"Why didn't you tell me you were such a huge fan of Samarth Saxena?" Priyanka poses the question to her friend Kirtan who can barely contain her excitement. "We've been living together for 6 months now. I didn't know that you were such a fangirl, Kirtan."

"What can I do?" Kirtan shrugs her shoulders even as that big grin never vanishes from her face. "I never hid it. Wasn't on purpose. I guess we both have been very busy focusing on our work lives and nothing else... and that is exactly why we are turning tonight into a rocking one."

Both girls are now standing in the long queue line leading to the interior of the open-air Chatrapati Grounds.

"Something of this size can be called a stadium, why don't they call it that?" Priyanka murmurs under her breath, glancing at Kirtan who is bouncing up and down on her toes.

About twenty minutes later, as the two of them make it past the security check and enter the vast premises of the grounds, sub-divided by barricades, Priyanka wonders how on earth Kirtan managed to get her hands on the passes to the VIP ring. Her unasked question receives an answer when Kirtan says one of her journalist buddies has passed them to her.

The VIP ring may be something that's super close to the stage, but it's already packed. And it helps that the entire grounds are perfectly designed and the elevation is such that it provides a great view of everything happening on the stage. The view from the VIP ring is marvellous.

The star of the evening hasn't shown up yet, and the crowd is ecstatic already. Priyanka covers her ears as the buzz around her reaches a fever pitch. But the voices suddenly drop to a pin drop silence. During the following seconds that tick by slowly, a lone figure emerges on the decked-up stage, causing cheers to rise up in the air again.

Dressed in a glitzy, sequined black and sienna-coloured jacket, Samarth stands on the stage, his expensive electric guitar gleaming golden under the LEDs, slinging from one shoulder. The applause he receives is astounding, the emotions of his fans inside the grounds turning into some kind of livewire.

Typical confetti popping, flames bursting forth on their own, announcing the star's arrival happen in sync. The stage is aglow now, bathed in hues of amber and gold.

Priyanka has seen such things happen in the movies and in a few of the live, international concerts she watched on TV, but it's her first time experiencing it in person. Next to her, Kirtan is squealing out of delight.

No one can be immune to this kind of excitement. Her heart pounding a little faster than usual, Priyanka now keeps her eyes glued to the stage.

Samarth takes off his goggles in a slow, swanky manner, and as the crowd chants his name, his thin but attractive lips lift into a half smile. He raises his hands for his fans to see, waving and bowing to them multiple times, before greeting them and inquiring about their well-being.

"Hmm... this is a formality. I shouldn't judge but I'm sure the well-being of his fans doesn't matter to him." Priyanka thinks out loud, but over the loud voices worshipping their rockstar, her words go unheard.

Samarth asks a few more questions to which the audience promptly responds with loud, surprisingly same answers in unison.

"Life is too short to be wasted on fickle things like sadness and misery, do you agree?"

"Yes..."

"We get one life. So we must always party hard..."

"Yes..."

"Are you excited to be a part of this evening concert?"

"Yes..."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes..."

The concert begins after he earnestly thanks them for all the love and support.

His first choice of song to perform for the evening turns out to be strangely patriotic - romantic but profoundly towards the nation.

His second song is genuinely romantic, a few lines of which he hums in that low, melodic voice of his. However, he doesn't sing until the end, coming up with the crazy idea of roping in a fan to sing with him.

"This is such a beautiful song, but I don't have a partner tonight who can sing the female chorus..." He says, moving to the side of the stage and fetching a mic from one of the crew. "I have a request tonight. Is anyone up for singing this song with me?"

The whopping yes from the crowd resounds through the entire grounds. Samarth chuckles and trails off, moving to the centre of the stage and requesting the backstage crew to ready the spotlight.

"Whoever the spotlight focuses on will be the one singing with me... Let's see who Lady Luck will choose."

"He's so full of himself! To say whoever gets the chance to sing with him is lucky!" Priyanka mumbles her thoughts loudly again, and this time, Kirtan hears her muttered words.

"Of course they are lucky!" That's all she says and her focus shifts to Samarth again.

Priyanka sighs looking at the pitch dark auditorium inside which the spotlight is now spinning with the speed of light. The squeals of the fans echo in her ears and she feels a little out of place. She's an ardent music lover and admires all kinds of artists. As someone who once fully learnt to play the guitar and the keyboard as a hobby, she always listens to good music. Just, maybe live concerts aren't for her.

Just as she thinks this, the rotating beam of the spotlight goes still, solely focusing on her, nearly blinding her in the process.

The cheers around her die down, and Priyanka doesn't know what it means. Everybody else looks disappointed that the chance didn't fall to them. To be chosen by a star, is it lucky or unlucky?

Her thoughts don't matter to others nor does her nervousness. Everybody remains frozen, even Kirtan, looking at her with wide eyes.

The gravity of the situation finally hits Priyanka, she does everything she can to prevent herself from breaking into a cold sweat. She's chosen tonight to be Samarth's singing partner! She must sing a duet with him now. In front of all these people... and that's...

She trails off, her thoughts jumbling beyond recognition, thanks to Samarth walking towards her, descending from the stage, and the still stunned audience moving aside and paving a way for him.

"Do you think you could join me on the stage.... Oh well, we could sing from here. What do you say, miss..."

Priyanka can't believe Samarth Saxena is talking to her! The celebrity singer! And he's asking for her name!

"Uh... Priyanka..."

"Priyanka! Thank you so much for agreeing to be my singing partner tonight!" Samarth announces, his voice once again booming across the speakers set up throughout the grounds.

Pleased to hear their favourite rockstar's voice, the crowd around Priyanka cry out in delight, the earlier disappointment fading in the evening mist. Priyanka shivers partly because of the chill. It's one chilly night, and the adrenaline of everyone surrounding her including Samarth is giving her goosebumps.

'Samarth has already decided I said yes... Excuse me, I haven't given a yes,' she thinks, summoning a smile, 'now I don't have a choice. The crowd will boo if I back out now and pass this chance to someone else. And I was considering passing this chance from the beginning...'

Samarth guides her to the patch of ground near the foot of the stage. The wires from the speakers and amps make a mess of a web on the ground, but there's ample room for two people to stand.

When Priyanka clutches the mic Samarth has just given her, her eyes widen and she realises the hard truth of her reality. She doesn't know the lyrics of this song! The crowd will be booing at her anyway!

With an elegant bow and amidst rising cheers, Samarth is ready to begin his song. He's got his mic attached to his cheek and the back of his head; handsfree, he now strums his electric guitar.

"I... I don't know the lyrics of the song..."

Samarth stops strumming when Priyanka blurts out the words. The fans go quiet for a moment, and then... As expected they all holler, 'boo!'

Priyanka sighs. The leftover pride inside her wont allow her to hang her head, so she looks at Samarth expectantly, biting her lip, awaiting his response.

Samarth shakes his head albeit in a slow, attractive manner. Stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets, he pulls out a folded paper and hands it to her.

Priyanka scans the lines written across the paper, and a bemused chuckle leaks out of her lips when she realises those are actually the lyrics of the song they are supposed to sing together. The lines to be sung by the female singer are highlighted in red. Looks like Samarth has prepared for mishaps such as these.

"Now we can sing..."

Priyanka looks up in time to find Samarth turning her way and giving her a sweet smile. Her eyes widen, and he addresses his audience in that deep yet melodious voice of his.

"I don't want any of my fans to embarrass themselves on the stage. And I don't want any of you to embarrass each other either. So no booing..."

Priyanka is touched by what she just witnessed. Looks like Samarth really cares about his fans. He's done this assuming she too is a fan, and now there's no escape. Shaking her head, she reads the lyrics as Samarth readies himself to sing once again.

"Dhoop se nikal ke

Chhaanv se phisal ke

Hum mile jahan par

Lamha tham gaya..."

Samarth's mesmeric voice singing his latest number causes a hush to fall over the fans again. Everybody is attentive, swaying to the soulful music and lyrics that are sure to touch their hearts. It's soon Priyanka's turn.

"Aasmaan pighal ke

Sheeshe mein dhal ke

Jam gaya to tera

Chehra ban gaya"

Priyanka sings her lines glancing sideways at Samarth. It's a relief she knows the tune, at least, isn't it? Aasmaan pighal ke... Sheeshe mein dhal ke... Looking at his handsome face gleaming under the colourful LEDs blinking above their heads makes her feel the lines are all about him. She pushes back those thoughts and clutches her mic tight.

"Duniya bhula ke tumse mila hoon

Nikli hai dil se ye duaa"

The rest of the lines belong to Samarth. Priyanka stands next to him, basking in the glow of the spotlight that's focused on the two of them, letting her thoughts wander for a moment. There's something about him, starting from his voice to his style, and the way he carries himself, there's no wonder his fans go gaga over him. Even without the terrific music and the soothing lyrics, this moment with him feels surreal.

Her earlier nervousness dissipates and the rest of the performance feels like a breeze. Priyanka has a huge smile on her face as the song comes to an end.

"Rang de tu mohe Gerua

Ranjhe ki dil se hai duaa

Rang de tu mohe gerua

Haan nikli hai dil se ye duaa

Ho.. Rang de tu mohe gerua"

Resounding applause follows the last note of the song. Samarth bows to his fans once before facing Priyanka.

"Thank you so much for joining me..." He surprises her by bending elegantly at the waist and grabbing her hand.

A chaste kiss falls upon her knuckles before he releases his hold. Stepping back, he throws her a wink and a salute before joining back to the top of the stage.

Priyanka remains in a daze. The feather-light touch of his lips is somehow vivid, perhaps because no one has ever kissed her like that before. Well, it's definitely a kiss. And it's an honour to be kissed by a rockstar! The fans around her look livid as she returns to her spot next to Kirtan.

Even Kirtan is upset and is whining!

"Why, Pree? Mujhe wo mauka kyun nahi mila? Why wasn't I chosen?"

Priyanka knows, unlike the other fans around here who are jealous, Kirtan is only feeling down. "Come on, Kirtan... that's okay. There's always another time. And it's not like I want to be chosen."

Kirtan nods her head and chuckles. "I know... but you were still lucky you were chosen. Ha! Next time, I will be the one he chooses and who knows, maybe I'll get to dance with him on the stage?"

Priyanka feels relieved, but her relief is only short-lived. On the stage, Samarth has moved on, singing another of his chartbusters, and his fans, instead of paying attention to their rockstar are ignoring him, sneering at the lucky girl who had been his singing partner.

"I... I want to go home." Priyanka says when the stares of the fans around her feel like too much. She hates disappointing Kirtan or leaving her alone but is there any option?

"Let's go home, Kirtan. Enough of this fun evening. I don't want to be a rockstar or a flop-star or whatever..."

Kirtan makes a disgruntled expression, but she too frowns hearing the unsavoury comments made targeting her dearest friend Priyanka.

"She is no celebrity. So why was she chosen?"

"She didn't know the lyrics of the song."

"She can't be his fan! And his fans shouldn't be here!"

Kirtan heaves a sigh hearing the whispers that are growing in number and sighs. "Looks like we don't have an option... I can't enjoy the concert by myself if you were to go home alone, so yes, let's leave together."

Priyanka flashes a grateful smile to the other girl. It's a hassle, but they push their way through the fans, leaving the concert ground behind and heading home in a shared taxi.

The chilly, late-night breeze flowing through the open window of the taxi is pleasant, Priyanka settles into her seat next to Kirtan, feeling a little guilty. She's partially the reason Kirtan's night-out plans are ruined. After all that trouble they went through standing in the queue lines and despite owning the VIP passes... Even after this mishap, the girl is smiling, just content with the taxi wala playing a live relay of the very show they have left behind.

Kirtan is such a sweet, considerate best friend. Priyanka smiles looking at her, making a silent vow, "I will make it up to you, Kirtan. Somehow."

***

That night, after freshening up and changing into her PJs in the bathroom, Priyanka returns to the bedroom she shares with Kirtan. The house is small and there's one bedroom, but thanks to the bunk bed and neatly organised shelves and minimalist furniture that include a bean bag, dresser, sofa and two writing desks, their shared living premises are always chic and pristine.

Kirtan is an early sleeper. She's already out like a log. On the way climbing up the metallic stairs leading to her bunk, Priyanka smiles, looking at her best friend. Getting under her favourite warm, furry sherpa blanket, she closes her eyes, intending to sleep, but the events of the night flash in her head, causing her to sit upright.

She always has her phone next to her on the mattress. It might be an old habit of hers to simply scroll her favourite apps and webpages for a while before dozing off in bed, but tonight she ends up downloading Samarth's song on the music app.

Her fingers hit the play button as she plugs in her earphones and lays back in bed. Samarth has such a soulful voice... that's the last thought she has before sleep claims her fully.

***

The following morning, Samarth's song is still playing on loop when Priyanka jostles awake atop her bed, but she's sure it's the loud clatter coming from the front door that's woken her up.

Climbing down the stairs of the bunk bed, she noiselessly makes her way to the living room. As she pushes open the main door to her house, she finds Uncle David standing on the doorstep with a goofy grin on his face.

"A proposal has come! They want a manager for Samarth Saxena and you'll be doing this job for us!"

Any traces of sleep lingering in Priyanka's mind and body scramble hearing her employer's words.

As she stands there, unceremoniously dressed in her PJs though it's nearly late morning, with her hair unruly and face nearly sloshed... Oh no, she even skipped work! She overslept and so did Kirtan! That might be the reason Uncle David is here! Wait what did he say?

"Uncle I'm sorry for not showing up in the office but..." Priyanka trails off, one hand taming down her thick curls, "did you say Samarth Saxena?"

Please say you didn't! Her prayers go unanswered as Uncle David eagerly nods.

Priyanka can't believe the string of coincidences so far that involved Samarth Saxena. The magazine... The concert and now this job. Nope... if this is destiny's gamble, she wants to stay away from it.

Wide awake and the logical part of her brain working perfectly fine, Priyanka shakes her head. "I understand Addonica is in a crisis, but why me? Why me and why not Rinku? He's got an eye on celebrity gossip and things such as that. Don't you think he's more suited for this job?"

Uncle David shakes his head. "No, no. He won't. It's gotta be you. This is a very important job. Rinku, he's not meticulous as you are. Please, beta, Pree, only you can save our company. They... the Saxenas will pay us a huge amount of money. We can use some of it to restore our firm. I mean, with the amount left after deducting your salary, of course."

Priyanka sighs. Folding her arms across her chest, she's at loss for words when she hears Kirtan's loud, girlish shriek, followed by the words - "I overslept! Pree, why didn't you wake me up?"

Priyanka shakes her head. Another eventful day has begun. Her days have been rather calm from the day she left her parents' house, but ever since she came across the name Samarth Saxena, her life has begun to tilt upside down again.

An ordinary girl with no links to the entertainment world as a rockstar's manager. Will she survive the challenge? What should she do now?

***

Up next: Samarth has a talk with his best friend. He doesn't want a manager. But does he have a choice? Priyanka too contemplates further actions she must take.

***

I hope everyone who read this story so far has liked it! Please vote and comment!

Thank you so much <3