Sleep was impossible with so many thoughts racing through my mind. I missed my mother, I missed my sister, Kirti, and I missed my husband, Saurav. It had been a week since Saurav left for his deployment. I'd received a few brief calls since then, but nothing more. I was so used to his constant presence, eating together, sleeping beside each other, that his absence left a hollow ache. The silence in the bedroom was so loud it felt like it was strangling me.
I sat up, drank some water, and opened Instagram. I scrolled mindlessly through reels, unable to focus. Just as I was about to toss the phone aside, it rang. My heart leaped, it was a WhatsApp video call from Saurav.
I frantically ran my fingers through my hair, grabbed the lip gloss from the nightstand for a quick swipe, and answered. I held my breath as his face filled the screen. His hair was cropped short, his skin tanned, and he looked rugged, every bit the soldier. He wasn't in uniform, though, just a crisp black shirt. In the background, warm lights glowed over a crowd of people drinking and chatting.
"Hey, cutie," Saurav said, taking a sip from his wine glass.
"Hey, handsome." I grinned, meeting his eyes through the screen.
"What are you up to?"
"Trying to fall asleep," I groaned.
"Sleep as much as you can now, because when I get back, I’m not going to let you sleep," he winked. I laughed, feeling a sudden flush of heat in my cheeks.
"So, what are you doing?" I asked, trying to deflect.
"At some officers' party. I'm already bored," he sighed, swirling his wine unenthusiastically. "How’s Dad doing?"
"Haven't you talked to him?"
"I tried calling, but he didn't pick up. Must be asleep."
"Or just busy. Probably working on his next project," I offered.
"Maybe." He paused for a long moment, his gaze softening. "I miss you."
My heart stuttered. I smiled softly. "I miss you too."
"I wish you were here with me. I miss talking to you, watching you, eating with you, and..." He leaned closer to the camera, his voice dropping an octave. "...burying myself inside you."
"Saurav!" I hissed, my face burning crimson. "Shut up!"
"Who are you talking to?" a woman's voice chimed in. A second later, she leaned into the frame. She was stunning and fiercely confident in a sleek red dress.
"I gotta go. Bye," Saurav blurted, and the screen instantly went black.
I frowned at my dark phone screen. Why had he reacted like a deer in headlights? He looked like he’d been caught doing something forbidden. He was talking to his wife, for God's sake. He didn't even introduce her to me.
Am I overthinking this? I shook my head. Calm down, Kavya. You have bigger things to worry about. Seeking a distraction, I opened Instagram again. Almost immediately, a sponsored post caught my eye.
A dance competition in Switzerland. The prize money? Twenty lakh rupees.
My breath hitched. That was exactly the amount needed for Kirti’s heart surgery. If I won, I could save my sister. I quickly clicked the link and scanned the details to make sure it wasn't a scam. The page had a verified blue tick and over half a million followers. It was legitimate. Hope surging through my veins, I started filling out the online application.
My fingers froze on the keyboard. Partner's Name.
Wait. Was it a couples' competition?
I reread the rules, and my sinking heart confirmed it. The partner could be male or female, but it had to be a duet. My mind raced through my options. Avni had two babies and a dance academy to run; she couldn't leave the country. Noor was four months pregnant. Rhea couldn't even tap her foot to a beat without tripping over her own ankles. And my husband was away on duty, not that he would have joined me anyway. I’dnever even seen Saurav dance. I doubted he even knew how to sway his hips to a rhythm.
The realization crushed me. The tears I’d been holding back threatened to spill. I needed that money. It had to be ready the second we found a matching heart donor. I spent the rest of the sleepless night trapped in an exhausting loop: the money, the donor, Kirti, and that impossible dance competition.
When morning broke, I stayed in bed, weighed down by exhaustion and hopelessness. I reached for my phone, a habit I usually avoided right after waking up but I couldn't let it go. I stared at the competition page again.
?20 Lakh. Switzerland. Couples Dance. It was a lifeline dangled just out of reach. I traced the edge of my screen with my thumb.
"If only it were solo," I murmured to the empty room.