From Sabhas to Heartbeat First Note of Chaos

Chennai | Early morning in a Carnatic music sabha

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

Appa ( father) just dropped me. Sabha is half empty. Where is Priya akka ( elder sister) ?!

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

🤳 Relax, kutti! I'm in an Uber. Got stuck because your Athimber forgot today is your big audition!

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

😒 You forgot too. This is not just any audition. Sangita Kalacharya's scholarship! If I don’t get in, Paati( Grandma ) will declare me unworthy of even singing in the bathroom.

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

🤳 😂 True. Her eyes alone could cause power cuts. Anyway, sing like you did last week – that Thodi raagam alaapana gave me goosebumps!

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

Thanks… I’m nervous. And the judge is some hotshot film music director from Hyderabad. I bet he doesn’t even like Carnatic!

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

🤳 Wait – who is it?

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

Raghav Devraj.

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

😳 THAT Raghav? Tall, curly-haired, sunglasses-at-night guy? You’re doomed. He once composed a kuthu song with auto horns.

Meanwhile, backstage...

Vikram (Vicky ) Nair ( ML frd)

🎥 Bro, you sure about judging this? You just escaped from that film deadline.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

🎧 It’s Ma’s dream. She wanted me to rediscover my roots. Classical music, culture, filter coffee... the whole thali meal.

Vikram (Vicky ) Nair ( ML frd)

🎥 Also, Ma said if you don’t do this, she’ll send you to Tirupati for 40 days.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

🎧 😑 She really would. Okay, let’s get this over with.

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

😳 He’s walking in. Why is he wearing a leather jacket... to a Carnatic sabha?!

Raghav Devraj (ML)

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

🤳 Maybe he thinks mridangam is a new fashion brand.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

🎧 (scrolls through names) Anvitha Ramesh?

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

(stands nervously) Yes, sir.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

🎧 Let’s begin. Raagam?

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

Bhairavi

Raghav Devraj (ML)

🎧 Nice. Old soul, huh?

Anvitha begins singing. Her voice fills the hall, slow, steady, soaked in emotion. Raghav’s expression changes. Something stirs

Vikram (Vicky ) Nair ( ML frd)

(texting Raghav) Bro, you okay? You’re... blinking emotionally.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

(Texting back) She’s good. Too good. Feels like home.

After few minutes

Priya ( Fl cousin/frd)

🤳 Did he... smile?( watching all this in anvitha video call)

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

Worse. He’s looking at me like I’m an audio file he wants to remix.

Raghav Devraj (ML)

Thanks, Ms. Anvitha. You’ve got... soul. We’ll be in touch.

Anvitha Ramesh ( FL)

(Tamil under her breath) Inimey ivanala than thappika mudiyathu... (From now on, I can't escape him...)

Later that night…

Raghav Devraj (ML)

(texting Vicky) Get me her contact. I need her voice for a new track. Something raw. Honest.

Vikram (Vicky ) Nair ( ML frd)

Oh no. Bro. You’re not just composing. You’re falling.

To be continued…