The vibe in the "Love Hunt" bar was thick with an intoxicating blend of smoke and fragrant cocktails.  In the shadow of soft amber lighting, as loud music melted into the room, laughter and cheers soon faded into a cocophony of whispers.

The hands of the clock struck 8'O clock, and an atmosphere of anticipation and admiration bloomed among the patrons.

A pair of toned legs, clad in denim jeans ascending the stage, a sleek black guitar slung over his shoulder. As the heart of the hype stepped up the stage, gleaming glints of ambient lighting shattered over his ripped back that was dressed in a fitted black jacket that accentuated his muscular frame.

"Abhay! Abhay!Abhay!Abhay!"

The bar echoed with euphoric whooping and fervid cheering.

With his muscular body that whispered both strength and grace, Abhay settled himself on a wooden chair and adjusted the microphone stand. His movements summoned attention, a magnetic and majestic aura that lured people in, like moths to a flame.

As the glimmer of yellow light touched his chiseled face, his playful grin and his teasing wink jolted both customers and bartenders to enter in a phase of frenzy.

He moved his legs, a subtle apart, and braced the strap of the guitar to adjust it ergonomically in his lap. As his brown eyes gazed the eager faces before him, his crimson lips formed an enchanting smile, a smile that harbored the spells of charms, making both men and women lose their breath.

Ahem! Ahem!

He cleared his throat.

"My beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen!" Abhay said, his voice mellow and enthusiastic, "and my breathtaking fellas! Well, today's is a special day... So I will play two songs instead of one. Are you all thrilled!"

"Hurray! Hurray!" The barflies cheered.

A gracious lady, who was a regular, was seated in the front table. Her tender legs crossed and grape wine in her glass. Unable to kill her bug of curiosity, she posed a question, "Abhay! Did you get selected in a band? I would love to see you sing as a star. You deserve huge stardom, not a few patrons."

"What band! Nah! I don't wanna!" Abhay responded, a seductive grin beaming on his face.

 He leaned in as if sharing a secret. "Well...it's a birthday." His gaze flickering with intense passion, as if this was a day, he cherished and waited for his whole life.

"Your birthday is on 25 August. And that's almost 2 months away." The lady took a sip from her glass wine, the diamond of the ring occupying her ring finger dazzled like a star, reflecting the lighting of the room.

"Your girlfriend? You are gonna lose your popularity then." Her peircing stare was bold and sharp, as if an eagle had lost its prey when it was just about to catch it.

"My enemy!" Abhay locked his gaze with the lady. A sneer was shining on his face.

"And nobody needs to worry about my popularity," he continued, stroking the bridge of electric-acoustic guitar his lap was supporting, "as long as, this guitar is in my hands, people will drag themselves back to me."

"Now it's time for my performance, Miss Naina! We can always catch later about my relationship status." His voice, a smooth hiss of sultry.

"Do you mind, laterrrrrr!" With a blink, he blew a playful kiss, eliciting a chorus of shyful giggles in response.

As Abhay's delicate fingers began strumming the strings of his guitar, a hush fell over the bar.

The first notes floated through the air, captivating both minds and hearts of the listeners.

The song was a popular cover of  'Voilet', a  band that was the heartbeat of India, and the singer and lyricist was Sameer Raina, the pulse of that heart. The song's title was "A brutal dream," and it was the first song Sameer Raina had sung after coming to the band.

The mesmerizing voice of Abhay and the beautiful lyrics written by Sameer Raina merged. The result was a divine melody, swaying the hearers, their worries momentarily forgotten.

As the final notes faded into hushed murmurs, a hint of bittersweet smile graced over Abhay's face.

 "Have you guys ever felt such intense emotions for someone to the point that you would rather be consumed  by their darkness than live a quiet life without them." He said, his voice deep and resonant.

"Aww! Our little Abhay has fallen in love with someone." A hunky bartender who was busy pouring drinks to customers, yet he took time from his hectic toil to tease him.

"What love, Prateek!" Abhay scolded him playfully, his jabs a gentle chiding . "It's not always love that can devour people."

"Not love, then what is it!" He paused, anticipating an answer from the audience.

"Anger!"A man among the customers attempted to answer.

"Nah!" Abhay nodded, dismissing the response.

"Sadness! I mean, if that person had hurt us in any way." A lady who was seated beside Ms. Naina shot another answer.

"How can it be sadness, you silly girl!"  Naina smacked on the back head of the lady. "Come on...use your tiny brain."

"Abhay! You tell us the answer now. No body here is smart enough not to answer your question." Prateek teased, his words stones of sarcasm. "You are the smartest person! You are the smartest person alive! Are you satisfied? Now, answer!"

"Odium. " Abhya finally let the cat out of the bag. "That's the title for the song i have written." With a faint smile, he looked at the people he was entertaining.

 To the world, "Odium" was just a single word, but to him, it carried the strains of sorrows from his past. A past that had been shackling him every moment he lived. A past that had been peircing him at every bit of air he inhaled.

He closed his eyes, allowing the music to take  him away, away from the stares that demanded answers, away from the world that was longing to hear the lyrics yet not a single soul willing to lighten his burden.

His voice resonated with his raw emotions as he poured his soul into the lyrics.

Deep within the heart of a black sea,

A dark wave, dark enough to block my vision,

Piercing me;

And,

My tired body surges in.

The lyrics flowed from him, like a dark river, pulling the listeners into a world of despair and bitterness. Abhay's voice was an anguish melody, each word dripping with agony, evoking images of his internal struggle and plea for help.

Rebeling against the current,

I want to leap up,

But....

But..

Plague of past clinging onto my skin,

Heaps of torrent arms pulling my limbs,

Pulling me into an endless pit.

An attempt that was bound to fail,

A turmoil of survival in vain.

As he sang, the crowd stayed transfixed, lost in the haunting beauty of his words; naive and unaware that each verse indicated the storm that was torning his heart beyond repair, and his silent scream for survival.

Only if,

the heaven pities me;

Only if,

a kind soul sees me;

Only if,

Only if,

 a pair of hands could reach out.

I am still waiting there,

On the brink of drowning,

Tossing by the waves of agony.

As the final note lingered in the air, a profound silence fled over the bar before it blew up with applauses and hootings.

Abhay smiled, placing his guitar down. A satisfying grin beaming on his face.

"How was my song? Did you all like it!"

Along with tidal waves of claps, the words of  appraisal echoed in the bar:

That was beautiful!

Great job! You played really well.

You should try more original songs, not only covers.

Booze alongside the performance of Abhay, a perfect weekend.

"That's it for today. Let's see each other next weekend. Till then... eat, sleep, and repeat."

As he stood up from his seat, his smile went off. A smirk formed on his face as he saw the strings of his guitar glittering.

Long live my guitar.

Without lookinback, he walked into shadows

The words of appraisal are like sheets of rain for unquenchable thirst of any artist. However, Abhay wondered if they were more like the sheets of rain.  Abhay wondered whether these words were hydrating the arid terrain of his heart or flooding the little shore he had left. He had no idea.

As he smiled, he stood up and stepped off the stage.

Without looking back, he went into the shadows, a shadow not easy to see, not possible to grasp.