
Cabir - Toh tujhe kya lagta hai hume aage kya karna chahiye?
Manik - I have a plan. I was researching a little today and I was thinking what was lacking previously. Hum sirf humaare music pe focus kar rahe the and that was the only thing we were trying to sell. But now, we need to put FAB5 -  the band on the globe. We need to show the world that we are FAB5, the best friends who play brilliant music but only together as a band. The whole of SPACE looks up to us not just for our music but more for our friendship. And we need to show the rest of the world the same thing. Everyone should be able to identify our band for our friendship and that's exactly what we need to sell. People will like our music automatically if they can identify with us or look upto us. So basically, what I'm trying to say is our USP should be us showing the world  our bond as friends. That way, any music label will think of us as one unit and not 5 individual musicians and they would want to capitalise on the same thing.
Cabir - That is a brilliant idea.
Alya - I agree. We should show the world who we truly are. The best of friends.
Mukti - I'm in.
Dhruv - I'm in too. But hume karna kya hoga?
Manik - Okay great. So listen to the plan. This video. We need to redo it just the way it works commercially. Jahaan pe bhi mere close ups hai, just replace those with the whole band playing together. I don't mind it.
The moment Manik said that, the rest of them felt guilty for making the video they did in the first place. And they knew Manik had also noticed that but chose to ignore it.
Manik - Next, we need to make a 'behind the scenes' video with all of us in college. This will be a mix of all of us talking about FAB5 as a band and our friendship. We can cover things about how we all became friends, how did we form the band, probably give in glimpses of the first song we made together and capture our bond as it really is. And the last thing we can do is probably let people from college talk about us. We can put up all of this with a gap of a couple of days in between and we promote all of this extensively on social media.
Cabir - Sounds like a plan. Main aaj raat ko hi yeh video phirse edit kar deta hoon.
Manik - Great. And can we do the 'Behind the Scenes' video tomorrow?
Mukti - Sounds great. But arrangements kaise karenge?
Alya - I can take care of the costumes, hair and make-up artists.
Manik - Why do you need 'hair and make-up' artists. Don't you put enough make-up on you already?
Alya - Oh please Manik. We're going to be all over social media. We have to look perfect.
Manik - The idea is to look like your real self. Not some bollywood actress.
Mukti - Manik, tu tere real look waale ideas hai na sirf Nandini ko de. Woh maanegi tere 'real look' waale concept ko.
Alya - Haan. We're not going to do anything without the hair and make-up.
Manik - Fine.
Manik mentally was thanking God for ensuring Nandini was nothing like that.
Cabir - Okay fine. I can get people for lights and cameras. Mere thode contacts hai.
Dhruv - Main sound dekh leta hoon.
Mukti - Main aur Manik kya kare?
Cabir - Tum dono sirf time pe uthke aa jaana. Baaki ka hum sambhaal lenge.
Manik - Kitne baje milna hai?
Cabir - 11?
Alya - Haan. 11 sounds good.
Manik - What 11 sounds good? 3 toh abhi baj gaye.
Mukti - Manik yaar. Ek din kam so le na yaar.
Manik - Fine. I'll be there.
Cabir - Yeh pakka Nandini ko bolega isse uthaane ke liye.
Manik - Tujhe sirf mere time pe aane se matlab hai na. Main kaise bhi uthu, tujhe kya?
Mukti - Fine. Tujhe jaise uthna hai uth jaana. Mujhe abhi ghar drop kar. Mere paas car nahi hai.