Written In The Stars by Anwesha Bhattacharya

It was a rainy day in Mumbai, and the sky looked heavy with dark clouds about to pour out with a vengeance. Aarush tossed and turned in his half-awake state while still in bed as his mom’s phone rang the alarm at 5:30 in the morning. He knew he had to sacrifice his dear slumber, as the household would soon be up and about, shaking him out of his drowsiness.

Today was the first day of his college at the newly established School of Performing Arts, where he had opted for a Bachelor’s course in Western Music (Piano), and he better not be late to create a good first impression. The tide had finally turned in his favour and after an arduous climb through high school, he was one of the very few, selected for this prestigious course. For piano had been his passion ever since his parents had enrolled him at a neighbourhood class when he was barely nine years old. Since childhood, Aarush had a keen sense of musical notes, and his teachers often praised his inborn ability to identify the pitch.

“Wake up, lazybones!” his mom literally jolted him out of sleep, as he barely woke up, still slouching on the bed. Every morning, there ensued a tug of war between the two until Aarush finally relented to venture for the ablutions. Aarush was twenty, yet the way he conducted himself on most occasions seemed like he wanted to remain a child forever!

Aarush had grown up to be a handsome boy with a soft gaze that gave way to his innocence that had not been tampered with the ordeals of growing up. He had spent most of his life in a protected environment, under the constant watch of his parents, who were often judged harshly by the world for not letting their only son bloom and mature independently. They were the same people who misconstrued Aarush’s aloofness from society as an abnormality. Yet the world was ignorant of the fact that he was actually a high performing Autistic individual with Asperger’s syndrome, that had been diagnosed when he was in high school.

Aarush appeared to the world, like the rest of the crowd, but to the discerning eye, he was much of a recluse for his age.

Aarush’s dad had arranged for a cab to drop him and pick him up from college every day, for his parents feared that he would be lost in the rigmarole of the daily commute through Mumbai locals and buses. Aarush was a bit awkward among people, and college was an eye-opener of sorts. Though he enjoyed his piano lessons, learning and exploring something new every day, he was still unable to relate with his classmates, some of whom came from the upstart high society of South Mumbai. Aarush was repulsive to the fact that a few of them smoked in public and also discussed drugs, for it had been ingrained in him that he should always maintain a safe distance from such a lifestyle.

But deep down, Aarush was a dreamer—that rare breed of people who have an idealistic view of the world and see it through rose-tinted glasses. He dreamt of achieving high in life and someday performing live on stage in front of a huge applauding crowd. He also had a YouTube channel for the last four years, where he had around 600 subscribers and was rather popular.

“Aarush, how was your day, sonny?” his mother enquired playfully when he returned, to which his only taciturn reply would be “okay”. His mother would poke him with further questions to let go of his reticent behaviour, but he would take time to open up.

Since childhood, Aarush had found it difficult to socialize, and so he was much of a loner at heart. But his tender heart silently yearned for a companion who would have the patience to listen to him without belittling his sensitivity and overthinking nature. Someone who would readily love him despite all his shortcomings!

College was different from school, and Aarush enjoyed his newfound freedom, away from the glare of his over-protective parents. Though he was choosy about his interactions with peers, yet he made some meaningful and lasting friendships. One among them was Joshua, his senior in second year, who was a great pianist and bassist, admired by many. Since day one, Aarush was drawn to his persona, more so as he was Aarush’s best critic and guide and understood him like no other in college. Joshua mentored Aarush to fine-tune his skills and had the best intentions for him.

Once every week, the students had an ‘Ensemble’ performance in which vocalists, drummers, guitarists and pianists had to collaborate and perform as a collective band. This way, Aarush was introduced to a number of girls, too, some of whom were vocalists and pianists. He was appalled to see the free mixing between boys and girls of his batch but was himself very conscious whenever he talked to girls.

“Hey dude! How’ve you been?” exclaimed Arya from his batch one morning. Aarush loosened himself uncomfortably from Arya, whose arms were flung on his shoulders. The girl giggled while the other boys around teased Aarush who had reddened by now. At such a moment, a fresher in Aarush’s batch, whose name was Tia, rushed to his rescue, much to his surprise, as he had hardly ever spoken to this girl.

“Hey guys, can’t you leave Aarush alone for a while! See, he’s already feeling embarrassed, as though he was at fault!”

“Poor kiddo! Are you going to cry now?” laughed the others, as Aarush felt tremendously out of place. Tia silenced the others and motioned Aarush to come away from the crowd. She brought him a glass of water and tried to calm him down as they sat together in a corner inside the canteen. For the first time in years, Aarush felt heard and noticed! Tia’s words were like a balm on his bruised self-esteem, whose weight was too much for him to carry occasionally.

That night Aarush spoke to Joshua about Tia, and how he was overwhelmed by her kindness. Joshua was however sceptical and advised Aarush to maintain a safe distance from Tia. Aarush wondered why Joshua had warned him, as he saw the world in either black or white-there were no greys in Aarush’s understanding. He would give his all to those whom he trusted and would totally isolate himself from those he didn’t. To his gentle soul, Tia was a beacon of hope and light, and he had decided to befriend her.

***

Crouching in a corner of the bed sat Tia, an almost unrecognizable figure in the lavish room, darkened by heavy curtains, and only a dim light glimmering by the bedside. Shutting the outside chaos with her earplugs and blaring music, she tried hard to avoid the disturbance. But her mind was restless as usual, and she felt uncannily insecure at that moment. She had a troubled past and to top it up, her parents were on the verge of a divorce. There was no one to mitigate her fear of being abandoned in this big, wide world, left to be abused by selfish relatives who only eyed her money. Tia’s life was like an anchorless ship, left to the mercy of unruly winds, ready to carry her into a seemingly scary future. At such times, her only solace was music, which was the much needed panacea for all ills. Music calmed her beyond measure and she could lose herself to its melody for hours. She was a trained vocalist herself and could play the guitar and piano with finesse. To the outside world she projected the image of a bubbly, feisty girl, much more than just a pretty face. Yet her inside world was crumbling, threatening to tear apart her persona and vivacity.

Tia’s family had recently moved to Mumbai, after spending several years in various parts of the world. Therefore, Tia had been exposed to a variety of cultures, but her heart was drawn to India. As a child, she fondly remembered her grandparents’ home in Delhi, where she used to spend her vacations. She cherished those memories, for she received the much needed affection from her grandparents which she had always yearned from her own parents, who had often been too busy with their respective lives.

 And thus, she had enrolled at the SOPA for her graduation in Western music, her much needed respite from the commotion at home, which had become unbearable now. In college, though she was a newbie, yet everyone viewed her as an extrovert whose talent was unmatched by any other student. Tia was slender-framed, with a cute tom-boyish face and a voice laced with honey. She was the lead vocalist in her batch with a mesmerising, sonorous voice. She had only been in college for a month and had observed Aarush from a distance, with a strange desire to understand him better.

***

Days passed into months at hurricane speed, and soon it was time for the term-end examination. Aarush’s fondness for Tia had grown in the meanwhile, though he often found himself tongue-tied in front of her whenever he happened to interact with her. Tia wanted to break through the false veneer that Aarush had created around himself, maybe in a bid to protect himself from the ruthlessness of the world. For Tia was herself a victim of an unkind society, and despite her laurels, she had no idea of where she was headed in life.

Aarush was preparing for his Performance Practice exam and secretly wanted Tia to be his lead vocalist. He was enamoured by her voice, as were many others, but didn’t have the guts to ask her. One such day, as he was practicing alone in the lab, he was utterly surprised when Tia waved at him from the door and commented on his practice.

“Hmm… So someone is burning the night lamp, to ace in the exams! Good job, Aarush! You are playing perfectly!”

Aarush’s face brightened with encouragement, but he smiled at Tia meekly.

“Tia, I…I was  actually…look…looking for a…”  he mumbled and Tia finished his sentence “so you want me as your lead vocalist…hmm!” Tia beamed as Aarush let out a shy smile.

“Why didn’t you let me know earlier? It would be great to patch up with a performer like you!”

Aarush was taken aback at the compliment, but soon, the two of them had broken the ice.

“In lieu of this, I want you to come out for a cup of coffee with me!” commanded Tia one day, and Aarush just couldn’t refuse.

So, after college, they ventured to the nearby Barista outlet, where Aarush went on his first ever date with a girl. Aarush thought of this outing as a ‘date’ and silently beamed with pride at his accomplishment. Never before had a girl asked him out, and this gave a positive boost to his confidence!

At the coffee shop, Aarush and Tia talked about music, hobbies and college, and both of them steered clear of disclosing details about each other’s family. Tia was impressed to learn that Aarush was a good tennis player as well, and had been playing the sport ever since he was a child. Aarush hardly made eye contact with Tia, and this trait of his didn’t go unnoticed. Aarush offered to pay for the treat, and Tia was appalled by the fact that he struggled to pay cash at the counter. Tia pitched in and counted the change for Aarush instead, making sure not to make him feel the least bit uncomfortable. Aarush felt grateful for Tia’s presence in his life, for making him feel secure in his own skin.

That night Tia and Aarush, both counted stars as they lay in their respective beds, tossing and turning for dear slumber to come!

Friendship between the two of them blossomed, and in the meanwhile Tia did her bit of research to understand some peculiarities in Aarush’s behaviour, which were evident only to her, as he came out of his shell in her comforting presence. Tia was the beam of sunshine in Aarush’s grey sky, and she allowed him to be himself without harsh judgement. Aarush, on the other hand, was an honest, innocent soul, unlike the fake people who carried a facade of goodness with ill intentions otherwise. They were like chalk and cheese, but this difference probably held them together.

***

A year had passed since Aarush had enrolled for college, and all were busy preparing for the upcoming examinations, which would be an acid test for their entry into the second year. One evening Aarush returned from a hectic day at college as his phone blinked with a message from Joshua, who was now in his final year.

“All well, champ?? Do you have any news of Tia? Not seen her lately, so thought of asking you…”

To the above message Aarush replied, “Yeah! She’s down with a viral infection. She told me she would probably have to appear for a re-test if she doesn’t recover on time! Keeping my fingers crossed though.”

Joshua lived in the same neighbourhood as Tia, so he had some idea of her whereabouts. News was rife in the locality that Tia’s mother was estranged from her father and living separately with another man, whom she had been seeing for sometime. Joshua wondered if he should break the news to Aarush but didn’t know how he would respond. So, he kept quiet about the whole episode.

Aarush waited for his dear friend the whole of next week in the hope of getting a glimpse of her. Exams were just round the corner, but there was no trace of Tia anywhere. Aarush was dismayed by her absence and the fact that she had even stopped replying to his messages instantly, as she normally would do. Although his morale was down, Aarush tried hard to focus on his studies and at other times drowned himself in music so that he would not get distracted. His parents were glad to see a positive change in him since the past few months.

Exams finally ended and Aarush was applauded for his solo performance in college. But, in his heart, he knew that his recital was incomplete without Tia’s soulful voice rendition. Tia, on the other hand, was unreachable and had switched off her phone, which concerned Aarush.

Aarush confided this to Joshua, asking him if he had any clue, as he was aware that Joshua stayed close to Tia’s place. It was then that Joshua divulged details about Tia’s parents and her troubled life. Aarush was insistent that he wanted to meet Tia at any expense, but Joshua calmed him down, somehow, as intuition told him that all was not well at Tia’s end.

Disturbing thoughts haunted Aarush the whole night as he pondered over what Joshua had told him the previous day. Aarush had never imagined that behind the jolly and refreshing demeanour, Tia hid such a sorrowful life! By God’s grace his own parents shared a bond of understanding and trust that had stood the test of time and never made him feel insecure. Aarush realised that everyone in this world was not as lucky as he was and thanked his stars. However, he had a strong desire to be with Tia at this trying time, but all to no avail!

Aarush’s wildest nightmare came true the next morning, as he found his father reading the newspaper intriguingly. He read the headline from afar, which read “Billionaire commits suicide amidst suspicious circumstances”. The headline drew him closer, and he almost snatched the newspaper from his dad, much to his annoyance. As he read on, Aarush was perplexed to know that it was none other than Tia’s father who was being referred to, in the column. He left the room in a hurry, leaving his parents puzzled. That day, Aarush locked himself in his room for hours, unable to come to terms with the grave incident that had shaken him to the core. His heart wept for his beloved Tia!  

One of those days, Aarush patched up with Joshua, and together they planned to visit Tia’s residence. Joshua was sceptical but Aarush persuaded him to come. Aarush waited with bated breath as they rang the doorbell of Tia’s apartment. Much to his surprise and disappointment, he found that the house had been sold off to a new owner who didn’t have any clue about Tia. There was no way Aarush could contact her, and he felt heartbroken. Joshua consoled him, coaxing him to get Tia off his mind and carry on with life.

Years passed, yet Tia’s memory was etched in Aarush’s mind. Aarush became a bit melancholic and immersed himself completely in music, to evade the pain. His life took a complete turn when his dad announced one fine day that their family was moving to Switzerland, where he had landed a decent job. Aarush had completed his graduation by now, but he was rather apprehensive of going abroad, as he hadn’t yet figured out his future prospects. But once decided, there was no looking back and the next summer they were headed for Switzerland, at Basel. Aarush bid farewell to the city of dreams, Mumbai, rather nonchalantly, unsure about what was to come.

Switzerland was a welcome change from the bustling crowd of Mumbai, especially for an introvert like Aarush, who started blossoming in the peaceful aura surrounded by nature. For once, he heaved a sigh of relief at having left his hometown and its familiarity. The only thing that he carried with him wherever he went, were the fond memories of Tia. How he longed once more to hear her tingling laugh and watch her joyful spirit! Alas! The thought made his heart pine for her even more!

Two years had passed since his graduation from Mumbai, and meanwhile Aarush had enrolled for a master’s degree in music from the University of Geneva. Guided under a very good faculty and affiliated with international artists, Aarush accomplished a great deal and improvised on his skillful piano performance. By the time he reached his final year of Post Graduation, he was accompanying maestros from the global arena. His long cherished dream seemed to fructify, but he still maintained a low profile in college.

One weekend, when Aarush was at home with his parents, his mailbox blinked with a new message. On reading the mail, Aarush was speechless for a while before he could react. His mother rushed in, enquiring what had happened.

“Ma, it’s a letter from our Dean! Our college is hosting an event at Victoria Hall in Geneva which will culminate with a piano recital in which I’m invited as the lead pianist!”

His mother held him by the shoulders, unable to control a tear drop from trickling. She was proud of her son, and so was his dad.

***

The day arrived and Aarush looked dapper in his formal crisp white shirt with black trousers and a decent tie to match. Aarush had rehearsed day in and day out for the much coveted recital at Victoria Hall. Many people from the elitist society were going to be part of the audience to grace the occasion. The evening began with speeches and felicitations by the esteemed faculties and guests of honour and rolled on towards a musical extravaganza, performed by students. Aarush was backstage, absorbed in his thoughts, when he was suddenly awakened from his stupor by a magical voice that rose through the ongoing musical. Aarush stood up and strained to hear the voice once more… No, he couldn’t be mistaken about this voice…A voice like no other which he would remember till eternity! Tia!!!

Aarush was about to run out in the direction from where the voice emerged when he was nudged by his professor to take his seat, as the next performance would be theirs. Aarush could hardly contain his excitement and a sixth sense told him that Tia was somewhere in the vicinity! He drank a glass of water to restore his calm, just before his name was announced for the concluding presentation.

Gallantly Aarush took his seat at the piano, all the time thinking that his lovely Tia was watching him! As he began, there was pin drop silence in the auditorium, through which Aarush’s notes rose like a miracle! He played effortlessly and neatly with a lilting rhythm that reverberated through the gathering, which sat in admiration. The finishing song was just perfect, when someone in the crowd rose to clap for Aarush. Aarush bowed before the guests as his heart fluttered to see Tia –the first person to applaud for him!

Through the bustling crowd, Aarush made his way to meet the love of his life…He had waited too long… and desperately, only in the flickering hope that he would meet her again. And there she was… draped in a silvery-white gown, she appeared to him as a fairy who had come to beautify his life with her magic!

Tia stood still in a corner, smiling through tears that refused to settle. For a moment, Aarush stood at arm’s length from her and almost impulsively rushed towards her, till they were wrapped in a tight embrace!

“But I have nothing to give you, Aarush! cried Tia. “I want to surrender my whole life to you Tia! Will you accept me with all my shortcomings? Tell me Tia, I’m dying to know!”

“Aarush, but you know nothing of my past, dear!” exclaimed Tia… he hushed her with a finger on her quivering lips. “And I don’t want to know anymore than the fact that you love me…Don’t you, my sweet??”

“I do,” said Tia, shaking all over, as history recorded one of the most intimate kisses it had ever witnessed, full of longing, full of passion and full of a promise that these two lovebirds had been forever destined to meet!

After all, it's written in the stars!!

Author & Poet: Anwesha Bhattacharya

Anwesha Bhattacharya is a passionate writer delving into prose and poetry in

English. Her stories and poems have been published in various anthologies and

publications on esteemed platforms. She likes to weave her words from everyday life and craft meaningful tales from her own experiences. An avid nature- lover, she is also a keen artist and singer.