Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] Complete

36. Fading

The all too familiar trance of performing on stage, hearing the gasps and applause of the audience but it's muted for you because you are in your own sanctuary, where you are the character you playing but you are still you, the best of yourself you can be because what you're passionate about it right here, scattered around you like a confetti. You are in your zone, in your arena. You swirl with the music, laugh with the echoes and there's a spark around on which you are gliding, in and out, over and about. You don't have wings but when did you need those to fly? You are flying right now. High and above everything that pulls you down.

The uproar of the people sitting in front of her had brought her back from her definition of high. It felt surreal performing after all those months. It felt like a homecoming.

She didn't know when they thanked the audience and made their way towards the backroom. She was in a world of her own. The world was suddenly looking a bit less bleak and a lot bright. She had just reached the door to follow her teammates inside when she felt a hand on her elbow. Turning around, her smile deepened some more on the edges. Sarim was standing there.

But he looked worried and that wasn't something she was expecting.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Did you by any chance talk to Faryal about promotional stuff?"

"What do you mean?"

"Elaf, they have a team of photographers who covered this play. By tomorrow the highlights will be all over their social media accounts. Promotional stuff. That's a risk. You're doing this without letting your family know, or anyone for that matter. Why didn't it cross my mind before!"

He was agitated, worried and panicking and this was the first time Elaf was seeing him like this. And the fact that it was all for her, because of her was both sad and wholesome in their own capacity.

"Okay, listen to me here."

She made him look at her and held his hand.

"I talked to Faryal about this already. She assured me that the promotional stuff won't be too much. Just enough to keep a record of their own achievements and this play was one of those. They will put the pictures here on their academy hall of fame and also put some on their socials but she promised me that none of my pictures would be out."

Sarim looked relieved but the scowl on his face hadn't shifted.

"You're sure about this?"

Elaf chuckled. This guy.

"Yes, and you were supposed to tell me how good I was up there but here we are, you fretting over something unimportant and me waiting to get that praise out of you. This doesn't work well, Sarim Haider."

He smiled. The first full fledged one and Elaf felt an ease embracing her. He had been with her through all this like the amazing friend he was. He didn't have to but still he never left her side and supported her in whatever she had thought for herself. He sometimes felt like a dream.

"You sure are compliment hungry."

"Everyone is after their performance."

He scratched his neck as if contemplating the answer and Elaf raised her eyebrows.

"You are taking forever. I'm sure I wasn't that bad up there."

"That's the problem. I'm trying to form a compliment which can express how you just slayed out there."

Her response was a laugh. She looked at him shaking her head and went inside the backroom.

"Be quick. I'm waiting in the parking lot."