the heartbeat
The ivory keys on the piano beckoned her, closer and closer until her long fingers were on the wood. Her hands were positioned to play, her fingertips putting gentle pressure on the smooth, almost slippery surface. She felt a song flow through her, and just seconds later, the notes were floating flawlessly through the air, the aesthetic melody ringing off the walls of the empty room. As her emotions rose, so did her notes, her playing; the piano's sounds were not flooding the area, overflowing it with the beautiful music of the song. Her hands acted as her mouth, her translator from words to another, more beautiful language.
Ridhima Gupta, her ability to play the piano was everything. She wasn't a person who talked much; she was quiet, reserved, and seemed to be the pale, frail, and quiescent kind of girl. She didn't join school clubs, didn't talk or squeal about boys, and didn't have many friends- she was always seen alone.
However, around a piano…her whole being seemed to shift a hundred and eighty degrees. Instead of the silence she usually harbored, Ridhima talked to no end. She laughed loudly and cried freely. The piano was the terminal for her emotions, her happiness, her sadness. It was the core of her very existence; it was her soul. Without it, she was not living. Without it, she was merely an empty shell, unable to speak, unable to communicate.
To her, a piano was everything.
===
September 22, 2009. Ridhima would never forget this day for as long as she lived.
It was after another day of piano practice after school. The18 year-old walked down the streets ofMumbai,blowing out a breath as she made her way home. The bright city lights alit on a winter's night gently lifted the corners of her mouth, placing a song, this time happy and soothing, in her mind. The melody in her head played, and she almost started to move her hands in front of her, mimicking the action of playing.
As she crossed the street, the music slowed drastically, down to a quiet, almost dangerous volume. Her eyebrows creased, full concentration on finding the reason why before the sound stopped abruptly.
She regretted ever crossing the street.
Although the traffic light was red, the driver in the black car gave no heed to it light- it simply drove on, full speed, as Songyee's eyes widened. The next thing she knew, a breathtaking pain slowly spread through the right side of her body. Her heartbeat seemed to be audible, pounding slowly in her ears as the flow of time was held back. Everything at that moment was painfully clear.
She was aware of two things- about eleven tons of metal had crashed into her, and she was in the air. The heavy smell of metallic impact reached her nose, and the cool air whipped against her exposed skin. As she landed on the sidewalk after what seemed to be an eternity later, she realized that her hands had somewhat broken her fall. An unspeakable pain burst forth inside both her wrists, her breath taken away by the feeling. Her eyes squeezed shut as time fast forwarded, passing as it normally would. The inferno of pain suddenly spread all through her body, scorching her skin, muscles, and blood with the fire. She wanted so badly to cry out, but her words were caught in her throat as she felt the flames engraving themselves into her being. Vaguely, she remembered lying down on her back as her vision darkened, and the world of light, spinning dizzily before her eyes, turned into nothingness.
===
The girl sat on the smooth, black, wooden bench, gently running her thin fingers over the keys of the piano. Her long hair fell gently onto her face as she put a small amount of pressure on her fingertips, a lonely note sounding. It was hollow and void of emotion.
A solemn, dark tune slowly sang into her soul, and she placed both her hands upon the piano, pressing down on the right notes. Her right hand moved faster, trying to match the pace of the melody playing in her mind before a sharp jab of pain caused her to flinch, her fingers landing on the wrong keys for the first time.
The girl's expression darkened, then softened, and, finally, sadden as she sighed. The accident was two months ago, and the doctors had told her that her hands were among the most injured parts of her body because she had landed on them.
Ridhima's dream was forever shattered. There was no soul within the hollow shell of her body, the reason for her existence gone. The piano sat silently in front of her as her eyes swept over the keys, looking at every last one as she closed the lid...
She promised herself that it would be for the last time.
As she stared at her reflection in the smooth surface, the door suddenly creaked open. Startled, Ridhimalooked back to find a boy poking his head through the doorway, glancing at her sheepishly as he awkwardly side-stepped into the semi-dark room. His dark ocean blue eyes took in the interior of the area, nothing the huge window covered by blinds in one wall, the piano right in the middle of the wooden floor. A comforting room, meant to be alone in.
"I'm sorry," he said, regaining his senses. "It's just, I usually sit outside to wait until you're finished with the room so I could practice…and I'm always hearing you play the piano, so…"
He slowly walked towards her, hesitant as she watched him warily.
"I just…found it weird that you played a wrong note today," he said quietly, gazing at her. "You've never played a wrong note before."
Ridhima's eyes looked down at the ground as he shook his head.
"I'm sorry…I should have remembered my manners. I'm Armaan," he said then, looking at her cheerfully. She gazed at his outstretched hand for a moment before taking it, grasping it in a gentle handshake.
"Ridhima," she introduced herself as he smiled.
"Happy to meet the talented pianist herself," he grinned, walking until he was standing right in front of the girl on the bench. She only nodded, somewhat shy.
"So, Ridhima…what was with the note?" he asked uncertainly as he looked at her with puzzled eyes. She adverted her gaze to the now-closed cover of the piano, struggling to figure out how to translate her thoughts and feelings into words. The piano was no longer the expressway to the person inside of her.
"I was in an accident…two months ago," she said softly. "A car ran into me, and I just went…" she gestured a person flying off the side with her hands. "I landed on my hands, I think. The doctors said that I wouldn't be able to play again."
Armaan was quiet as he thought about her words, her tone that was filled with sorrow. Like the instrument she played, her feelings were played out by the tone of her voice. For a moment, there was a silence until he grinned, speaking up.
"Well, looking on the bright side, you still have a musical talent without the piano," he told her. She almost lifted her eyebrows, but he only laughed and nodded at her.
"How?" she asked, confused. He returned her confusion with a smile.
"Your voice," Armaan answered simply. "You can express your emotions through your voice. Just like the piano, except in words."
Ridhima looked almost embarrassed.
"I don't like to talk," she admitted," I prefer music."
"Why is that?"
"Well…that's funny…I'm not actually sure…"
===
Just like that, Ridhima and Armaan had become friends. Day by day, they spent hours in the piano room, simply talking to each other, understanding each other. Knowing how to play the piano as well, Armaan would sometimes play a piece just for the two of them as Ridhima listened. That could happen for hours on end, not stopping until they left. The music filled the room again, inundating it with happiness, with emotion. Soon, 'Ridhima's' room had become 'their' room; Ridhima's world had slowly accepted =Armaan. Inside. He taught her to express herself not just through the music notes, but in words; taught her to open up instead of being so reserved. He drew the inner her out, the person she was when she played the piano, when she was one with music- the real Ridhima .
Armaan soon became the reason she was sitting there, the reason she was talking, laughing. He was the pillar of support she now relied on, the person she trusted, could open up to. He was the reason Ridhima finally opened herself up to the world.
The blissful times seemed to have no end- days flew by when they talked, and Ridhima found herself anticipating the next day, when she was able to talk to him again. Likewise, Armaan enjoyed the time they spent together. She was much different than he had ever through of her, and she was always full of surprises; there were so many things to learn about her.
As he looked at the smiling girl in front of him, his eyebrows creased.
"What's wrong?" Ridhima asked, her smile never fading. It never seemed to, not since the day he met her. Armaan shook his head, then smiled apologetically as the phone rang.
"Hello?" he said into the speaker. The smile on the girl's face drooped as she heard a feminine voice on the line. A crushing feeling hit her heart, almost causing her to clench her chest in pain.
'Wake up, Ridhima,' she scolded herself, 'you have no right to be feeling this way.'
"All right. See you in a few moments,mom . Love you," Armaan finished the call with a smile. Ridhima's heart joyed as she thought that it was his mother dummo
'Ridhima, I'll talk to you later, all right? I'm sorry…I promised to help my mom today," he said apologetically as she forced a smile, nodding stiffly as he walked out,.
Just like that, the room seemed darker. The blinds were still closed as they always were, the dust motes annoying her nose as much as they always did.
Something landed n the cover of the piano she rested her elbow upon, and she was surprised to find a voice… and looked up to find Armaan was standing so close to her her heartbeat was beating fast
I don't know how to say but i really love u from core of my heart when i come close to u my heartbeat raised he bend down an captured her lips
the kiss turned in poossinate... one she moaned as he sliped his tounge inside her mouth
he moved from her mouth to throut .... then slowly to neck and gave her a love bite
she gasped
awww did it hurt said armaan
she gave a small nod armaan grined and kissed her on cheek and was about to leave when ridhima caught his hand and wispher i love u too and kissed his cheek and ran from there
armaan smiled and left home to wait for for tommorow..
this is for staying away from u guys i went to BC in canada
well dad just planned as for christmas so had to leave without any notice so decided o write one sho to make up for
really sorry and i will update all 4 FF today as have the parts reary
LOVE HEAVEN AND DON'T FORGET TO COOMENTS
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