An Encounter on the Metro - Chapter 11

Alive

Tuesday morning arrived with the familiar hum of the city outside Ari’s window. She had been up early, mentally preparing for the day. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, a strange nervousness fluttered in her chest, though her upturned lips betrayed her excitement.

For the past two days, they had fine-tuned the music, making all the necessary corrections. Surprisingly, Ravi’s earlier admiration of Rams’s guitar skills had been understated — the boss was truly talented. And Maya, despite her modesty, was far from mediocre, Ari realized. The way the two of them synced effortlessly, testing harmonies and adjusting tempos, was surprisingly satisfying.

Ravi, ever the storyteller, began recounting their college love story once more, but Maya waved him off, reminding him there was no time for distractions.

Thanks to this little team of “experts,” the music was finally fine-tuned, recorded, and transferred to a USB drive. The quality exceeded Ari’s expectations, and she allowed herself a small, pleased smile at the pleasant surprise.

Thinking about the previous night call with Mira, Ari’s expression faltered, her eyes clouding. She had wanted to tell her mom about her debut, but Mira had stopped her.

“Putti, I don’t think its a good idea to tell aunty about this,” Mira said firmly. “If aunty disagrees now, you’ll be discouraged enough to not put your heart into it. You worked hard for this. Everyone has put their hearts and time into it - with you as the trigger. I suggest we wait until we have at least 500 subscribers before telling her.”

Ting~ Ting~ Ting~

Incoming messages pulled Ari from her thoughts. She let go of fabric of her dress, she unconsciously crumbled with her palms. The messages were simple, but well-wishing: “All the best!”. Ari smiled.

Rams and Maya had added an apology for not being able to come, to which Ari replied that it was fine. Maya had an emergency at work; her boss required her presence promptly. Rams had taken over the chef duties at the cafe, assisted by Tina.

Tina’s note of encouragement was a pleasant surprise. Ari returned a Thanks.

Determination hardened in her chest as she caught her reflection again in the mirror — eyes bright, lips curved in a quiet, resolute smile.

Yes! She had come too far to let go now.

_____________________________________________________

At the Studio

All that remained to complete their debut song was for Ari to sing and record, matching her voice to the music already stored on the USB. Ravi lent a hand to help manage the equipment, accompanying Mira and Ari.

The recording setup looked intimidating — microphones, mixers, and a maze of cables sprawled across the room. Ari hummed lightly, testing the microphone levels, Ravi’s fingers moving over the controls with precision. She felt a quiet thrill of anticipation in her chest; this was the moment everything she had worked for would start to come alive.

Soon, Ari started to sing , reminiscing about the past few days. Her voice — mellow, soft but bright — perfectly conveyed the emotions she had felt throughout the journey after her fateful encounter on the metro.

As the last note faded, a gentle smile curved her lips — for the first time, her music felt truly alive.

She felt truly alive.

-TBC-

← Previous TOC Next →
⚠️ Alert! The content cannot be copied.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AEOTM Prologue

– + Prologue Splash! Ari splashed water on her face, the cold sending a shiver down her body. Water dripped from her hair onto the sink drop by drop. Staring into the mirror , at her reflection, she fell into a daze remembering the call she had with her mom last night. "Hello Putti" "Hi Ma" "How are you doing ? Are you even eating properly? You looked thinner in the recent pictures you sent. I made some pickles for you . Your brother will bring them tomorrow. Be sure to collect them ." A smile crept onto Ari's lips. "Thanks ma~. You could have just parceled them. Why trouble brother?", Ari slightly teased her mom, love evident in her tone . "What parcel?" ,shrieked her mom. "They’d just eat it before it reached you — didn’t you see the WhatsApp video I sent? Anyway… I heard your cousin’s marriage is fixed. When are you planning to settle down? You’re not getting any younger, Putti. We hope you’re really thinkin...
Read more

AEOTM Chapter 1

– + Routine Swoosh! Thud! "Please mind the closing doors" Ari, having barely managed to push herself into the metro, gasped for breath. Carrying a bag slung over her shoulder, she plopped down on the available seat. "Thank God! The boss would have been livid if I missed today's shift, considering Tina is also on leave.", mumbled Ari leaning her back against the metro seat. Her boss, Rams, is a young man in his early 30s running a music café he started with his wife. The café has a great ambiance with quite a few loyal customers. Though understaffed, the existing colleagues are all friendly and the boss quite generous. Ari's favourite aspect of the café is that any customer or local band can hold café-concerts on the stage dedicated at the right corner of the café with permission from Rams. While Ari herself hasn't sung previously because of her low confidence, she likes to hum along to the songs. Try...
Read more

AEOTM Chapter 2

– + Purple Chime Cafe Chime~ Ari pushed open the door of the café, mentally preparing herself for the busy Sunday evening. Soft golden light spilled across the wooden floor, mingling with the hum of conversation and the faint sound of a guitar from the small stage in the corner. The cafe was already starting to fill up — regulars finding their favorite spots, new customers glancing around in appreciation of the pleasant ambience. 'Purple Chime Cafe' , Ari's workplace, is a cozy hybrid of a restaurant and music cafe. Despite its name, it served more than just coffee; the menu was stacked with pizzas, burgers, and pasta that drew in the weekend crowd. A long glass counter separated the kitchen from the dining area, giving customers a clear view of the chefs at work — dough flying, ovens glowing, pans sizzling. Ari worked behind that glass as one of 3 chefs of the Cafe, her little world framed by reflections of the stage and its golden light...
Read more