In the background, the qawwalis of her favorite Sufi singer were playing loudly, and she was engrossed in my painting, completely oblivious to the world and everything around her. Her mother had been shouting from downstairs for a long time, but she was lost in her own world. It was only when her mother came into her room and stopped the music that she jumped up from the floor, emerging from her reverie, and shouted at her, asking why she had turned off the music.

“Mumma! Why did you turn off my music?” She asked irritably because she was listening to Sufiyan’s new qawwali on loop.

"I've been calling you like a mad person for the past 15 minutes, but you go deaf whenever you listen to this man's songs. He has ruined my daughter's mental state." Her mother scolded her, and she gasped, totally offended by her taunt.

“Do not get personal now; don't bring my Sufiyan into this." She warned her mother, and do not judge her for calling Sufiyan hers because he is her favorite singer and she can call him hers as a fan. Just a fangirl thing, nothing else. End of the discussion.

"Why shouldn't I bring it up? God knows what your father was thinking when he named you Taalika. You've even turned my house into a studio! Now come downstairs and give me a hand with the work." Madhu gave the ultimatum and left.

Taalika was frustrated because she had to stop her painting to help her. She loves to paint while listening to Sufiyan in her free time, as it relaxes her and gives her peace.

As you heard her mother say that her father named her Taalika, which is derived from Taal, or you can say rhythm. I know you must be thinking that they both siblings have very musical names. It's because of their father's love for music.

Taalika and her father are both music lovers, but the little difference is he loves old classics and she loves new versions of these classics. Wait! Wait! Don't make cringe faces, dude. Not every single cringe remake. No. She loves the modified versions of qawwali by her favorite singer, Sufiyan Safir Ranjha. He didn't ruin the original masterpieces. Never. He sings the original one with modern music and adds a few shayris in those.

But no one likes that in her house, but who cares? She loves them, but that should only be sung by Sufiyan; that's the condition.

She played the qawwali again on high-pitched volume before descending the stairs and then heard a series of long cusses from her mother that she ignored totally as always and started helping her mother in the kitchen. The entire house was echoing with the sound of Qawwali, and she was lost in her own tune while working.

“Make soft dough for chapatis.” Madhu’s order interrupted her and brought her back to earth.

“Yeah.” She mumbled slowly. As a typical middle-class mother, she wants her to learn everything before she gets married.

“And turn the volume down; your father must be on his way back home.” Her mother scolded her again to lower the volume of qawwali playing upstairs in her room.

“No. I won't do that. I want to hear it when I am in the kitchen and doing this.” She replied while showing her hands covered with wheat flour to her mother, and Madhu hit her forehead with her palm.

“Your father will kill you one day for sure, but before that, he will kill me.” And here we go again; her typical mother rants started again.

“Papa is not going to come home before 11:30 p.m., so chill.” Taalika replied in a chillaxed tone, and Madhu shook her head helplessly.

As a typical middle-class household, her father isn't in favor of loud music at all, which can be heard up to four neighborhoods away.

He loves them but is very strict with his values. He is a sweet maker, and their sweets shop is the oldest and most reputed shop in the whole of Mathura.

“You are making rotis (chapatis) tonight.” Madhu said while chopping salad, and Taalika snapped her gaze towards her mother.

“What?” She blurted out.

“You heard me.” Madhu replied.

“Why?” Taalika whined like a baby because her painting was calling her upstairs to complete it.

“Do it…….”

“Taaliiiiiiiiiiiii!!!” Prachi's exclamation from outside interrupted Madhu.

Madhu sighed helplessly while mumbling, “Aa gai dusri afat ki pudiya. Ab ban gai rotiyan ache se. Ye dono kabhi badi nahi ho skti. (Here comes another tornado. Now she is definitely not going to make chapatis. They will never grow up!)”

Taalika grinned mischievously after hearing her mother and screamed to call Prachi, “I am here in the kitchen.”

“I HAVE THE BIGGEST NEWS FOR YOU. GUESS WHAT?” Prachi asked Taalika while screaming and coming towards the kitchen.

“Rishta pakka ho gaya kya tumhara? (Is your marriage finalized?)” Madhu asked with a sarcastic smile, looking at Prachi coming through the kitchen’s door.

“Kya yaar aunty aisi baduanien bhi mat diya karo. (Please aunty, don't give me such curses.)” Prachi laughed, and Taalika chuckled as well while Madhu shook her head while smiling.

“What's the good news?” Taalika asked her friend while washing her hands with water.

But instead of answering her, Prachi grinned mischievously, and Taalika frowned in confusion.

"What?”

“Guess.” Prachi wriggled her eyebrows.

“How do I know?” Taalika asked while wiping her wet hands with her mother's pallu, and Madhu smacked her head after pulling her saree out of her hands.

“SUFIYAN IS COMING TO MATHURA FOR A LIVE CONCERT.” Prachi screamed in excitement, and Taalika shouted out in excitement as well.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Madhu shut her ears with her hands while shutting her eyes tightly.

“Kon mara? (Who died?)” Swar came running to the kitchen and saw his sister jumping like a kangaroo with her best friend.

“Teri behn maregi aaj. (Your sister is going to die today.)” Madhu said while picking up a spatula to beat her daughter and Prachi.

Both friends run out of the kitchen while mumbling apologies, and Madhu is running after them.

“This Sufiyan has completely messed with your minds, and today I will exorcize his ghost from your heads." Madhu was running after them, and both girls were running here and there to save themselves.

“Go mumma Go!” Swar was cheering for his mother.

Prachi picked up a cushion for the couch and threw it towards Swar, which hit straight on his face. 

“Goal!” Taalika exclaimed, but at the same moment her mother's slipper hit Taalika's arm.

“Now, this is a goal.” Madhu said, and Taalika hissed in pain while rubbing her arm.

“I will go to his concert.” Taalika said while running upstairs.

“I will see how you go.” Madhu said loudly from downstairs.

“Where will you get the money to buy tickets?” Swar asked loudly, and Taalika screamed from upstairs.

“You shut your mouth, you mouse.”

Both friends come to her room, and Prachi shuts the door behind them.

“So what's the plan? How are you going to convince Uncle and Aunty?” Prachi asked.

“What about your parents?” Taalika questioned her back.

“They already agreed,” Prachi replied while doing her happy dance.

“Lucky you.” Taalika smiled brightly.

“Don't worry, Uncle Aunty will also agree to that.” Prachi assured her, but Taalika knew that it wouldn't be that easy. “And don't worry about the tickets; it's on me....”

“No, how could I let you spend too much money? No.” Taalika interrupted her.

“It's ok, it's not much....”

“I want to enjoy being in the front row or not at all.” Taalika cut her off again, and Prachi’s eyes widened in shock.

“Have you gone mad?” Prachi gasped dramatically. “The front row tickets will be in lakhs.”

“So what? If I finally get the opportunity to see Sufiyan, then I won't settle to see him from afar,” Taalika replied.

“But the money?” Prachi whispered.

“Don't worry, I will think of something for both of us,” Taalika assured her, and after some time Prachi left.

As usual, the whole Agnihotri family was having dinner after her father came back from work.

“Papa!” She called him meekly.

“Yes, Beta (my child),” Shashank asked, giving his full attention to his daughter.

Taalika took a deep breath and then looked at her mother, who was glaring at her to not open her mouth.

“Papa….”

“It's nothing. You please have one more chapati.” Madhu cut her off while offering one more chapati to her husband.

“Madhu ji. Let her,” Shashank said, and then asked Taalika what she was saying.

“Papa, Sufiyan is coming to Mathura for a live show next month. I really want to go. Please, please, please. Just one show. It will be a lifetime experience. Please, papa. I really want to see his live performance.” Taalika said all in one breath, and her father was looking at her face without any expressions. “Please, papa.” She whispered meekly.

Her father didn't say anything and resumed his dinner. It broke her heart that he was not going to give her permission. Tears pooled in her eyes because of her father's silence, and seeing her sad face, her mother felt bad as well. That's why she was stopping her from bringing that matter in front of her father.

Taalika blinked her tears away, but she also lost her appetite and didn't touch her food either.

Shashank noticed that but chose to show that he didn't notice.

“Eat.” Her mother whispered, but Taalika didn't eat.

“If you go to your bed with an empty stomach, then I will definitely not give you permission.” Shashank said nonchalantly, and Taalika got alarmed.

She asked excitedly with hopeful eyes, “Does that mean...”

Her father interrupted. “You know I won't let you go alone at night.”

“Prachi will be there with me.” Taalika said instantly.

“Just two of you at nighttime?” Her mother asked in disbelief.

“So what? We will be in our city.” She tried to make her mother understand. “And papa, it's a Sufi night, so it's safe, right? Only mature, sensible people will be going to attend that, and especially when we will attend in the front row, then there is no fear of safety.”

“Front line?” Swar almost choked on his food. “Papa front line tickets cost lakhs.” He said to his father, and now her mother gasped in disbelief.

“Lakhon main? Pagal kutte ne nahi kata. Jo kuch ghanto ke gane bajane ke liye lakhon kharch karenge hum. (In lakhs? We are bitten by a mad dog that we will spend that much money on just for a few hours of music concerts.)" Her mother denied it instantly. “Shashank ji, there is no need to agree with this madness.”

"Papa, please. If I am getting a chance to hear Sufiyan live, then I don't want to experience it by standing last in that crowd, please.” She started pleading to her father.

“There is no need.” Madhu said to her husband and then turned to her daughter, “You are not going anywhere.”

“Papa!”

“She can't have that much money just for a concert. Money doesn't grow on trees...” 

“Mumma, please.” She interrupted her mother. “I am the daughter of the owner of the most famous sweet shop in this city. Can't you do this much for me, papa?”

“No, if she is having it, then I want money too for PlayStation and new shoes.” Swar jumped in. Typical sibling rivalry. If one is having something, then the other one wants too.

“Swar, shut your mouth.” Madhu made him shut his mouth with one deadly glare, and he did, but the argument is still going on.

“Ok.” Shashank’s one word put a halt on their arguments.

“Yes!” Taalika jumped off her seat and hugged her father while her mother and brother's mouth was hanging in the air. "Papa, you are the best...”

“Let me complete first.” Her father interrupted her. “You have to earn money for your tickets.”

Madhu tried to interrupt, but Shashank showed her his hand, and Madhu stopped. “In one month you can't earn, so here is what I am offering. If I pay for your tickets, then you have to work in our shop for free unless your debt is paid off. As you have college as well, then you can do a part-time job. As for Prachi...”

“No, I can't ask her to work in our shop in exchange for tickets. I will pay for both tickets.” Taalika interrupted her father instantly. “And I will start my work tomorrow.” She said it happily.

“Then the problem is solved.” Shashank said while getting up from his seat and asked Swar, “And from when you are going to start your part-time job?”

"No, papa, I am better without the playstation and shoes.” Swar replied instantly because he doesn't like to work in their shop.

“I will arrange your two tickets,” her father said, and she hugged him tightly.

“You are the best.”

“But I don't want you to ignore your studies. I want your best performance in your finals.” Her father said.

“Don't worry about that. I will manage everything.” She assured him and ran to her room to call Prachi to give her good news.

Madhu came to their room after cleaning the kitchen and asked worriedly, “You shouldn't have agreed to that.”

“It’s ok, Madhu Ji. That's the first time my daughter asked for something,” Shashank replied with a smile. “I will manage everything.”

“But the amount is too much,” Madhu said.

“That's why she will work hard for that,” Shashank assured her. “I want my kids to understand the value of money and how hard it is to earn it. Don't worry about that. Our daughter will enjoy the concert and also get a life lesson.”

“But how could we let her go alone?” Madhu asked tensed. “There will be so many strangers there. I am worried.” A mother is a mother after all.

“Don't worry, our daughter knows how to take care of herself. I trust her,” Shashank replied, and Madhu nodded meekly.

As promised, Taalika started her work at their shop. After college, she went directly there and came back home late at night with her father. She was so tired that she slept directly after reaching home without even having dinner.

“Shashank ji, this is not right.” Madhu complained as her daughter slept empty stomach after working the whole day.

“She is doing so much hard work. We should encourage her,” Shashank replied.

The next day was the same, but as the days passed, Taalika learned to manage her time, and now everything started coming on track.

Like this, the whole month went away, and today is the day.

In excitement, Taalika couldn't even sleep last night, and the whole day a smile is not ready to leave her lips. Finally, she is going to meet her favorite artist. That's a very big deal for her. In the evening, she came home early and started getting ready. She was getting ready when Prachi came to her room and saw her in a plain black anarkali with churidar, and she was doing her braid.

“No way!” Prachi exclaimed, looking at her. “We are going to a concert, not to the temple.”

“You know I only wear traditional attire." Taalika replied while wearing her earrings because her family doesn't allow her to wear western dresses like the one Prachi is wearing. Prachi is wearing a long beautiful dress that is complimenting her so much. But Taalika is allowed to wear only decent jean tops. That's what she wears while going to college but tonight she wants to wear ethnic for Qawali night.

“Alright, fine, but at least leave your hair open.” Prachi said and opened her braid instantly. Prachi insisted that she apply some makeup, but she denied and just applied lip balm and left.

Prachi brought her father's car, and they drove that to the concert. They reached there earlier, so they won't get late for anything.

Both friends were so excited to see Sufiyan, and finally that moment came.

Sufiyan made his grand entry, and both girls started hooting with the rest of the crowd. Taalika's heart skipped a beat when she saw him from this close. It's a very big moment of her life that made her eyes moist. Sufiyan started the qawwali, and the crowd was going crazy. Both friends were lost in his mesmerizing voice when Prachi felt a hand on her backside. For a moment she was scared and without looking at that monster who was touching her she stepped further towards Taalika and bumped with her.

Taalika came out of her dreamworld and looked at her friend. Seeing the look on her face, she understood something was wrong, but before she could ask Prachi, she saw a hand coming towards Prachi, but before it could touch her friend again, Taalika twisted that hand, and at that exact moment the music stopped.

"Please rescue these two girls.”

She heard Sufiyan's voice and turned her head to look at the stage, and what her mind was telling was right. Sufiyan was telling his security to rescue her and Prachi.

The security took them to the VIP section, and Sufiyan warned the man on mice in front of everyone. “Insaan ke bache Bano or ye ghatiya hrkte bnd kero. Amma behn tumhari bhi hongi or wo bhi tumhare bina Ghar se bahr jati hongi. To insaan bano haiwan nahi. (Behave like decent human beings and stop this vile behavior. You have mothers and sisters too, and they also step outside without you. So act like humans, not animals.)

The moment Taalika heard those words the respect in her heart for him increased even more. She has always heard that he has a very kind heart but today she witnessed it with her own eyes.