8 P.A.'s Symphony

The warm air was replaced by dry wind. All the orange horizons were covered by the clouds which descended from the sky. The time of peeling skin and dark patches was back. As the world would say, it was the fall season. As Indians, it was Pre-Winter.

The walls are made of concrete, and the only method to resist this attack of chilly wind was to close all ventilation points in the house, take the three-layered cotton blanket out, and bury yourself under it. For going out purposes, never forget the woolen clothes, small muffler, heavy jacket, undersized toupee and skin-tight leggings under the oversized pants. That is how I would be going to work for the next six or so months.

So long heels, welcome back sneakers.

It was mid-November, and the chilly attack was in full force. I was sitting at the dinner table on a Saturday, and Kyo was working in the kitchen. We had decided to eat pakoras with hot tea today as our lunch. I was hearing the occasional hissing of hot oil when the contents were slipped into them. I had my laptop on, with P.A.'s tour dates flashing in my face, thanks to HipHopDX.

I had already jotted down the dates of her shows, so now I was looking at the lineup and reception of the previous ones. I had already planned the travel route and discussed with Kyo. I made an excuse for the occasion in case P.A. didn't want to meet me. If things don't work out in Mumbai, we will chase her to New Delhi. If that plan foils too, we will not leave her until the show in Chandigarh.

After that, I would have to spend my savings to travel to China if I had to chase her. I had the ability to follow her trace only for the first three shows in China.

I guess there is a way to turn away.

No, No. I'm not going to turn away before facing my first hurdle. Third or fourth hurdle sounds legit.

I had received the backstage passes a week before, so I gave Kyo's share to her. When she asked how we would travel to China, I said I would ask Trigman and Mapalla's help.

I have covered all my bases. Now what awaits is November 22nd.

Thinking all that, I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes, and my legs were still shaking.

Was it cold?

Was it fear?

Was it cold, again?

Was it the loud thump of music?

We stood in front of Mumbai Entertainment Plaza, a stadium that had the capacity of 62,000 individuals (I checked it on Google).

Trigman, Mapalla, Me and Kyo.

Hand in hand, with backstage passes hanging in our necks, we wore P.A.'s merchandise a straw hat for effects.

Three of the four individuals were smiling from ear to ear.

"How long has it been? Priscilla has definitely grown up to command such a crowd." Mapalla was proud of P.A.

"It's not about commanding them, its about controlling them!" Trigman corrected him.

"I bet you want to control me in bed, don't you?" Mapalla's eyes were shining like stars.

"I'm controlling my urge to punch you in the face." Trigman's glee was gone.

I was crunching my teeth and shaking in my skin.

Today was the day.

November 22.

The big day.

And I was on the brink of wussing out.

Kyo's one hand was held by Trigman who was bickering with Mapalla once again, and another one was shaking furiously due to my nervousness.

"Eh he he. Mad, are you Okay. Do you want to go home?"

"Yes, please." I said in an instant.

"NO!" I guess Trigman and Mapalla do agree on something, because they exclaimed the word in sync.

"Let's at least meet P.A., we have come here anyways. Let's have a good time." Kyo looked at me while wearing her ever-charming smile. It calmed my nerves and I stabilized my limbs.

Heh! I let out a big breath and smiled at the group of idiots holding their hands.

"Let's go!"

It was a rowdy crowd present on that day. It was not surprising because not much international talent came to India for live performance. Therefore, people were eating up the excitement they had when they saw their favorite act on the stage. All I could hear was the bass thumping in the background and my stomach growling once again.

The three stooges had left me at one of the eating booths while they were exploring the location. I guess they were looking for the way to go backstage. I was leaning against the pole while I was staring blankly at the stage. The bass thumps were hitting my eardrums and made me wonder if I would pass out by music at a goddamn music concert?

While I was contemplating on the thoughts of passing out, I felt my phone vibrating against my butt. I took it out and the text message flashed on the screen. It was Trigman.

'We found the way to backstage. Some guy named Cline met us on the way. We're coming to get you.'

Ah, I didn't want to meet Cline so soon in the concert. Probably after my conversation with P.A., but not in the beginning.

Since I could do nothing much about it, I locked my phone and put it in my back pocket again.

It was barely three minutes that I had received the text message, when I saw four individuals walking towards me. It was the four stooges.

"Hey Madonna." Cline said in a demanding tone.

"Hey, Cline" I replied in a tired tone.

"You don't seem well. How about you turn around and go home? For once, think about your friend and not yourself."

Unfortunately for Cline, my gut pain was gone when I heard those things.

I marched towards him, cocked my right arm back, and delivered a five-knuckle sandwich across his face.

"Unghhh"

While grunting, Cline fell on his back while he had his hand on his right cheek.

"You Goddamn Wrench-"

"Not one more word, Cline. Don't forget what your place is. I am not a pushover like your wife. I am a street grown bitch, and the hours you put in the gym would not build a guard strong enough to save you. Say one more thing about me and something more would be on the way."

Somehow, my rage was loud enough to be audible for people around us.

Mapalla started helping the fallen guy and Trigman held my shoulder so as I don't go berserk on Cline.

"Let's go, big guy. Guide the way and don't open your mouth." Mapalla said.

The party started marching towards the backstage with Trigman and Kyo holding each of my hands.

"Mad, why such an overreaction to something which is not even that degrading?"

"Unfortunately, you will find out why." I replied exasperatingly.

We climbed up a flight of stairs and opened the door at the end. As soon as we entered, we were exposed to a different kind of crowd. This one was also rowdy and loud, but for different reasons. It was a crowd full of executives and staff of the venue as well as individual acts. People walking left and right, it was an image corresponding to a busy market on a weekend.

We stepped inside the hallway and turned right. After walking for probably three hundred meters, we reached some rooms with names outside.

The Green Rooms.

We were taking slow steps in the direction so that we could read the names outside of each door.

There were four rooms on each side, with the live stage three hundred feet from the last room.

I looked to the right and read all the names.

BIG O. SAVANT. BEATBANG. BUU.

On the left, I confirmed four more names.

WARTIME. BLOODHOUND. P.A. and $KAA.

Third room in the left.

If I enter the room, I can start mending my past.

I can take the steps which lead to Kyo's happiness.

I can have closure and provide closure.

I shrugged away Kyo and Trigman who were still holding me and pushed the door inside.

"Priscilla, I'm sorry for everything I have done!" I shouted while I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, I felt the air getting denser around me. There was no murmur going on. There was no body to kick me out.

There was nothing happening!

I slowly opened my eyes and saw three individuals in the room.

Harman, Priscilla's manager.

Priscilla herself, gawking at me.

Priscilla's make-up artist, Person A.

"Do you know no constrains or sense of consideration?" I heard the voice coming from behind me. It was Cline speaking.

He shrugged off Mapalla's hand and walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

Now, there were four other individuals in the room other than me, whereas I only preferred one of them.

I turned to Cline, "Can my friends come in?"

Cline flung his arms in the air and chuckled before saying, "I am not the boss here. You came here to achieve something I can not care about, and the person you need is right in front of you. I mean, not me. Turn around and she is the one with black leather jacket and navy jeans on."

I will kill you later Cline.

The rotation of my head was not complete when Priscilla said, "Ho… You came to meet me? How… unpleasant."

I guess she was done with my surprise visit and was back to her usual snarky attitude.

"H-Uh-Hey, Priscilla. Long time-"

"Only my friends call me Priscilla, and you miss, are no friend."

"How about an acquaintance?" was I trying to piss her off?

"I would not accept you even as a face in the crowd. Not after you left ME alone in the crowd."

"...Pris-"

"And now look at the irony of life. I am here in the country I don't belong, only for the sake of pleasing the crowd."

The last part was said in such monotone it scared the pants off me.

She slowly stood up and picked up the glass vase standing on the table in the middle of the room.

Then she started taking slow steps towards me. Cline, who was standing behind me, moved to the side. Harman and Person A tried to restrict Priscilla from what she was implying to do.

In the matter of seconds, Priscilla was at an arm's length from me.

From the second she stood up to the moment she was in my face, I didn't hear a word. Only muffles.

During that span, Harman tried to convince Cline to restrict Priscilla. Person A also was shouting at P.A. to keep her emotions in check. The door behind me was also getting knocked furiously.

When did Cline bolt it?

I didn't have too much time to delve on those things, because in front of me was a straight up dangerous face of Priscilla.

I forgot to mention, P.A. was taller than me. I am 5'7". She is 5'11". In short, she was literally looking down on me.

Priscilla raised her arm in which she clenched the vase. All the water splashed on the ground and flowers landed at her feet. She rested the vase next to my left cheek and said," You're sorry? For what, Ms. Madonna House? You are the one who gave me this life, right. And you got what you needed. Me being happy. Well guess what, I am very happy." She was speaking ever slowly, but it was more haunting than, well, anything.

I felt a little pee tricking down my pants. It was not the first time she had done something like this, and I didn't want it to be my last time either.

All the screams around me were still very much like silence. The pop of the crowd going crazy didn't reach my ears. The loud knock behind me didn't hit my eardrums.

Only Priscilla was audible, and that was the worst-case scenario.

She lifted her other arm and put it on my throat. I did grab her arm with both my hands to prevent a strangle, but she used it to push me against the wall. there, while I was pinned, she continued to speak, "I know you are wondering why I am not shedding a tear. Because you are here. And I would die before I shed a tear in front of you. However, I will thank you to make me so stoic."

Saying that, she raised the arm with the vase over my head.

My eyes were stuck on that arm, and I had no strength to move or struggle.

Had I given up on the effort to save myself. Is my guilt heavier than her vendetta?

Priscilla moved her head to the side and shouted, "Well, THANK YOU FOR NOTHING!"

All I saw in that moment was the vase coming down with force and crashing against my head while it shattered into million pieces.

I was still in her clutch, but her grip was losing strength. I did hear the glass shattering, but I didn't feel any pain. There was no hole in my head, and it was not pouring any blood out.

I twitched my eyes and opened them to look at the stunned faces of everyone standing in the background.

The shattered glass was resting over my shoulder, as the vase was busted next to my ear.

I was okay.

Wait, no I wasn't.

My body was trembling as I was standing on my tiptoes. Priscilla's clutch may have loosened up against my neck, but my hands were holding onto her arm very tightly. When she let me on the ground proper, I lost my grip and fell on the ground, still shaking. I crumbled up in a ball, and sobbed ever so slightly, not to let my voice reach Priscilla's ears.

I needed my friends. I needed Kyo. I needed a new pair of pants.

"Hah, be thankful I am such a benevolent person. I had my life in your hands, a second before, I had your life in mine. Guess that makes us even."

Priscilla turned around to face her staff when I heard a loud sound.

"There is no way you have lost your humility and humanity at the same time. You are here to entertain people, not grossing them out. Thank god there is no media or press backstage, because this would tear your straight face persona apart."

Herman was saying all these things after slapping her across the face. "Go take a stroll, you will be going on the stage in ten minutes."

"But I am supposed to be the last act of the show!" Priscilla resisted. "I cant be the one performing right after the kick-offs. I am the main event."

The knocking on the front door was still ever loud.

"You will be allowed to perform for last fifteen minutes before the show wraps up. Now, go calm your mind, I will talk to BIG O about this."

Priscilla crunched her teeth in anger but could do nothing. She picked the bottle of beer from the table and opened the door, where the knocking trio stood in her way, restless and agitated to find me.

"Hey, superstar, where is our-" Trigman was in the middle of the sentence when Priscilla punched him in the face. That did disperse them and opened a way for her to walk away.

Mapalla started tending to clobbered Trigman, while Kyo ran inside the room to find me laying on the ground.

"MAD!" she exclaimed as she lowered herself on the ground to tend to me. She came near me and picked my head and put it in her lap. I grabbed the fabric off her jacket and dug my face into it.

Kyo looked at Herman for answers. Herman took a deep breath and told the others to get out of the room.

After Cline and Person A marched out, she turned back to Kyo and said, "Take this room. Let her and your friends rest. Nobody will be disturbing you guys for a while. If you need any refreshments, go to the stalls you passed on your way here." She looked around the room and dug into Priscilla's handbag to take out an old looking microphone. She put it into her own handbag and walked out.

Trigman was making Mapalla bear his body weight when they walked inside the room. They looked at me laying on the floor and came near me to calm me down.

Kyo was running her soft hands in my hair while saying, "Mad, everything would be alright. Stop crying."

But, how could I? I was terrified of what had happened, and what was about to follow.

The last sound heard was not of Kyo's voice, but of the show's MC saying, "…gracing the stage, it's P.A.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry......…." I kept repeating that phrase over and over again before into sleep.