Chance...(Episode 2 of 2)

(((((Please read Episode 1 before you start off with this....)))))

I woke up happier next morning. Got a text from Shrini...

"You meet Dadlani's assistant at 9 tonight at my studio. He liked your patches".

I jumped in the hotel bed! Shrini's the head of Blue Frog Sound Labs, the best studio in India. He was just an acquaintance not too long ago, but was now the reason why I was here. He had even arranged for my stay in some place, 2 kays from his studio.

I shifted to my new home in the afternoon; and by 5, I was ready for the 9 o’clock meet. I missed ‘Inner Space’ like hell that evening. We had disbanded about a year ago, after Benzee shifted to New Zealand. What voice !

Me and my Ibanez were on the way to Blue Frog by 7. The cab driver was interesting. Spoke like hell. He would teach me everything about Mumbai in that one trip it seemed, especially because he was delighted that I could speak Hindi !

The studio was better than how it looked when I googled. You enter that place and you know it belongs to your kind. Kickass ! I met Shrini and thanked him for all his efforts.

“That’s my business dude. I don’t give you ‘breaks’ or anything. No.... That’s all bullshit. There’s nothing called a ‘break’. It’s just a divine law that the greatest of talents can’t go a waste...that’s it”

These words were really inspiring for me. Soon, it was 9. I was all pumped up for the meet. At 9:40 odd, I was asked to play a solo. I played something similar to ‘Past Heaven’, one of our originals. I liked the look on his (Vishal Dadlani’s assistant’s) face. He was impressed and he didn’t hide it.

I was on my way. Between that day and June 2010, my solos got used by the best in the business. I was earning, I was happy; but August was just a couple of months away.

I started getting more calls from home. They wanted me to get back to Shillong. They also talked about coming to meet me in Mumbai. I had problems with both the ideas. Mom would cry every time she spoke.

Later in June, I had to fly home. Mom was hospitalised. She had a ‘stroke’.

Uncle explained that it was because she was tensed about me and my disease. She wanted me to see other docs, but I would never listen.

That night I cried. I was ashamed of myself, of my obsession, and of the lie. I realised that my friends and I shouldn’t have threatened Dr.Sharma for the false report of Cancer.

That lie had got me closer to my dream. In fact, it had made me live my dream as well. But, I was probably travelling too fast....so fast that I had left my family far behind. Shame !

I wanted to tell my mom that I wouldn’t die, if only she would wake up to hear. I prayed. I promised God that I would never play the guitar unless mom asks me to.

God listened. Mom regained sense. She could hear me. I spoke my heart out that day. Dad was shocked and angry. Uncle saved me.

Mom recovered completely after a few days. I cried again. I loved her more than ever it seemed. I didn’t want to go back to Mumbai; but by now, I had proved my potential in music even to my Dad. It was decided that I would fly back to Mumbai on August 21.

...and I lived to be 25 !!!

..................End of the story...................

P.S. : I got a second chance...naaa....not just to play the guitar....but to get the love of my mom. Everyone probably wouldn’t be as lucky. So, my dear dreamers , dream....but please keep in mind that there are two people on earth who live just for you. Try not to disappoint them just for the sake of your aspirations. Coz after all, it pains more when the heart breaks than when dreams do. Love your parents.