Heart-strings

Chapter 5

“Wake up! You will get late for college”, Veena Maa exclaimed and went out of the bedroom. I lazily opened my eyes and searched for my phone on the bed-side table to see the time. It was already 8:30 am. “Aarohi, wake up”, I cried out. She opened her eyes half and looked at me. “Text Darshan, we will start our practice today onwards after our attendance at college is done because we hardly have a month and there are too many competitors. We will have to bunk the class so ask him to think up an excuse. And the most important thing ask him to be on time”, I ordered and leaped out of my bed to get ready. “Why are you in such hurry? Tell him, when you meet him at the college”, she replied. I directed “Do you have any problem in sending him the message? Do it now”. “Okay. It’s done”, she replied after a minute. “Get ready fast. As you didn’t go to college yesterday, you might get to hear some harsh words from the professors”, I suggested and then we both laughed.
After half an hour:
“Maa, we are leaving for college; I have my dance practice starting from today”, I murmured so that Dad couldn’t hear. “Did you find a partner?”, she asked. I said “Yes, it’s Darshan”. “Darshan! Well, he is a good guy”, she remarked. “Nandini, let’s go”, Aarohi shouted from outside. “Okay, Maa I’ll leave”, I replied and we left for college.
Miss Mirza took our attendance that day. I somehow managed to leave the class and went to the noisy auditorium which was already occupied by some 100 people. Darshan still did not reach the college. “What to do? I don’t even have his phone number. Where the hell is he? Such an irresponsible guy!”, I panicked. “I am sorry”, a panting voice came from behind. I turned back and looked at Darshan who walked inside from the entrance door of the auditorium. Now I knew why he was so popular for always being late. “Please! Don’t get mad at me. I am really sorry. I went to the class and Aarohi told me that you already left”, he explained. “Aarohi warned me about her that she will kill me today. What shall I do now?”, he spoke to himself but I could hear all of it. I giggled and he looked at me in astonishment. “I won’t eat you up. Don’t worry”, I smiled at him and he gave a sigh of relief.
“I have decided that we will perform a salsa dance. Are you okay with it?”, I said raising my eyebrows. “It’s not my forte. You have to teach me”, he replied. “That’s my duty, I must do it”, I replied and we both burst out in laughter. “Today, I will just teach you the steps but how will I enact if you stand so far? Come here”, I ordered. “Yeah!”, he came and stood right in front of me. “Hold my palm”, I pulled my right hand towards him.  He gently held it; I clasped his left hand and kept it around my waist. “Take on step from your right leg in unison with my right one”, I explained. “Okay”, he replied and took one step with me. “Good, I think you can grasp things easily”, I appreciated and he blushed. “Now do the same thing with the left leg”, I described and he did that too. He practiced the entire act with me and hardly did any mistake.  I felt that he was lying about dance being not his cup of tea because he danced pretty well. I was greatly impressed with the qualities he manifested.
“Is your practice done? It’s already been 4 hours. Are you both not tired?”, said Dhriti who stood on the auditorium’s entrance. I looked at Darshan whose eyes were saying yes to her. I said to Darshan “Okay, we are done for today then. From tomorrow, we will practice after our classes get over because I don’t want you to miss your studies or to lag behind in it because of me”. “I should thank you for bringing me out of that horrible place but if you wish I will surely be here after the dismissal. Although Miss Mirza is very beautiful, the subject she teaches is hell boring”, he replied and I and Dhriti chuckled. “Let’s go!”, said Dhriti while I picked my backpack from the floor and then walked with her. I turned back, looked at Darshan and waved my hand in the air in reply to which he smiled back and did the same.