DREAMS THAT LIVED AROUND YOU

I always hear Shanvika singing "DREAMS THAT LIVED AROUND YOU.." from her room. All the songs from the movie "Madhumati" seemed to come from her world only. Maybe she liked those songs so deeply that they became her breath.
Or maybe...
That cassette held her entire past.

It surprised me—how could someone listen to the same songs for years without getting bored?
She wasn’t just listening.
She was reliving something.

I once asked her casually,
"Don’t you get tired of listening to the same songs again and again?"
She just smiled…
A smile filled with memories.

One rainy evening, we were sitting in our veranda with coffee mugs in hand. I couldn’t stop myself anymore.

"Shanvika... why these songs? What’s so special?"

She looked out at the rain for a long time before speaking.
"These songs… were his favorites."

I didn’t ask who. But she continued anyway, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"His name was Aarav. He used to say—some tunes don’t fade; they just find a permanent place in your soul."

I could see her eyes shine—not with tears, but with nostalgia.

“He left,” she said.
“Where to?” I asked, already fearing the answer.
“Somewhere far... maybe heaven. Maybe somewhere beyond these clouds. He promised he’d come back. And every time I play this cassette, I wait... just a little longer........”

For her, the cassette wasn’t just music. It was a heartbeat.
A fading trace of a boy who once painted her world with melodies.

Now I understood.

She wasn’t just listening.
She was hoping.