Play the Music: Day 4 of Write Tribe Festival of Words

 Today's theme: Music

“I know you enjoyed listening to this shamelessly Badtameez song. And we have our next caller from our own, Namma Bengaluru. Hello Eshan, how is your day going so far?”

“Not so good.”

“OH! Why? What happened?”

“Well, yesterday night my girlfriend of 6 years broke up with me. I am heartbroken because I didn’t see this coming. In fact I was planning to propose to her.  I don’t know how she could do this to me. We met in college and I wanted to marry her right after our graduation. But she was practical and suggested that I should start earning, make some money and all that. I went abroad for 2 years. I was away from my parents; I was not there when they fell sick, when they needed me, just because my girlfriend wanted me to earn money. My love had made me blind. And yesterday I got to know that she is getting married to a guy her parents chose for her. When I asked her the reason for ditching me, she said that the guy she was marrying had more money. Is that the only thing that a girl desires? Money, Power, Status? What about love? I loved her so much, I still do and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to get over her.”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down Eshan. Not all girls are like that. I’m sure you’ll find a girl who’ll appreciate you for what you are, for your good heart. And you should take this positively. See, if you had married her she would have made your life worse than hell. I say good riddance! And don’t be disheartened. There are so many fishes in the pond. So chin up and start fishing. Do you want to play a song for the girl who broke your heart?”

“I just want to say that love hurts and I won’t be falling in love ever again. Can you play Zindagi ne Zindagi Bhar Gham Diye? “

“Sure and you take care ok?”

As Ridhi left the radio station she remembered the conversation with Eshan. She hoped and prayed that he would get over his girlfriend. She knew that it was very difficult to mend a broken heart. After all didn’t she go through it herself just 6 months earlier and like Eshan, she swore to keep love at bay from her life.

*A week later*

“Hello Eshan! So you called back. Tell me have you moved on?”

“Hi Ridhi! The first few days I never stepped away from the couch and I was living only on alcohol. But on the fourth day my manager called me and threatened to haul my ass if I didn’t get back to office. See, I don’t even get time off to grieve. “

Ridhi laughed. 

“But you sound better. These things happen and you shouldn’t think too much about it. “

“Yes, that’s what I am doing. Taking it one day at a time. But the thing that I detest so much is that I’ll never be able to love again. I’ll be seeing every girl I like with wariness. Will I ever fall in love again?”

Ridhi was speechless for few seconds. She had asked the same question a thousand times to herself. Will she ever be able to fall in love again? Will she ever be able to trust a man again?

“Yes of course, you’ll fall in love. Hang in there buddy. And here’s an awesome song for the sweetest boy in Bengaluru.”

As Ridhi drove back to her home that night, thoughts of Eshan flooded her mind. He sounded like a good man, an honest man. She felt sorry for the girl who had ditched him, because it was her loss completely. She felt an urge to talk to him, to call him, because she understood what he was going through. She knew how it felt to keep a strong front before intrusive people, who wanted to know all the gory details of the breakup, when all you want to do is just curl up in the bed and cry.  

*10 days later*

“Hi Ridhi. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Wow, someone sure is having a sunny day. So how’s life treating you, buddy?”

“Life is good. In fact I have a date tonight. Nothing special, mind you, but a date it is! A girl from my office wanted to know if we could go out together for coffee. And I said yes! Just like that! Can you believe it? I am moving on”

“And I’m happy for you Eshan. Let me know how your date goes, ok?”

“Sure and can you please play the song Pehli Nazar mein for my date tonight?”

Ridhi felt her hand moist and heart beating a little faster. Eshan had moved on, somehow she felt she had been betrayed. She had imagined them both to be sailing on the same boat in life. But he had moved on while she was still stuck to the memories of her past. It was time for her to move on too. She looked around as if scouting for men to date and she suddenly realized that she was being silly. Just because Eshan had a date didn’t mean that she had to go on a date too. She smiled at her own foolishness, but she couldn’t get rid of the slight ache in her heart.

***

The next day she messaged Eshan.

Ridhi didn’t know what had come over her. All she knew was that Eshan and she were two lost souls trying to find a footing in their life and trying to take things forward when their heart had still continued to remain in the shadows of the past.

“This song goes out to the boy who has started taking things slow but is definitely moving forward. I hope things work out for you Eshan and if it doesn’t you can always call our radio station. I, Ridhi, will always be here to heal, to salve.

***

The next day when Ridhi got up there was a text message. She smiled and replied. She got up and got ready for the day, but this day was different. She was humming a song, a song that was close to her heart, a song that was once her favorite but she had deliberately stopped listening to it, when she let love out of the doors of her heart. Do you want to listen to her song? And don’t forget to read the message that Ridhi received!

Thanks to SoundCloud for so many lovely songs and for turning a dull, boring day in office into an awesome day :)

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.