wanted to sound unique—different from all the other bands out there. The show was hardly a few days away and they wanted to give their performance all that they had.
‘So the song goes like, Naseeba… Naseeba… ye meri life hai… naseeba naseeba … .’ sang Anamika.
‘Let me try singing it once,’ Vikrant said.
‘Naseeeeebaaa, ye meri life hai … Na, this tune is not right. Let’s go back to the first version,’ Yuvi added.
They had loaded up on snacks, beers, soda, marijuana, and cigarettes. Though they were kept hidden in a bag, Miss Malini got a whiff of it but she didn’t scold them because she wanted the show to go on perfectly well. After trying out various versions of the song, Yuvi suggested to stick to the basics and not to try to be too innovative with their title song ‘Naseeba’.
‘Let’s sing Dhaani once again. Yuvi, you start first. I will join in the chorus. Let’s practice as if a live show is going on,’ Vikrant said.
‘Dhaani.… re Dhaaniiiii..chunariya … Dhaani… re dhaani… chunariya… Udte baadal ke saaye me lehraayegi, mujhe tadpaayegi, chali jaayegi, jaise bijuriaa… mastaanii…’
Once satisfied with their demo performance, all of them hugged each other and sat on the stage wiping off the sweat from their brows.
‘The song was worth recording, dude. If we keep putting in the same amount of effort into each performance, we will surely make waves with our music. It’s so much fun,’ said Yuvi relaxing on the floor. He shut his eyes dreaming of their live performance where a big crowd had gathered and people were shouting his name over and over again, screaming their heart out.
Vikrant opened beer bottles for them while Yuvi rolled a paper. This time they wanted to rehearse like real rock stars. Vikrant drank a Bacardi breezer. Yuvi teased him saying only sissy girls drank breezers. Vikrant didn’t take Yuvi’s words to heart because he knew Yuvi was merely joking.
‘Give me a drag. Let me show you how it’s actually done. I am not a first timer. I have tried everything once but I don’t get addicted to stuff like you,’ Vikrant bluffed.
‘Oh, is it so? Then show it to me, baby. This is not a candy, darling,’ Yuvi laughed and Anamika joined in.
‘I find a girl who smokes really sexy. Such girls are not afraid of midnight parties. They are not afraid of hitting the dance floor and rapping with you. These chicks don’t always sit in class and talk shit,’ Yuvi said provoking Anamika.
Vikrant snatched the roll from Yuvi’s hand and took a drag. Then another, another…till he could barely get up from his seat. He could not even speak. He probably could not understand what was happening around him. Yuvi had told him ‘Beta, slowly… one at a time.’ But Vikrant wanted to prove he was man enough to do it. They were enjoying this new phase of life. All three of them had become really good friends with each other and their bonding was inseparable. Still Yuvi held some grudges against Anamika but she always won his faith back. They kept rehearsing day in and day out with on the same energy and enthusiasm. Yuvi was now more confident about the show because all the band members were performing at their optimal best. They all laughed, did masti, and practiced! Soon, they were all set for the D-day.
18th August, 2012
‘Ladies and gentleman, it gives me immense pleasure to host this show today. To my utter delight, I got to meet a particular band backstage. Any guesses whom I am talking about?’ said the host building up the excitement.
VAYU… VAYU… VAYU!!!
‘There you are. Absolutely right. I am talking about VAYU. The band that has reached the peak of popularity in only a couple of months’ time. I can see many of you wearing T-shirts with VAYU written on it. So let me present to you the students who make up your very favourite band— VAYUUUUUUU. First up is the lead guitarist and vocalist Yuvi. The Y of VAYU.’
Yuvi was busy kissing Kashish
Lady Brenda
Tom McCaughren
Under the Cover of the Moon (Cobblestone)
Rene Gutteridge
Allyson Simonian
Adam Moon
Julie Johnstone
R. A. Spratt
Tamara Ellis Smith
Nicola Rhodes