Mumbai,

Arnav Singh Raizada — a name so famous all around the world and had won several Filmfare awards for his dedication towards the music and the masterpieces he made, was standing on the stage singing the newest song that was released a few days ago. His concerts were always busy with his fans cheering for him. Just like today.

"ASR. ASR. ASR." The fandom was crazy for him, as they screamed their lungs out showing their crazy love for him.

ASR continued to sing. The concert was going great for him. The stage was set on fire with his amazingly beautiful voice.

"One more."

"One more."

The crowd was cheering him to sing more when, unfortunately, the song had ended. He smiled at all of his fans and sang one more song for them, making them happy.

People showered confetti over the stage when he started the next song that hit their hearts straight. Their confetti never reached his head, lingering on the ground before it could touch. Yet that didn't stop them from cheering and clapping for him as he sang the lines.

Tum logon ki, is duniya mein

Har kadam pe, insaan galat

Main sahi samajh ke jo bhi kahoon

Tum kehte ho galat, main galat hoon phir kaun sahi..

(In this world of you people,

at every step, a human is wrong..

whatever I feel is right and say,

you call it wrong, if I'm wrong then who's right?)

Marzi se jeene ki bhi main

Kya tum sabko arzi doon

Matlab ki tum sabka mujhpe

Mujhse bhi zyada haq hai

Saadda haq, aithe rakh

(Should I send you a request

for me to live with my own wish?

means you all have a right on me

more than I do..

(it's) my right, put it here (give it to me))

Some of them were busy singing along with him, enjoying the melodious voice of ASR filled with such an intensity that he could bring life to the words.

Saadda Haq

Aithe Rakh

Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh

Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh

(Our right,

Right here!

Our right, keep it here!

Our right, keep it here!)

The peak in his pitch had made them crazy. They flashed the lights from their phones, tuning along.

"I love you, ASR!" A few people from the crowd screamed. They were his die-hard fans.

ASR smiled and continued the next set of lines, making their hearts beat harder and harder.

hey

in qataaron mein

ya udhaaron mein

tum mere jeene ki aadat ka kyun ghot rahe dum

besaleeqa main

us gali ka main

na jismein hayaa na jismein sharam

(hey,

in these queues,

or in credits,

why do you choke my habit of living..

I am mannerless,

I am from that street,

where there is no shame..)

mann bole ke

rasmein jeene ka harjaana

duniya dushman sab begaana

inhe aag laga na

mann bole

mann bole

mann se jeena ya mar jaana haan

(Heart says that..

customs are compensation (like a fee here) for living,

this world is an enemy an all belong to someone else.

burn them..

heart says..

heart says..

to live by the heart, or die...)

Some of them even started shaking their bodies on the lines. Tapping feet on the beat, the beat of their favorite musician had taken them to heaven. ASR's voice was an addiction and if he sang as if he wasn't just singing, they'd get addicted more.

O Eco friendly

Nature ke rakhshak

main bhi hoon nature

(O Eco Friendly,

O saver of nature,

I am nature too..)

rivaajon se

samaajon se

kyun

tu kaate mujhe

kyun baante mujhe is tarah

(From customs,

from societies,

why

do you cut me off..

why do you divide me like that?)

The craze has increased to such an extent that bodyguards were needed to keep them in the place who are trying to climb the stage. Some were clapping and jumping throwing some confetti at him.

kyun sach ka sabak sikhaye

jab sach sun bhi na paaye

sach koi bole to tu,

niyam kaanoon bataye

(Why do you teach the lesson of truth

when you cannot even listen to the truth,

when someone speaks the truth

you start telling (giving) rules and regulations..)

tera dar

tera pyaar

teri waah

tu hi rakh

rakh saale

(your fear,

your love,

your praise..

you only keep..

keep them, damn it!)

Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh

Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh(x12)

(Our right, keep it here!

Our right, keep it here!)

The contest ended with his fans screaming and singing the song aloud even after ASR had stopped singing. His song was done, the contest was over and people still sang, showering their love on him.

"ASR!"

"ASR."

"ASR."

They continued to applaud him when the song ended and Arnav walked backstage. The media was ready to interview him and his fans were dying for selfies and autographs.

The media is all over the place wanting at least a word out of his mouth for their news to increase the TRP.

ASR had ignored all of them, including a woman clad in black trousers and a white shirt with a ponytail on her head. When ASR walked away without bothering to reply to his fans and media, knowing his personality, she sighed and ran behind his Manager instead.

"Excuse me, sir." She screamed at Aman going towards him. Aman was talking with someone on phone. A producer might be. She thought, frowning. He should follow ASR as soon as he completes the call. But when he heard a woman's voice calling out for him, he sighed turning towards the woman.

A media person — another one!

Aman could release a deep breath knowing what was to come next.

"I want an interview with ASR, sir. Please one interview?" she pleaded to him. She anyhow wanted to interview him. It'd be so advantageous for their channel and their TRP would increase if she managed to get an interview — even if it's for five minutes — from ASR who isn't less than a man with mysteries.

"I'm sorry. You know ASR is never into giving interviews. He won't like it and anyway deny the offer. So, you better try for some other celebrities. Don't waste your time on ASR," Aman strictly denied. He was specifically ordered by ASR not to accept any interviews for him unless they were from the producers or directors who wanted his presence for the promotion.

In those rare moments too, ASR wouldn't stay for long. He isn't a socially active person, always glued to his home or the studio, composing music. Nothing else was his world other than that. Or maybe he had another world and people just don't see it.

"Please, just one interview. I won't even ask about his personal life. It's just about his career. That's it," she tried for one more time. If she's determined about something, she'd get it anyhow.

Aman chuckled at the woman, "I know your media person's trick. Don't try to trap me in it. I'm an old fish if you don't remember."

She rolled her eyes at him as he walked away from her. She so wanted to kick him for this. If he had agreed, her promotion would be there for sure.

Again a missed chance. Her boss wouldn't promote her now.

————

Aman had come and sat beside the driver and the driver started the car followed by two more cars for his security.

Arnav finally looked up from his phone and asked Aman. They've been waiting for him so long now, "Why late, Aman? What's wrong?"

Aman sighed answering him, "A Journalist wanted your interview."

Arnav rolled his eyes, looking away into the busy streets of Mumbai, "God, again! Why does a media person doesn't understand a NO means a NO?"

His words were a low murmur yet the driver and Aman were able to hear him in the silence with no music in their car.

Aman chuckled scrolling through his phone "Why are you chuckling now?"

Aman giggled again before answering his boss. "Nothing, ASR. You sounded like someone who is getting harassed by your crazy lover."

It looked like the same to him and he couldn't help from giggling more earning a snort from Arnav, who husked in his husky voice, "You're unbelievable, Aman. Seriously?"

"Seriously," Aman stressed the word, laughing again.

Arnav shrugged him off and thought about the media people, muttering under his breath with a breath of fresh air, "I am so sure these media people don't have any self-respect."

"Nobody does these days, ASR. Not everyone is like you," Aman grumbled, posting an update on his Boss's Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter profiles.

"Are you trying to be sarcastic?" Arnav glared at his manager who was friendly to him and working for him from the time he started his career as a singer.

"What? No way, ASR." Aman denied, shrugging it off, and smiled at the thought that he could be sarcastic with his boss.

"Better," Arnav murmured, his attention shifted towards the Magazine. Their cover page was his image with his achievements on it.

Their journey continued as the seconds tickled until Arnav's eyes fell on someone and he ordered the man to stop the car.

Without bothering about the calls of his bodyguards, he ran towards the person, leaving Aman and his bodyguards baffled. Aman was more worried for him.

Hi TV News channel headquarters,

It was the third-best channel in India and they always wanted to reach the top. It'd happen only if they go behind someone who isn't available for any other channel. So, its Managing Director, Mr. Ram had thumped the task in her hands — Khushi Kumari Gupta, for the mission to bring ASR onto their TV screen. He knew she usually never failed at her tasks and just waited for her promotion as the reward, taking that as an advantage, he gave her the responsibility. She'd do it anyhow. That's why she was Khushi. The Khushi for their company.

"What happened? Did ASR agree to the interview?" Ram asked Khushi, who was sitting in front of him, drinking a glass of wine along with him.

She released a breath and shook her head, sipping another one from her wine glass, "No."

"I didn't expect this from you, Khushi. I hoped you'd anyhow make him agree to the interview." Ram was disappointed. He really had high hopes on the best employee of his company. He was, in fact, waiting for her positive reply.

Listening to the reply which didn't satisfy him, he didn't hide his disappointment.

"I'll, sir. Just give me some more time. He doesn't even stop, not even to give autographs to his fans. I just didn't get the chance to meet him directly. His manager denied the interview to my face," Khushi remembered Aman denying it even after her pleadings. It isn't like this was the first time she asked. She managed to get appointments before, nonetheless, all went useless when Aman denied her.

She even stalked him in the concert and hoped would get a chance to interact with ASR directly. Studying him already had given her enough information about how he was. With low chances of success, she had high hopes for the same success. Quite a conflicting statement. But she was KKG for nothing, she loved conflicts. 

This is why she's here as the best journalist and had rewarded the best for her work as well, at an age of just 26.  

"Alright. I'm giving you more time. Just make sure you do it fast. Our channel should stay one step ahead of others," Ram gave the final chance to his company's asset. Yes, she's an asset for his company, always a step ahead in taking risky projects, not really caring about her life.

The recent one was report coverage on Hazardous Chemicals that were getting used in the food people eat. It was risky for her to complete the task on it and gets the dark truth out open on TV. If she did it still, it was all because of her guts and bravery.

"Yes, boss. I get it." Khushi stood up, and bidding him bye, she walked out of the office, calling her friend, Lavanya Kashyap to come to their usual place — The Dreams Club.

The Dreams Club,

Both of them caught up with each other and their adventures this week, sitting in the corner of the club, away from the hustle and bustle, drinking Tequila.

Khushi, in between their conversation, exclaimed high with the Tequila shots she had, "Oh, god! My boss will kill me one day. Instead of giving me a promotion even if I deserve it, he's stalling it just because he is so obsessed with ASR's interview."

Lavanya chuckled, winking at her before uttering, teasing the obsessed boss, "Looks like your boss loves ASR the most."

"Whatever, let's go and dance," Khushi kept the glass aside and grabbed Lavanya, dragging her to the dance floor, dancing away with the other girls and boys, the song numbers kept changing and they didn't give a damn about it that it was their third song already.

She danced to her heart's content and was tired from it, her legs ached and since she was high on Tequila, she felt nauseous. Excusing herself from Lavanya and others, she managed to walk to the washroom, washing her mouth and face after throwing up in the sink, she walked out, pressing her aching head.

Only to bump into a man with a scarf covering his face, who was five inches taller than her. And the last thing she remembered was him patting her cheeks, trying to wake her up. 

To be continued..,

Let me know what you think about the update.

Arnav?

Khushi?

Aman?

Regards,

Poly

12/02/2023