41."Hey, Cutie Pie, Make The Tea Strong."

As I approached the two girls, I noticed the girl in the bright yellow saree staring at me with wide eyes, clearly awestruck. The other girl, smiling warmly, seemed equally taken aback but more composed. I extended my hand for a handshake, introducing myself with a friendly smile.

"Hi, it's Krishna. Nice to meet you," I said warmly.

The girl in the yellow saree glanced at my hand hesitantly, then slowly reached out to shake it. Her grip was firm, but she seemed lost for words, her eyes fixed on mine. Sensing her hesitation, I teased gently, "Miss my hand?"

Her grip tightened slightly, and she looked up at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and excitement. "Are you for real?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity and joy.

Confused by her reaction, I asked, "What does that mean?"

She laughed nervously, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I mean, are you really Krishna?" she clarified, her eyes still wide with wonder.

I chuckled softly. "Yes, I am," I confirmed, nodding reassuringly.

"Oh my God, Krishna, I am your biggest fan!" she exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. The other girl chimed in eagerly, "Me too! I'm also your fan!"

I nodded in response to their compliment and said with a smile, "It's heartening to know that I have fans too." Their faces lit up with smiles at my words. Before I could continue, the girl in the yellow saree interrupted with a gentle laugh, "Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Aamukta, and this is my little sister, Shreya."

I smiled warmly, taking in their names. Aamukta gestured towards the chairs around the small table. "Please, Krishna, have a seat." I followed her suggestion and settled into one of the chairs while they did the same, their eyes fixed curiously on me.

"So, what brings you here, Krishna?" Aamukta asked, her tone casual yet curious. Shreya glanced at her sister, silently questioning why she was asking such an obvious question when they already knew the reason for my visit. Ignoring her sister's subtle inquiry, Aamukta waited for my response.

"Oh, nothing much," I replied with a soft chuckle, trying to keep the mood light. "I just came to meet your father."

They nodded understandingly, and I continued, trying to keep the conversation flowing. "What about you girls?"

Aamukta hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm a YouTuber." As soon as she mentioned it, a memory clicked in my mind. "Ah, @Aamu_ktaOfficial," I exclaimed with realization, recalling the comment on my recent video. "You're the famous YouTuber who commented on my song!"

Aamukta nodded, a hint of bashfulness in her expression. "Yes, that's me. I really enjoyed your song, and we were actually planning to make a reel using it. Though," she added with a thoughtful frown, "But it feels like something's missing."

I nodded thoughtfully and smiled, responding, "I know what's missing." Aamukta and Shreya looked at me with curiosity, prompting me to continue.

"It's feelings," I said gently. Aamukta leaned forward, intrigued. "Feelings? How do you mean?" she asked.

With a smile, I explained, "In 'Kabhi Na Kabhi', the essence is love. It tells a story of hope, the longing to meet someone special someday. It's about believing that love will find its way, even if the path is uncertain. To capture that essence, you have to feel it in your heart."

Aamukta pondered this for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "But how do I convey that through a reel?"

I leaned forward, meeting her gaze earnestly. "You translate it through your expressions, the way you look at the camera, the subtleties in your movements. It's about evoking emotions—hope, yearning, anticipation. Make the viewers feel what the song means to you, and they'll connect with it."

Shreya nodded in understanding, her eyes reflecting newfound understanding. "It's like telling a story without words," she remarked softly.

"Exactly," I affirmed, encouraged by their receptiveness. leaned forward, emphasizing softly, "Just imagine the person you love, or someone you admire. If you don't have that person yet, think about your future life partner. Feel the song as if you're singing it to them—it's that simple."

Aamukta murmured thoughtfully, "Someone you love, huh?" Her gaze drifted towards me, and I smiled in response. After a brief moment, she turned to Shreya and decisively said, "Shreya, start recording. I'm ready."

"Yes, Di," Shreya replied eagerly, setting up her phone. With closed eyes, Aamukta gathered her thoughts. As the music began, she opened her eyes, syncing her lips with the lyrics in a captivating performance.

After a few moments, the reel was complete. Shreya eagerly showed it to Aamukta, who watched intently. I joined them, curious to see the result. As the reel concluded, Aamukta gasped in pleasant surprise. "It's perfect," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with satisfaction.

Sneha, observing from the sidelines, gave me a perplexed look, but I brushed it off, focusing on Aamukta. "Di, who were you imagining?" Sneha asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

Aamukta glanced at me briefly before turning to Shreya. "I'll tell you later," she replied mysteriously. Shreya glanced at me again, her expression questioning. In that moment, a thought flickered in my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. It couldn't be possible—I had only just met Aamukta. What are you thinking, Krishna?

After that, Aamukta posted the reel on Instagram. Apparently, Instagram is a big platform here since there is no TikTok or anything similar. That's why when Instagram launched the reels section, it became popular rapidly. Even before that, YouTube was a huge platform for people.

Once Aamukta posted the reel, she looked at me with puppy eyes and said, "Krishna, can we make a reel together, please?" Seeing her puppy eyes, I couldn't say no. She is such a cutie pie.

"Okay," I said, smiling.

Hearing my response, she became so happy that we ended up making five reels—some with my songs and others were just interaction reels, some with Aamukta and some with Shreya. Then Aamukta said, "Krishna, I tried to find you, but I don't know which account is yours."

Surprised, I replied, "Oh, I'm not on Instagram."

Aamukta's eyes widened in shock. "What? You're not on Instagram? How do you even live? How can you survive without Instagram?"

I chuckled and said, "Actually, I don't have time to use Instagram. But we can make an account now. What do you think?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, that's a great idea! Let's make your Instagram account."

I took out my phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Aamukta. She downloaded Instagram and created an account for me. Then she posted the reels we made as a collaboration post. Naturally, Aamukta was the first person I followed on Instagram. For some reason, I felt this might become problematic for me later.

After that, we talked about other things. Aamukta told me she was an LLB graduate, but she wasn't very interested in law. She was passionate about dancing and other creative pursuits, which is why she became a YouTuber. Shreya, on the other hand, is a fashion designer.

We ended up talking about many things, sharing stories, and laughing together. It felt like the start of something special, a new chapter in my life.

As we were talking, I saw Paani and his assistant—what was his name again? Oh, yes, Balasubramnyam—running in my direction. They stopped right in front of me, and Paani called out, "Krishna!"

"Huh? Oh, Paani, I've been waiting for you," I replied.

Paani glanced at Aamukta and asked, "Why did you make him sit here?"

Turning to me, he continued, "Let's go inside."

I waved him off and said, "She didn't make me sit here. Anyway, where did you go after calling me here?"

Paani explained, "I had some important work, which is why I was late."

I nodded, understanding. "Okay, sit down. It's your home anyway. Let's talk about the important matter."

Paani nodded and took a seat. He looked at Aamukta and said, "Make some coffee or tea for Krishna."

Aamukta shot him an angry look, then turned to me. She got up and said to Shreya, "Shreya, let's go."

Shreya nodded and got up. As Aamukta started walking towards the door, I watched her move gracefully. I couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Cutie pie, make the tea strong."

She glanced back at me, smiling. "Okay," she said softly.

I then turned my attention to Paani, who was looking at me. "What?" I asked.

He looked from me to Aamukta and back again. "Nothing," he replied, though his eyes seemed to say otherwise.

Focusing intently on Paani, I said to him with a firm tone, "Now, back to the main point. Tell me the details."

Paani shifted uncomfortably before responding, "Sir want to secure Vasundhara Ma'am as the Law Minister. However, Kata Madhu is proving to be a hurdle. We'll need to sway some other ministers our way with gifts. There's also a planned rally, publicity, and other arrangements."

Nodding thoughtfully, I pressed further, "Tell me the price."

Paani hesitated, then nervously uttered, "400 crore."

I fixed him with a steady gaze, observing his reaction closely. Paani squirmed under my scrutiny and began, "It's about—"

Cutting him off, I interjected with a calm demeanor, "Okay."

Paani seemed taken aback. "Okay?" he repeated, seeking confirmation.

I nodded decisively. "Okay."

Relief washed over Paani's face, and he exclaimed eagerly, "I'll call Sir to share the good news."

Raising a hand to halt his enthusiasm, I cautioned, "Don't be too hasty. Hear me out first. I can agree to the 400 crore, but I have some conditions."

Paani nodded solemnly as I continued, "After the election, I want the taxes I'm paying to be halved, and I don't want any taxes on my new project, as you might have seen in the news."

Paani looked nervous. "But won't that be seen as diverting public funds?"

I smiled gently. "Paani, do you think you or that old man are benevolent figures helping society? Don't accuse me of stealing from society. I have my needs. As for the project, it's for the farmers, not for profit. And I am still paying taxes."

Paani nervously nodded, and we continued discussing my other conditions. Finally, I added, "And one more thing."

Paani sighed, "Is there more?"

With a smile, I slid a file toward Paani. "Take this. It contains information about the crimes committed by Raghavan, CEO of Field Science. I heard he's holding a press conference and inviting Ajay Varma, our Agricultural Minister."

Paani nodded thoughtfully. "So you want Ajay Varma to expose Raghavan's crimes at the press conference?"

"That's right," I affirmed. "It can be arranged?"

Paani nodded confidently. "Yes, it can be done."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I'll transfer the money by evening."

Paani nodded once more, understanding the gravity of the situation.

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