Page 277 - Half Girlfriend

You're beautiful, it's true.'

The bright spotlight on the stage contrasted with the dark room. It
took a few seconds to spot the singer.
It was her.

Riya.

The water bottle fell from my hand.
She sang with her eyes closed, completely engrossed in the song.

In a full-length, sequined black gown she looked more beautiful than
what even God would define as beautiful.

Yes, Riya Somani, I found you.
She held an acoustic guitar in her hand. A male American pianist

accompanied her on stage. She continued to sing.
'I saw your face in a crowded place, And I don’t know what to do,

’Cause I’ll never be with you.’
My tiredness evaporated. No more aches and pain. Blood flowed

through my body again. My face felt flushed and hot compared to the

freezing cold a minute ago.
She sang from her heart. The crowd loved her and cheered. She
opened her eyes between lines and smiled at the crowd's reaction. She

had not seen me yet.

I removed my jacket and put it on a table. I walked right up ahead
to the stage and stood before her.

‘You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s... ’

Her voice vanished as her eyes met mine. The pianist looked at her
surprised, wondering why she had missed her lines.

Riya stood up.The guitar looked unsteady in her hand.
The pianist filled the gaps with an instrumental interlude.

Riya put her guitar aside slowly. I continued to look at her.
We stood before each other, silent and frozen. The crowd began to

murmur, wondering what was happening.
The pianist figured something was amiss. He took the rnic and

continued the song.