Matthew rolled his eyes at Joseph, who was sitting on the sand like he owned the beach. Play it cool Jo, stop embarrassing me in front of this chick. Matthew tried to send a telepathic message to Joseph, which he conveyed with some eye movements that left Joseph further confused.

"You got something in your eye bro?" he asked. Classic, Jo.

"No, no, just trying to change the topic -" said Matthew, stealing a quick glance at Nalini, noticing the way the mouth curled when she spoke.

"Why? That last song was so... emotional. Honestly, it kind of transported me to a different place," said Nalini, looking at him. Her eyes widening, as if trying to find the source of the song within him. His stomach tied in knots, a pandemonium of emotions he hadn't felt for any other girl. Damn, she's gorgeous. C'mon Matt, concentrate. He put the half full breezer into the sand, not wanting the sweet rum drink to cloud this memory.

"Emotional... yep, that it is.." Ashley looked at Matthew as he said this. There was a flicker in both their eyes that displayed suppressed sadness. Then in a flash, it disappeared. Not the time to think those thoughts his mind chimed in.

"C'mon, it's a happy moment - we just played Ultra Sound!" said Ashley, as he raised his plastic cup that was filled with beer.

"So, a toast, then. To awesome music," said Nalini, the light hitting her crown. Can she stop twinkling like that?

"And to new acquaintances with a potential for more than just...friends?" chimed Joseph, a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Damn straight," said Aarathi, looking at Sanjana, raising her own plastic cup.

"Eye contact guys, I don't want bad luck in bed for the next 7-years," said Joseph, making sure to look directly into everyone's faces.

"Cheers," said Matthew, who wanted nothing more than to stare into her shining eyes, but he couldn't look at her directly without feeling nervous. Get to together, man.

"Oh, looks like these two are gonna have it rough for the next 7," said Sanjana, laughing at him and Nalini.

"Bad luck can't mess with a good thing," he said under his breath, hoping no one heard.

"I was just going to say that," said Nalini, a look of surprise on her face and mischief in her sparkling eyes. No one else seemed to have heard the exchange between them, but he was glad she did. Matthew looked at his bandmates, and strangely, they were in a heated discussion about the new Iron Man movie. Matthew wasn't into superheroes, he preferred real rockstars, but Hollywood didn't make block movies on those idols.

"Let's go for a walk?" he whispered into her ear, and as he leaned in, he could smell hints of vanilla and coconut in her hair. Intoxicating, he thought.

"I thought you'd never ask."

"Guys, you'll gonna be here, or?" he asked, but no one seemed to hear him over the animated conversation about a robot suit that could fly. Matthew shook his head, he'd never understand the hype.

"Don't think they care," she said loudly, and then gave her friend a knowing nod. He wondered how girls communicated like that, without words. Girls and their tricks.

He held out his hands to help her up. As soon as her hands were in his, he knew it'd be hard to let go, but being a gentleman, he did. It was a simple gesture, one that he knew he would remember forever because it was the first time he got to hold her dainty hands in his.

They walked to the horizon, which was bathed in darkness, the moon had hidden itself from the world, giving them the privacy they desired. The sand under his feet got colder and the shells poked at his heels, but the only thing Matthew was hyper-aware of was the girl in the crown. She was a few paces in front of him. Her hair had taken on a life of its own in the ocean breeze, causing a fresh scent of vanilla and coconut to envelope him. All he wanted was to reach out and run his hands through her hair, but instead, he stood back, just watching in wonder. The light refracting from her crown twinkled with the stars above. She's got to stop doing that. He shook his head, wondering what spell he was under.

"Are you afraid of the water?" she asked.

"No good Goan boy would be," he said and moved closer, now only an arms-length between them.

"Bombay has beaches too, but they're nothing like this," she sighed, "strange how cities can be so vastly different."

"I wouldn't know, never been. Everything I want is here," he said, flashing her a smile.

"Wait, you've never been to Bombay? What about your music career?" she asked, the crease between her eyebrows accentuating her curiosity.

"Well, we have it pretty good here during the high season, playing bars and weddings. No crazy rents, no life-sucking hidden royalties or record label clauses that can impact finances at this early stage," he said and wondered why his words were coloured in bitterness. It wasn't always like this, he thought.

"I never really thought about it like that," she said, kicking at the water.

"To be honest, this was our first major gig, no one really noticed us before," he said, rubbing the prickly stubble on his chin.

"Oh, so someone noticed you today?" she asked, with a cheeky smile that was lost on him, he was still looking out at the horizon.

"Yes, Arun Walia gave me his business card," he said, a tightness clutching at his chest at the mention of the organizer name.

"Right, and here I thought you meant me... but Arun Walia, that's big," she said. He could see the look of disappointment on her face. Wow, Matt - Smooth.

"No, I meant -"

"Relax Matthew, Arun Walia is a big deal. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. He can only help us if we go to Bombay and that's not an option for us."

"So that's it? You're going to give up? You don't want to call him or meet him in Bombay? Even if it means you get to jumpstart your career?" she said, and he detected hints of irritation in her voice.

He frowned, memories of his brother bubbled up and he didn't want to be reminded. Not now, not when he was standing with her, but even with his heavy thoughts he realised that he liked how she spoke her mind and challenged him.

"It's difficult to explain; the big city isn't for me... isn't for us. The music industry there can mess with even the best of us. The stress, toxicity - plus without proper support, the financial burden of living in a city on a musician's salary... Trust me, it can turn ugly," he said, hopeful that she wouldn't pick up on his darkening mood.

"Sure, I understand. It's like the lyrics in your song - if you don't play, you can't lose - well, you can't win either," she said. The last part seemed like it was directed more towards herself than him.

"What are you trying to win at?" he asked, wanting to know the inner workings of her troubled mind.

"Not sure yet, I have a long way to go, but I just know I was meant to be in fashion. Not to make the clothes, or model them on a runway - but to use fashion as an expression of creativity, like those bloggers do. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I just know I'm willing to fight for this dream."

"I guess we just have different dreams," he said, not meaning to sound belittling, but something about the way she was speaking made him uncomfortable and he knew why. Her tone had the same aspirational cadence of his older brother, a person no one mentions anymore.

"Are you trying to say, your dreams are more realistic than mine?" she said, her eyebrow shot up just like her short temper.

"Me and the boys, we love our life here. Sure more fame would be good, but the money isn't bad, life is peaceful. At the most we'd be happy playing at concerts and coming back home, to Goa," he said, unsure of why he was opening up to a girl he'd just met, but deep down, he knew, she wasn't just any girl. There was more to this meeting and he was currently blowing his opportunity at making a good first impression, he thought.

"I'm not sure what you mean, but Bombay isn't as bad as you make it out to be. And for me, there is no other city I'd rather be in. I'd rather fail at trying than be complacent with what is."

"Complacent to you, is happiness to me. There is nothing wrong with being happy with a slower life. It's just as satisfying. I've seen what chasing dreams in big cities can do to a person. That won't happen to me," he said. It can't happen to me, not after Xavier. He thought to himself, crossing his arms over his chest. He wanted to tell her, but under the moonless sky with a fire in her eyes, was not the time.

"So, you're going to be happy in 10 years when you're doing the exact same thing?" she said, trying to sound argumentative, but the tremble in her voice reflected her own fears.

He didn't need to look at her to know that she was getting upset, he could sense it. Nothing about this girl was hidden, she wore her emotions like her clothes, out there for everyone to see, and he was enchanted by it. The only time he ever felt comfortable showing his emotions were in the lyrics of a 3-minute song. He could have chosen to be more apathetic, but she'd struck a fragmented nerve that wasn't healed yet. So instead, he went to his fail-safe, his harsh words:

"I'm done talking."

This wasn't their first fight, and neither would it be their last. The loud music from the concert had dulled, so too had the conversation. The waves desperately trying to soothe their heightened emotions. Just my luck, the one girl I like, and she wants me to change.