"Yo, bro, killer set. You nailed that last song. Look at the crowd" said Ashley, the bassist, sounding muted.

Matthew snapped out of his daze, his captivated gaze now focusing on his bandmate. His heart was still going a million miles an hour, and his left hand had a slight shake. The adrenaline of performing on stage had left him with the jitters.

"Bro?"

"Yeah sorry, what a rush, huh?" he said, unplugging his guitar and walking off the stage. He looked back to see if he could spot the girl in the crown, but the twinkling had vanished. Girls and their tricks.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to party!" said Joseph, whose shirt had darkened from a good sweat session playing the drums.

"Let's do it. I'll go put the guitars back in the car. Catch you at the bar - under the Red Bull sign," said Ashley, pointing to the very prominent sign above a blue tent, in the middle of the beach.

"I'll come with you, can't meet the ladies in this sweaty t-shirt -"

"Like you came prepared," said Matthew, looking at Ashley in disbelief, as he play-punched his shoulder and immediately regretted it, wiping the sweat on his own plaid shirt.

"You bet I did. Mama D'Souza raised me right!"

His two bandmates headed to the car, leaving him alone in the wings of the stage. The rush of the performance had started to recede like the tide in the distance. I just played at Ultra Sound. A goofy smile spread on his face, and he wondered if the organizers had heard them play. That's when he saw him. A familiar face walked towards Matthew, one he recognised but had never met. Dressed casually, in beige shorts and a white t-shirt, was the main organiser of the festival and a famous music producer, Arun Walia. An endorsement from him meant your music career was set for life. Arun had started his career as a MTV video jockey and instead of coasting on his fame, channeled his passion for music into creating the intellectual property that Matthew was happy to be part of - Ultra Sound.

"That was a superb set, great new sound. Just what the crowd needed, a break from all the EDM," said Arun, extending his hand to Matthew.

"Oh, you caught the set, wow, thanks a lot," said Mattew, hoping he didn't sound starstruck, and accepting the firm handshake.

"You'll are local boys, right?"

"Yeah, Goan, born and raised."

"Right, right. Open to going solo?"

"Oh no, my boys are my life, 10 years we've been together."

"Loyalty, I like it. If you guys find yourself in Bombay. Give me a call," he said and handed Matthew his card. Arun shook his hand and then strode toward the stage to give instructions to a stagehand.

I just met Arun Walia... And turned him down? This thought percolated slowly, as the card started to feel warm in his leather-bound wallet. He should have been jumping for joy, but no, instead, he thought - there's no way. Bombay was no longer an option, at least not for me, not after everything that happened this year. The only thing that mattered to Matthew was keeping his remaining bandmates close and happy. A taste of bitterness started to rise up in his throat. Right, I need a drink.

The festival lights were now in full effect, a myriad of colours reflected off surfaces and people's faces. Yet, he couldn't seem to find the girl who twinkled. Maybe she was a gorgeous mirage only to be seen and never held, he sighed and made his way to the bar. The crowd was focused on one of the headliner DJs playing, so it was surprisingly easy to get to the counter, he thought. He looked at the alcoholic drinks menu and realised that there were two options - a headache in the morning, or a headache in an hour. He chose neither.

"Patrao, give me a 7-Up please," he said, flashing his full-access tag. Still no sign of the boys. The DJ had just begun her set, and true to form, it was spectacular. She was the only female DJ in a male-dominated line-up, and frankly, it wouldn't have mattered if she was an alien, he thought. DJ Pearl could make a 1000-year-old corpse come to life with her grace and iconic mixes. The beats she was playing felt like a masseuse, kneading his tense shoulders that had knotted up, caused by his interaction with Arun Walia. Matthew wondered if he had said the right thing; had he screwed everything for the Misfits before it had even begun for them? These questions clouded his mind, and as he made his way toward the stage, a green strobe light blinded him temporarily, causing him to misstep. He tried to steady himself, only to collide with a group of girls.

"Hey, watch it ass-" it was the girl with the crown. Just my luck, I had to go and spill my drink on the prettiest girl here.

"I'm so sorry, the lights - they -"

"It's okay.. You're the guy right," she said, pointing to the stage. He noticed her wide eyes staring directly at him and for a moment all his worries dissipated to the sound of the bass in the background.

"Yeah... Matthew from the Misfits," he said. Damn, why do I sound like a teenager?

"Well, Matthew from the Misfits, you've spilled your drink all over us. Lucky for you, we were just heading to the bar," she said, patting down the figure-hugging grey and black dress she was wearing. Bold, just like her outfit choices.

"Let me get the drinks, least I could do," said Matthew, prying his eyes off the stunning creature in front of him and turning to the other girls who were with her.

"Actually... we'll go get the drinks, seeing as you're the one that spilled all yours. We... finished ours," said one of the other girls with a short pixie cut, indicating to her evidently empty plastic cup.

"Yeah, you and Nalini wait here, we'll be right back - with a breezer. You're not getting anything better," said the other girl with blond highlights in her hair.

"You don't have to-"

"Don't bother trying, they're already too far ahead to hear you," said Ms Crown, "I'm Nalini, by the way." And then she smiled. Damn, I'm done for.

"Nice to meet you. Are you from Goa or only here for the festival," he asked. She responded by squinting her eyes which formed a small crease between her brows. Is she always this cute, he wondered.

"I can't hear you, it's super loud," she said, screaming in his ear, the sound of her voice and her warm breath tickled his neck, making him tense up. Quickly without thinking, he pointed to a space further back towards the beach, and they both began to walk there.

Easy, breathe, she's just like any other girl.

But she isn't, though... Is she?