He leaned in a fraction closer, his eyes darkening in the firelight. “Are you still thinking about my fees? Is that why you're so stiff?”
My heart ached at the coldness of his words. I swallowed hard, my grip on his shoulder tightening until my knuckles turned white. He was doing this on purpose. Every movement was a calculation designed to unravel me. His body spoke the language of a lover, but his mouth spoke the language of a stranger.
“Focus on the dance, Saurav,” I whispered, my eyes stinging.
“I am,” he said smoothly. He spun me outward, the cool night air hitting my skin for a brief second before he snapped me back into his arms. My back pressed against his chest as he held me there for a beat. “I'm focusing completely.”
Liar, I thought, though I couldn't find the breath to say it.
The music slowed to a crawl, and our movements followed suit. His hand slid a fraction lower on my waist, nothinginappropriate enough for the others to notice, but enough to make my blood roar in my ears. For a fleeting moment, the world vanished. The laughter of our friends, the crackle of the wood, the rustle of the trees as it all faded into the background. There was only the heat of the fire and this suffocating tension that neither of us acknowledged, yet both of us were feeding.
“Okay, okay! Enough of the intense staring!”
Rhea’s voice sliced through the moment like a blade. “You two look like you’re about to declare war on each other instead of dancing. Break it up!”
The spell snapped. I stepped back instantly, smoothing my dress and clearing my throat, trying to regain my mask of indifference. Saurav merely chuckled, a low, dark sound. He looked completely unfazed, as if he hadn't just been trying to dismantle my sanity.
“Our turn,” Aryan said, nudging Avni toward the center.
Soon, the space was filled with couples. Aryan and Avni moved as if they were two halves of a single soul. They were perfectly in sync, stealing glances that spoke of years of comfort, shared secrets, and genuine love.
Prashant and Ira, however, were the polar opposite.
“You’re stepping on my foot!” Ira hissed, stumbling over her hem.
“That’s because you aren't following!” Prashant countered, trying to haul her back into rhythm.
“I can't follow because you don't lead properly! You're like a bulldozer!”
A genuine laugh bubbled up in my throat, the heavy tension finally easing out of my chest. I watched them bicker, finding comfort in their normalcy.
Then, Rhea turned her sights on Tanya. Seeking to liven things up, Rhea grabbed Tanya’s hand with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy, but Tanya flinched, pulling back as if she’d been struck.
“Since some people are too busy being intense and mysterious,” Rhea said with a pointed look at Saurav and me, “we’ll show you how it’s really done!”
Tanya rolled her eyes, her face a mask of weary annoyance, but she didn't resist as Rhea pulled her into the center of the circle. What followed was absolute, glorious chaos.
Rhea spun with reckless abandon, nearly losing her balance and dragging a horrified Tanya along for the ride. Tanya tried to maintain some semblance of dignity, but it was a lost cause. When Rhea attempted a dramatic dip, she lost her grip and almost dropped Tanya head-first into the grass.
“Was she doing that on purpose?” I wondered aloud, grinning.
“Oh my God, Rhea!” Tanya snapped, grabbing Rhea’s arms to steady herself.
“I thought you trusted me!” Rhea grinned, her hair wild from the spinning.
“I trust gravity more than I trust you!”
The group erupted into boisterous laughter. The dark shadows of my dance with Saurav seemed to retreat, pushed back by the light of the fire and the genuine joy of my friends. For the rest of the night, we lost ourselves in the music and dance.
________
Chapter 21
KAVYA
It was far too late to risk the drive back, so my friends decided to stay at Chauhan villa. The arrangement was entirely against Saurav’s will; the set of his jaw and the coldness in his eyes made it clear he would rather sleep in the stables than share a room with me.
I glanced toward the bathroom, where the sound of rushing water cut through the silence of the room. It was two in the morning. Who takes a scalding shower at two? Saurav Chauhan, apparently as if he were trying to scrub the very memory of me off his skin.