A haze of gold light filled everything, sound spilling through the air like water. Standing alone under the main spotlight, Papa’s scowl vanished, so did Monisha’s grin. Instead, at the edge of sight, a figure held a board, still as stone. The notes came out just as Muthassi shaped them long ago - carried by something deeper, that Chandru once said felt alive.

Floating - that’s what it felt like when the noise of clapping rose around me after I stopped. The sound came crashing in, heavy and loud.

Over by the mirror, hands tugging at stiff fabric, I scrambled to shed the bulky outfit fast enough to meet my people. Snack crumbs on her fingers, Shwetha hovered nearby - dubbed helper, though really just munching yesterday’s trail mix off a napkin.

Akka! See?" Shwetha pulled my school jacket off the seat. From one pocket, a small thing dropped - she held it up before I could react

A scrap of paper, tiny and creased. Nothing official about it. Definitely not something handed out at class.

Out of her grip it went. Pounding came my heartbeat. Could it be Ajay behind this? Or maybe Bharat, hoping to kick off some wild chase again?

That moment, I lifted the cover. Slanting letters met my eyes - graceful, familiar - exactly like the note left behind under southern sun and monsoon air.

"You didn't just hit the notes; you owned them. Meet me by the old banyan tree after the finale. I have something for you."

- C.

"What does it say? Is it from 'C' again?" Shwetha asked, her eyes wide with predatory curiosity. "I’m going to tell Papa you’re getting letters in the dark!"

"Shwetha, if you keep quiet, I will give you my entire share of the canteen treats for a month," I hissed, my brain working at lightning speed. "And I'll let you use my scented erasers."

Shwetha weighed the options. "Make it two months of treats, and you have to do my drawing homework for a week."

Deal