Shashank came home at his usual time and asked his wife, “What time did she leave?”

Madhu started worryingly. “Around 8 o'clock, and see now it's past 11 o'clock. You shouldn't have agreed, Shashank Ji. I am scared. We don't know what kind of people might be present there…..”

Shashank interrupted her while assuring her, “Madhu ji, don't worry, she will be fine, and that boy does sing decent songs; otherwise, you know what vulgarity these new singers sing in the name of music. Don't worry.”

Madhu nodded meekly, but deep down she is feeling restless, and she knows that this restlessness won't go until she sees her daughter in her home safe and sound.

And as the mother's heart knows everything, her anxious heart was right what Prachi and Taalika faced; we all know that.

But Sufiyan rescued them at the right time, and now they are enjoying the concert in the VIP section.

Both friends tried to shoo that one horrible incident out of their heads and tried to focus on the concert.

As always, Sufiyan’s performance was magical. His mesmerizing voice had taken them to another realm. Both girls enjoyed that sufi night.

Then, after many soulful Qawwalis, it's time to end the show with a spiritual Qawwali.

The air is thick with anticipation as the audience gathers, standing closely together, all eyes drawn to the stage where Sufiyan is seated along with his crew members with traditional instruments. The lights dim, and a quiet hum of reverence fills the room. The qawwals, dressed in traditional attire, sit cross-legged, harmoniums in hand, tablas poised.

As Sufiyan begins, his voice resonates deeply, a soulful timbre that pierces the air and pulls everyone into the world of poetry and devotion. Soon, the chorus joins in, creating a wave of sound that sweeps over the entire stadium, an interplay of rhythms and melodies that rise and fall, carrying listeners on an emotional journey.

Taalika closed her eyes and let herself be absorbed into the depth of Sufiyan’s soulful voice. His singing carried such profound sorrow that tears began to flow from her eyes like a stream. The emotional resonance in his voice connected deeply with Taalika, allowing her to feel a sense of release and catharsis through each note and word, which seemed to speak directly to her heart and soul.

The tabla’s rapid beats sync with clapping hands, intensifying with each verse. Taalika's hand raised up, and she started clapping in rhythm with her closed eyes while the harmonium weaved its hauntingly beautiful notes into the fabric of the performance. At the high point, she feels the walls almost vibrate, and it’s as if everyone’s heartbeat has synchronized with the music. Some audience members have closed their eyes, immersed in the lyrics’ spiritual depth; others nod along, smiles on their faces.

The night continues, song after song, with each qawwali offering a new dimension of devotion and celebration. When it ends, there’s a sense of peace and unity, as if everyone has shared in something sacred and transformative. The applause lingers as people leave, carrying the music within them, still feeling its echo in their hearts.

“Sorry for the bad experience, ladies. We try our best to give a safe environment to female fans, but still sometimes such horrible incidents happen.”

“It's ok, sir; it wasn't your fault because you guys don't know every single person personally.” Taalika replied politely while Prachi was looking at that man's face, trying to remember as if she had seen him anywhere.

And suddenly Prachi exclaimed when she remembered and asked, "You are Dev Mehra, aren't you? Sufiyan's manager?" Yes, that man was Dev. Sufiyan's manager, and she recognized him. Dev nodded softly.

Prachi again blurted out happily. “But the way Sufiyan did a heroic entry and saved us. It was….”

But Taalika backhanded her arm to shut her mouth, and Dev suppressed his smile.

“Thank you so much, and please thank Mr. Safir on our behalf for helping us.” Taalika thanked him.

“Sure.” Dev gave a curt node.

“And please give this to Sufiyan.” Prachi exclaimed while pulling out something from Taalika's bag. Everything was so quick that Taalika didn't get time to stop her, and the scroll was already in Dev’s hands, and it raised Taalika's heartbeat and made her anxious.

“We should leave.” Taalika mumbled while pulling Prachi along with her.

But Prachi turned to face Dev and said loudly while leaving, “Please do not open it and only let Sufiyan see it at first.”

Dev chuckled while shaking his head when they left, looking at the scroll in his hand, and thought about how crazy that girl was—completely extroverted while her friend was completely introverted.

On the other hand, Taalika dragged her friend out of the concert while scolding her, “Why did you give that to him?”

“I thought that's why you made that painting—staying awake all night. To give it to Sufiyan, and when finally we had the opportunity, then why wouldn't I? And what was Mr. Safir and all, huh?” Prachi asked.

“Or what? I should have screamed Sufiyan-Sufiyan like you in front of his manager. Do you even realize how unprofessional it sounds?” Taalika scolded her.

“I don't give a damn.” Prachi dismissed her friend's scolding. “What matters is….I ATTENDED SUFIYAN'S CONCERT AND SAW HIM FROM THIS CLOSE.” Prachi exclaimed happily, and Taalika shook her head while smiling, and they drove away to go to their home. She reached home, and her parents were already waiting for her. While squealing in happiness, Taalika ran to her parents and hugged both of them tightly while saying, “That was the best night of my life. Thank you so much, Papa and Mama, for letting me go there. Now, I want nothing in my life. You gave me everything.” She expressed her gratitude to her parents, and her happiness brought a smile to their faces as well.

Shashank is happy that he gave the only thing to his daughter that she ever asked for, and now she is happy.

After ending the concert, Sufiyan met the organizers, and after a long, tiring night, he finally came to his hotel room to rest for a few hours and saw his mother's missed calls.

He got scared and called her instantly. The moment she picked up the call, he bombarded her with questions, "Ammi, are you alright? Did something happen? Where are you? Why aren't you sleeping at this hour? Wh ….”

“Sufiyan! Sufiyan!” His mother put a halt on his questions and replied, “I am fine. I just called you to remind you that don't forget to bring pedas for me.” (sweets made with mawa, aka khoya). Maryam reminded him while chuckling, and Sufiyan gasped in surprise.

“Just for pedas, you scared me.” He said it in disbelief, and his mother laughed even more.

“See you later. Now rest….”

Sufiyan interrupted her, “You didn't ask how the show was.”

“I don't have to because I know it has to be the blast." She replied proudly. "Now have some rest, but before that, do not forget to eat your dinner. Khuda Hafiz.”

“Khuda Hafiz, Ammi.” He replied and cut the call.

The moment he cut the call, Dev came with their dinner. He thanked the waiter, and the waiter left.

Sufiyan excused himself to freshen up and came out after changing into comfortable clothes and sat down for dinner.

“Aaj Jo hua wo hona nahi chahiye tha. Kya tumne un ladkiyo se mazrat ki? (What happened today shouldn't have happened. Did you apologize to those girls?)" Sufiyan asked.

“Mazrat bhi kerli or tumhare liye shukriya bhi le aya, Mr. Safir. (I even offered apologies and brought gratitude back for you, Mr. Safir.)" Dev replied, and the tease in his tone is not hidden by Sufiyan.

“Mr. Safir!” He frowned.

“Amm-hmm.” Dev nodded while eating his dinner. “That's the first time someone didn't call you Sufiyan. Oh, Damn!” He exclaimed when something struck him, and he ran out of Sufiyan's room, leaving his dinner.

“Dev! Dev!” Sufiyan called his friend and frowned confusedly, wondering why he ran like this.

After a few minutes, Dev came back with a scroll and gave it to Sufiyan.

“What is this?” Sufiyan asked, looking at the scroll sheet tied with a ribbon.

“One of your fans gave it to me with instructions that only you should open it.” Dev replied teasingly. “What are you waiting for? Open your love letter.” Dev chuckled, and Sufiyan rolled his eyes, but instead of opening it, he put it aside and resumed his dinner. “Open it!” Dev insisted.

“I will later. Now, I am starving...”

“I really want to see what it is.” Dev interrupted him. Sufiyan sighed and picked up the scroll, then pulled off the ribbon and opened the scroll.

It was a painting. More precisely, his painting and all the detailing were remarkable.

“It's so poetically elegant.” Dev exclaimed looking at the painting, and Sufiyan was so stunned to form a word. He was so captivated by the masterpiece that nothing came out of his mouth.

Dev mumbled by aww struck by the painting. “I don't know from whom it is because...”

Sufiyan interrupted curiously, “What does that mean?”

“I mean… Remember the girls who were shifted to the VIP section? The girl with short hair handed me this, but she pulled it out from the bag of a girl who was wearing a black suit.” Dev replied while taking that painting from Sufiyan and looking at the painting. Listening about the girl in the black suit, Sufiyan's ears got alarmed. "But I think it might be from the girl with short hair because she was overly enthusiastic and she gave me that."

“Is there any name of the artist?” Sufiyan asked while taking that painting back from Dev’s hand, and he searched, but instead of name there was written, “आपके संगीत की दीवानी। (In love with your music.)"

“Oh ho deewani!” Dev teased, and Sufiyan gave him a side-eye look that made him shut his mouth.

After Dev left, Sufiyan lay on the bed, but his mind was captivated by a pair of eyes. Those doe-like, moist eyes that had remained unblinking this whole evening as he took the stage.

He couldn't help but again pick up the painting and start staring at it. His mind was telling him that it's just a painting, nothing else, but his heart was saying that it was made by her, and he didn’t know why, but he was hoping that the painting had been made by that girl with those doe-like brown eyes.

He had done many shows in his career but never witnessed something that he witnessed today:

As for his habit, the moment he stepped on the stage, he looked around at the crowd for a few seconds when his eyes met with that girl in a black suit. She was standing there with her hands clasped together; her eyes were moist, and there was a big smile on her lips. The happiness in her eyes was indiscribable. Sufiyan was lost in those eyes because even in this crowd she was outshining in her simplicity, and she didn't even blink for a moment and was singing each word along with him, and maybe that's the reason his eyes kept landing on her, and only that's the reason he saw that incident and was able to rescue her and the other girl with her. She was looking so fragile to him at first, but the moment she twisted that boy's hand, he was impressed by her feistiness.

“Wo hirni si bhuri nam aankhein... kya kar gayi... kuch khaas nahi, bas humein mudh ke dekhne par majboor kar gayi. (Those doe-like, moist eyes. What did you do to me? Nothing much, just compelled me to look back and acknowledge them.)”

He mumbled while remembering her, but when realization hit him what he just said, he shook his head to clear his mind.

“What the hell happened to me?” He scolded himself, put that painting back on the bedside table, and closed his eyes.

It had happened for the first time in his life that he had looked up at a girl. After that betrayal in his life, Sufiyan had neither thought about nor looked at any other girl. This was the first time, and that thought scared him as well. He is not a believer in falling at first sight, but there was something about her that was pulling him like an unseen magnetic force.

Next morning he got up early and sneaked out without his security to find out the best pedas for his Ammi. He wears a hoodie to hide his face and wears his shades. 

He was roaming in the streets of Mathura to find out the best shop while asking locals, and only one name was on every person's tongue: ‘Mithai Mandir’ means the temple of sweets, the oldest and most famous shop.

Asking for directions, it took him an hour to reach that shop by walking on foot from his hotel, and finally he reached there.

He finally found that shop and entered, but the first thing welcomed him was his Qwwali playing in the background and before he could place his order or ask someone, there was a girl right in front of him, and he heard her whining like a child, “Aaj meri zindagi ka sabse bura din hai. (Today is the worst day of my life.) And while saying that, she turned around, and the moment her eyes caught the person standing behind her, her eyes widened in surprise, and she blurted out in one breath, “Aaj meri zindagi ka sabse acha din hai. (Today is the best day of my life.)

Sufiyan was stunned after seeing the same doe-like eyes that had captivated him since last night, and again his own words echoed in his mind. 

“Wo hirni si bhuri nam aankhein... kya kar gayi... kuch khaas nahi, bas humein mudh ke dekhne par majboor kar gayi.”