SHANAYA'S POV
The night sky sparkled like a dream. It felt like an enchanted dream.
Just then, I felt the warmth of his hands wrap around my waist. With a sudden tug, he pulled me close, and I clumsily bumped my head right into his chest.
"Oof God, what does this guy even eat? Pathhar se bana hai kya?" Shanaya mumbled under her breath, rubbing her head and pouting.
"No normal human can be this rock solid," she added with a dramatic eye roll.
"What happened? Itne mein hi lag gaya?
Then what’ll you do when I..."
He trailed off with a sly smirk.
I looked up at him in shock, eyes wide, only to find him already watching me with his light brown eyes, his gaze locked on mine. His eyes burned with such intensity, it felt like my skin was on fire. I lowered my gaze immediately, as a blush crept up my cheeks.
"Ek din, tumhara aise mujhe dekhke sharmana jaan le legi meri." He whispered softly, his breath teasing my ear.
I glanced up again, heart fluttering and this time, his eyes didn’t hold that intensity. They were full of something gentler. Admiration.
Before I could process it, he started to lean in closer and closer to my lips.
I squeezed my eyes shut, panic and excitement racing through me.
"Oh God!! it’s happening again!"
My mind screamed,
"Why does it feel like the entire zoo just broke out inside my stomach??" I thought to myself.
1 minute.
2 minutes.
3 minutes.
Wait.
What the hell?! Where is he? Why can’t I feel anything? Why hell I'm suddenly feeling so hot?
I blinked my eyes open. He was just standing there, staring at me. But something was off. I looked around and realized that we are now standing in a desert.
Hein? Hum log toh taaron ke niche the na? Phir yaha kaise a gaye?
"Shanayaaaaa," his voice snapped me out of it.
"Tum uthogi ya phir main tumhe bistarse khichke niche girau?"
Hein? Isko bar bar dohre padhte hai kya? Phirse ye sab kya bole ja raha hai ye?
And the next moment I felt the whole desert shaking beneath me. WHAT? Is this an earthquake?! Wait. Why is he standing still? Am I the only one shaking?
And then I opened my eyes for real. And the very first thing I saw was-----
My mom.
Standing right in front of me. With the kind of expression that could erupt a volcano. A VOLCANIC EXPRESSION.
JWALAMUKHI.
I bolted up from bed, and before she could unleash hell, I dashed to the bathroom like my life depended on it.
I quickly wrapped up my morning routine and pulled out a peach coloured short kurti. Pairing it with my plain grey jeans, I slid on my favorite small white earrings, grabbed my bag, and rushed downstairs.
As I entered the living room, I saw Dishita already seated comfortably on the dinning table, munching on meethi parathas made by Mamma.
"Finally, Rajkumari agayi. Toh kaisi rahi apki nind ?" Dishita asked dramatically, raising an eyebrow as she popped another bite into her mouth.
"Absolutely divine," I replied with a soft smile.
"Oh really? Don’t tell me a prince from your lovey dovey books visited you in your dreams," she teased.
"Kuch aisa hi samjh lijiye daasi" I said, letting out a light laugh.
"Here, now eat quickly and run to college before you're late," Mom said, handing me my plate of warm, sweet parathas.
AUTHOR'S POV
The girls finished their breakfast in record time and set off for college, excitement buzzing in the morning air.
After battling through the chaos of morning traffic and a mini war on the bus, they finally arrived at their college campus.
Upon reaching their scheduled classroom, they immediately joined their gang.
"Why are you two always this late?" Raunak asked, looking up from his phone.
"Thanks to Sana, inko apni rajkumar ko dekhnese fursaat hi nahi milti ," Dishita quipped, grinning.
" Rajkumar?" Prithvi raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"She’s crazy obsessed with her books. Day and night, that’s all she reads," Dishita replied with exaggerated exasperation.
Shanaya shot her a sharp glare, while Prithvi let out a playful hum.
"Ohoooo, I get it now," he said, his tone teasingly suggestive.
Soon, their class began, and before they knew it, two lectures flew by.
As they made their way to the third floor for their next class, they noticed a crowd forming in front of the hallway noticeboard.
"Why is there such a crowd again?" Deep asked.
"Let’s go check it out," Shanaya said, grabbing Dishita by the arm.
"Whoever wants to participate in the Foundation Day program, please report to the Cultural Club at 12 noon today," Malvika read out loud from the notice.
"It’s already noon! Come on, Sana, let’s go," Dishita said, tugging her toward the stairs.
"Vika, come with us, it’ll be so fun if we all go together," Shanaya encouraged.
"Nahi yaar, I’m not into this dance and drama stuff. I’m not doing it," Malvika said firmly.
"Just give it a try! We’re both with you it’ll be fun!" Dishita tried to coax her.
"Chal na Vika maza ayega. Vikaaaa pleaseeeee" Shanaya said.
"Maine kaha na nahi jana mujhe. I’ve never participated before, and I don’t intend to now. Tum logo ko jana hai toh jao warna maat jao," Malvika replied, rudely, her voice turning a bit sharp.
"Achha baba fine. We won’t force you, gussa kyun karti hai?" Shanaya said with a smile, trying to keep things light.
Though something stung inside her, she didn’t let it show.
Dishita realized convincing Malvika is like convincing a wall to move. She gestured to Shanaya to just let it go. Then two of them turned and walked away silently.
"Tujhe bura laga?" Dishita asked softly as they walked down the hallway.
"Of course not. Why would it? Friends are like that it happens," Shanaya replied, forcing a small smile.
"She’s not a bad person. Just a little rude sometimes," Dishita said, shrugging.
"I knok re, maybe she just doesn’t enjoy performing. And honestly, I did force her a bit. I should’ve understood, no one likes being pushed. Her reaction was justified," Shanaya replied, her tone gentle and thoughtful.
"Anyway, forget all that! Did you watch yesterday’s match?" Dishita asked, flipping the vibe.
"Of course! I loved it. Everyone played so well, except Nitish Reddy, bechara is test mein achhe se nahi khel pa raha hai" Shanaya said.
The two kept chatting as they made their way to the cultural club.
As they approached the cultural hall, Shanaya paused near the staircase beside the hall's entrance.
At that moment, she saw him.
That guy. The same one she had bumped into outside the restaurant washroom.
Shanaya squinted, trying to catch a better look, but he was already climbing the stairs and disappeared before she could confirm.
"His height, his physique and that haircut, it all looked exactly like him," Shanaya thought, her mind racing.
"Could it really be the same guy?"
"Kya hua? Where did you get lost again?" Dishita asked, tugging her hand.
Shanaya blinked out of her thoughts, and without another word, Dishita dragged her inside the cultural hall.
As they stepped inside the hall, Shanaya and Dishita found the space buzzing with students, all potential participants. Right in front of the entrance stood a large stage where a microphone was being set up. Two boys and three girls were already up there, chatting and arranging the music system.
One of the girls walked up to the mic, her voice echoing gently through the hall.
"Hello freshers! Welcome to the Cultural Club, and a big hello to all the students. I’m Anurika, and this is Anushmita, we’re the heads of the Cultural Department!" she announced with a warm, enthusiastic smile.
Shanaya leaned over to Dishita and whispered, eyes full of admiration, "Bhai, isn’t Anurika di so pretty?"
"Absolutely. She's stunning," Dishita nodded in agreement.
"Okay everyone," Anushmita took over, "the auditions will begin shortly. You can choose to perform solo or in pairs, totally up to you."
The room immediately filled with murmurs as students began discussing their ideas and planning performances.
"What are we gonna perform?" Dishita asked, nudging Shanaya playfully.
"Umm… remember that performance we did in school? The one everyone loved?" Shanaya asked, trying to jog her memory.
"You mean ' Kanha Soja Zara’?" Dishita guessed.
"Nahi, woh wali nahi. Main woh wali ki baat kar rahi hoon." Shanaya replied, shaking her head.
"The Ganesh Vandana one?"
"Nahi woh wala bhi nahi."
"Then konsi wali?!"
"Are woh waliiiii!"
"Woh wali konsi wali?" Dishita asked.
"Ugh, wait! Let me think… I forgot!" Shanaya said, dramatically clutching her forehead.
"Ajeeb pagal hai tu bhi" Dishita rolled her eyes. "A total goofball."
"Wait, yaad agaya! Barso Re Megha!" Shanaya said proudly, her eyes lighting up.
"Ohhh yesss! I totally forgot about that one. Let’s do it!" Dishita agreed, snapping her fingers.
One by one, performances began on stage. If the coordinators liked a student’s performance, they’d immediately ask them to sign up.
Finally, it was Shanaya and Dishita’s turn.
"Okay, next up, Shanaya and Dishita!" Anurika called out.
The two girls walked up to the stage, their backs straight, their eyes confident.
As the music started, their bodies moved gracefully, like leaves swaying in the wind, completely in sync with the rhythm.
Their expressions were soft, their movements fluid, almost like the music was made just for them. Their coordination was so perfect, it was as if they were dancing with one soul in two bodies.
From their footwork to their expressions, everything was flawless. Anurika and Anushmita exchanged delighted glances, clearly impressed.
As the music faded, the entire hall erupted in applause. Shanaya and Dishita looked at each other, glowing with joy, and walked off stage to sign the participation sheet.
Once all performances were done, Anushmita stepped up to announce:
"Okay guys! that wraps up today’s auditions. We’ll continue the rest tomorrow and the day after. Rehearsals will officially begin next month!"
"And you got whole two weeks to final your decision, don't back off in the middle. The final confirming will be done on the first day of rehearsal." Anurika added.
Students slowly began to file out of the hall. Just as Shanaya and Dishita were about to leave, they heard someone call from behind.
"Hey, you two, just a second!"
It was Anushmita.
"You both were amazing today! What styles do you train in?" she asked.
"I’ve learned Bharatanatyam," Dishita said. "But Shanaya hasn't had any formal training."
"Really?!" Anurika chimed in, surprised. "You were so graceful! I thought for sure you had training too."
"When I was little, I did take Bharatanatyam classes, but only for a month or two. I had to quit because of academics," Shanaya replied, smiling shyly.
After chatting for a bit, the girls made their way back to class.
"What took you two so long?" Satyam asked as they entered.
"We were just talking to the seniors about the program," Shanaya replied, settling into her seat.
"So, did you guys get selected?" Dipanshu asked.
"Yes, and we owned that stage!" Shanaya said proudly.
"Totally. We lit it up!" Dishita added, matching her tone.
They all laughed and chatted, teasing and joking around. And before they knew it, the day was over.
After college ended, Shanaya and Dishita squeezed themselves into the overcrowded college bus, battling through the swarm of students.
Getting a spot on that bus felt like crossing seven oceans, and maybe even slaying a dragon or two. Finally, they got off at their respective stops and headed home.
As soon as Shanaya entered the house, she saw her father lounging in front of the TV, watching a cricket match.
"Mummmaaaa! Main agayiii!" she yelled as she walked inside.
"Come here and sit, India’s playing so well today!" her dad called out. "How was your day?"
"It was amazing! Remember I told you Dishu and I were participating in Foundation Day program?" Shanaya said, while sitting, practically jumping onto the sofa beside him.
"Yeah, you told me. You also mentioned that the auditions were today," her father replied, eyes still on the screen.
"Well, we killed it! After our performance, the whole hall was clapping like crazy!" Shanaya beamed with pride, her eyes glued to the screen too.
"That’s wonderful, beta. So, when do rehearsals begin?"
"From next month," she answered, still glowing.
The two of them continued watching the match together, bonding silently over boundaries and sixes.
After a while, Shanaya went upstairs to freshen up, then came back down and curled up on the sofa again, joining her father to watch the match.
Later that night, after dinner, she headed to her room, flopped onto her bed, and began mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.
But after a few minutes, she put her phone aside and stared at the ceiling, her mind drifting back to the boy she saw walking up the stairs near the cultural hall.
Was it really the same guy from the restaurant?
She couldn’t be sure, was the same guy earlier from the restaurant? Or the guy was someone else? He got same height, same build, same haircut. But anyone can have those same things.
Thoughts swirled in her mind like soft whispers of wind. And slowly she drifted off to sleep.
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