I am about to say something just when Himani and Siddhant gather around us with all hyped up “Do you know what guys? You won’t believe what we just saw.”
Siddhant is very dramatic, his face is having this expression, Oh I can’t believe this, well please tell us what happened, he is so eager, he can’t just wait. I look at Himani she is thinking of something. How do we ace our game, how to tell these guys, we just saw something extraordinary.
Armaan is looking at us all. Confused, what happened, Sejal and Abhinav are looking at each other trying to understand the deal and why everyone is so disordered. We all look at both of them. Siddhant takes a deep breath and says “We just saw Pooja and group performing on the third floor of the building, they are just perfect. Their game is strong, we need to do stunts, we haven’t done anything! We need to win this thing, we are not even halfway there.”
We are all looking at Siddhant, and Himani speaks up “I even saw the songs of Vishakha and group, Man they are nailing it. We need to do something Sejal, We are not prepared yet, we are nowhere near them. Think of some solid dance moves and we really need to pull a great stunt without fail. They have a great finish to their dance.”
We all are highly demotivated, it’s only a week, and we have all our dance sequences in action, prepared. Now everyone is changing the songs, the steps, and is planning a well-thought stunt and how to make it look really perfect and in sync with our choice of songs, we put in more energy, more coordinated, we ace all the footwork and beats.
We all leave our office quite late for a few days, I really love being around you, I am least interested in the songs, the patterns, and everything else. It’s almost 10 in the night and we are tired of our back-to-back practices, my feet ache, my back hurts, I am all red. I have had 3 months of gym sessions, in these three weeks. I gulp down a full bottle of water. I breathe heavily. I have no more energy to even stand and I sit on Your bike, the only bike remaining in the parking lot with the cars. It’s beautiful.
Abhinav gears us all for one last practice before we go and everyone is tired, standing against the parking pillars, the car doors, holding their backs, no one is ready, dance competition is in two days. He says “Guys, this is it, it’s the last we have to practice, we only have tomorrow, The next day is the grand finale. We have to do this.”
“I am hungry” says Khyati. And we all outbursts into laughter. Agrim says “What will you eat?” Siddhant says “Yes let’s eat and then we can dance.”
Both of them remove me from the bike to go bring us dinner from the nearby McDonalds. We cram our cheeseburgers, in the next 15 minutes and we are all up. We perform our last dance of the day, and I would have a great tired sleep tonight. I am all out. It’s 11:30 as we wrap up and I now have to find a ride back home.
Abhinav offers to drop me home, I look at Agrim talking over the phone. I nod my head and I go upstairs to fetch my bag. I come downstairs and I see Agrim asking how is everyone going if someone needs a ride. I go sit in Abhinav’s car with Himani and Siddhant. I see Khyati riding with him, I wish I could have been there.
During all of the car ride, I am thinking about sitting behind you, feeling the gush of wind, the love in my heart, to be able to feel you close to me, to be able to tell you, how much do I feel for you. I think about the mini dance that we did this morning, your touch, your hands, your fingers touching mine, I look at my hand, how you made me dance, how you held my hand, moving in the right direction, pulling me close, your beautiful eyes, your lovely smile, your energy, all of it contagious. I take a deep breath.
I wave back to Abhinav and I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Your face, your eyes looking at me when I tried telling you, how much you run in thoughts all day long. How I wonder can we be friends, can we be something more, can I have your heart, can I be your someone special? How do I tell you these obsessive maniac feeling of mine. I am still looking at my fingers, that moment of us. I can’t let it go. You with Khyati and I get immensely sad.
I sleep dreaming about you that night. The long drive on the big giant road, sitting behind your back, holding you in my arms, your hand in mine, you kissing my hand with your soft lips, me resting my head over your shoulders, loving you, feeling the wind, kissing your cheeks under the light of these beautiful stars. I would ask for nothing other than you, I really really have fallen in love with you.
I wake up all dreamy, with you every second in my mind. I rush to the office for practice. I am late today. I rush past the biometric and I take the elevators to the parking. I see you rushing towards the elevators, asking me to hold the doors. My heart skips a beat. I am looking at you mindlessly, I am having a little anxiety attack. You are wearing your Navy blue T-shirt, I hold the door and you hop in. We are in the lift together, all alone,
“Hi Ruchika.” You say being usual charming that you are.
“Hey” me being the awkward lover-turned stalker, trying to record this moment of you calling out my name for the first time ever.
“All prepared, I hope you wont forget the steps now.” You say with sarcasm.
“I don’t know how to dance. So I forget!” Oh how to tell you, it’s you who is distracting me always with your mere existence near me.
“Oh, just think about me and you won’t forget any,” You say rather jokingly. You are way too happy and cheesy at the same time. We walk out of the elevator to the dance area. We begin our practice and I think about your joke, I think about you and though I am dancing with Abhinav, it feels like I am dancing with you, just like yesterday’s morning. I am overwhelmed, I complete our first session effortlessly surprising everyone.
“Dude, do you practice at home or what? What was that” Abhinav says in joy making me wonder, oh boy, this really worked, I look at you and you are smiling at me. I look away and I search for my water bottle, which is in Siddhant’s hand. You come closer and you joke again “See I told you, think about me and you won’t forget!” I just roll my eyes and I ignore you. Oh wow! My inner goddess is dancing in joy, you are talking to me.
I grab the bottle and I look at you joking around with everyone. I wish I could dance with you. I am smiling, blushing and I use your trick to dance, and I wonder would you love to dance with me, for the rest of my life, or would I just be another person who would become a distant memory, a girl whom you once knew.
“Cmon everyone, We have to get ready for tomorrow, Its Now or Never” says Siddhant.
TO BE CONTINUED
