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They say, masterpieces have miseries hidden beneath them.
It was when the loneliness got the better of her that she decided to run. Not in the literal sense but figuratively. Because literally running would make her wheeze and clutch her sides as she would hold onto her breathes. One of the many side-effects of being over-weight.
Shunning the world while being in the world, not an easy task to accomplish. But she had been doing it for quite a while now. If she wasn't a pro then most definitely she wasn't amateur either. And whenever she was successful, she forgot the world for once.
The instrument set on her shoulder and tucked beneath her chin, standing in a straight posture which was an envy for many, she closed her eyes and let her inner feelings get the better of her.
Fear, anger, hurt, pain, hope, dreams; things which she couldn't say filled the space around her. Her fingers hurting because of the sharpness of the strings, her face sweating because of the vigorous arm moments; but she didn't care. If she didn't get past this physical hurt, her inner torment won't be vented out.
She played and the music kept coming out. When she was a kid and when she first found her fondness for this instrument, she only used to play happy tunes. Not for everyone else, but for herself. When the Time waved its magic wand on her, she realized life is so much aside from happiness. Happiness could be gained from the smallest of the things and this was special. So she used it to escape. To vent. To be free.
That day was different. The inner pain was more hence the music lingered longer. Sweat was mixed with tears. Closed eyes can block the outer world but open the inner world. And her world was upside down.
She played and played and played and she cried and cried and cried. Silently at first but then her body started to shake. Her grip weakened and her knees gave in. Falling on the cold floor of the stage, she let her instrument fall down and covered her face with her hands.
Why did God create tears anyway? They were such a bother!
She sat like that for a while. When she felt empty, she looked up and froze. She wasn't alone.
The girl looked at her without any emotion in her eyes. She didn't know whether she felt happy or sad at this. Happy because she didn't want pity or sympathy at the moment and sad because no one deserved those blank eyes which were looking at her.
They looked at each other in silence; a first from both of them. She bit her lips and looked away, waiting for the insult to come.
"Play it for me."
She would be lying if she said she hadn't been expecting those words. So, she just picked up her instrument and stood at a side while the other girl took the center stage.
She played.
A few moments later, the other girl danced.
And it was a poet's dream seeing two beautiful girls, each in their own unique way, represent melancholy with their eyes closed. What her music was saying, the girl's dancing was showing. They weren't matched, there wasn't any flow but it captivated. Mostly because they were portraying sadness; an emotion anyone could connect to.
When the melancholic piece ended and they opened their eyes, there was familiarity when those eyes met. Acceptance. Gratitude. But when they heard claps from a far, there was only surprise.
The man stood with understanding in his eyes as the two girls on the stage looked on at him in surprise. By the time he reached them, he knew what to do.
What happened next was a blur for both of them. Their escapism had found a path, a path to success. They trained for a whole year before taking a National level stage. The applauds in the hall that night had been the loudest for the duo.
They got their first standing ovation just 11 months later, when they performed in a show for some international figures. And from there own, anything less than an standing ovation couldn't even be imagined.
The Fireflies. The name had been given to them after their 3rd stage appearance and they didn't mind. Tiny flickering fireflies, a fantasy in today's world. They were that, a fantasy.
What else could be used to define a pair of 21 year old girls who were taken the world by storm?
They trained in Europe and performed around the world. Mostly they occupied the grand stages alone but sometimes they were accompanied by some renowned musicians and back-up dancers. Critics and fans were unanimous on this verdict that they no accompaniment could produce the magic the pair did on their own.
Still, changes came with time. Sometimes she danced alone in part of the world while the musician trained in the other part. They got love wherever they went. But the magic happened when they were brought together.
That was it; magic. Thousands of eyes glued on two girls as they worked their wonder. It was funny that they hardly portrayed anything happy but still the word "fantasy" was a common adjective used by the critics.
For years, their small escapism remained in the limelight. For there was no competition. It wasn't everyday that a girl who fell in love with her best friend but was never acknowledged played the violin while another girl who did the mistake of handing her heart to her worst enemy danced. No, it wasn't everyday...
8 years passed in unmatched glory for them. They took stage after stage, accolades after accolades but the end never came. The end they had been seeking ever since they acknowledged each other, it was far away from their reach.
Maybe that's why after their each performance when they opened their eyes, they searched for that one particular face that would make it alright. That would mark the end of their escape and take them back to reality. The reality that they had always dreamed of...of being with the one who took their breathes away.
But the face never appeared. The Escape never ended. And the glory filled life passed by them like a blur...
...day after day.
*~~~*
I was depressed and disappointed, hence this.
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Likes are appreciated.
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