Amidst the darkness, the musical notes; shrill, deep, and melodious are the only sound apart from the cracking wind and ragging breath.

Her slender fingers dancing gracefully on the piano keys... Right-hand gliding over left to right while the left hand intact at its place pressing the keys vigorously.

Immensely dissolved in the music, she had her eyes close and a small sweet smile playing her lips satisfied with the tune she's creating.

The famous musician Sona, who'd created her place in everyone's heart with her very first song, has achieved a huge appreciation and popularity in just 21 years of age. Every time she walked onto the stage, the blast of applause is the must. Know not only in her country, now she's gonna represent her country in the International Musical Contest.

The notes got to a higher pitch and the music ended reverberating the last euphonious tune, making the room drop silent.

Her fingers are tingling with tiredness as she's playing extra for today's scheduled quota. She hadn't planned though but when the power cuts off causing the darkness she hated, she found profits in involving herself in music rather sitting idly and cursing her wicked fate.

Clap

Clap

Clap

The sudden sound of applause forced open her eyes wide only to be welcomed by the darkness around.

Her face paled white when the possibilities of invaders ran her rational mind. Craning her neck towards the direction of clappings she tried focussing on any moving figure visible through the moonlight.

"Who's there?"

She yelled frightened as she clearly remembers locking the door properly after the nurse left her alone. She couldn't even think of any visitors coming tonight. Then Who?

Grabbing her left arm with the right palm and putting it down at her lap. She switched the button of her electric wheelchair to move back from the piano to look for the unknown invader.

Her eyes sticking to the hallway door, she moved her wheelchair slowly in dark silence.

Many thoughts crossing her mind; who could it be when hardly anyone knew of this place? Could it be any of my crazy fans or stalkers or a burglar? Or is anyone trying to scare me or kill me? But why me? What did I do?

Her breath stuck in her throat, and heart throbbed in her ears, loud and irregular, but she bearly hear it, for her mind got clouded with terror when the silence broke with the scary noises of whistling windows, skittering walls, creaking of the door, and click of the knob.

She visually engulfs the saliva down her throat trying to calm her breaths.

With so much nerve, she further moved the wheels only to stop by the sight of a creeping silhouette and sound of heavy footsteps nearing.

A cold wave embalmed her as the hairs rose on the back of her neck and her mouth ran dry. She could feel the flight responses kick in, increasing her heart rate, flooding her with added adrenaline.

Part of her wanted to run, yet she knew, she couldn't. She could only open her mouth to find that even words had deserted her.

Then suddenly a light flashed directly on her face causing her to squeeze shut her eyes, panicking and frightened.

"Sona"

The hoarse masculine voice seemed soothingly familiar. She opened her eyelids slowly only to find the familiar cute handsome face of her only true best friend kneeling down at her level. She immediately exhaled her breath as her lips twist up.

"Ashu? You scared me." She complained beating his shoulder with her light fist while a tear rolled down her eyes out of fear.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Don't be a crybaby now" He tease-joked like always and wiped her tear making her pout and him laugh at her face making.

"By the way, why are you in the dark when you are afraid of ghosts?" He moved his mobile torch around the house.

"I'm not afraid of anyone, Okay?" She instantly shouted. "And it's power-cut for an hour."

"Ohh! You wait, I'll just come!" He ran away to the kitchen, searched for some candles n lighted the house enough for them to see through.

"Now perfect!" He voiced coming back to her and pushing her wheelchair near the sofa.

"By the way, I heard your piece. Believe me, that was amazing; you are surely gonna win this competition" He cheered while putting his jacket aside n settling on the sofa.

She didn't reply but looked down at her paralyzed legs.

"It's truly awesome!" He added knowing her mind.
They have known each other from school times and they are pretty close with none having any family. They've been sticking to each other in both happy and sad phases of life, supporting the other as a backbone. When she made names as a musician, he started his career as an actor. Always together.

Even when she got into that serious road accident three months ago, which injured her spinal cord and paralyzed her lower body along with her left arm partially paralyzed, he left his work to be with his best friend and support and motivate her to get better and live on.

The first time she woke up in the hospital bed and got to know that she's not moving, she just wished it to be a bad dream which would pass away as soon as she woke up.

It's a heartache!

That was so painful and frustrating to accept such a severe disability, which she, never in a thousand years, would have expected to be a part of her life when she's used to being a healthy, happy, very active, able-bodied individual.
She had wished 'Oh God! Why didn't I just die?'

She's always envisioned her life; traveling, hiking, touring abroad and doing all these crazy adventures and all of a sudden she's in a wheelchair and just kind of adjusting to life, with living with a disability and not being able to do lots of things that she used to be doing. So, it's been a major shift.
From being an able-bodied person to a disabled person.

With advance medical facilities, proper care and treatment by specialists, his support, and her own determination, she's now able to move her left hand's fingers and is challenging her fate by not withdrawing her name, but planning to participate in the international competition.

"But, What are you doing here? I thought you're coming on the competition day directly. Don't you have your photoshoot? Don't skip it due to me, Ashutosh!"

She won't like being the cause of her friend's downfall. She never liked the pity condolences thrown by most when they got the news. She dislikes the sympathetic look of their faces when they look down at her disabled body. They say "Stay strong; You can get through this"

But she just feels like, 'You know what, I don't need anyone to tell me that. You have no idea what I'm feeling. I'm going to stay in this darkness for a long time, and don't try to tell me otherwise.'

She'd experienced it;
The pressure to cover it up and put on this air of happiness, 'I've overcome this hard thing' face because honestly, people don't really wanna get engage with you if you're sad, a moping pile of mush. And a lot of people don't want to accept that reality, that's why oftentimes, people back away from people with disabilities because it's an ugly truth.

"Hey, Angrywoman! Calm down! I'm done with the photoshoot and my manager gave me early leave. That's why I am here. ...But if you don't want me here, I can always leave." He acted as if getting up and going.

"Don't go! I need you... with me" She lowered her voice looking down.

"I won't"

He kneeled in front of her putting his hands on hers. She looked up to his eyes, which floods with emotions; care, respect, love, strength, determination, motivation, and support!

"I'll always be by your side ...no matter what." His words are sincere; his eyes proves it.

"After all, I'm a human; a human needs someone to irritate, tease, and get entertainment from, Yaar!" He exclaimed playfully but got a smack on the forehead.

"Okay! Okay! I'm so tired; I'm sure you too need rest. Don't strain yourself and let's get to bed." He switched her wheelchair angling towards her room and walked along.

"You require proper rest along with your practice for these two days before the contest. And now that I'm here, you've no choice but to listen to me. Okay?" He commanded while agitation and anxiety are flooding on her brain.

She's not sure if she'd done a right choice in choosing to get over the stage with her paralyzed-self and perform in front of millions of audiences.

Will she be able to play it right or her fingers might get immovable at the last moment?
What if she played it wrong and all will laugh at her, taunt her, pity her disability?
Will she be able to rise her country's name to new heights or cause it to wipe off the map?

"What's wrong?" He asked looking at her tensed face.

"Will I be able to face it?" She questioned uncertainly.

He smiled and replied, "When you'll go on the stage; close your eyes, put the palm on your heart and just be yourself." He demonstrated himself while she focussed her every sense on him.

"You'll do wonders" he added opening his eyes and passing his charming smile. She smiled feeling serenity. His words always work on her. She trusts him like her own part and he does the same too.

"Now just sleep or else ghost will eat you up." He laughed seeing her making bad face.

"Goodnight, Scaredy-cat" He wished walking out her room.

"Goodnight, Monkey"

                              -----------------------------

"And the First position goes to... ...Miss. Sona from India!"

The host announced breaking the impatient waiting of millions of awaiting curious audiences and twenty-five brilliant international performers.

The silence got broken by a big round of thunderous applauds with standing ovation by all millions of audiences and honorable judges and music critics.

Waves of contentment and pleasure washed her heart when she received her trophy, award, and most importantly the round of applause, with a bright smile reaching her eye and her eyes sticking at her best friend ever who's standing in the first row and giving a warm clapping for her...

She did it!

She overcame her disability!

She showed everyone that being paralyzed in the wheelchair didn't stop her from getting the praise and reward she deserves!

She fought with her pre-performance jitters, her cruel fate, the hollow society; it's pity taunts, and it's looking down on her, and successfully conquered her fear!

She proved "You can't change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails to always reach your destination."