A week later...
Mumbai. D3 dance studio.
"Kal Rinni ki shaadi hein!!! Dhol baja oy-hoy! Oy-hoy!" Vicky started singing and dancing in bhangra-style.
Rinni Shah was getting married to Varun Bhatia, a doctor and a friend of Sharon's brother Sanjeev. Her family was happy. She was very excited. All of her friends were happy.
Neha, Visakha and Bharat watched as Nil joined in with the impromptu dance with Vicky. Rinni was away with her family for last fitting of the wedding lehenga. Surprisingly no one addressed the absence of Amar from the group.
"Kal Rinni ki shaadi hein!! Oy hoy! Balle-balle!" Nil shouted in excitement.
"Oh for God's sake! Don't forget hum ek dance company chala rahe hein!!" Visakha face palmed being tired of her friends clowning around.
"Bhangra nahi Vicky... Rinni ki Gujarati Gharba style wedding plan kiya hein humne!" Simmi said as she came in to the hall with Sharon.
Sharon seemed cheerful than she was before. The show had gone better than they had hoped especially without any complications.
"And we have planned the best gharba composition guys! And it would make the best wedding video ever!" Sharon said.
"Uski tension mat lo Sharon! We have the best videographer on the way here!" Vicky exclaimed while still doing the goofy poses. Visakha frowned again.
"Haan Sharon. Cole aa raha hein! You remember him right?!" Nil said.
Sharon's smile faded. Cole. Swayam's friend from U.S. But Visakha said he was not in contact with them. "Oh.." she sighed.
"Swayam... Where was he? He had disappeared from all their lives again. And about what she did. Was it all worth it?" Sharon thought to herself.
"Come on Sharon! Come on guys lets start practicing!" Simmi's words brought Sharon back from her thoughts.
"Simmi!... Rey nahi aaya baby!" Nil pointed out.
"Oh.. he will join us later Nil!" Sharon jumped in to say it before anyone else could. She hoped no one noticed her enthusiasm. After what happened last week she was flustered whenever the topic came to Reyaansh. They had slept together. That too naked! And no one knew. Or maybe they did. Atleast nothing happened. And she didn't even tell Simmi even though they shared every news to each other. There weren't any further questions. She was relieved when Visakha didn't respond. Everybody were. They all actively started learning the routine.
After the rehearsal of wedding performance...
"That was awesome guys!" Simmi exclaimed happily.
They were all happy covered in that familiar well-effort sweat. The team was hyped up after the dance session as always. They discussed the wedding plans and all the guys along with Neha and Visakha headed to Rinni's house for an early morning preparation. Sharon and Simmi walked out of the studio grabbing their energy drinks.
"So...." Simmi started.
"Don't! I know what you are going to say! So don't!" Sharon replied.
Simmi nodded and accompanied her silently. She was her best girl friend. And it was pretty straight from the start. She always looked out for Sharon. Even during the times Sharon left the team.
"Okay! I don't like it that Cole is coming alright?! But what can I say? I have nothing against him!!" Sharon blurted out sensing the dense air of silent awkwardness.
But Simmi just nodded pursing her lips. Sharon frowned at her for the silent treatment.
"Speak! Please!" Sharon nudged her. Simmi giggled.
"Well that wasn't what I was going to discuss..." said Simmi.
They both came near Sharon's car. A white Mercedes E220. Her chauffeur waited for her signal to depart. Sharon gave him a sign to wait.
"Okay then what?" Sharon asked back.
"Rey!" Simmi said his name and Sharon sighed.
"Its nothing Simmi..." said Sharon as she leaned on the hood of her car and sipped on her energy drink.
"Obviously its not nothing Sharon! Its so clear that you have feelings for Rey! We can see it clearly... Especially after what happened at the show rehearsal!"
There was a long minute pause of zero words. The events of the show flashed through their minds. Not only had they successfully created history of putting up an elite international dance based purely non-competitive show in India in front of a live audience but the popularity they gained by the televised intimate moment shared between Sharon and Rey that had gone viral. D3 had never gained such a wide publicity not to mention turning up of different religious snd political groups that openly condemned such a 'culturally inappropriate' behavior. Well any publicity was publicity and both the positive and negative reviews helped D3 gain a huge fan flowing, increased sponsorship opportunities and opened a doorway for their dance academy. Sharon and Simmi turned around to stare back at the D3 studio. When Sharon didn't come up with any answers, Simmi decided to change the topic.
"..Bharat found the warehouse for us to use as a studio. He fixed the mirrors inside. And the fun part its that its rent free! And no bills of any sort either! Its freaky that its free! Right?! Iska owner kaun hein koi nahi jaantha... and Bharat keeps insisting to not worry about it and for us to use it as long as we need!" She said while looking at their studio.
"Simmi..." said Sharon in a lowered voice. "Soon I will be married to Rey... You know.. He has been there always. And even when he goes away, I know where he will be! See! He is reliable and responsible! Not like some others..."
"You mean like.." Simmi started to say 'Swayam' but was cut in by Sharon.
"Yes! And don't say the name.. hamesha agar kuch ho jaata hein toh poof! Gaayab ho jaata hein! He is pretty good at that! And the funny thing is kisi ko pata nahi rehta ki woh kahaan gaya?!" What was this new emotion that she felt now. Guilt?! Sharon was feeling guilty as though she had betrayed Swayam. Swayam? But after the new development he was out of the picture weren't he?
"Okay, okay! Understood! But Sharon! Have you talked to Rey after the show?" Simmi asked. Uh oh! That night. Did she know?
"Yeah!" Still in her thoughts Sharon replied hastily.
"Really? You talked about your feelings for him?"
"It's not that easy Simmi!"
"It was easy for you with Swayam!" Simmi sipped on her drink.
"SIMMI!!" Sharon sternly looked at her friend.
"Sorry Sharon! But do you think it's fair? I mean the chemistry was mindblowing! Aur tum dono publically intimate bhi dha yaar!! And I don't know what happened after you guys went home! Aur abhi ek doosre se baat karne se bhi sharma rahe ho?" Simmi said all the while trying to read Sharon's face.
"Simmi... I still don't know! It-It was in the... it happened as a heat of the moment... and then we were all drunk... I don't know! And-and.. after all it helped everyone didn't it?!! I mean we got good media coverage! D3 ko zyaada popularity mila.. RP-Singhania company ka share price badh gaye.. shaadi ki pressure badh ga.." she kept blabbering until Simmi barged in.
"Sharon are you happy?" Simmi cut Sharon mid sentence.
For a second Sharon felt it was Swayam who asked that question. Whatever is happening it was as if Swayam was still there watching, judging, manipulating her decisions and actions. For a moment she thought the question was weird. But she had done everything according to the situation. She had done it as she was asked to do. But was it right? Did she have to break Swayam's heart like she was supposed to? Did she have to leave Swayam's house with Rey that day? Did she have to be distant after learning about the demise of Swayam's parents? She didn't even call Taani who used to be a close friend. The Shekhawats had all disappeared in one night and never seen or heard of afterwards. Their disappearance was all in the news channels and her father had asked not to talk about it in public. She did everything they asked. Even did exactly what Swayam's father had weirdly asked her to do.
And now she was with Rey. They had been intimate. She remembered them snuggling on each other. She remembered his touch on her bare body. She remembered his lips on hers. She remembered his taste in her mouth. And she had never reached this level with anyone. Not even Swayam. He was out of the picture. What if he came back? What would he be then?
Meanwhile at Visakha's apartment.
"Amar phone nahi utdha raha and you want to sleep?" Visakha slapped on Bharat's head as he was patting on his pillow to sleep.
"Abey! Dekh tere ko bola mein aisa nahi maarne ka!.." he got irritated but soon calmed by seeing her glare. "..Arre bantaaye! Sirf ek hi aadmi usko dhoond sakta hein aur woh yahaan nahi hein! Aur apun ko kharaab neend aaleya hein... toh sone do!"
"Tujhe balcony se baahar phenk dungi mein! Kaisa dost hein tuh? Amar kahaan hoga kisi ko pata nahi! Jaake dekho! Uske ghar ke paas, tere garage mein hein ya apne studio mein hein kya jaake dekho!" Visakha ordered and Bharat reluctantly got up from the bed, walked out the door grabbing his shirt from the dresser and mumbled some words.
Next day.
The team were enthusiastically preparing Rinni's house for her wedding ceremony. The entire house was covered in flowers and lights. Colors of vermillion, saffron and bright orchids filled the two storeyed house. The wedding sangeet and all programs were to happen in the house while the proper conduct of traditional nuptial rites planned in their family temple the next morning.
Today was sangeet. Simmi had gotten ready so fast that she rushed to aid Rinni in getting into the special sangeet dress they had made together. It was a blend of silk backless and mirror worked peach colored lehenga that elegantly exhibited her midriff till above her navel.
Neha and Visakha were busy arranging the music, welcoming the guests and wedding gifts. Vicky, Nil and Bharat were helping in catering and seating arrangements. Rey had called in before to let them know of some last minute business meeting happening and wouldn't be able to stay there for long. Amar was still not around but that wasn't letting them to spoil the occasion at hand. Even Rinni hadn't been talking about it.
Sharon was getting ready into her pink silk lehenga embroidered with diamond and of laser mirror work along with matching Louboutin red stilettos. There was a knock on her door.
"Simmi come inside I need your help! Yeh lock khul nahi rahi!" Sharon called out loud. She heard the door open behind her.
"Simmi I think meri earring iske andar hein! Do you think you could.." she turned around saying it and gaped at seeing who was at the door.
"Oh my god!" Sharon breathed.
"Hi Sharon! We should talk!" The person said closing the door.