A huge clapping sound was heard as an echo for him. He was dreaming for sure; this was not happening in his life. People praising him for his talent – how on earth was it possible? He asked himself again and again. But teary eyes that clapped for him, standing up from their chairs, gave answers to his every question. He didn't know who she was, but he could sense hope in his life from her teary eyes. She was actually proud of him. People glanced at her and him, clapped longer with her. He thought people must have guessed her to be his girlfriend, but only he knew that she's a stranger to him. His first public appearance became a success because of her hope for him. She even knew his song by heart.

"Thank you so much!" - He uttered his words to the guests who clapped for him.

"And thank you for believing in me." - These were the words that came out of his knowledge for the girl who was standing and clapping for him in the middle of the crowd. She chuckled while heaving out her deep breath when he mentioned her on the stage. All he could say for her was she really had some charisma in her which drives him towards her in no time.

His legs automatically walked down from the stage, keeping his eyelids constantly on her. Even she was walking towards him in a rush. She was not like a normal girl he met but different. Girls usually don't show their excitement in their faces abruptly like her or there are many kinds left for him to explore still in this world. After Ragini, he really started his research on girls. But this kind whom he's witnessing in front of his eyes was definitely like some other girls whom he hooked up with until he became completely broke.

Finally, he reached her. The excitement in her face faded away, but tension overruled her face. He noticed her taking continuous deep breaths until he smiled a little wider at her than his usual smirk. Heaving out her breath, she smiled at him widely, showing all her teeth.

"Sorry for asking this. Do I know you? I saw you lipsyncing the correct lyrics. By any chance, did you see my videos on YouTube?" - He asked her. Her eyes went wide in an "are-you-serious" expression.

"I am sorry, sir. I will not only watch your YouTube videos but live on your songs. Do you have any idea how it hooked me up to fly down to Kolkata just to see you?" - Anika asked in return, leaving him in a stunned state. He assured himself that he was definitely dreaming.

"Hi, Shivaay. I think you can remember me by my username, Honey_love22." - Anika said with the same excitement and forwarded her hand to him. He picked up her hand with his two palms just to assure that she really exists or he was just hallucinating. But he felt her warm and soft palm which made him believe that she really exists and read her face. Her excitement changed into shock when he held her palms like that. He was really spoiling the moment with his foolish act, he knew that.

"And you killed it today, Shivaay. I must say that I couldn't take off my eyes from you. I felt like flying in the sky. I don't know what you possess on me, Shivaay." - She said, still leaving her hand inside his tight grip. Shivaay felt like a person who found a pond of water in the desert. He tried to control his tears, he succeeded while masking the widest smile on his face. He remembered her, and he was right; she was one of those 18 members who loved his songs and motivated him at every point.

"Ah, seriously, I don't know how to respond." - He said with a smile. And he really didn't want this conversation to end on his end and wanted it to continue till his last breath. This is what he needed in his life, the evidence that whatever he was chosen as destiny was not a mistake.

"You're really healing me; do you know that?" - She said to him while tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey," - He tried to console her. While then, he noticed her palm inside his grip and released it immediately, murmuring sorry, which made her chuckle again. He didn't know why he heard her chuckle like Christmas chime, which he loves to hear from the moment he got into his sense or even before that. He wished Ravi credits his money as soon as possible so that he could offer her a drink and made this conversation last at least till the night.

"Would you mind having a drink with me? Only if you're free." - She asked. He was getting a surprise after a surprise; God, she's different for sure.

"I am actually free for the rest of my life, I think. After choosing my destiny." - He said with a smile.

"If you believe in yourself, you're halfway to it. In my conception, you're just a percentage away. Soon you will grab it like today. Have you heard the clapping sound?" - She asked him with her innocent tone while smiling widely. He could see the red shade even brighter in her cheeks. Is she blushing?

"Okay, I will have a drink with you," - He couldn't deny it. All he wanted was to spend time with her.

They took a seat over the table across the corner, which was the only free space. She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea for her. Shivaay was slightly taken aback when she ordered an alcoholic drink for herself, but he didn't judge her. He felt she wouldn't have had alcohol in her life as she was too innocent and young to drink. But he didn't ask her age.

"Whiskey Sour for me." - He ordered from the waiter while catching her wide eyes, which blinked away when he saw her. She looks so cute when she blinks away her eyes to hide her excitement.

*************

Is this happening for real? She asked herself again and again as he continued to talk to her and answered her innocent question without having a pinch of pride on his face. She is his fan, for God's sake. Even Anika couldn't control her excitement when he said yes to having a drink with her. But she was slightly taken aback when he ordered alcohol while she ordered iced-tea for herself. It's okay; she was not judging him. But she really didn't want his beautiful throat, which produces mesmerizing voice, to get dipped in disgusting alcohol. And it was too soon to say it to him.

"Here's our drink." - Shivaay said with the same smile on her face which ached her heart even more. She really didn't want to be so obvious. But inside, her heart was pumping out like anything. He sipped his drink looking at her, and she continued to stare at her drink when she felt his eyes on her. Never on earth, she was this much conscious in her life. She merely gulped the drink without even tasting it properly.

"You're lying, right?" - He asked her out of sudden. She was confused by the question.

"What?" - She asked him shockingly, taking her lips off from the straw which was sipping the drink. He was silent for a while, staring at her lips, but matched his eyelids with hers in a second.

"About coming here and meeting me." - He asked her while looking into her eyes.

"And do you think I lie to you that I particularly chose Kolkata to do my animation studies and stalked your social media account like a maniac? Still, there was no update for 3 weeks, and also lied about passing out in excitement when I saw you performing here for the first time. And rushed here by running even after my car broke down in the middle of the way. And yeah, I am lying about everything." - She said everything in a go. She was shocked; how could she spill everything like this? Is she slurring? How could she open up everything to him without thinking?

"Woah... Sorry for asking. I believe you." - He chuckled, taking another drink with a smirk. Should she say that she never saw anyone smiling so cute like him in her life? Soon she shrugged off her thoughts.

"Now you tell me. Why didn't you take a 3 weeks break from social media?" - She asked in a more comfortable tone. She shouldn't suppose to get comfortable so soon with him. What the hell is happening with her? She's losing her control.

"It's that I was dealing with something which I didn't want to think about it. Now?" - Shivaay said while keeping his hands above the table.

"I didn't know someone would ever notice my absence. Sorry for hurting." - He continued, and the expression on her face started to become obvious. And she finished her drink. While then, his phone beeped with a message. He was relaxed.

"Any good news? Why are you smiling at seeing your phone?" - She asked. That was the question raised in her mind, but her mouth spoke out without her control.

"Yes, my ex-girlfriend is dead." - He said casually, looking at her. Anika was stunned in shock; her eyes came out in shock. Soon he burst into laughter.

"Damn. I love people's reaction when I say that." - He said, but her eyes were still in shock, not because of the news that his ex-girlfriend is dead but because he has an ex-girlfriend.

"Hey, what happened?" - He asked in a shocking reaction.

"Don't know, but I am shocked!" - She sounded genuine.

"But why?" - He asked while then, the waiter came up with the check. Shivaay tried to pay, but Anika denied, saying that she asked him for a drink and she should pay it off. Shivaay didn't say anything but let her pay the bill. Since Anika's car broke down, she was about to take a cab to her house, but she didn't feel like leaving him.

"Do you really think I have a future in this field, Honey?" - He asked while walking with her.

"Hmm. Do you know me before today?" - Anika asked. Her tone started slurring. She could notice that, and also Shivaay held her forearm while walking when she found it difficult to walk straight on the pavement.

"No." - He said bluntly.

"How come I came to know about you?" - She asked.

"By listening to my songs on YouTube." - He said.

"Exactly, if I can be your fan, why can't the world? Believe in yourself; you're more talented than you could imagine." - She sounded childish with each passing second.

"Anyone said you're so cute to handle." - He asked her, holding her forearm even tighter. Her eyes welled up when she recalled her parents, and soon her mind recalled the moments of their divorce.

"My parents did." - She whispered to him. Soon she burst into tears when she couldn't control her emotions. He tried to stop her from crying, but he couldn't. Even Anika couldn't control her tears.

**************

Shivaay had no idea how to console her when she started crying all of a sudden. He held her palms as the drink she had gone to her head; she was high, and then he remembered about her parents when asking that question. He shouldn't have done that.

"Honey! Honey! Listen to me." - He tried cupping her face, but in turn, she hugged him and buried her face in his shoulder. He felt a somersault when she hugged him over the next second. He didn't want to break the hug, but soon the reality hit him, and he broke the hug, made her sit on the bus stop across the road. The time turned 11 in the night, and she was accompanied by none.

"I am fine." - She said in a frail tone but continued to keep her head in his chest.

"What happened to you suddenly?" - He asked her.

"No, it's just my parentzzz." - She slurred again.

"Even I didn't have a perfect family!" - He replied to her. Soon, she broke the hug and looked at him straight.

"Let's not talk about it. I will cry otherwise." - She stopped him. He chuckled in an instant.

"Okay, tell me where do you live; I will drop you at that place." - He asked her. She went into deep thought, trying to say the names of the places, but as far as Shivaay knew, those places didn't exist in Kolkata.

"I think I forgot! I just moved in, right." - She replied to him in a childish tone which he adores a lot. His lips widened into a smile hearing her.

"Okay, I am having one idea. Come to my place, stay there until you get alright, and I will drop you at your place tomorrow morning." - He suggested with a smile.

"Why?" - She asked out of sudden.

"Because you're drunk, and I can't leave you like this. After all, you're only a fan, right now." - He said holding her palms.

"Drunk, no. I can't. I hate alcohol, I just drank an iced-tea." - She said innocently. He couldn't understand it for a while; it means she got drunk unknowingly. And she got drunk for the first time.

"It's not just an iced tea; it's a Long Island Iced Tea, a mixture of tequila, vodka, and rum. Didn't you know that?" - He asked her. Her eyes welled up again when she heard that. She nodded no with welled-up eyes.

"I was never been to any club; I just now turned eighteen..." - She started to cry again. Oh my god, she's just eighteen. More than consoling her, he felt her so cute.

"Even you're drunk!" - She asked him in between her sobs.

"It's just one drink. And I am used to it." - Shivaay said with a smile.

"It's okay! It's not a problem. You can trust me. You will be safe in my house." - He said to her and called a taxi to reach his apartment. She was laying on his shoulder for the whole time, and her dress went slightly low. He noticed it when the driver adjusted the back mirror, glaring at him. He protectively wrapped her dress with her scarf and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. They reached his place in 20 minutes. He woke her up, and she opened her eyes but she was not in the state to listen to anything. He was left with no other option other than taking her in his arms. She didn't stop him. He made her sleep in the bed while he took the bedsheet and spread it on the floor for him.

"You're a perfect gentleman." - He heard her murmuring looking at him. But soon, she closed her eyes. He smiled at her; only he knew how much he's holding himself up. He never saw anyone so appealing until that date. But he's letting her sleep alone even though she was not in her senses. There was something with this girl, he thought.

Time went by; he couldn't sleep. Over then, he heard sobs from the bed. He sat up from the ground. He saw her sitting in the bed checking her phone, which was in a switched-off state. She couldn't control her tears looking at the phone; he stood up from the floor and switched on the light to confront her.

"What happened, Honey?" - He asked her. He loved to call her by that name.

"My phone... not working." - She sobbed without even facing him. She was still in her sober state.

"It's switched off... I can charge it. What's in your phone?" - He asked in an impatient tone looking at her crying continuously.

"Your songs! I'm missing mumma. I want... want her." - She cried out, looking at her switched-off phone. He was surprised; is she used to hearing his songs whenever she misses her mother? Are his songs became a part of her life? Is he really healing someone with his songs? Thinking all about his questions, his eyes automatically welled up seeing her crying bitterly as she couldn't able to hear his songs.

"Honey," - He cupped her face and made her look at him. She looked at him, but the tears continued to flow down.

"Who sang that song?" - He asked her.

"You!" - She replied innocently.

"Exactly, can't I sing the song again for you? Throw this bloody phone." - He said, keeping the phone on the table beside. She looked at him shockingly.

"Sleep." - He made her lay on the bed and lay next to her while hugging her from the back. He just held her arms and pulled her slightly close to him. She didn't show any sort of uncomfortableness in his touch but intertwined her fingers with his fingers, which were hugging her.

"Which song you want me to sing?" - He asked.

"Passing Cloud" - She whispered to him.

"Okay!" - He whispered back and started to sing. She felt more and more comfortable with him when he started to sing. She turned back closing her eyes and hugged him. She threw her legs above his legs, even though he didn't stop singing. He sang that song on a loop three times and stopped when he heard a silent snore from her. He had no idea from when he started finding peace in her relaxation, but it's true that she started doing something with his heart. He hugged her even closer and pecked her forehead to see her sleeping peacefully.

*******************