Rey and Taani stood in silence as the tears dried up on their eyes. Their foreheads were in contact. Their hands were intertwined. Thier hearts were quiet calmer. And the moment was unforgettable.
Suddenly, Rey's phone shrieked loudly, pulling Rey and Taani out of their stupor. Both looked at each other. There was so much of intensity between them and Rey hated to leave her hand or move away from her closeness. Taani's eye shot at him and the sound coming from his pocket went silent. He cursed loudly as the phone buzzed once more. She signalled him through her eyes to lift the phone. He then sighed and picked up the call yet not leaving her one hand. He instead pulled her into his chest and attended the call. She blushed harshly at his gesture. Also, her cheeks went pink as she remembered what just happened before minutes! Rey had kissed her. Like really kissed her. A kiss she experienced for the first time. Breathtaking yet euphoric. Her lips tingled as she gazed at him. Was she ready to get back with him, now? The question lingered in her head as he rose his eyebrows at her while he kept the phone to his ear.
"Abe… kaha hai tu, Rey? I need you here, right now…" Taani could hear her brother shouting his lungs out on the flip side. Taani and Rey peered at each other in a understanding at Swayam's worried voice.
"Kya hua, Swayam? Tum itna tensed kyun sound Kar rahe ho?" Rey was sure that he was alright when he met him before an half n hour. But now his tone said otherwise.
"Tum pehle batao… kaha… ho… aur jaha kahi bi ho… immediately neeche aana…" Swayam was losing his patience.
"Are… Swayam… mein nahi aa sakta…." Rey didn't even complete his sentence, Swayam pounced back…"nahi hoga Matlab Kya hai, Rey?"
"Are…. Swayam… mein yaha upar store room mein band hun… kisine Bahar see lock Kar Diya hai… agar tum aake kologe toh…." Rey swore under his breathe as he said it. He wanted to be with Taani for sometime. He haven't got more than 15 minutes with her.
"Lekin tum waha kyun gayi ho?" Now Swayam raked his brain to understand it.
"Mein aur Taani …" Rey started again to be cut by Swayam.
"What?" Swayam howled dangerously. "Taani bi hai waha? Aur tum dono andar hai akele?" His posessive brain travelled farther than anyone could expect. "Mein…. Mein abi aa Raha hun…" he cut the call even without listening back to Rey.
Rey whoofed at the call and turned to Taani. She was lost in thoughts. "Taani…" he mumbled. She looked at him slyly passing him a small smile. How much he had waited for this moment? To have her in his embrace. "Tum kush toh hona? Matlab… mujhse… mere saath rehnese… ya…" Rey was confusing himself now. She doesn't speak. "Taani… mein tumhare saath kuch zabardasti nahi karna chahta hun… agar tumhe aur time chahiye toh teek hai… mein wait Kar sakta hu… aur ye Jo.…" He struggled to find words to describe their first actual kiss. Though she was full into it, he found her not looking happy.
"Rey… mein apse kuch mangu?" She eased away from his hold and captured his hand. "Jo bi todi der pehle hua… mein bi itna hi involved ti jitna aap… aur mein ek minute ke liye bi kuch aur nahi karna chahti ti…. Lekin mujhe apse ek baat bolni hai…" she clarified his doubts of the kiss. She was equally involved and she was happy that it happened. Also she made sure him not to worry about it as she understood his upcoming question. And that's one more reason why the girl was a compatible companion to him. He waited patiently to complete her sentence.
"Kya humare baare mein sirf humare beech mein hi rak sakte?" She asked him. He looked stunned at her request. "Taani… Kya tum abi bi mujh per barosa nahi Kar Rahe ho?" He asked her in hurt. "Rey... Aisa nahi hai… abi Mera dimag mein bahut cheeze chal Raha hai… aur abi ke liye mein apna kaam per focus karna chahti hu…zyada tar… aur aap bi apna dance per focus karna chahiye… waise bi hum ek dusre ko Milne ya kuch karne ko waqt nahi milega, Rey… aur Mein phirse nahi chahti hun ke mein Tum aur tumhara friends ke beech auoo… wo log already mujhse kafa hai… and I don't want to make it hard for you to choose between them and me if at all the circumstances occur…" she said it loud. If she wouldn't confront the truth to him, yet again their relationship will suffer. So, she decided to tell him whatever she felt about. "Taani…." Rey was stupified at her request. But he could understand her dilemma. And he had decided already to prioritize her decision so that he gained her trust inch by inch back as before. He would do everything possible. He would accept it if that made her wholesome. He would accept it… after all he wanted her to focus on herself more than him. So he was okay with her commitment. "Teek hai… Taani… tum jaisa chahoge… waisa hi hoga…" he promised her, pulling her palm into his. And for the first time during the conversation, she saw the spark of the determined Rey to get her back. And her insides flushed in warmness. "Thank you" she whispered.
A knock came on the door. "Rey… Taani… mein door open Kar Raha hun…" he hinted them before he did as he didn't want to witness if his sister and his best friend….. okay .. he left the imagination into air.
Taani and Rey chuckled looking at each other. "Swayam bi na…" Rey bobbed his head at his ridiculousness. Taani slightly moved away from him. But Rey pulled her back asking "Kya humare baare mein Swayam ko bi nahi batana hai?" She didn't had any second thoughts because she was going to open up about it to her brother soon enough. She was sick of hiding stuffs with her brother. Whether he's comfortable or not… whether he would be happy or…. Well, she had already resolved to tell about her and Rey the first moment she met Swayam. Also she wanted to reveal about her work and buisness plan to Swayam. And now, maybe Rey too. "Sirf Bhai ko hum baata sakte hai…" she smiled at him. His lips cracked pulling her into a bone crashing hug. Taani's eyes popped out of her sockets considering the situation of her brother could make an entrance at anytime. And immediately he pulled away, listening to the door open. Both stood calmly with 5 ft distance. Swayam eyed both of them and didn't breathe for a minute as he took in the details. He breathed at last seeing they were actually a distance apart and weren't recklessly doing anything else.
******
Taani walked back into the party with a smile on her face. Her broken pieces were still present. But they were trying to heal. She was putting an effort to mend them.
The party hall looked like a prayer hall, with an exception of murmuring. Students giggled looking at the cellphones. Some pointed screens to others. Vicky, Simmi and Nil were isolated from the group. They sat at the corner while others Amar, bharath, Rinni and Neha discussed among them seriously. On the other end, Karan argued with Surbhi while Rithwik, Kriya and Wahi watched them uninterrupted.
"Oh my God… I can't believe… someone made Mrs. Sharon Raiprakash lose in a dance battle." One of the student nearby to Taani exclaimed in shock. Taani's eyes went wide. She immediately checked her cellphone. Students in this college had a very bad implication of putting all the bullying on college website. When she checked, her worst fears came true. The video played from Surbhi challenging Sharon and ended at Surbhi's words when Sharon was on floor with a defeated trauma. Though Taani wasn't a fan of Sharon's arrogance, she felt bad. Because she alone knows how traumatising the suffering of humiliation could be… whether it's from the students of the college or unanyomous keyboard typists of online bullying. The nasty jab threw at Sharon under the video was utterly wild and distasteful. Oh… now… she understood Swayam's urgency when he came looking for Rey. It had to be something to do with Sharon. He was immediate to excuse Taani saying he wanted to talk to Taani but he'll come find her later as Rey is needed with him right now as he had some emergency. She didn't trouble him. Even Rey went quiet as he realised Swayam had some serious issue at hand. So he went without speaking about him and Taani.
******
"That was not the right thing" Karan exploded on Surbhi. "Now you are going to teach me what's right and wrong?" Surbhi was appalled at him. She expected him to support her and not Sharon. But he was being the nicest bitch right now and that irritated her the hell out of it. "Surbhi… you are not understanding my point here…" he tried to explain her. "I don't even want to understand..." she threw hand in the air and walked away. It wasn't her mistake. It was Sharon who made her do this. She was at the edge of breakdown at his outburst. But damn… she wasn't going to cry for him.
"Dude… you have to take it easy on her…" Rithwik placed a hand on Karan's shoulder.
"Rithu is right, Karan… it wasn't Surbhi who started all this… It was Sharon who who gave way to this… you blaming her for Sharon's mistake isn't going to sit well with her…" Kriya came to the rescue. She was one among the people who witnessed show down between Surbhi and Sharon. So she knew the truth. Through she respected Sharon, truth is truth. But she hadn't expected Sharon to lose. She thought they would be equal and things would get interesting. But the things reflected against them.
Rithwik looked at her in surprise. Sharon and her gang were her old friends. But she supported Surbhi. Well, they were her closest friends too.
"Taani…" Wahi bellowed as she came walking to him. All turned to look at her.
"Wahi mujhe tumhara help chahiye?" Taani requested him. Once upon a time, when she was humiliated she had no idea to over come it. But now, she was aware of handling things. She knew Wahi would be the saviour if her plan worked out. Or if she thought whatever the little details Wahi shared about him with her during the dramatic classes they spent together.
"Ha bolo na Taani…" he steadied himself. "Wo… yaha nahi… mere saath aao…" she asked him. "Sure…" he kept his glass back.
"Bhai…." Before leaving, She looked at Karan. She was aware of the tension between him and Surbhi. "I think you should go and talk to Surbhi…" she suggested. Karan looked at her. "I already thought so…" he was guilty of giving Surbhi an earful. Actually, he was disappointed that Surbhi humiliated someone in front of everyone. But when he learnt the actual reason, the damage was already done. "See you guys later…" he trotted in the way Surbhi had gone.
"If you guys don't mind… hum bi join Kar sakte hai Kya..." Rithwik asked Taani as he felt as Taani wasn't considering him for an help. And if he goes, Kriya would be alone. Taani looked at him and then Kriya. Though she isn't certain about her views towards Kriya, she agreed.
******
"Sharon... Darwaza kolo" Swayam and Rey banged on her door in her house.
Immediately after the dance battle, Sharon had ran back into her house even without giving a second stop at Swayam who demanded her to listen him. But she was mortified even to face her own Boy friend.
Year and half before, she had gone through situation like this. Kriya and team had beaten her group. And also once she had lost her confidence in dancing. It took lots of efforts by Swayam, Rey and gang to bring her in a form. And now, she had no idea of overcoming this.
No one had been greater than her in the dance at St. Louis. And Surbhi had turned the tables in just a go. Tears wouldn't stop. She hugged her body and sat on the corner of her bed. She had always been the best and now… From the moment Kriya and Surbhi had come to St. Louis, she disliked them. Not because they weren't nice. They were indeed the nicest. But something made her dislike them. Kriya…. Their was an old rivalry between them. How much ever she tried with her, they weren't going to be friends. Period. And Surbhi… she disliked her because of the ease she had to communicate with them. The audacity of Surbhi requesting them to make her a part of the team threatened her. Including any new people apart from the old existed one made her uncomfortable or she thought it would break the equilibrium unity in the gang. And also her old self had taken root when she spoke so harshly to Surbhi. Honestly, she never expected Surbhi to overspeed her. And that had been the biggest blow.
"Sharon… agar tu darwaza nahi kologi toh… mein darwaza todke aungi…" Swayam was angry as hell. He knew how shattered she would be at the moment. "Sharon" Rey screamed again knocking on the door.
Slowly, the door of her room opened. She wasn't really ready to face them. But she knew they wouldn't leave.
"Sharon…" Swayam held her shoulders. She didn't look at him. Her head was lowered and tears spewed. Rey halted in his pace. "Sharon… look at me…" Swayam pleaded her. But she just went and sat on the bed. Swayam looked at Rey.
"Sharon… aise rone se kuch nahi honewala hai..." Rey kneeled at her and said angrily. She looked at him. Swayam sat beside her. She wiped her tears but didn't speak. "Come on, Sharon… speak something… It's ok if you have failed once …" Rey had already much on his shoulder. He was exhausted.
"Hum bhagwan nahi hai, Sharon. Hum humesha sahi nahi hotel hai... We too commit mistakes. But we have to owe that mistakes instead of hurling them onto someone…." Swayam pulled her hand in his. "Hum sab jaante hai ki tum pehle Surbhi ke saath aisa behave nahi karna chahiye ta…" he said the truth. Eventhough it was bitter, it was the fact. Sharon was the first to initiate it. "And it's okay… to know that someone better than us exists… warna no one will give us a push to be better than ourselves."
Rey stood just watching them. Swayam was way sensible than one would give him credit for. He knew to handle Sharon. But he was just afraid that she wouldn't open up to him. Hence, he had come in search of him.
Sharon looked at Swayam. "Agar tum itni si baat ko lekar itna dull ho jaogi toh…. Kaise chalega Sharon…" He cupped her cheeks. She just nodded. Swayam was right. At the same time, her fears were not leaving her. She was afraid to face people at college. But damn... Was she going to sit back in her room and crying? Maybe until her tears dried up.
Series of messages pinged simultaneously on all of their cellphone. Rey first opened his cellphone to check the blinking notifications. And Swayam did the same. They looked at each other in shock. Sharon slowly looked in between them as they stood watching each other in a ferocious annoyance.
******
Author's Note:
I have included both Rey and Swayam in the scene with Sharon to show the difference. Taani was all alone when she faced and the girl had emerged strongest. Even Sharon is a strong girl but she was always dependable on Swayam and Rey. Or rather I would say Swayam and Rey were always been there for her unlike with Taani. Okay... Now all the emotional drama is gonna end here. Next chapters will be back with so many twists and turns. Stay tuned.
Please do vote and comment. Silent readers, I would be really happy if you put your views through comments. Because that's the only means I can communicate with you to know what you expect from the story. Thank you all.
Love - Asha