They kept staring until—
"Riva Chand... Chan? Can you read her name?" The popular pop singer Zyan Malik nudged Megha, breaking the silent stare contest between the two girls.
"Riva Chand... Chandiyal?" Megha furrowed her brow, her voice soft and slow as she almost got the name right.
Riva liked how she said it.
But out of instinct, she quickly corrected her, "It's Riva Chandiyal, ma'am."
Megha nodded in acknowledgment but didn't repeat it.
"Very unique name. But you're from Uttarakhand, right? They have quite interesting surnames there," chuckled the legendary singer Rajeev Mishra, one of India's most respected music veterans and a senior judge on the panel.
That triggered Riva—in a good way.
"Oh yes, sir! Uttarakhand has the quirkiest surnames! There's Khandpal, Chufal, Gusain, and once I met someone named Diksha Dhaundiyal! Feels like a tongue twister."
She rambled excitedly, her words flowing faster than her breath. "Also—my regional song 'Pahadi Bana' got over 74 million views! I mean, that was my breakthrough—"
Zyan's eyes widened. "Whoa. That's huge."
Riva smiled bright and added she has many regional hit songs.
Rajeev Mishra simply smiled like a grandfather enjoying his grandchild's enthusiasm. He even nodded along, completely engaged.
Megha, on the other hand, looked a little amused... but mostly annoyed. Too much chatter. This was still a singing audition.
She cleared her throat sharply. "We should move to the performance."
Riva realized she'd gone off track—again. She gave a sheepish smile and nodded at Megha.
"What are you going to sing today?" Zyan asked, still grinning.
"One of Rajeev Sir's classics," Riva said with a nervous smile.
The senior singer's eyes sparkled with surprise and fondness.
Then Riva began.
She sang a popular '90s romantic ballad, originally sung by Rajeev Mishra himself. Her voice was melodious—soft, yet steady. While the texture of her voice wasn't rare, the purity in it was.
It wasn't just singing. It was feeling.
Even Megha Sinha—who almost never looked up while contestants performed—couldn't help but watch Riva. There was something about her presence with these kinds of simple clothing, her pure voice, her calm innocence... her raw honesty.
When Riva finished, silence lingered for a second.
Then all three judges clapped.
Zyan stood up, grinning ear to ear. Rajeev Narayan clapped like a proud father. And Megha... gave her signature half-smile that felt like everything to Riva.
They began sharing their comments.
---
Zyan Malik leaned forward with excitement.
"Riva, you're a vibe! Loved your version—and honestly, I feel like remixing this now!"
"Don't you dare," Rajeev Mishra interrupted sharply, giving him a mock glare.
Megha let out a tiny smirk while still writing on her sheet.
Rajeev chuckled. "This song has memories, child. I recorded it when I was just 22. And the way you sang it... well, I'll be honest—I'm proud. It's a YES from me."
Riva's heart thumped. But the one response she waited for the most was yet to come.
---
Megha Sinha leaned back in her chair, twirling her pencil.
Her eyes stayed on Riva.
"I must admit... your voice texture? Fairly common. Every second female contestant has this type of voice."
Riva's heart dropped slightly. She knew that.
But then Megha added, slowly— "But... your voice has a kind of sweetness. A purity that's very rare. I want to give you a chance. After all, you've come all the way from Uttarakhand. You deserve it. It's a YES from me."
Riva smiled—big, bright, unstoppable.
"Welcome to the Sur Sangram family!" Zyan shouted, rising again in celebration.
Rajeev pulled out a silver Sur Sangram pass from beneath the table and stood up too.
Riva stepped forward, shaking hands with Zyan, who gave her a warm side hug. Rajeev handed her the pass, and she bent down to touch his feet.
Then she approached Megha.
Megha stood up professionally and extended her hand. "Congratulations."
Riva shook Megha's hand firmly.
"Thank you, ma'am."
She tried to keep her voice composed, but the excitement shimmered through her tone.
Megha gave a curt nod.
Riva turned and began walking toward the exit.
But when she reached the door, she paused—something tugging at her from inside.
She turned around.
"Ma'am... can I take a selfie with you?"
Zyan let out a laugh.
Rajeev chuckled, amused.
Megha raised an eyebrow.
"Come here," she said.
Riva lit up like Diwali and jogged back to the judges' table.
She pulled out her phone, stood beside Megha—who stayed composed but slightly leaned in—and clicked a quick photo.
Click.
Then, almost out of reflex, Riva beamed at Rajeev and Zyan. "Thank you again!" And she dashed out of the audition room like a happy little storm.
As Riva floated out of the studio, her excitement still buzzing in the air, Zyan leaned back in his chair and smirked.
"Wish we had fans like that. No one even asks me for a handshake anymore."
Megha rolled her eyes.
"You have 23 million followers on Instagram. Don't act neglected."
Zyan raised a brow.
"And you have 53. Don't mock me."
Rajeev chuckled, chiming in with mock offense.
"Hmph. I don't even have a million. My granddaughter handles my page."
Megha turned to him with a warm smile.
"Sir, you don't need followers. You have crores of fans. Your songs are part of our lives... and our hearts. Even the girl today sang one of yours."
Rajeev's eyes softened. He reached over and gave Megha a gentle pat on the head, like a true mentor.
And for the first time this season, Megha just smiled politely—and realized
She'd smiled more today than she had in any other audition round so far.