Swara sat on the bench which was in the waiting lounge with her piano score sheets clutched in her hand. Though Swara was dressed up in a dark blue long dress all ready yet she wasn't sure if she was ready mentally. Life has been playing games in her life. She didn't even know how the word 'Yes' slipped from her in front Miss. Rebecca and now here she was.

The Richard Auditorium.

The place where everything started with nervousness and excitement and the same very place where everything was snatched away from her, brutally. And the impact of it was still behind her, haunting her like a ghost.

"Sanskaar-- I'm not sure. Do you really want me to do this?" Swara asked worriedly looking at her score sheets which he gave her. Sanskaar corrected his black blazer while his eyes were fixed on the mirror which reflected Swara who was looking at the score sheet tensed. He sat on his knees infront of her, held her fisted palm with his one hand and lifted her chin up gently with the other letting their eyes meet.

"It's okay." Sanskaar soothed, his husky voice echoed in the silence. "You can run away for now but do you think you can run away for all your life?" He shook his head no and cupped her face in his hands and put his forehead on hers. "You are the strongest girl I've ever met Swara. You have fought like a warrior all your life and you will do this too. Don't worry, You already know the music by heart even though you haven't played it for years so you can still do this and I know you can do this." He stroked her hair softly and stood up with a smile forwarding his hand to her. 

Swara's heart pounced and a unknown emotion rushed through her veins. She couldn't explain it in words as she didn't know what exactly it was. She had sleepless nights, she went through terrible nightmares, had panic attacks and fell into depression for years. The sight of piano she once loved became a horror to her, The melody she was used to play once was now giving making her uncomfortable but today she felt that fear melt a little with his soothing words and warm eyes. It held lots and lots of hope. But at the same time a little piece of her questioned if she can really make it. She didn't know but she wanted to give it a try.... at least for him. 

"You'll do this!"

"I'll do this!"

~

As their names were called out Swara and Sanskaar started walking towards the doorway that led them to the stage. As Sanskaar set his right foot on the stage he looked aside and saw Swara still standing a little away from the main door, looking at the floor with a confused and a scared expression. Swara stood there as her mind brought her the flashbacks of her younger self looking at the floor the same way with different emotions- excitement, nervous yet courage filled her up before but today it was very different- anxiousness and uneasiness was sweeping through her veins already cutting down even the little confidence she gained with so much difficulty. Sensing her lost in thoughts, Sanskaar gently laced her hand with his making Swara jerk a little but instantly calmed down when she realised it was him.

"Just do what your heart says." Sanskaar blinked his eyes in assurance while a soft smile crept on Swara's lips. She felt so blessed to have such understanding people always around her.

Both walked in and after greeting the audience with a bow, they took their own respective places. Sanskaar took his violin in a perfect position near the microphone while Swara sat on her stool upright. She already felt her eyes getting misty but then she took hold of the emotion and took in a deep breath. "I can do this!" She chanted the words Sanskaar had told her as she positioned her slender fingers on the ivory keys all set to play.

One among the judge, John was quick to identify whom Swara was, after all he was the one who judged this little girl when she played her very first recital and made everyone spellbound with her fantabulous performance. She had her own set of records and she herself broke them in her upcoming recitals but one day it was different, and after that the girl vanished. But seeing her today was something he never expected.

Swara shifted her gaze up to see a vast audience waiting for them to play with their faces fixed on them. Even though she didn't want to, her eyes looked up at the usual spot where her mother, Aisha and Reema would be present at every recital she had played before except for the last one. Though she wanted to deny, deep down she always knew that she belonged to music. The loss of her mother and the suffering no more let her touch the ivory keys of the grand piano.

Once they had taken their position, Sanskaar half turned his head and saw Swara giving a nod slowly from the corner of his eyes and he too reciprocated the nod before he returned to his normal position. Sanskaar wasn't sure if he was helping out his best friend in the right manner by stirring up her wound she kept away from the world but this was something out of his hands since it was Miss. Rebecca who asked her to play.

Her slender fingers pressed those ivory keys so softly as if she didn't want to hurt them as she brought the music alive. And a smile appeared on Sanskaar's face, he really hoped it ends up well. With that short prayer, he placed the bow on the strings and began to play along with her. Her fingers moved own their own accord, knowing which key was to be pressed next.

Mr. John's eyes brightened. The participant whom he searched for all these years in others was here, playing the piano so beautifully that he already wanted to surrender himself in the hands of music that echoed in the auditorium. There was no more hushed whispers that would be usually prevail in the auditorium during the recital. All were enjoying and were losing themselves in the magnificent melody.

She played so flawlessly as if it was the music that was running in her veins, rhythms that was all she was breathing and melody was her own tone. Swara had a serene expression and that moment she felt her own self surfacing which he had kept away from others, now coming out in form of the music. Sanskaar was proud already of how she had mustered courage to do this and she was doing really well.

Everything looked so perfect until her smiling face turned into a straight line with frown lines visible on her forehead. Her eyes snapped wider, eyes still stuck to the keys but it was turning more harder and harder with every press of the keys. The judges and the audience were confused and so was Sanskaar. She was playing so well but all of a sudden it no more sounded like the song they were playing, it was turning into something different.

Swara blinked her eyes, shook her head clearing the image she was seeing. Flashes of that fateful day of how her mother, Aisha had yelled at her and of how she asked her mother to die in anger crossed her mind. No, she was playing well after years and she didn't want to ruin it because of those demons she had lost once. She kept trying and trying until she took her fingers off from the piano and inhaled a sharp breathe.

Silence prevailed in the entire auditorium expect for his violin. Sanskaar didn't know what was really happening to her as she was behind him. They already lost the competition as Swara stopped playing her part in the middle but he was still playing. He didn't mind it if people criticise him as one crazy man who doesn't want to accept his defeat. This was something more and he only wished Swara to understand why he hasn't stopped playing even though she had halted and he won't give damn to others.

Swara pressed her eyelids down. This was much more painful that she thought. She looked up to see everyone still looking at them and Sanskaar-- he was still playing. Tears filled her eyes when she saw him still play not caring about anything. She had already ruined it yet he wants her to continue, she knows!

When he heard the melody again, Sanskaar had a stubble smile. She understood his hints and chose to play it with him. Swara tried. Her eyes have already turned blood shot and blurry as her tears were streaming down on her cheeks. Swara had her sole focus on the instrument. She was hitting on the right keys. She knew the exact keys for the upcoming notes too but, the keys-- they were gone. All she could hear was the loud echoing screams of hers along with her mother's warnings overpowering the music she created.

The entire auditorium maintained pin drop silence. The softloud music the instruments created was filling up in the air making the entire crowd dumbfound. The aura of the magnificent music had completely absorbed them in a way that they couldn't look away from the stage even for a second.

"You can do this. Don't loose hope Swara." Swara kept repeating her words in whispers, crying but trying to overcome but invain. She couldn't do it at all. And she lost again! 

But little she knew that she hadn't lost, not before nor now in the eyes of others like she thought.

~

As soon as the team came into the school premises Jay was the first to come out of the van and ran to the block like a crazy man leaving his coach and fellow mates confused.

His mind was only wandering about Swara's well being even though he went for the match. Until he sees the girl he couldn't calm down. Jay almost barged into Swara's class but halted when he saw Mr. Williams teaching the class. Mr. Williams was caught off guard when suddenly Jay appeared in the class.

"Jay Sharma, is that how you enter a class?"

Jay eyes scanned all over the class but Swara wasn't there and it made him more anxious. His mind was already popping up with more negative thoughts.

"Sir, if you don't can I have a minute with Aditi. It's very urgent." Jay was least bothered about what Mr. Williams was telling him. He had more concern on something else. Even before Mr. Williams could say anything Jay again spoke, "I know you would. Thank you so much sir!" And that made Mr. Williams confused and so was the other students.

Aditi walked out of the class with Jay and even before she could ask him why he was so worried he already started asking her questions.

"Where is Swara? Is she fine? Did she go home already?"

"Jay! Pause." Aditi said, "Swara is fine." Aditi was so confused with his behavior and was worried of what was making him so anxious about Swara who looked fit and fine already. Moreover he was letting her know the matter too so she could help him out. 

"Then where is she?" Jay quickly questioned her. He was sure she wasn't present in the class when he came in. Maybe had she gone to help the teachers? Jay didn't know but he was already going mad. 

"Jay actually Swara and Sanskaar was sent to go to a competition." Aditi explained since both informed Arya and her before leaving the school.

"What competition?" Jay was already lacking so much patience and this competition thing was testing him so much. 

"Piano competition in Richard's Auditorium." And that moment Jay already felt everything had fallen apart, just like how he feared it should not.

~

Swara walked out of the stage still in the state of shock. She didn't care how people were looking at her with pity eyes nor gossiping about her, she least cared, she didn't mind how messy and vulnerable she appeared with sweat and tears which still ran down from her face. Her mind was far away from the eyes of others. She still couldn't believe that the day she had been running away for years was here, in reality and happening. Sanskaar dashed out of the stage only to find Swara walking away in distance. He took long strides to reach her and when he did he held her shoulders firmly but not in a hurting way.

That moment Sanskaar felt this wasn't the Swara he knew all these days. Her eyes held nothing except for tears and anguish, there was no more confidence he could spot which she usually carries as if it was her pride. This Swara only had the resemblance of the looks his best friend and nothing else.

"Swara?" Sanskaar called her out despite his heavy voice.

She didn't reply but she did hear his voice. Him calling her. Tears once again brimmed her eyes. Just because of her he had lost the competition even though he played his part so well. Back then it was her words which snatched her mother from and now--- will Sanskaar too leave her? A soft sob left from her as she closed her eyes tightly and let her damp cheeks get wet again. She didn't even dare to look at his face. He encouraged her when they were about to step into the stage, supported her even though they lost already and still continued being her side but in return what has she done? Nothing! All she did was to break the hope he had for her.

Back then everyone was right! She was nothing but a mistake and everyone who were around her had to pay the cost of suffering for befriending her.

"Don't run your mind too much. I'm here, with you now and always will be." Sanskaar pulled her in his embrace. This sight was nothing but a pure torture for Sanskaar. He could see her fall in despair visibly, he could see her struggle but he didn't know what it was. She was right here with him, in his arms but still he felt so helpless.

"I--I told you I c-can't." She muffled still hiding her face in his chest. Sanskaar kept caressing her hair and rubbed her back to soothe her at least a little but she was still crying, without any noise. He could only wonder how many days she had been crying and suppressing herself from not to letting anyone know in such a way that she was now crying without any noise, "But you tried and I'm already so proud of you." He whispered back to her, to the beautiful broken pianist who was in his arms who was trying to get away the demons that was haunting her. Swara wanted to go away, away from everyone that she no more finds any familiar faces. She was tired of running away, exhausted already for hiding and suppressing all her emotions.

Swara gently came out of his embrace and scrubbed off her tears roughly with her hands. The wall that held her up, made her strong, collapsed in the worst way. The waves of agony was hitting her, making her heart heavy and her breathe suffocating with every nano second. Memories are like bullets. Some whiz by and only spook you. Others tears you open and leave you in shreds which has the power to kill your soul giving slow yet a painful death. Sanskaar's heart already ached seeing her in such a state that he already wanted to delete this part from their lives but alas! He was about to get hold of her but Swara took a step backward still looking down.

"You'll not f--follow me." Swara took another step as she uttered those words with so much difficulty but the rawness and pain was still evident in her raspy voice. Even before Sanskaar could say anything Swara already took a step backward once again and wiping her tears once again she turned and ran away.

Sanskaar's eyes turned misty while his hand was still up in the air forwarding towards her but then she had already vanished away from his sight. Sanskaar closed his eyes letting a lonely tear roll down from his left eye. Maybe Swara might not be present here but he was still there waiting for her at the place where she had left him behind.

Unknown to them the results were already pinned in the notice board. And surprisingly they were selected to the next round as the audience choice winners. While the pair was unaware of the astonishment and were drowning down in their misery and letting waves of agony hit them.

☆Everybody watches the tears that flow but people seldom notice a heart bleeds from within☆ 

I'm anxious to even post this chapter and I'm waiting for all your responses. This is one of the very important scene as I have always dreamt of writing for TF and I honestly don't know how it has come out. I know there are people still reading this book but the numbers of showing up has decreased comparing with the previous chapters and I also know I too have my faults here. I'm not updating on time as I promised to and I'm loosing people already for that. For those who are still here for me and making me smile with either your comments or votes I owe you all a lot. Love you'll!

My other readers who are still reading this chapter in a silent manner, Let me tell you this chapter is very important to me and for once let me know your existence either through comment and nor clicking the star. Trust me this will mean so much than you can ever think of. Thanks if you are taking my words into consideration.  

And I've got a happy news as well, 

'Together Forever' has won the Best Ship in ThePeacockShow
Cheers to my TF family!!!

Once again my heart reaches to every single person who was, is being with TF. I feel so overwhelmed. 

Love,

Diya ❤️