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The hardship, betrayal, and frustration you face today are the exact raw materials that build the grit and resilience needed for tomorrow's rise.

The grand screen in the open-air auditorium glowed brightly as the crowd buzzed with anticipation. Akshat and his band had poured 100 percent of their heart and soul into this moment.

Standing in the audience, Akshat was anxiously waiting, surrounded by his friends-Yash, Riya, Shivansh, Isha, and last but certainly not least, his love, Purvi, who stood right by his side, sending him reassuring smiles.

One after the other, the album songs were released on the big screen. The music sounded flawless, the visuals were stunning, but as the final credits rolled, Akshat's smile completely vanished.

There was no credit. Not a single mention of his name, nor his band's name.

Shocked and breathing heavily, Akshat bypassed the cheering crowd and marched straight to the production company's backstage management desk.

His friends watched in confusion as he confronted the production agent.

"Our names aren't anywhere in the credits. Why is there no mention of the band?" Akshat demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of confusion and rising panic.

The agent didn't even look up from his tablet. He gave a cold, dismissive shrug.

"This is how it is. Just get lost and don't create a ruckus here."

Akshat felt the ground slip beneath his feet. "It was not discussed earlier! We signed up for a collaboration, not to be erased!"

"This is how the industry works, kid," the agent said sharply, signaling his men.

"Now leave."

Akshat stood frozen as the realization hit him like a physical blow. They had been completely exploited.

A heavy, suffocating weight of moral obligation crushed his chest; his band members-Divya, Krish, and Nishan-had invested everything into this project, only to be stripped of their identity.

Unable to breathe in the suffocating space, Akshat turned around and walked straight out of the auditorium. Seeing his sudden departure, the gang immediately noticed something was terribly wrong.

Purvi ran after him without a second thought, while Yash and Riya followed close behind. Meanwhile, Shivansh, Isha, and the band members stayed back, heading toward the production management office to demand answers.

Outside, the sky had opened up, and it was raining heavily. The downpour matched the absolute chaos in Akshat's mind. He abruptly stopped in the middle of the empty path, completely shattered.

Bending forward, he placed his hands tightly on his knees.

A loud, agonizing shout tore from his throat, echoing through the heavy rain. It was a cry of pure pain, betrayal, and the crushing weight of his hardwork washing away in vain.

Purvi caught up to him, her heart breaking at the sight. She stepped through the rain, gently placing a hand on his trembling shoulder before wrapping her arms around him from behind, sobbing silently against his back.

Yash was about to rush forward to pull his friend up, but Riya instantly reached out and firmly caught his hand.

"Not now," Riya whispered, her voice softened by the rain.

"Give them space."

She gently guided a reluctant Yash away, leaving the two of them alone.

Sensing her presence, Akshat turned around and collapsed into Purvi's arms, hugging her tightly as he wept into her shoulder.

"I never expected this would happen... I am a loser, Purvi. I even put my academics aside for this album, and see what it did to me. My own album won't even have my name on it."

The guilt was suffocating him.

"My band members trusted me... and now they won't even get any recognition because of me."

Purvi held him closer, rubbing his back as the rain drenched them completely.

"It's not your fault, Akshat. Please don't do this to yourself. It's just that this situation is not in your control. But when your intentions are real, and your hardwork and determination are true, things have a way of working out. It's just a matter of time."

A short distance away, under the shelter of a corridor, Yash was telling Riya-

Yash, looking anxiously back toward Akshat, tried to pull away. "My friend needs me. Mujhe jaane do."(Let me go.)

Riya tightened her grip, looking at him with exasperation.

"Bel buddhi ho tum! (You are a blockhead!) Now the person he needs the most is Purvi, not you."

"Hum sab bhi ho sakte hai na? Isme kya jaata hai? Sab milkar sambhalenge Akshat ko," Yash argued, completely missing the point.

(We all can be there for him too, right? What's wrong with that? We will all handle Akshat together.)

Riya sighed loudly.

"Why don't you understand anything? Otherwise, you act so smart."

"What?" Yash asked, genuinely confused.

"They are in love with each other," Riya stated firmly.

"And in this vulnerable time, only Purvi can handle him properly."

Yash's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh... acha toh Akshat ne bhi chadli train? Lo ji!"

(Oh... so Akshat has also boarded the train? Wow!)

As Yash calmed down, he looked down at his arm.

"Haath to chod de, nahi ja raha ab Akshat ke paas," he pointed out, lifting the hand which Riya is still holding.

(At least let go of my hand now, I'm not going to Akshat anymore.)

Riya suddenly realized she was still holding his hand tightly. For a brief, blinking second, her eyes locked with his. The world around them seemed to quiet down despite the roaring rain.

Feeling a sudden rush of awkwardness and a strange flutter in her chest, she abruptly broke eye contact and turned her face to the other side.

She crossed her hands, holding her own arms, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear to calm her racing nerves.

Yash walked a step forward, coming back into her line of sight, studying her face curiously.

"Kya hua hai tujhe?"
(What happened to you?)

Riya didn't answer. Deep down, she was slowly realizing how her feelings for Yash were changing. She had broken eye contact just to hide the sudden feelings desperately trying to keep her emotions from becoming too obvious.

Sometimes, the strongest feelings are not expressed through words; they stay hidden when two eyes meet, and one heart gets too shy to stay.

Back inside the auditorium lobby, Shivansh and Isha, alongside the band members Divya, Krish, and Nishan, blocked the path of the production agent.

The agent sneered, aggressively waving his hands.

"Phir se aa gaye tum log? Maine us Akshat ko bataya toh tha. Chal, nikalo!"

(You guys are back again? I already told that Akshat guy. Move, get out!)

He looked past them and shouted to the auditorium guards, "Security! Inko bahar nikalo!" (Security! Throw them out!)

The security guards rushed forward roughly. In the ensuing commotion, one of the guards grabbed and pushed Isha back to clear the way.

Seeing her stumble, Shivansh's expression turned fierce. He lunged forward, grabbed the security guard by his vest, and pulled him completely out of the crowd, swinging his fist back to hit him.

Isha, a deeply sensitive soul, felt her mind go completely numb at the sight of the violent confrontation. Terrified of physical conflict, she froze, grabbing onto Divya's shoulder for support, her eyes wide with fear as she trembled.

Shivansh's fist was raised, fully prepared to teach the guard a lesson for handling Isha roughly. But right before he could swing, he caught sight of Isha's face. The moment he saw the genuine terror in her eyes, his hand stopped mid-air.

Controlling his rage solely for her sake, Shivansh slowly lowered his fist. Instead, he gripped the guard's collar tightly, pulling him close, his voice dangerously low.

"Tameez se raho. Aur aaj chod raha hoon, par ye agar phir se kiya... toh jo haath uth sakta hai, wo maar bhi sakta hai. Samjhe?"

(Speak with respect. I am letting you go today, but if you ever do this again... the hand that can be raised can also strike. Understand?)

With a forceful shove, Shivansh released the collar, causing the guard to jolt backward into his colleagues.

Nishan stepped in, placing a hand on Shivansh's shoulder.

"There is no point wasting time here. Let's go."

Shivansh nodded, his breathing slowing down. He turned around and gently took Isha's hand, comforting her after the rough shoving match. Together with the band, they walked out of the auditorium and away from the toxic chaos

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