Beyond the Beats

Chapter 10. Building Up

"Where's Tejas?" I asked.

Vibhan pulled me up from the floor and smacked me behind the head. Soon, loud laughter erupted around me.

"Why the hell were you dancing with your eyes closed?" Vibhan asked.

"I was not!" I defended. "I was dancing with...."

I stopped myself as my brain got back into functioning mode, and I realised that I was daydreaming. The last moment of my imagination made me duck my head down in embarrassment.

What the heck was I thinking?

As expected, my crew-mates had a lot of fun teasing me and pulling my leg.

After winning the cash prize in underground dance battle, everyone had invested their equal share into something they thought would help their finances.

While Vibhan had given his share to his father for lending him the garage, Shlok, Yasir and Rehman had decided to attend some business classes to start their own shops. Meanwhile, Pratik had saved the money for his sister's wedding and Akshay had used his prize money for downpayment of new scooter.

In one lakh rupees, not everyone got much, but whatever they had, it was enough for the time being. Moreover, our crew was getting invites from some event holders and other big dancers for small/big projects. The exposure was working well for us.

Ritvik Bhaiyya, our mentor, was out to attend some family event, so we kids just chilled around.

I lied down on the floor and set up my mobile phone against an empty soda can for support. I went to Tejas' channel and started an old video. His sweet voice instantly lightened up my mood and I sang along to the song he was dancing.

I was enjoying my entertainment session, when Rehman sat behind me and clicked on the thumbnail of another video. Tejas' face disappeared and some foreign girls appeared on the screen.

I elbowed his thigh. "You jerk!"

Rehman grabbed my hands before I changed the video. "When will you stop obsessing over Tejas Jaiswal? Is he the only one you see?"

"Why? You jealous?" I asked.

Rehman snorted and banged his head against mine. "In your dreams, Boomer."

"Don't call me that! And this is my phone. I will watch Tejas all my life. What's your problem? Go and watch on your phone, you pervert!"

"Pervert?! You brainless nincompoop, I am not drooling over some person like you do. Open your eyes and watch properly whose video I have selected."

Rehman pushed my head towards my mobile screen, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I think I have seen this girl before.... but where?" I pondered.

"Don't stress so much. I know you don't have anything here," Rehman knocked my skull, "That girl in the green crop top is Ayzere Barat. Remember her?"

Ayzere Barat? As in the girl who was dancing with TJ in his recent video? The girl who had posted lovely photos of her and Tejas with captions having lots of hearts and cute emojis? The girl who Jiya suspected of being Tejas' girlfriend?

Rehman shook his head at me. "I know what you are thinking, Bhoomi."

I pouted. "Is she... I mean... Is she really Tejas' girlfriend...?"

"You really think you should be worried about that right now? I want you to see her dance, not her private life."

I ducked my head. Rehman forced me to watch the whole video, and I had nothing to say when the video ended.