Thousand Years | A Shubman Gill & Ishan Kishan Fanfiction ✓

Onir and Ihit

1443 AD, Bishnupur

Onir sat in front of his plants, facing the hibiscus, looking at it, unblinking. Bishnupur was cocooned in slumber but Onir’s house was bustling with the arrival of his father's students. Far from the magic of melodious raagas, Onir sat in the corner of the house. He had finished watering his plants and was now asking each one about its health.

“Oh hibiscus, look at you! It seems that you are enjoying this weather, aren't you? To be honest so am I.” He smiled. His cheeks had dents that seemed to grow flowers of their own each time he smiled.

Or tried to smile.

*****

Ihit entered the house of Bishnupur’s renowned musician, under whom he hoped to begin his musical journey. When he had sung for the first time on the insistence of his maternal uncle two days ago, he had experienced a joy so alive with vibrato that he knew he wanted to understand music better.

“Namoshkar, Gurudeb.” He greeted his teacher as he entered the house with tentative steps. Seven to eight boys of different ages who were sitting on the floor with their legs crossed turned to look at the new student.

Onir's father nodded at Ihit and motioned him to sit down.

With his hands folded, he began a recital. Ihit witnessed the union of simplicity of notes and complexity of thoughts as his Gurudeb sang his rendition of a poem.

When he finished singing, Ihit exhaled without realising that he was holding his breath. Nobody clapped but everybody appreciated. Their eyes were dripping with admiration which Onir's father noticed but did not revel in.

In a matter of fact manner, he gestured to a student to begin with the basic riyaaz of the suras. Ihit listened to the student practising his notes with his eyes closed.

When he opened them, he saw that Gurudeb was pointing at him.

Like Ihit, the other students could not understand his decision. Here was a boy on his first day of understanding music with no experience being asked to sing sans any practice or knowledge. But Ihit was humbled to think that Gurudeb wanted to test if he could understand the notes hearing one recital and see where he stood among all his students.

To think of it, it was unfair. But Debjit was a man who had not even been fair with his own son, let alone his students.

Ihit began singing.

*****

Onir felt the hair of his arms raise. He had goosebumps. The vibrations that he could feel from the courtyard of the house seeped into his heart and awakened sensations that he had long buried.

Sensations of happiness. Of anticipation. Of wonder and belief.

Before he knew it, he was walking towards the courtyard.

He hid behind a pillar only tilting his head enough to see a boy sing in surrender. The boy's body language was such that one would think he had truly given himself up to music.

Onir felt a strange knot in his stomach. The only person he had seen who sang in a similar manner was his father. When he looked at Debjit, he saw him smile. Tears collected in Onir's eyes. His father’s smiles were sparse and carefully chosen. Onir could not remember the last time his father had smiled at him.

As he wiped a lone tear that had escaped, he looked up to see his father who had caught him peeping. The boy had stopped singing and was looking at him too. Debjit furiously pointed at Onir to go inside the house and Onir obeyed. God knows what he had been thinking to corrupt the riyaaz with his presence, Debjit thought.