The welfare camp was much crowded as compared to the last year's "Words through your soul" as named by the college representatives of the camp. And since "Aashayein" team, as they were rightly called, was being headed by Ashi, it lead to more of the handicapped groups joining them along with their families. This was mostly because she was considered their motivation in times of miserable conditions and in situations when there was absolutely no hope. The belief of having hope is the key to every problem, she had rightfully said and this mere sentence was enough to provide the motivation required.

The ground was fairly full of people. The handicapped young talents were showing their skills with balls, hoops and ropes while the children clapped for them in glee. The elder ones were  sharing their life experiences and advising them that in all odds, you should never leave your loved ones.
The fear of abandonment had been the biggest fear in them, all created due to firstly their family leaving them on their own and then not getting the necessary love every person needs. 
__________________________________________

Eyes still looking for that strange man, Ashi kept her attention to the people there when Meera, her team mate and a friend came to her and said,

"Ashi, there's a man asking for you, he wants to talk to you. He's sitting in the office, should I take you up there?" 

"No thanks Meera, I'll see there, please ask for the food arrangement, I'll be back in some time." she replied while Meera nodded and left.

Moving her wheelchair slowly, her mind still kept dwelling on the man she had seen while she was onstage. He looked kindly odd amongst the people and the way he looked at her, it seemed more than just an eye contact. As she reached at the doorstep, the door wasn't wide enough to let the wheelchair in and so she found it difficult to move in. Hearing the wheels, the man turned and looked at her trying to get into the room.

"May I help?" he asked politely with a bit of huskiness in it.

His voice was enough to divert her attention from that wheelchair to the young lad. It was him! The same man she had seen at the podium, the same with the dark black eyes. 

"I would be glad if you could!" she replied in the same manner and he smiled a bit.

As he bent a little to match the height of the wheelchair and to adjust the wheels, she was trying to understand why this man wanted to talk to her. After a little of pulling in and pushing out, the wheelchair finally got its way in the room. It was really hot there in the room, and no wind added to the misery. She looked at him and found that he was sweating and so she passed her handkerchief to him. He obliged.

"I think I have seen you somewhere!" she said as she tried connecting his face to the memories in her head.

"Err...not possible, it was my first time coming here. Other than this could hardly be a mere coincidence unless you had seen me in the hospital some days back." he said. Deep within, he was hoping she would remember where she had seen him, which wasn't the hospital!

Flashback:

After attending to the phone, Randeep was scrolling through the list of scanned documents in his phone for a particular document,  as he had to urgently send it to the music company for whom he had signed the contract. That's when he accidentally clicked on a document and a scanned copy of a certificate popped up on the screen. A smile came on his face even as he ran his finger on it. It was his first certificate, which he had got for winning in a college event. It was special for him not just because it was his first one but also because his performance was a dedication to someone!

The certificate took him back in time, to the day of his performance and those pair of eyes! He hadn't been able to see her entire face due to the people sitting in front masking her but just her eyes were so captivating. 

He finished his performance and while exiting the stage, he was fortunate to catch a glimpse of her!

That's when realisation struck him that the girl from the competition was Ashi and he decided to talk to her.

Flashback ends

Hearing more of his voice, something clicked all of a sudden and she remembered that unfateful changed fateful day of her life.

Flashback:

Post her father and sister's demise, things had gone messy and complicated in Ashi's life. Firstly, losing the two important souls of her life and then getting into this disability which she clearly considered as a curse (back then) was taking a toll on her. She had started feeling that it would have been better if  God had sent the gift of death than this disability! And those unusual hallucinations haunted her and made her feel like she was going all mad!

One fine day, her mother insisted her to accompany her friends to a specific college event whose main goal was to present emerging new singing talents. Having lost all hopes of getting her daughter's lost smile back, Nandini felt it would be better if she could atleast get Ashi's attention on something, so that she could save her daughter, who was losing all interest and wish to live, weighed down by pain and anguish!  So she found this as the best thing to divert her attention from the present scenario. 

Onstage there were various bands, college rappers and musicians entertaining the group of freshies. The judges and the rest of people were getting settled in that auditorium. Turn by turn,singers were starting to come, marking the commencement of the event! There were all kinds of singers. Some were performing to such an extent where they weren't singing but were rather shouting and hence, were thrown out of the stage. All that they got to take were the empty bottles and papers thrown at them! Some others were extremely talented and their performance seemed like the words were coming directly from their hearts, their melodious voice adding to the impact!

Ashi's half attention was on her friend who was bantering about this not-good-but-waste event and the other half was on her accident. Life is really unpredictable and she had learnt it through whatever happened! Soon enough, the next contestant started singing, grabbing all her attention towards himself.
He had a guitar in his hands and his long fingers were playing a soft melody. His eyes were closed. It was as if he was feeling each word of the song he was singing.

Jab tak tujhe pyar se
Beinteha main bhar na dun
Jab tak main duaaoon sa
Sau dafa tujhe pad na loon

Haan mere paas tum raho
Jaane ki baat na karo
Mere sath tum raho
Jaane ki baat na karo

Woh oh o.

She felt like she was listening to some melody from heaven and God was actually establishing a connection with her.

"We all have lost someone or the other in our lives. All we have left of that person would be the memories of the moments we have shared with them. We are so lost in mourning for the loss of that person that we forget about the loved ones who are still with us and in front of our eyes. We forget that they too require our support and love.
So, let's cherish the moment with the ones who are with us and make memorable memories instead of drowning in the pain of loss! I know it hurts, it pains and death seems like a lucrative option to get rid of all this suffering and pain but still, search for a reason to live!"  he said in between the lyrics. His words were like a soothing balm on her hurt. His words had given her a reason to live. It could be more rightly said that, he had made her realise she had a reason to live - her mother!

Flashback ends

"It was you, Wasn't it? Singing onstage for that college event?" she asked and he smiled.

"You remember? Yes, it was me. That was my first ever performance onstage!" he said fondly.

She nodded before saying,

"I can never forget that day!  Your song, your words would echo in my ears whenever I felt low.  That was the day when I actually realized that my life is worth living; for myself, for my mother who loves me so much. You also made me accept my disability and not perceive it as a curse, thus giving me the motivation to conquer all obstacles!"

"I'm glad I was of some help to someone, even though unknowingly! I am happy you could find a reason but frankly I perceived you as a person who can find a reason for and by herself and not due to  influence of and /or by someone else." he prodded.

"Well, I surely wasn't the person I am today, 2 years back! Things change, people change. I guess my change was mandatory and it happened for something good." she reasoned out and he gave her a slight nod.

"Anyways how can i help you?" she asked

"It was just enough for me to see you and talk to you. This kind of positivity is what I needed."Randeep thougt but of course,he couldn't tell this to her, atleat not on a first meet!
So he responded,

"Eh...I actually wanted to make a donation for this camp. Plus, I was also wondering how you people manage these camps and help people."

The next ten minutes went on with her explaining all of their campaigning sites and how they motivate people, how they are able to raise funds etc.

After handing over the cheque to her, he bid her a goodbye,

"It was nice to meet you Ms. Ashi. Please take care and I hope to meet you soon."

She smiled in a reflex. When he was at the door ,she called out to him to ask his name but stopped abruptly when her eyes fell on the sign on the cheque. It read 'Randeep'. 

Having heard her voice, he turned around and asked,

"Yes?"

She flashed a grin and said in a firm voice,

"It was nice to meet you too Mr.Randeep!"

He smiled back and left.

A start of something? Friendship or love?

Hey guys!

Extremely sorry for the delay in update. Priyal was caught up with some personal problems and I too wasn't in the proper frame to write.

Lots of love,
Pratyu and Priyal