Chapter 21

Chapter 20

                    The Freshers' was due next week. Almost all the preparations were done. The College Board and Trustees had been invited. So were more than a dozen VIPs. Catering was taken care of. The stage and its decorations were in full swing. The cultural line up was ready. Everybody was ready with the dances. Well, everybody except three. Swayam, Sharon and Aashi had agreed to dance initially, but when the time came to put a number together, they were all running away from each other like darkness flees from light. Every day they would come up with some excuse under the pretense of which they would skip rehearsals.

 

          It wasn't until the line-up was confirmed and approved by VP sir that they realized that they had no choice but to perform together. The Trio Dance was actually happening and they hadn't even started yet! That evening, all the three of them reluctantly met in the Rehearsal Hall. But the tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife and serve it as well. Nobody knew from where to begin. They stood there for a few minutes trying to gauge each other and wait for the other to make the first move.

 

                    The awkwardness was too much for Aashi to bear and she began tentatively, "Mujhe ek gaana mila hai. Hamare Paso ko suit types karta hai. Aap log sun lijiye ek baar."

She played the music and after listening to it for a few moments Swayam said appreciatively, "Not bad Aashi. Good find."

"Kya good? Itna bhi kuch khaas nahin hai", Sharon quipped irritated.

"Koi baat nahin. Aapne kuch dhoonda ho toh bata dijiye", Aashi said good humoredly. She wanted to make this work. May be this dance would finally break the ice between Sharon and her.

Sharon faltered. She honestly had not made any effort to do anything for the dance. She actually was surprised that Aashi had at least tried. They had something to begin with and did not have to start from the ground up. To avoid answering Aashi's question, she diverted the attention to choreography.

"Paso ke kuch iconic steps try karte hain sab. Let's see ho paata hai ya nahin."

They began, what could be easily called a very unsuccessful and frustrating rehearsal. Even after trying their hardest, they would bump into each other or not complete the move in time or simply get entangled. Sharon was getting irritated most of all. She could see that Swayam and Aashi, though awkwardly, were doing just fine. And she was the only one who was having a problem. A ginormous problem called Aashi.

 

Sharon kept chiding Aashi for doing moves wrong, when clearly she was at fault. Initially, Aashi tried over-looking Sharon's outrageous behavior. She couldn't let her walk all over her every single time just to spare a fight. But it was getting out of hand. And she had decided to do something about it.

"Sharon, aapki problem kya hai? Aap baar baar sirf mujhe hi kyun tok types rahi hai?"

"What do you mean? Main jaan boojh kar tumhari galatiyan nikaal tahi hoon? How dare you?"

Swayam tried his best to bring the situation under control, prevent what would inevitably be, a cat- fight. "Sharon, Aashi. Chodo bhi.. tum donon.."

"Haan hum donon ke beech kayi dinon se ye tension types hai. Main kuch kehti nahin iskla matlab ye nahin hai ke aap mujhe kuch bhi bolti jaao."

"How can you...tum aisa bol kaise sakti ho?", Sharon spluttered indignantly. "Tumhari itni himmat? Tum bhool rahi ho tum kisse baat kar rahi ho!"

"Toh? Kya galat kaha hai maine? Shuru se hi aapko mujhse problem types thi. Aapki wajah se main team Weaklings ki 6^th dancer nahin ban paayi. Maine kuch nahin kaha. Maine socha ke jab Sharon ko mera dance pasand nahin aaya toh shayad mera dance sach mein acha nahin hoga. Maine aapke judgement ko trust types kiya. But aapne kya kiya? Jab se main ACS bani thi, tab se meri faults nikaalna, mujhe taunt karna laga hua tha. Ab bhi aap koi preparation nahin kar ke aayi ho aur sirf mujhe suna rahi ho."

Before Sharon could give her a cutting reply, Aashi turned to Swayam and said, "Aap agar koi problem nahin hai toh kya main Sharon se kuch der akele baat kar sakti hoon?"

"Aashi, baat ko yahi khatm karte hain. Jhagde se problem solve nahin hone waali", Swayam tried placating both.

"Koi problem hai hi nahin toh solve karne ka question hi nahin hai. Agar kisi ko problem hai toh that's Aashi. Mujhe pehle se hi pata tha this won't work."

"Haan mujhe hi problem hai, isliye main aapse request kar rahi hoon Swayam. Do minute de dijiye, phir wapas aajana aap."

Swayam looked at Aashi and Sharon for a good minute, then sighed, shrugged and walked out of the Rehearsal Hall.

Sharon folded her hands across her chest and looked at Aashi expectantly. In all honesty, even she wanted know what Aashi wanted to say to her that she couldn't in front of Swayam.

When Aashi didn't seem to be opening her mouth any time soon, Sharon prompted her. "Ab bolo bhi jo bolna hai! I don't have all day to waste."

"Aapko kab se pata hai ke main Swayam ko like types karti hoon?"  Aashi said without beating around the bush

"What?" Sharon was genuinely surprised.

"Please Sharon, pretend karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Main jaanti hoon aapko pehle se hi maloom hai. Isliye aapka behavior mere around change types hogaya hai."

"Main aapse jhoot nahin boloongi. Ye sach hai ke main Swayam ko start se hi like karti thi. Jab starting mein sab mere types baar baar bolne ki wajah se mera mazaak udaate the, tab Swayam hi the jo mujhse thik se baat karte the.  At one point he was my only friend yahan. Haan, abhi meri sabse dosti hogayi hai. Meri personality ko sabne accept types kar liya hai, but jitna sach ye hai ke Swayam mere pehle aur sabse ache dost rahenge, utna sach ye bhi hai ke who mere bas dost hi rahenge."

She let that sink in for a minute then added, "Swayam ke liye main sirf unki dost types hoon and maine ye accept karliya hai. Mujhe na unse koi expectations hai aur na hi disappointment. Swayam ki life mein sirf ek ladki ke liye hi jagah hai. Aur who aap hai."

Sharon looked up shocked. Once upon a time, she would have believed the same thing. But his attitude towards her since a few months had made her question that belief. It somehow shook the very foundation of her understanding of Swayam. She had begun to doubt if she was important to Swayam at all. And that had led her to be all the more acerbic and angry towards the girl who was looking so dejected and crestfallen.

          Sharon realized she never looked things from Aashi's point of view. It must hurt so much to have your love unrecognized, let alone unrequited. Swayam had no inkling that Aashi had feelings for him. And even then, she had looked out for him by not revealing the true reason of discord between both her and Sharon by sending him out. To have the knowledge that the one you love, loves someone else must be enough to drive anyone crazy and here this girl was trying her best to hold things together. Sharon's heart went out to her and she immediately wanted to make things easier for her.

Before she could take even a step further, Aashi said in a low dejected voice, "main aapki jagah kabhi nahin le sakti. Na Swayam ki life mein aur na hi aapke friends ki life mein. Aap special ho Sharon and agar aapko ye realize types nahin ho raha toh aapse zyada stupid aur koi nahijn ho sakta."

Her last statement re-ignited that spark of anger that had been squished just moments ago, but one look at Aashi's face and her stance poured a truckload of water on that. Sharon walked up to Aashi and placing a hand on her shoulder turned her towards herself. "Mere liye change asaan nahin hai accept karna. I usually hold on to what I know. But I promise you, main poori koshish karoongi tumhari dost banne ki.It will take time, but I am sure I can do it. And I...uh... I... umm...", she stuttered. "I am sorry for my behavior she said quickly shocking Aashi out of her skin."

Sharon Rai Prakash! Mujhse apologise types kar rahi hai?! Kahin main sapna toh nahin dek rahi hoon? Wondered Aashi.

She pinched herself and found that she wasn't dreaming at all. In her excitement at finally clearing the misunderstandings between them, she hugged Sharon. And surprising herself equally, Sharon instead of pushing Aashi away, closed her arms around her completing the embrace.

It was to this scene that Swayam made a reappearance in the Hall. Initially he thought he was hallucinating and after shaking his head a couple of times and even pinching himself hard, he realized that he wasn't dreaming. Maine toh socha tha yahan World War III shuru ho chuka hoga, but yahan toh Meri Saheli season 2 chal raha hai thought Swayam. Ye ho kya raha hai St. Louis mein??!!!

 

Precap: Freshers' Event

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]