CH 4 : Tears Of An Angel
The performances started, dazzlers and weaklings were watching the performances in their respective dressing rooms. It was fourth last performance of the night, it was from St. Mark college, and their performance left both the teams in shock, not by their brilliant performance, but by the fact that their performance was mixture of both dazzlers and weaklings routines they were going to perform tonight, they could tell it was their routines. But they mixed it so well and performed with brilliancy, nobody could tell, it wasn't their original choreography.
Was history repeating itself? They wondered, it was happening, again. Their routins were copied. Both the the teams rushed out of their dressing rooms, and met outside.
"What the hell was that? Did you guys see their performance? It has so much from our routines, how could that be possible-" Simmi was aghast, all were others. They knew the damage was done and they is no way to control the damage. They had lost it.
"Our routines were leaked." Rey told them, feeling too angry at the moment, he knew the person who had done this.
"But who did this?" Swayum wondered, but little did they all know who is behind this.
"May be your sister. After all, she was the only one present during our rehearsals, And I wouldn't be surprised if she had done this, to take revenge from us-" Vishakha, who had disliking toward taani, sneered at her. Taani could feel all the eyes on her, she nodded her head negatively, she couldn't believe they could think so low of her, that she would do something so cheap. And revenge of what? She doesn't hold any grudges against them.
"Nahi. Bhai, trust me, I didn't do anything." She pleaded to her brother, wanting him & others to believe her. She had tears in her eyes, accusations pierced her already bruised heart. She knew she had done nothing to gain their trust, but she also hadn't expected anyone to think so low of her. Again, she felt helpless and she hated feeling this way. A lone tear escaped her eye.
Rey, who was watching her every moment, felt an urge to go to her and console her, tell her, it wasn't her fault. He trust her, but confused with his own self, he controlled himself and stand quietly, every tear she shed, pierced his heart. It made him feel ashamed of himself, he wasn't doing anything to defend her when he knew she is innocent.
"Vishakha, think before you speak. Why would my sister do all this, what will she get? And don't forget, shivam was there when we performed infront of VP sir." Swayum snapped at vishakha, and it seems to make sense to others as well.
"Guys, offcourse, it has be to him only. He had done this before as well, at that time, it was dazzlers but this time, he played this game with both the teams." Rey stepped forward and said to them, glancing at taani who was standing next to her brother. He felt bad for her, he also knew, she would never do something to hurt someone deliberately. And not something this cheap, it was immaturity to even think she would betray someone like this.
In short span of time, he had known her, he could tell, she wasn't someone who will hurt people intentionally, and taking revenge? A big no, she wasn't someone who believe in taking revenge, she was too innocent for that. She wasn't the one who hold grudges against anyone. If that was the case, then he would have been the first one in her black list, after all, he is the one who had hurt her the most, but not once but many times. But she did nothing to get back to him or didn't even told swayum anything, which could have lead swayum to break his friendship with him if he got to know, how he had treated taani. Instead, she sent him a sorry card to him and avoided him, not bothering him ever again, which seems to bother him now days.
"But what should we do now?" Sharon's voice brought him back into reality. He look at her tensed face, all were panicking.
"Why don't you guys perform any old routine of yours?" Taani suggested, hoping to be some help to them.
"But we can't change everything at last moment, and even if we did, winning chances will be very less if we repeat our routines. And in weakling team, Ashi is new, so i don't think that option goes for them-" Sharon replied to her, taani nodded in understanding.
"Guys, lets give our best. There is nothing we can do now." Rey said to them, trying to assure them, but he knew, the damage was done. There is no way, they could win.
Then there was an announcement, it was dazzlers turn to perform.
"All the best guys." Weaklings hugged them, then dazzlers went on the stage, to perform. They performed, audience and judges could tell the choreography was copied from the act performed by St. mark college earlier, Same happened with team weaklings. Disheartening comments from judges and dull response from the audience, broke their confidence.
And at the end, St. Mark team was declared as winners, where as it saddened the st. louis students, it brought a smile on someone's face. Finally, he took his revenge.
*
"bas***d!" Rey growled in anger, he cornered shivam alone. He was like an angry wounded lion, but seeing his anger and state, shivam smiled. It satisfied him to an extent, to see him and his friends in such state, shattered and low at confidence.
"Ah-Ha! Anger is not good for health, my friend." Shivam snickered. The bubble of the anger burst and Rey lost his cool seeing the smile playing on shivam's lips. And without thinking about anything, he punched him right across his face, causing him to lose his balance, but shivam straigten himself and smiled at him.
His smile angered him more, made him remember his team members, who were heart broken. Both the teams are devastated after loosing footloose like this. It angered him, once again shivam won with his cunning ways.
"You know, you guys always think about your own-selves. I tried to be nice to you, forgetting everything, i wanted to start a new and thats why i joined st.louis, i wanted to be nice, but you guys forced me to be bad again.. Always taunting me, throwing disgust filled looks at me, calling me with cheap names and there is limit. And what you guys did, was bullying. I took my revenge." Shivam told him, satisfied with himself. His ego was hurt, not once but many times. And when a man's ego is hurt, he forgets the difference between right and wrong.
"You wanted us to trust you, after what you have done with dazzlers and sharon?" Rey questioned him, he was astonished to hear his explanation behind his act.
"No! But you guys could have given a chance to prove myself. But you guys are pro in judging people. But learn to accept that, Rey, people outside your dance team too have feelings, but for you all, everyone is wrong except your team members. You guys just remember a person's flaws and keep reminding them how bad they are." Shivam voiced out, showing him the reality.
"Thats not true. And don't you dare to put blame on my friends to cover your sins." Rey warned him, earning a sarcastic laugh from shivam.
"It is true, Rey. It is. And for example, lets take today's incident. Taani, that girl has been nothing but sweet to you all since start, but you guys just remember her one mistake, how she ditched weaklings, and thats why, when vishakha accused her for leaking the routines, all the questioning eyes were on her which proved, nobody trusted her. You and your friends are not always right, what goes around comes around, remember that." Shivam said to him, giving a small smile to him. Rey was tongue tied infront of him which he hated, but he had to admit, shivam was right. His friends never easily forget one's mistakes.
"I wanted to be a nice man, but you guys always thought of me to be bad, so here i am, Rey. The bad man." Shivam smiled sadly, he wanted to rectify his mistakes but none gave him chance thus he chose to be the bad guy again. It wasn't something he wanted, but he was forced to become like this.
"But don't think, you will get away with this. We will complaint against you and prove, we haven't lose, you betrayed us." Rey replied calmly when all he wanted was, to beat the hell out of him, but he controlled knowing, anger is not solution of this problem.
"Just because i admitted my doing infront of you, doesn't mean i will accept it infront of others too. There is no proof against me, you guys can't do anything." Shivam stated confidently and walked away from there. Rey watched his retreating back with anger coursing through his veins. He was feeling helpless, both the teams are broken and there is nothing he could do for them.
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Shivam is kind a grey character here, in some parts he will be bad where as in some, he will be good. But he will get punish for his bad deeds.
Next part depends on response, Please do leave your feedback :)
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