The Strangers - Across the Silent Heartbeat-Chapter 10: The Competition and the Unexpected

Finally, that competition day dawned in the life of Ayesha, and the atmosphere just became electric. He was aware that so many miles away, Ayesha would be sitting full of nervous energy. In spirit, he virtually began cheering her up by sending best-of-luck and encouragement messages. Ayesha was hard at practice as the competition drew nearer. In each note the violin produced when she played, one could feel the inner battle and the love that emanated from its strings.

This time, though, behind her were friends in the near vicinity and other family members—those adored and cherished. Her sister Lia felt the gaiety, was elated, and went on to uplift Ayesha by checking on things that had to be in the right shape before the final day of competition. The morning found Ayesha in high nerves and excitement, attired in maroon traditional wear with deep intricate goldwork, obviously telling of its elegance and grace.

Long tresses waved to and for softly around her face and seemed to frame the radiance. She looked a picture of beauty and determination. Although Arjun couldn't make it, he clung to his phone literally for updates from Ayesha. After all, they had agreed on a video call before the competition, but he really should get one last look at her before she took it.

The screen lit up with Ayesha, the same excited and anxious face as reflected now off the screen. "Hey Arjun! I will just go to the venue. I am feeling super duper nervous, but excited too very much." Arjun replied reassuringly with a smile, "You've got this, Ayesha. Really believe in you. Just let the passion, the love for the music, flow. Whatever will happen, I am really proud of you.". Gratitude immediately softened her face. "Oh, thank you, Arjun. That means much to me that at least someone believes in me. I shall try my best."

Here after, the conversation picked up its cadence with the best wishes of Arjun, accompanied by an elixir of hope and anxiety flooding her mind while on the way to the venue. In the competition hall, rehearsals had already begun full throttle. There were a good number of musicians who had come from across the country, rushing about in the preparation of their acts.

Ayesha was extremely nervous, but she only found strength in the presence of nothing else but her family and friends, standing in their places solidly as the audience.

Lia stood by her side to reassure her with the final words of motivation. As Ayesha took onto the stage, complete silence flooded into the auditorium. There she lay under the spotlights, warmed by the rays softening her—softening her so much that she might have been an ethereal creature. Her violin was held in her arms, humming with anticipation.

It was time for the concert. Arjun's eyes were glued to his phone as his breath caught. Slowly, the atmosphere started filling with the instrumental music by Ayesha. Every note represented months of hard work and effort that she had put into the concert. Grace and perfect harmony her fingers drew out of the strings brought in magic by the beauty of her performance into the audience.

That moment, almost, when Arjun saw Ayesha perform was emotional. He could feel the passion and feelings pent-up in those notes; he felt his chest swell with pride. All he wished for at that time was to be there with her on the first row and cheer her on. Still, much more importantly, what counted the most was letting her know from these huge distances that someone out there was flat-out proud to be known as her supporter.

As the final notes of her piece faded away, the auditorium stood to its feet and applaud. Ayesha glowed as she played her part on stage—a mix between relief and joy from having done her best. Her family and friends now rushed to her exclaiming with praise and really beaming. Back at Arjun's place, he had his share of happiness moments with the message from Ayesha. There was a bolt of pure thrill and relief in her message: "I did it, Arjun! Went well. I am on cloud nine, and now I am drained." His heart leaped with joy. "That's excellent news, Ayesha! I knew you would do that. I'm really proud of you."

Ayesha's words were emotional and incisive. "Thank you for always being there to help me through all this. Without you, I wouldn't have made it." In the evening, Ayesha and friends went out for dinner to mark the result at the end of the day with a lot of laughter in sharing stories about whatever had been victorious through the competition in the day. Happiness and the joyfulness in the air made an ideal setting for one of the most important milestone conclusions. The night was kind of pretty long when the phone buzzed again.

This time, it was from Arjun, with a new message. His words seemed tinged with concern. "Ayesha, I am just thinking too much that there is something very important which I would like to discuss with you. Can we have a video call tomorrow? A stroke of worry hit Ayesha in the heart. What would he want to talk about? She replied, "Of course, Arjun. Let's talk tomorrow." With her heart racing. Tomorrow, while she was getting ready for the call, a strange feeling came over her that something big was going to take place. She was casually dressing up before her dress-up, and her mind was on their conversation.

Finally when they did get through, Arjun's face seemed pretty sombre yet soft. "Hey, Ayesha. I hope you're doing okay. I have been thinking a lot about us and our future." Ayesha's heart skipped a beat. "What is it, Arjun? Arjun took a deep breath; his eyes had a resolute yet vulnerable look to them. "Ayesha, I know we have gone a long way together. I really care for you, and I just want us to really be sure that our future, as far as it is considered, is taken into consideration."

The eyes of Ayesha locked with his; they were full of surprise and anticipation. "Sure? What do you mean? "I want to build our future together; I know it's no easy task. We are in a mess, still I have faith in us. Be it anything, I want to be there for you." It was then that this flood of feelings flowed into the heart of Ayesha. From his inner core, these words seemed to her as good an expression of love and commitment as would ever exist. And the tone in which he spoke showed her, from his own inner self, an amazing sincerity.

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As the conversation grew, so did the dreams and hopes of Arjun about their future wish. Ayesha shared in being made privy to the happenings in her mind, her desires, and fears. This was a very sentimental, heart-wrenching kind of discussion, full of raw feelings on both ends. The only saving grace was that the episode ended where Arjun and Ayesha bared their hearts for each other; now, their bond was stronger than ever.

Needless to add, obviously, it was the pulsation of emotional moments, unconditional support from one another, and shared vision lying ahead for a better tomorrow.

Slowly, the screen started to fade to black. The saga of Arjun and Ayesha continued with love and hope for a promise of a new tomorrow.