EPISODE 8 CULTURALS

Preethi though changed a lot in her looks, she was still the same in her heart. We hung out at each other’s houses ,theaters, Parks, Malls, we got to know about each other a lot.

Days passed in college, we went to second year, we got to attend other college cultural, one of the biggest cultural event was the  FANFEST CULTURAL” conducted by SMR UNIVERSITY. It was were you could find all kinds of celebrities. It is where we could show case all our talents. Students and colleges from around the country attend this Cultural.

Our college had to win  this year, because in all the previous year’s our college only won the second price, and the first prize was bashed by P.K college of Commerce, A rival college owned by a sibling of our CEO. Our college tries to outdo their college in all kinds of ways, be it in academics, Culturals, Sports, or any other thing that we could compete on. But they outdo us every time.

I didn’t know much about this until I personally experienced it when I saw my college mates trying hard to beat them in every event, It got me inspired, But I didn’t know how I could be of any help, While I was wondering about this I overheard My college Cultural head and his friend talking,

“We have tied up with P.K, There is only one more event to go, Music, it is going to be the deciding event. Is our team ready?” he asked

His friend replied in a depressing tone,

“No. Our singer isn’t feeling well, He didn’t even attend this cultural”

His answer made our cultural head upset, He sat on the floor and looked up at his friend and said,

“What are we going to do now? We have lost to them once again. This is not good. This is so not good.”

I also felt sad for him. I’ve heard the music team practice, they practiced really hard, but it is unfortunate that the singer felt ill on a very crucial day. Then later, we were all sitting among the crowd, and waiting for the music event to start.

All of a sudden preethi asked me to come with her, I didn’t want to go, and I didn’t want miss this event, but I couldn’t also say no. I went along with her. She took me to the back stage, I didn’t understand why, I thought maybe because It was a better view from the stage. Then later teams started performing, all of them did well but P.K college students nailed it. They took western as their bash, and stunned everyone with the energetic performance. Next up was our college, Preethi seemed pretty tensed, I asked her not to worry, to which she replied,

“This is not what I’m worried about”

Her words confused me, the person holding the mic then announced our college name, and the crowd were shouting and encouraging us, maybe they were expecting a lot from our college. Our college students were still depressed, their heads were pointing towards the ground, and they knew they didn’t have a singer. The announcer then started announcing the names of performers, after announcing all the names, in the end she said,

“….Kunal”.

Our college students looked up in surprise and so much shock, they did not expect this, neither did I. Preethi had given my name instead of the singer. From being depressed faces our college mates changed to exciting faces, they started shouting

“Kunal...Kunal, kunal…Kunal”

They had no idea who I was but still shouted my name. I was shocked , Then preethi told me,

“Kunal I trust you. You can do it. I know you can sing, Now show the world that you can sing. I trust you kunal, Go for it.”

Though the words were supposed to inspire me, I couldn't take it with the kind of shock I was in. I replied to her,

"I told you I'm trying to sing, When did I tell you i could sing in such a big stage in front of these celebrities. I can't do it Preethi, I just can't. "

She replied,

"No kunal you can and you are going to do it. I've overheard you singing alone in your room, You can sing, You are just scared of the crowd. At most what could happen Kunal? You could feel embarressed, That too only if you fail. Even if you fail, you could save our college's name being criticized as a loser college who couldn't face their rival after a powerful performance by them. "

I was pretty convinced, I asked her why she decided to give my name, to which she replied in suspenseful tone,

"I know you more than you know yourself"

These words cheered me up but I didn’t have a clue what to sing about, I asked her

“What do I sing about?”

She replied,

“Go there, Close your Eyes and sing about the first thing that comes to your mind.”

The crowd was still shouting my name, the musicians came to stage and set up their equipment’s, only the singer was not there. Everyone were expecting to see the singer, which is when I walked in.

As I walked I looked at the crowd, I haven’t been this scared in my entire life, I went close to the mic 

held it with my hand and turned to the musicians, They were all looking at me in shock, But Preethi’s words gave me confidence, I told to them,

“I remember the tone, you carry on with the same thing you practiced, and I’ll sync my Song with it.”

They were shocked to hear this, I could clearly see it in their faces. However, they trusted me and got ready to start playing. I then turned towards the Crowd, I Decided to sing about what came to my mind first when I closed my eyes. I closed my eyes, The only thing that came to my mind was Kriti, the memories I had with her, Her inner beauty, These memories got my throat dry, I didn’t open my eyes, I decided to sing ignoring the crowd and thinking only about Kriti. The music started playing and I started singing with the tone,

“You were the one who made my life,

You were the one who stood for me

You were the one in my heart,

But….

Why did you make me use “Were”?

Where are you,

Where have you gone?

I’ll bring the sky down,

If that’s what it takes,

To bring you back

But….

Please come back to me,

Please don’t leave me.

I will love you now and forever,

I have a lot to say,

But…..

No one to listen,

I broke your heart,

It was my fault,

 I loved you from my heart,

But…..

I made a mistake,

To let you go,

Now you are far gone,

Please come back to me.”

The song was Three minutes long, And halfway through the song, I Collapsed and my voice started mixing up tears along with my sound. The Crowd that was cheering me, before I started singing, now collapsed along with me and looked at me in stunned manner. I guess I brought out my entire feelings for Kriti in words, I didn’t know I loved Kriti so much. I  

This moment changed my life’s perspective of thinking that there is always an alternative available. Some things don’t have alternatives, they are the ones that complete your life. Without them you are incomplete. 

I couldn’t control my feelings, at the end of the song I collapsed completely and sat down on the stage with my knees on the ground, Tears were flowing from my eyes like waterfalls. I was happy that Preethi gave my name for the singer. After I finished the song, the entire audience including the judges were on their feet. And finally when the results were announced for the first place, after a long time my college folks heard

“And the winners of today’s Cultural is P.S College of commerce…”

None of my college mates could believe that they won. 

Everyone walked towards the stage with Excitement,

I walked Away from the Stage with Memories of Kriti.