After getting scolded by Megha for being ten minutes late to the Top 40 group discussion, Riva, Mamta, Tara, Kabir, and Pratham quietly took their seats in the last row of the rehearsal hall.
The Sur Sangram rehearsal space buzzed with soft whispers and quiet chatter. Everyone seemed curious and slightly tense, wondering what was about to happen.
After a while, Zyan Malik stood up from his chair. Dressed in a white T-shirt under a denim jacket with cargo pants, he looked effortlessly cool yet confident.
He glanced around the room and said,
"Alright, guys. I need your attention—we have a few important things to talk about."
The murmurs faded as all eyes turned toward him.
Behind him, Megha Sinha and Rajeev Mishra also rose from their seats, both appearing calm but serious.
After having everyone's attention, Zyan Malik smiled brightly and said in a cheerful voice,
"First of all, congratulations to all of you for getting selected in India's top singing reality show!"
The room instantly filled with loud cheers and claps. Some contestants whistled, others shouted with joy. A few even stood up in excitement. The atmosphere was electric, full of pride and happiness.
Riva's group at the back couldn't stop smiling. Riva let out a soft laugh, her earlier scolding forgotten. Mamta clapped with shining eyes, Tara leaned forward with excitement, and Pratham threw his arm around Kabir's shoulder, both of them grinning wide.
Behind Zyan, Rajeev Mishra gave a warm, encouraging smile, clearly proud of the young talent in front of him.
Megha Sinha stood still, arms crossed, but there was a small flicker of satisfaction in her eyes—even if her face stayed serious. She was watching everything, quietly taking in the moment.
Rajeev Mishra spoke next, stepping forward with a calm and serious tone.
"It's truly a proud moment that you all have made it to the Top 40. But as per the rules of the competition, we now have to move forward to the next round."
As his words sank in, the cheerful atmosphere in the rehearsal hall began to shift. Whispers died down. The room grew quiet and tense.
Then Megha Sinha stepped forward, arms still crossed, her voice clear and firm.
"The next round will be the Duet Battle Round. All 40 of you will be paired into 20 duets. Each pair will perform together, but only one of you will get selected. The other... will be eliminated."
A wave of surprise and anxiety swept through the contestants. Some gasped softly, others looked at each other in shock. Worry was clear on their faces.
In the last row, Riva's group looked stunned.
Riva's eyes widened, and she exchanged a nervous glance with Mamta. Pratham fidgeted with his jacket buttons, while Kabir leaned back in his chair, sighing. Tara muttered under her breath, "Damn, that's bad."
Riva turned to her, about to ask why, but before she could say anything—
Zyan Malik stepped forward again, his voice still calm but full of energy.
"I know it sounds tough, but that's how we'll find our true Top 20. The real battle begins now!"
"And from the Top 20, the show will finally go on air on national television."
The words national television lit a spark in the room again. Some contestants straightened up with a new fire in their eyes. Others clenched their fists with determination. Even Riva's group sat up a little taller, their earlier fear now mixed with a drive to prove themselves.
Rajeev continued, his voice steady.
"We've already decided the pairings, and now we're going to announce them one by one."
Megha stepped up beside him and added in a firm tone,
"These pairings are final. For any reason—any reason—the duet partners cannot be changed."
"As your names are called, move and stand next to your duet partner."
The room went still, waiting for the first names to be announced.
As the names started to be announced, a wave of tension spread through the room.
Contestants leaned toward each other, whispering quietly.
Tara leaned closer to her group and whispered, "What if we get paired with each other? Then we'll have to compete against our own friends."
All four of them looked a little worried at the thought.
Mamta, always the sensible one, spoke up hesitantly, "Well… technically, we're all competitors anyway, right?"
Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh really? Then what if you get paired with your dear little sister?"
Mamta opened her mouth, then closed it again, not knowing what to say.
She definitely didn't want that to happen.
Yes, Riva was her competition—but the thought of either of them stopping the other from reaching the Top 20 made her stomach twist.
Riva looked concerned too, quietly glancing at Mamta and then at the judges.
Kabir added softly, "And we can't even change the partners… Megha ma'am just said no changes."
By now, six pairs had already been called. Twelve contestants were now standing next to each other, side by side.
Then, the seventh pairing was announced.
"Pratham Singh," Rajeev called out.
Their group instantly tensed up.
But Pratham ended up being paired with someone else.
All four of them exhaled in relief, almost at the same time.
Luckily, Mamta didn't get paired with Riva. Kabir also got paired with someone else.
Now, only four contestants were still seated—Riva, Tara, and two others. The rest of the Top 40 were already standing in 18 duet pairs.
Riva and Tara sat still, both silently praying they wouldn't be paired with each other.
But their hearts sank as the last two contestants left were paired together.
Zyan looked down at the list and announced, "And the final pair is… Riva Chandiyal and Tara Verma."
Both girls slowly stood up, their hearts heavy.
For once, even Tara looked serious.
It wasn't like they had been best friends forever, but in just a few weeks, they had gotten really close—laughing, sharing their journeys, opening up about the struggles they'd faced to reach here.
They had even made plans to enjoy the show together, rooting for each other all the way to the finale.
And now, they had to stand against each other.
One of them would be eliminated—and not just by anyone, but by someone they cared about.
It felt too soon. And definitely not like this.
Both were equally talented. It wasn't going to be a clear win for either of them.
It was like being asked to break each other's dream—and their shared dream of going ahead together.
No matter how much they promised to stay friends, they both knew… once the battle happened, something would change. The pain of defeating or losing to each other would leave a mark.
They stood side by side in silence, faces downcast, neither one able to smile.
For the first time since entering Sur Sangram, both felt the cost of chasing the dream.
"Practice hard to win!" Zyan smiled brightly, offering a final wave.
With that, the judges ended the session, and the rehearsal hall slowly began to empty.
The group of five stayed behind—Riva, Tara, Mamta, Kabir, and Pratham. As the others exited, Zyan and Rajeev remained near the judges' table, talking in low voices. Megha had already left the room.
Seeing a chance, Riva and Tara exchanged a quick glance and walked up to the two judges, a mix of hope and nervousness on their faces.
"Sir," Riva began politely, "we just wanted to ask… if the pairings can be changed?"
Rajeev looked at them kindly, but his tone was serious. "I understand how you feel. But I'm afraid that's not possible. The pairings are final."
Zyan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's not really in our hands either," he added.
Noticing the disappointment on their faces, Rajeev softened. "If you really want to request, you can try speaking with Megha. She's the one who finalized the pairings."
Zyan smirked and added playfully, "Best of luck with that. Asking Megha to change pairings is like walking into a lion's den and asking her to move—ain't gonna happen!"
Riva let out a small chuckle, but Tara frowned, frustration slipping into her voice. "Why does she get to decide the pairings anyway?"
Zyan shrugged casually, still smiling. "Maybe do a little research about the show you're competing in."
The girls blinked in confusion.
Rajeev stepped in to explain, his tone calm. "Megha Sinha is not just your judge this season—she's also the co-producer of Sur Sangram. She has every right to make these decisions."
Tara looked genuinely shocked and disappointed. "Oh…"
Riva, on the other hand, seemed both impressed and intrigued. Despite the situation, a flicker of curiosity crossed her face.
She wondered if the pairing had been a random decision—or if Megha had a reason behind putting her and Tara together.
Something about it didn't feel like coincidence.