Chapter 8 - Dance of Shadows

Anushkaa

@nushhkiee

Chapter 8 - Dance of the Shadows

The soft hum of the music filled the air, blending with the quiet murmurs of the guests, but to Khushi, everything felt distant. She had always prided herself on being able to read a room, to sense the energy in the air, but right now, in Arnav’s arms, everything was different. It was like they were in their own world - just the two of them, standing in the middle of a crowd, yet isolated by the unspoken tension that wrapped around them like a fine thread.

Arnav’s hand was warm against her back, steady and firm, guiding her through the slow, measured movements of the dance. His grip was almost possessive, but in a way that was careful - like he wasn’t entirely sure if he had the right to hold her like this. For a second, it made Khushi wonder if he was feeling the same pull that she was.

She glanced up at him, her heart skipping a beat. His face was as unreadable as ever, his jaw slightly clenched, his eyes trained on some distant point over her shoulder. The expression was familiar, that cool, distant mask he wore so well. But this time, something in his eyes was different. There was an emotion there, something buried deep beneath the surface. She couldn't tell if it was frustration, confusion, or maybe... longing.

"Khushi," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper, as if he were testing the waters of their proximity.

She met his gaze, surprised by the softness in his tone. "Hmm?"

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he was going to pull away. But instead, he adjusted his hold on her, his touch more insistent this time, as though trying to draw her closer, without actually doing it.

"You know," he said, voice low, "you don’t have to pretend with me. I know this whole thing... this wedding... isn’t exactly what either of us wanted."

Khushi felt a lump form in her throat at his words. She had known that the wedding was a forced situation, that they were both caught in a web of family expectations and responsibilities. But hearing him say it out loud, his raw honesty, made it all too real. The truth was out there now, between them, and it was as suffocating as it was liberating.

"I’m not pretending," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly. "I never have been."

Arnav’s gaze flickered to her, and for the briefest of moments, she saw a flicker of something vulnerable in his eyes. It was gone in an instant, replaced by the guarded expression he usually wore, but it was enough to make her chest tighten.

There was so much unsaid between them. They were both caught in a storm they didn’t fully understand, but somehow, they were in it together. Whether they liked it or not.

The music continued to swirl around them, the slow rhythm giving way to a faster beat, but neither of them moved. It was as if the world outside had vanished, leaving just the two of them suspended in time, surrounded by the echoes of unspoken words.

"I don’t know how to do this, Khushi," Arnav admitted suddenly, his voice rougher than she expected. "I don’t know how to... make this work. The wedding, the family... this..." He glanced at her with a mix of frustration and helplessness. "Us. I didn’t ask for any of this, and neither did you. But here we are."

Khushi felt a pang in her chest. She had known this, of course...had seen it in his eyes countless times before...but hearing him say it made the weight of their situation feel even heavier. The resentment, the frustration, the bitterness...she knew it was all tied to something deeper. Something he hadn’t shared. Something that, maybe, he couldn’t share.

"I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn’t ask for it either, Arnav. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of it. I don’t know how this... marriage will be, but I know one thing. I won’t make this harder than it already is. For you or for me."

For a moment, the words hung in the air between them, and neither of them moved. Khushi wanted to say more...wanted to scream at him, demand answers, demand that he be honest with her, that he stop shutting her out. But the truth was, she didn’t know what to say anymore. She didn’t know how to fix this, or if it could even be fixed.

Arnav’s eyes softened, just a fraction. It was so subtle, so imperceptible, but she caught it. A softening of the edge. A glimpse of the man beneath the walls he had built around himself.

He took a breath, as if steeling himself for something. "You’re right. I’m not doing this alone," he said quietly. "But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. For either of us."

Khushi swallowed hard. “I don’t want it to be easy,” she said, her voice steady, despite the racing of her heart. “But I also don’t want to be the one who... who fights all the time.”

He nodded, though he didn’t say anything more. And in that silence, something shifted between them. It wasn’t a promise, not yet, but it was an understanding. A recognition that they were both here because they had no choice...and that maybe, just maybe, they could try to make it work, even if they didn’t know how.

The song ended, and with it, the bubble that had surrounded them seemed to burst. The room shifted back into focus, the noise of the party pulling them back into reality. Arnav took a step back, his grip loosening, his expression once again falling into the familiar hardness.

Khushi’s heart was still racing, but she didn’t move. She stood there, rooted in place, her gaze still on him, the weight of their conversation lingering between them like a silent agreement.

"Thanks," he said, his voice a little rougher than usual, before he turned away and moved back toward the crowd.

Khushi stood frozen, her chest tight, unsure of what had just happened. What had that conversation meant? What was it supposed to mean? She couldn’t tell anymore. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that something was changing between them.

And as much as she hated to admit it, a part of her didn’t want to pull away from that change.

The evening wore on, but Khushi found herself distracted. She tried to join in the fun, to laugh and joke with the others, but her mind kept drifting back to Arnav, to the conversation they had just shared, to the strange mix of emotions stirring inside her. Was she imagining it, or was there a shift happening between them?

Anjali caught her once more, pulling her into the center of a circle of guests. "Come on, Khushi, lighten up! You’re about to get married! Enjoy the moment!"

Khushi smiled faintly, her thoughts still tangled in the web of confusion Arnav had created in her mind. "I am enjoying it," she said, but it felt like an empty promise.

As the night wore on, Arnav remained distant. He moved through the crowd, speaking to guests, but his eyes never seemed to linger on her again. And Khushi, despite herself, felt the distance grow between them once more.

But in the quiet corners of her mind, she couldn’t shake the thought that maybe, just maybe, things weren’t as they seemed.

And maybe...just maybe...this wedding wasn’t as much of a charade as they both pretended it was.