Mahil :
"Then you do this. For the step four he has to twirl you like this, two circles, don't hold too tight or you might twist your arm or something. Rest your palms on his chest moving to and fro in a slow rhythm, this is when others will start joining you guys. Are we good now? Shall I hit the play button?" Directing Ms. Khurana and her partner, I turned towards the music system.
The duo followed every step correctly. I nodded in appreciation while Kuhoo's eyes admired them curiously. As Rahul twirled Riya making her move on the heels, her right foot got stuck in his left one and what followed was the shrill sound of her scream, "You idiot, I almost broke my nail."
"I'm sorry babe. But it wasn't really my fault," He muttered the last statement under his breath.
If I was in his place, I wouldn't do that.
"What are you implying by saying that after practically stomping your foot in my way and making me fall?" Riya countered.
"It wasn't me baby. You entangled your foot with mine," He mumbled.
Did he have a death wish?
Ms. Khurana frowned, "How dare -"
"Cut it guys. Let's give this another try?" I interfered before they could pick up a fight like usual couples I choreographed over these years.
Tapping the music system again, I signaled them to take the positions. Clearing his throat Rahul offered her his hand which she took huffing sideways.
"How cute!" Kuhoo pouted while staring at the couple in front of us.
'Not more than you' my mind replied immediately. Shrugging the thought, I looked ahead. They were doing fine but then it happened again. Rahul tried to hold his fiancée in order to forbid the fall but in an attempt to do so he lost the balance. The duo landed on the floor and a boisterous laugh came out of the woman standing beside me.
"I knew it. You couldn't dance to save your life," Kuhoo said in between the fits of laughter.
"You don't say that in front of my future wife, Chaturvedi," Rahul vociferated dramatically.
"Oh poohlease, Rahul Bhalla, forgot all those parties, did you? The only dance form you excel in happens to be naagin dance." Kuhoo was shaking with laughter. She tried to control the same clearing the throat albeit it didn't help. Stepping a little closer, she placed her palm on my shoulder and my skin tingled. She probably clung to me for support and was completely unaware of our proximity.
"Naagin dance, what's that?" I asked.
The bickering duo stared at me in stupefaction, their eyebrows wriggling in a surprised manner, lips making an 'O' shape before both of them burst into fits of laughter. I looked at them curiously.
"Your accent dude. It sounded hilarious in your accent," Rahul chortled.
"God! Mahil, why do you have to be so cute all the time?" Kuhoo gushed, those elegant fingers lightly pulling the soft of my cheek oblivious to the fact that they were tugging at the strings of my heart. Glimpses of admiration shining in her orbs made my arms move on its own accord toward my cheek.
Before I could hold her palm, she turned around, lightest brush of our fingers making me long for more, anything and everything about her.
"Riya, it isn't totally his fault. During the particular step, you need to spin stabilizing your one heel in a fixed position. Have faith in each other guys. Trust him to hold you; I can see he is actually making an effort. Trust me when I say, the guy is far worse at dancing than this," She forwarded her hand in Ms. Khurana's direction helping her in getting up.
"Man, was it just me or Kuhoo actually called you cute and pulled your cheek?" Rahul whispered close to my ear.
When did the idiot come and stand beside me?
Without uttering a word I just threw him a semi-angered look.
"What? Are you guys a thing?" He enquired further.
"What even is wrong with you?" I whisper-yelled irritated.
"Chill, I'm asking because she's never this touchy with anyone," He replied in a hushed voice.
This hypocrite, wasn't he the one being so touchy with her sometime back?
"Why are you looking at me like that? I have known her for years. Trust me if Elisha was here she would ask you the same set of questions," He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Elisha?" Furrowing the brows, I tried to remember where I heard the name earlier and then it struck my mind, "Kuhoo's best friend?"
"Soul-sisters. Together, their energy was so contagious, I can't explain it. We used to think they would open their hospital together in Kuhoo's village, but then I guess all of us grow up, don't we?" Genuine admiration in his words made me nod at him despite the fact that I wasn't very fond of the man.
"How long have you known her Mahil?" Rahul questioned me.
"Almost a month I guess," I answered.
"And how long have you been secretly crushing on her?" He scrutinized me with a peculiar gaze as I coughed vigorously listening to his words.
"What? What's that supposed to mean?" I glanced at him rubbing my fingers over the throat trying to soothe the sudden fuzzy state.
"You thought I didn't notice it that you get angry when someone else holds her closer or how your heart flutters if she accidentally touches your shoulder?" He raised an eyebrow. I gulped, staring at the floor being flustered.
"I can't understand how am I to do it without losing the balance," Riya sighed as her another attempt to twirl properly went futile.
"Why don't you guys do this thing? Instead of narrating, just show us how to do it. Let me play the music. You guys dance and we'll follow your lead," Rahul suggested.
"Okay," Kuhoo shrugged. I walked towards her after giving a pointed look to Rahul who smirked at me in return.
As the faint piece of music started playing, I forwarded my hand bending a little, which she gladly accepted moving ahead closing the distance between us. Warm touch of her soft fingers over mine felt like that of rose petals, just the way I had imagined. My mind couldn't help but cherish the way her fingers slipped into the gaps between my ones forming a lock, making me want to throw away the key culminating our forever closeness. Until she held me like this, I hadn't realized that I craved to hold her close. Looking into my eyes she slowly placed her palm on the side of my heart and I was afraid she might hear its faint whispers that called her name, because they were clear to my ears, both my heart beats and her name growing stronger in their echoes.
Holding the small of her back securely in my other arm, I moved back as she moved forth, another step and I was moving closer to her while she went back. We continued swaying on to the short beats and as they changed into longer ones, I twirled her. She swiftly completed a circle, eyes facing me again, and soft brush of her fingers holding onto my hand like it was their anchor. Smiling, I twirled her again, as if promising I would be the anchor her ship has always wanted in the thunderstorms, when the ocean chose to be unforgiving and waves hungered to have her for them, as if promising that my protective embrace would always safeguard her regardless of whether I hold those arms or leave them when they ask for the much needed space to avoid the strain. Because twirling for all I know, required both, holding on and letting go. Being the robust anchor that I was, I allowed her to choose when she wanted to hold on and when she wished to let go since I knew at the end she would come back to me as I was both the beginning and the end of her circle. I wasn't going to leave my place because, I waited for her for years and I would wait all over again to uncover her layers.
Shaking my head, running a hand through the hair, I sighed as the train of my thoughts ceased with the cessation of the enchanting melody.
She stepped away. Both my clients clapped. They even started practicing. But I stood still at the same place as my erratic heartbeats didn't regain their usual pace.
YOU ARE READING
Diamond Hearts (Volume I & II)
Romance"I see nothing that you can offer me," She said eyeing him head to toe. There was a clear hint of dismissal in her tone as she got up to leave. Catching the steps with her, Mahil smiled, "I don't think that's true." "Eh?" She frowned. "How about a...
