Brithday Bash for Diksha!!!!! - Page 3

"The secret behind..." he whispered and stopped engulfing her fragrance. Planking his shoulder against the handle of elliptical, Jalal leisurely lingered his gaze on her face as if he forgot to complete what he began to say. Clutching her dress tight and holding her breath, Jodha stood still looking down. Seeing no other word coming from him, she slightly tipped up her chin and that movement brought her face precariously close to his mouth. Her mellow, nervous eyes met with his intense, compelling ones and it demanded a great effort from her to stand straight, battling against the quaking limbs. "Secret behind?" she murmured drawing a shaky breath.

Smirking at her feverishness, Jalal brought his lips down, to her ears. "Secret behind..." His breath fanned her earlobe. "...your slender form. How do you manage to be thin without any workout?" Done with exertion, he smirked and pulled his torso back, liberating her from his captivating aura. Sighing in huge relief, Jodha scooted aside, simultaneously wondering why she couldn't do the same earlier - scoot aside and get over with his magnetism. "Under his spell," she griped under breath. "My mind freezes along with body. If not for that, there is no reason on Earth to explain my stillness!!" After conveniently attributing her feebleness to his overpowering charisma, she felt free of guilt.

"I detest exercising on machines," she let out an abashed smile. "But I used to dance. A lot!!" she emphasized. "It served as exercise!!"

Not her shyness, but it was the past tense in her statement that caught Jalal's attention. "Used to?" he asked inquisitive. "Not now?"

Discerning her mistake, Jodha's smile faded. Yet, she forcibly brought it back contemplating over the alternatives to subtly respond - she could either defer it with a fib or candidly reply. However, fibbing to him always ended in awkwardness, thence she decided to be honest. Also, she looked at it as an opportunity to make up to last night's error.

"Yes... used to!!" she confirmed bracing for the next obvious question to come.

"Why did you stop it?" his brows formed a bemused frown.

"I was always passionate about dance, but it was limited to classes and regular practice till my brother's death," she flatly said.

Jalal left her hand and fished his mobile out. After a few taps on screen, he glimpsed at the curiously awaiting lady. Switching the phone to left palm, he offered his right hand. "Shall we fight the silence..." his fingers tapped on a random number as he completed. "TOGETHER?"

It took a moment for Jodha to discern what he asked and when she did, she felt her heart leaping into throat. Too dazzled to move, she stood fixed, drifting gaze from his emotive eyes to the offering hand. She knew the forwarded hand didn't simply imply a solicitation to dance. There is much more beyond that -an unspoken plea for togetherness in their loneliness; and she also knew when she placed her hand in his, she's going to make a promise, a lifetime one, to be his defending partner. Despite all the concealed vows behind that gesture, Jodha, in her true volition, placed her hand in his and beautifully smiled - a smile that started on her lips and ended in his eyes.

Deluging in her warmth, Jalal curved his fingers over hers, first gently and then firmly as if engulfing them into his palm. Unwilling to move and miss the bliss, they stayed like that a little longer, silently relishing the togetherness.

The high pitch notes of the number playing from Jalal's phone distracted their blithe. "Will you start your exercise now?" Jalal expectantly asked. Smiling in approval, Jodha slowly swayed her body to the rhythm - with her hand in his and eyes on him. While Jalal delightedly watched her waltz, she took a few steps front, a few back, moving their twined hands accordingly. When she swirled, the pristine tresses leaped to life splaying across his chest and face, a few athirst locks brushing past his lips. Jalal felt aroused!!

Jodha swirled again, and again unknowingly stirring his desire. Growing feeble with every moment, Jalal took a step to pull her towards him.