Please listen to the the songs if possible as it will give you an insight into the  feelings of the character. They are important in the story as they are being written by the main character.

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

                 Abhimanyu received a mail from mightydick_69 informing him that the client who was picking his songs for Raina Shinde doesn't want any more songs. He said theyoung singer is adamant about writing her own songs, and she has even successfully talked in the producers to have only her songs in the next album. He told him that he can continue to send him songs he writes as he is sure that his other clients would readily pick  them up. Abhimanyu was surprised at the new development, but he was also happy. He anyways  needed a break as he was tired of continuously writing the songs for her albums. He decided  to notwrite for anyone else and now on write only when he felt like.

             Raina's first and second studio albumswhich she released in last two consecutive years were international successes . It was her third year in Los Angeles and she was busy writing songs for her third studio album. As she wrote songs for her third album she realized it wasn't easy to get in touch with your deepest feelings,  live them all over and express them in words. Not only express, but also ensure that the words rhymed and flowed in a rhythm, all this while making sense.It was exhausting and draining, and after she was finished with the herculean task of writing songs for her album, she had new found respect for her songwriter, Timmy, who wrote so many songs for her one after another. Though she  couldn't relate herself much with his sexual lyrics, but they were all huge hits  and in top five in the charts for weeks.

                                                                                    ***

                  Abhimanyu googled Raina Shinde, as was his habit to do the first thing after he woke up. Various headlines with 'What's brewing?', 'Caught in the Dark' and similar appeared with pictures of Raina and Prawn Mendes. The speculation of an affair between them was making it to news on and off every now and then. He clicked on the link and it read that the handsome singer was caught leaving Raina's house post midnight. Mendes flashed a smile and waved at the paparazzi as he left in his car. It said that it was not the first time that the tall good looking singer was seen coming out of Raina's house. And now, with Mendes frequent spotting leaving  Raina's house in the night, it can be said that something is definitely brewing between the two. It also mentioned various other occasions they were spotted together in and around California. There were pics of them that he had seen earlier on her twitter fan clubs- Pics of their spotting from studio, Starbucks, restaurant, event in NYC, and her house. Abhimanyu pushed close the screen of the laptop. He lit a cigarette, picked up a notepad and pen and started scribbling as he smoked.

                                                                                      ***

            Raina wanted to release 'Because You Loved Me'  as the first single from the album but producers favored  'Wildest Dreams'. A video was shot for it and It was the first single to  release from her third album. It debuted at top but after few weeks slipped to two.  The first single was  followed by the release of 'Because You Loved Me' and 'Scars to your Beautiful' which were in top ten on different charts . They pictured only one more song' Lucky ' from the album as song writing took a lot of months and they weren't left with much time to release the album in summer before the tour in Fall/Winter.  She loved being on the road in that weather as sitting at home all alone in that weather was the most depressing thing.

         Her album 'Because You Loved Me' released  late summer with 'Hotter than Hell, 'Love Me Like You Do', 'A little bit of your heart', ' Where are you now' and 'I hate you'as it's other tracks. Album was a success in all the countries. It's all songs played in top thirty on all major charts. Her song 'Wildest Dreams' was the most successful song of all which was shortly replaced at one by Lustin's latest single. She announced 'Wildest Dreams'tour in America, Europe and Australia coming Fall.

                                                                                        ***

             Raina appeared on Tellen show to promote her 'Because You Loved Me' album.

Tellen: Please welcome Raina Shinde.

Raina: Thank you. She smiled as she sat on a sofa after a sweet hug.

Tellen: Congratulations on your Grammy and a new house very close to mine!

Raina: Thank you!

Tellen: We should meet over coffee sometime now. 

Raina: Yeah, sure! We most definitely should.

Tellen: You have written all the songs in this album.

Raina: Yes, I did.

Tellen: Which is your favorite?

Raina: They all are very close to my heart but I think  'Scars to your beautiful' stands out in the way that it's so different from other songs.

Tellen: This song 'Scars to your beautiful' has so many people thanking you in helping them feel confident in their own skin and color.

Raina: I totally believe in this song. Beauty is deeper than skin.

Tellen: What inspired this song?

Raina: When I was here last time, you told me and otherwise also I learnt how girls wanted to look like me and it very upsetting to learn how a lot of them ruined their faces in this obsession. Otherwise also, I see people undergoing knife and just unbecoming themselves which baffles me,  and saddens me at the same time.  We are definitely focusing on the wrong things  when so many young girls are  attaching so much importance to something that should be trivial. That's very much that inspired this song.

Tellen( to the audience): This is a beautiful album. I love this girl and I love this album. Go get your copy because all the nine tracks are simply amazing. She told the audience.

Tellen(getting back to her): So, what's happening in your life?

Raina: I am busy like always. She said with a smile.

Tellen: No, I am talking about you and Mendes dating? Are you dating him?

Raina: No. She denied with a straight face.

Tellen:  But he is often spotted leaving  your house late nights. Are you guys having sleepovers?

Raina: If we were having sleepover he would be spotted leaving in wee hours , not midnight.

Raina: We were working on a collaboration and it's more creative in night.

Tellen: Yeah, more creative in night. Tellen said with that smile that gave it a different meaning.

Raina: Why are you doing this? He is just a good friend of mine. Tellen smiled more.

Tellen: Yeah just friend.  And he took you sightseeing in the Apple.

Raina: How do you know this?  She smiled a little.

Tellen: I am well connected with people.

Tellen: Mendes was here few weeks ago and he told his first single 'Nothing holding me back' from his new album is written by you. He said you showed him the song and he liked it and it was very nice of you to just give it to him.

Tellen: So, now you are not only writing for yourself but others too. She said with a smile.

Raina: He told you that?

Tellen: Was he not supposed to?

Raina: I mean it's very nice of him, but he didn't have to.

Tellen: We are going to play a game 'Never Have I Ever' and it's always more fun to play it with someone. Please welcome Lames Franco.

Lames came and hugged Tellen and Raina after which he sat next to Raina on a three seat sofa.

Tellen: Never have I ever hooked up with someone on shoot?

Raina: Like while on shoot?

Tellen: Ya.

Raina:  I have never.

Lames: I have. A whole lot of times. Tellen smiled.

Tellen: Never have I ever sent my nudes to someone.

Raina: I have never. But photoshopped one's are all over internet.

Lames: I have. And my original one's are all over internet. He laughed.

Tellen: Never have I ever been in a shower with someone?

Raina: I have. She nodded her head.

Lames: I have. I mean we are actors. We got to shower so many times.

Tellen: Ya your show 'The Deuce' is all about hookers and pimps in old times New York.

Lames:  And someone is taking off clothes and going nude all the time. They all smiled flashing their teeth.

Tellen: Never have I ever hit on someone half or double my age.

Raina: I have never. Half my age is not possible, but double my age... no.

Lames: I have, less than half my age, and it became so public. God bless social media! I learnt my lesson the hard way.

Tellen: Never have I ever been to a nude beech.

Raina: I have never.

Lames: I have.

Tellen: So, she is almost 'I have never' for everything and you are 'I have' for everything.

Lames: I know, I don't believe  that she is such a saint.

Lames: What kind of men you like? C'mon quick. He threw the question at Raina?

Raina: Aah...mysterious and aggressive in bed. She quickly said.

Lames: See, she is no saint after all. She is so precise about the traits she likes in a man.

Tellen: Mendes is very mysterious.

They all laughed.

Tellen: Raina starts her ' Wildest Dreams' tour this fall in America, Europe and Australia. So, go and get your tickets for a kickass musical night. She told the audience .

                                                        ***

                     After touring in America,   Raina was on the road in Europe . It was Dec 2, and she was performing in 'The Globe' arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The arena was at it's max strength with audience which just couldn't stop screaming  with her performing on stage. Raina performed with two background dancers on a stage with overhead lights and a ramp  A spot light followed her as she walked back and forth on the ramp with audience standing below the stage around the ramp. After an hour of performance, dancing to her hit songs and singing songs from her latest album, she was almost breathless. She walked along the ramp and touched  the raised hands of the people standing next to the ramp as she sang 'Love Me Like You Do' with mic in her hand. She noticed a little girl perched on  her mother's waist, waving a pic of her for an autograph. She walked to her and as the musical part of the song played ,she took the pic from the little girl with a smile,  asked her name and signed it for her with a pen her mom gave her.   She then bent back for a selfie with them.

              After the selfie, as she turned her head to walk forward, she felt she saw his face in her fleeting glance of the crowd. She turned her head almost immediately to confirm. And yeah, she was right! There he was, standing in the row behind the lady.  She looked at him and her gaze at him locked with his and didn't leave as the music played. Everything around her froze for a second. She lost the crowd as her heart pumped blood faster than before.  He looked away and she suddenly realized that the musicians were playing the same tune for the second time for her to sing as she missed it the first time. Breathing fast, she looked at the audience in front screaming, singing, recording with their cell phones held high. Her heart overwhelmed with several emotions, eyes almost on the brink of spilling, she quickly took control and with mic close to her mouth, she sang the lines. Her voice broke like someone singing while crying. He decided to go. She turned to look at him again and saw that he was making his way out of the crowd to the nearest exit. She didn't know what to do. Scream out loud to stop him, or just run after him. None of them were appropriate  actions in front of the audience with several cameras recording her.' But she knew, if she let him go, she would probably never get to talk to him. She quickly walked to her bodyguard standing at the end of the ramp, near backstage. She told him to immediately run to the main exit, and then follow the six feet one tall man with black hair who he'll see exiting out of arena. "Follow him until you get a call from me, but don't let him get suspicious of being followed, okay," she told him before going back down the ramp singing. Her bodyguard  took a shortcut to the only exit from 'The Globe' and then spotted only one man walking out of the arena. He had black hair. He looked around as if minding his own business and let him walk past by him. As Abhimanyu made an exit from the building, and walked out on the street, her bodyguard followed him keeping a distance from him.

                       Raina wrapped up the concert in next ten minutes, a little before than she was supposed to. She thanked the audience and rushed back to her room. She told her manager to cancel all the backstage interviews and activities and tell them that she wasn't feeling well and needed to drive back to her hotel.  She wore her long coat, wrapped her warm scarf around her head and neck and made a quick exit in her car. In the car, she called her bodyguard to know about his location. He gave her the address of a nearby bar. She met her bodyguard roaming outside a place near the bar.  He told her that he was inside the bar. She told the bodyguard to go back in car, and that she would call him if she would need him. He obeyed.

                       She walked past the glass window of the bar and saw him drinking at the table. With her heart beating fast, she walked to the bar and occupied the tall chair next to him. He knew someone came next to him , but he didn't turn his head to see. He wanted to be left to his own thoughts of what just happened back there in the concert. He looked in front lost in his thoughts as he smoked. Raina looked at his glass and saw only little alcohol left in his glass.

Raina: Excuse me! Can I buy you a drink?

He turned his head to the voice.

Abhimanyu:  Yes, if you insist. He said masking his surprise at her sudden presence there.

Abhimanyu: You followed me here? Heasked and went back to looking at his glass

Raina: I have to. Because, you don't follow me anywhere. Not on twitter, not on Instagram, though I follow you on twitter.

Abhimanyu: Someone who got millions of followers on twitter and Instagram is complaining of one less. He smiled and turned to look  at her face, her  hair covered in a scarf .

Raina told the bartender and get ice tea for her and she asked Abhimanyu before ordering the whiskey of his choice. The Swedish bartender excused about his limited English language as he had difficulty understanding their English accent. 

Abhimanyu lit another cigarette and took a long puff. She watched him and thought that he has inherited quite some genes to look handsome like that despite abusing his body day and night like that. He looked thinner than before though.

Raina: How have you been? She asked softly.

Abhimanyu: Fantastic!

Raina: You have lost quite some weight.

Abhimanyu: Girls like guys who are lean and mean. He turned to her and smiled a half smile.

Raina: Oh yeah! Girls!

Bartender served them their drinks.

Abhimanyu: You don't drink?

Raina: Haven't tried yet.

Abhimanyu: That's, really remarkable. He said as he took a sip of his whiskey on rocks.

Raina: I was surprised to see you back there. What brings you to Stockholm? She inquired.

Abhimanyu: Sweden is known for hot 'n' sexy girls. He stated.

Raina: You came to see hot'n'sexy girls in winter! Doesn't make sense! She was confused.

Abhimanyu: Well, the night club I went to last night, for the bachelor's party, didn't show any signs of winter. Both the skin and drugs were in abundance.

Raina: You are here for a wedding? She asked surprised.

Abhimanyu: My uncle's son is getting married to a girl from Stockholm. His son lives here.

Raina: I didn't know you have relatives.

Abhimanyu: Uncle was dad's close friend.

Raina: You came here for the wedding and then how did you happen to be there at my concert? She inquired.

Abhimanyu: Two days back, I came here. I learnt of your concert. I got the ticket and then, came to your concert. He sipped on his whiskey as he told her, not looking at her.

Raina: You got the tickets to my show two days back.

Abhimanyu: It's winter Raina! Nobody goes to concert.

Raina: Okay. You not only got the tickets to my show, but you got the tickets of the area next to the stage.

He turned his head to her and burst into a smile.

Abhimanyu: Okay, I was kidding. I didn't buy the tickets. I had no idea of your concert in Stockholm. This afternoon, I was at uncle's place and when I told them I was going to explore the city, uncle's son gave me the ticket to your concert saying that I might be interested. He told he had bought the tickets at the time when he had no idea of his wedding date.

It hurt her that he had no idea about her concert in the city.

Raina: Did you like my performance? She gulped the saliva.

Abhimanyu: Yeah, I mean it was good but it was more like cell phones attending the concert over people's head. He said commenting on how people held their arms with phones high for recording.

Abhimanyu: People were screaming so loud that I could hardly hear what you were singing. All I could hear was people screaming.

Raina: Isn't this something you said how it should be for an artist at a concert?

Abhimanyu: Yeah, I did.

Raina: Did I make you proud?

Abhimmanyu: I have always felt proud of your every work.

Raina: I thought you didn't think about me.

Abhimanyu: Of course! I have seen your every work.

Raina: Did you like my new album?

Abhimanyu: It's okay, Wildest Dreams saved it.

Raina: You didn't like the other songs? All songs are my own.  What about 'Scars to your beautiful'?

Abhimanyu: They are amazing lyrics, but they are not Despacito. Despacito is at one for how many weeks now.

Raina: You mean to say, songs from my earlier albums were better.

Abhimanyu: I am not saying they were better but you got to know that they were at top on charts for weeks after weeks and no 'Despacito' dethroned them in two weeks.

Raina: Just because this album didn't do as well as my previous albums doesn't mean it's not good. It's my sincere effort and that's all that matters.  Anyways, Thank You. You know for what.

He smiled, "You are writing your story in your songs." 

Abhimanyu: It's surely very good. I only meant it's not performing as it should have. Maybe because it's a lot sob sob or preachy. May be people prefer listening more to songs that have happy or horny vibe to them.

After few seconds of quiet

Raina: You were leaving without  meeting me? She asked sniffingly.

Abhimanyu: I know you are a busy star who doesn't have time to breath.

Raina: Not a good excuse. Try again.

Abhimanyu: That's not an excuse, that's your reality.

Riana: Is that the same excuse you have for not picking up and returning my calls.

Abhimanyu: Most certainly yes. I don't like disturbing people at work.

Raina: But if it's me calling you, that means I'm not busy.

After  gulping down a little whiskey, he slightly turned his head and looked at her.

Abhimanyu: May be, I was busy. 

Raina: I see.

After a  few seconds of silence,

Abhimanyu: I didn't ask you, how you are doing? How does it feel to be one of the top most artist in world? 

Raina: It's very lonely at the top. It's a feeling of emptiness in fulfillment. She answered.

Abhimanyu: You are ruling hearts and charts. You are living your dream Raina! He said brightly.

Raina: I am living your dream. My dream was to become an IAS. You wanted me to be the brightest star out there. I am trying to do just that. And it's not easy.... It's very difficult to keep working alone away from home.

Abhimanyu: It's never easy anywhere Raina. Life is always difficult. He said flicking the ash off his cigarette in the ash tray.

Abhimanyu: You see this glass. He said showing his glass of whiskey to her.

Abhimanyu: You can see it as half empty or half full. It's both. But how you see it, makes things easier or more difficult than they are.

Abhimanyu: You have everything in life you want at a snap of your finger.

Raina: Not you! She immediately said. "I feel I have nothing if I don't have you".

Abhimanyu: Get over me, Raina. I am like this dead end of the road. It goes nowhere.

Raina: I don't want to go anywhere from there. May that's my final destination.

Abhimanyu: Don't be a fool. You have so many successful boys in your age around you who can give you back the love you want.

Raina: They are not any better than you. They are all druggies and womanizers.

He looked at his glass.

Abhimanyu: Prawn Mendes. He seems like a good guy. I think he can Treat You Better. He then smiled.

Raina: Really? You buy all that?

Abhimanyu: It's everyday news in the newspapers.

Raina: There is a thing called yellow journalism. All fabricated stories. No point wasting time refuting those stories because they anyways won't stop coming. And for the record, we are just friends. There is nothing more to it.

Abhimanyu: Friendship is always a good beginning. Take my advise. Move on! ...It's time you really move on.

Raina: You know, unlike you I have a heart that beats and refuses to hop from one to another. It might come easily to you but to me, it doesn't. It's love on the brain. It doesn't go away with distance and time. Distance by time is speed, but this has zero . It's static. It sticks to one and doesn't come off. It's so mental that it doesn't mind not getting physical. But you will not understand because you never loved anyone. 

He knew very well what she was trying to say. 

They both fell silent. They sat sipping their drinks with several minutes of quiet passing between them. The song 'Strip That For Me 'by Liam Payne played in between medium and low volume.

People want me for one thing (that's not me)
I'm not changing, the way, that I (used to be)
I just wanna have fun and (get rowdy)
One Coke and Bacardi (sippin' lightly)
When I walk inside the party (girls on me)
F1 type Ferrari (6 gear speed)
Girl, I love it when your body (grinds on me)
Oh yeah

Baby

You know, I love it, when the music's loud
But c'mon, strip that down for me, baby
Now there's a lot of people in the crowd
But only you can dance with me
So put your hands on my body
And swing that round for me, baby (swing)
You know, I love it when the music's loud
But c'mon, strip that down for me (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Strip it down, girl
Love when you hit the ground, girl (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)  

There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she knew there was no point.

Raina: This song is more like your taste. Do you like it? She asked breaking the silence between them.

Abhimanyu: Totally! It's catchy. He said brightly.

Raina: Howz your retirement?

Abhimanyu: It's like bed of roses.

Raina: Roses with thorns?

Abhimanyu: No, just the soft petals. No thorns. Just thongs.  A naughty smile made it to his face.

Raina: Uhummm...

Abhimanyu: You just made it sound more exciting.

Raina: A rose a day? She asked and he burst out into a light laughter.

Abhimanyu: You know me so well.

Raina: I know what I want to do after my retirement.

Abhimanyu: You just started and you are thinking of retirement already. He took a long drag of smoke.

Raina: Well, I have a lot of money.

Abhimanyu: Yeah, you need a Swiss account.  He joked and she laughed a little.

Abhimanyu: Yeah, tell me what do you want to do with all that money.

Raina: You know I think I was much more happier when I didn't have this much money. Now I think I have money, and I am not happy.

Abhimanyu: Hmmm..if you are unhappy with all the money, then you can give it all to me. I know a lot of things I can do with it. He sipped whiskey from his glass.

Raina: Really? I can give it all  to you and not flinch at all.

Abhimanyu: C'mon I have enough of my own. I was just kidding.

Abhimanyu: Tell me your great great retirement plans.

Raina: I want to buy a house in India with a lot of land around it and grow my own organic food. He laughed.

Abhimanyu: So, you want to become a farmer. He laughed more.

Raina: Yeah, I think so, I think that is what I really like to do. What makes me most happy is nurturing plants  in my beautiful garden in LA house. It gets such beautiful flowers in summer. You should come over some time. 'Well, who am I inviting? Someone who was going to leave without meeting me' she thought.

He didn't say anything and just took a long drag of smoke from the cigarette.

Raina: I envy that cigarette. She declared. He turned his head to her after blowing out the clouds of smoke in air

Abhimanyu: Why?

Raina: Because it gets to be in your mouth between your lips so many times a day. She said looking dreamily at him and he  tried to smile though he totally felt the heat of the moment.

Raina:  We have so much to catch up What you say about going to my hotel room and spending all night talking about the times we missed in each other's lives. Let me tell you it has a bed that's as soft as the petals of roses.

He smiled with a light laugh in an attempt to lighten the intensity of the moment.

Abhimanyu:Trying to take me home?

Raina: Shamelessly. She said looking him in eyes.

Raina: What to do? You forget all your cheesy pick up lines when it comes to me.

He laughed, and when he had stopped, he turned all serious

Abhimanyu: It's because I lose my mind when it comes to you.

Raina: Not bad! You haven't lost your  mojo yet.

Abhimanyu: I like keeping up. He smiled.

Abhimanyu: You have changed a lot.

Raina: For better or worse? 

He smiled

Abhimanyu: Change is essential. The only thing that should remain constant in  life is change.

Raina: Then why don't you change? She asked him curiously.

Abhimanyu: To find oneself one has to lose oneself. How can you find something you have not lost. Few things in life stick and my addictions are one of those.

She looked in her watch, it was 8 pm.

Raina: You are eating dinner with me tonight. She told him.

Abhimanyu: I am afraid I can't. I have to go to  dinner party at  uncle's house tonight.

Raina: Are you sure? She doubted.

Abhimanyu: Yeah!

Raina: For how many more days are you here?

Abhimanyu: Three more days.

Raina: Did you get to go around Stockholm?

Abhimanyu:  No, not really.

Raina: Okay, then we are going out tomorrow exploring the city together. 

Abhimanyu: I guess I might not...

Raina: Now don't say no like you always say for everything. There are so many things I could have said for your actions, but I never did.

Abhimanyu: That's because you like to kill me with your kindness. He said looking intensely in her eyes.

Raina: No, that's because I love you so much. You know it hurts that you didn't bother about me for the last three years. Now for our old time's sake, say yes.

Abhimanyu: Don't you have a concert tomorrow?

Raina: I have day after tomorrow in Oslo, but I can always reach just a few hours before the concert.

Abhimanyu: Okay, I'll come. He nodded.

Raina: Where are you putting up?

Abhimanyu: Radisson hotel.

Raina: Not that far from my hotel.

Raina: Are you sure you  are going to dinner party ? She asked as he didn't show any signs of wanting to go.

Abhimanyu: I am. I am waiting for you to go first. I will go after you.

Raina: Come, I can drop you.

Abhimanyu: No. I really don't want my pics splashed across the websites with headlines 'Raina Shinde spotted with a mystery man'.

She got on her feet to go.

Raina: "Bye.  We meet tomorrow at Stockholm Grand Subway station  at 11 am, and don't worry about the paps I know how to take care of them. I hope your hangover from tonight will be over by then , she smiled " and you won't stand me up."  With that she walked off to the door.

             He watched her wait and wave to a taxi from the glass windows of the  bar. She looked beautiful in her scarf and long coat that she hadn't cared to take off. He didn't want this hangover from tonight to get over ever.

                                                                 ***

Song that played in the bar

https://youtu.be/13CdKgFiiXQ

                                                               ***

 Nine tracks from her third album 'Because You Loved Me'

1. Wildest Dreams 

https://youtu.be/IdneKLhsWOQ

  2. Lucky by Britney Spears  

https://youtu.be/4vvBAONkYwI

3. Because you loved me by Celine Dion

https://youtu.be/Nq8TasNsgKw

4. Scars to your beautiful

https://youtu.be/vWfjlIMiqBg

5. Love Me like you Do by Ellie Goulding

https://youtu.be/yBVyqK2IW_g

6. A little bit of your love by Ariana Grande

https://youtu.be/6-Pu0pkfkKQ

7. Hotter than Hell- Dua Lipa

https://youtu.be/CMrHQ4OfUfE

8. Where are you now by Alan Walker

https://youtu.be/dnZItt33cvI

9. I hate you I love you- Gnash

https://youtu.be/7Rb7pnjbe4Q

                                                                            ***

Song she wrote and gave to Mendes 'There is Nothing holding me back'. Now, imagine the lyrics of this song from a girls  point of view. replace her with him, she with he and etc.

  'There is Nothing holding me back'  

https://youtu.be/pbIiIC6zN68