Chapter7
A Language Only We Knew
The auditorium pulsed with anticipation.
Rows upon rows of contestants waited backstage, adjustingcostumes, stretching muscles, and whispering last-minute counts to one another.
For many of them, this championship was a dream.
For a few...
It would change their lives.
Inside the judges' panel, four nameplates rested neatlyacross the long table.
Mr. Reyansh Singhania.
Ms. Kriya Ghai.
Mr. Arvind Sharma.
Ms. Meera Kapoor.
A thousand seats stretched before them, slowly fillingwith spectators.
Above the stage, the championship logo glowed beneath thelights.
A voice echoed through the auditorium.
"All judges, please take your seats."
Rey adjusted his blazer and sat down.
A moment later...
Kriya occupied the chair beside him.
Neither spoke.
Not because they didn't want to.
Because they didn't yet know how.
Backstage...
A group of teenagers nervously peeked through thecurtains.
"That's Reyansh Singhania!"
"And beside him..."
"Kriya Ghai!"
"I can't believe they're judging together."
One girl smiled dreamily.
"My parents used to tell me stories aboutthem."
"They said they danced like they could read eachother's hearts."
Her teammate laughed.
"That's impossible."
The girl's smile remained.
"Maybe."
"But some people don't count steps."
"They feel them."
The preliminary performances began.
Classical.
Contemporary.
Hip-hop.
Jazz.
Each team brought its own story to the stage.
Rey took careful notes.
He rarely spoke during performances.
He believed dancers deserved complete attention.
Beside him, Kriya watched with the same quiet intensity.
Occasionally, their score sheets revealed somethingunexpected.
The same marks.
The same observations.
The same corrections.
After the fifth performance, Judge Sharma smiled.
"It seems the two of you still think alike."
Rey and Kriya exchanged a brief glance.
Neither denied it.
A contemporary duo finished their routine.
The audience applauded enthusiastically.
Judge Sharma leaned toward Rey.
"What did you think?"
Rey picked up his microphone.
"The choreography was technically excellent."
The young dancers smiled hopefully.
"But..."
His voice remained gentle.
"You danced every step correctly."
He paused.
"I just couldn't feel your story."
The applause faded into thoughtful silence.
The dancers nodded respectfully.
Then Kriya reached for her microphone.
"I agree."
She looked kindly at the contestants.
"When you performed the final lift..."
"You looked at the audience."
She smiled softly.
"You should have looked at each other."
The two dancers blinked.
Confused.
She continued.
"If your story is about losing someone..."
"Don't ask us to believe it."
"Believe it yourselves."
The auditorium became silent.
One of the contestants quietly wiped away a tear.
"We understand, ma'am."
Rey looked sideways.
That was exactly how she used to teach.
She never criticized.
She inspired.
During the lunch break...
The judges' lounge was almost empty.
Judge Sharma had stepped out for a television interview.
Judge Meera was speaking with the organizers.
Leaving only...
Rey.
And Kriya.
The silence returned.
This time...
Neither seemed eager to escape it.
Kriya gently stirred the sugar into her tea.
"I liked your feedback."
Rey looked up.
"You always used to tell dancers to find the emotionbefore the movement."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You remembered."
"I remember a lot of things."
His answer came before he could stop himself.
Their eyes met.
The words lingered between them.
Kriya looked down at her teacup.
"So do I."
Outside the large glass window, rain began to fall.
Soft at first.
Then steadily.
Mumbai's first monsoon shower.
For a few moments...
Neither spoke.
Instead, they watched the rain.
Just as they had done countless times from the windows ofSt. Louis College.
"I still hate rainy days."
Rey broke the silence.
Kriya turned toward him, surprised.
"You do?"
"They remind me of rehearsals."
She laughed softly.
"You mean the rehearsals where everyonedanced..."
"...and Amar slipped every five minutes?"
They both laughed.
A real laugh.
Not forced.
Not polite.
It echoed through the lounge.
For the first time...
The distance between them felt smaller.
"Remember when Bharat blamed the wet floor..."
"...even though he wasn't anywhere near it?"
Kriya finished.
Rey shook his head, smiling.
"Some things never change."
"No."
She looked out at the rain again.
"They don't."
Their laughter slowly faded.
Comfort settled in its place.
For one fleeting moment...
It almost felt as though the last ten years had neverhappened.
Almost.
At that exact moment...
The door opened.
A young volunteer stepped inside.
"Excuse me, sir... ma'am."
"Yes?" Rey asked.
"A contestant has requested something unusual."
Judge Meera looked up from across the room.
"What is it?"
The volunteer smiled nervously.
"They've requested that Mr. Reyansh Singhania andMs. Kriya Ghai demonstrate the opening sequence before today'smasterclass."
The room fell silent.
Kriya looked at Rey.
Rey looked back at her.
Judge Sharma laughed warmly.
"I think that's a wonderful idea."
The organizers immediately agreed.
"The audience would love it."
The volunteer waited expectantly.
"So..."
"Will you do it?"
Rey's fingers tightened around his coffee mug.
He hadn't danced with Kriya in ten years.
Not once.
Kriya slowly lowered her eyes.
She wasn't sure she could.
Or perhaps...
She wasn't sure she could survive it.
The rain outside grew heavier.
Inside the lounge...
Every answer rested in a silence only the two of themunderstood.
To Be Continued...
Chapter8 – Part 1
One Last Dance... Or One MoreGoodbye?
The rain refused to stop.
From the tall glass windows of the Convention Centre,Mumbai looked blurred beneath the endless sheets of water.
Inside the judges' lounge...
Silence lingered after the volunteer's request.
"Would you both demonstrate the openingsequence?"
No one answered immediately.
Judge Sharma looked from Rey to Kriya before smiling.
"I've watched videos of the two of you."
He folded his arms comfortably.
"They're extraordinary."
Judge Meera nodded in agreement.
"I still use one of your college performances as anexample during my workshops."
Rey shifted slightly in his seat.
"Those performances were a long time ago."
Judge Sharma chuckled.
"Talent doesn't have an expiry date."
"It isn't about talent," Rey replied calmly.
"It's about..."
He stopped.
He wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.
Across from him...
Kriya understood exactly what he couldn't say.
She quietly placed her teacup on the table.
"We haven't danced together in ten years."
Her words filled the room.
Not dramatically.
Simply...
Honestly.
The volunteer looked between them, suddenly realizingthere was far more history than he'd imagined.
"Oh..."
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
"I didn't know."
Kriya smiled reassuringly.
"It's alright."
Judge Sharma leaned back.
"No pressure."
"If either of you is uncomfortable, we'll arrangeanother demonstration."
The organizers immediately nodded.
"Of course."
"We completely understand."
Rey glanced briefly toward Kriya.
She looked uncertain.
Nervous.
Almost afraid.
Something inside him softened.
"We'll think about it."
The organizer smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, sir."
"We'll need an answer before tomorrow morning."
The door closed behind them.
Once again...
Only silence remained.
An hour later...
The preliminary round resumed.
Music echoed across the auditorium.
One performance followed another.
Yet Rey found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.
Every few minutes...
His eyes drifted toward the empty chair beside him.
Kriya had stepped out to take a phone call.
He stared at her score sheets.
Her handwriting hadn't changed.
Still neat.
Still precise.
Still ending every observation with somethingencouraging.
"Beautiful expression."
"Excellent potential."
"Trust your instincts."
He smiled faintly.
Some people left.
Some habits never did.
Outside...
Kriya stood beneath the covered walkway overlooking therain.
Her phone rested silently in her hand.
She hadn't really received a call.
She had simply needed air.
The request had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
Dance.
With Rey.
Again.
Could she?
Did she deserve to?
She closed her eyes.
Without warning...
A memory surfaced.
Ten Years Earlier
St. Louis College.
Studio Hall.
The old wooden floor echoed beneath quick footsteps.
Rey stopped the music halfway through rehearsal.
"No."
Kriya folded her arms.
"What now?"
"You're counting."
"Obviously."
"I can see it."
"So?"
"I don't want you counting."
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Rey..."
"I'm serious."
He walked toward her.
Until only a few inches separated them.
"When you dance with me..."
His voice softened.
"...don't think."
She raised an eyebrow.
"What should I do then?"
He smiled.
"Just trust me."
Before she could respond...
He gently took her hand.
The music began again.
This time...
Neither counted.
Neither spoke.
They simply moved.
As though their hearts already knew the choreography.
"Kriya?"
A familiar voice pulled her back.
She opened her eyes.
Sharon stood beside her.
"You disappeared."
Kriya smiled weakly.
"I needed a minute."
Sharon followed her gaze toward the rain.
"The dance?"
Kriya nodded.
"I don't know if I can."
"You can."
"I don't know if I should."
Sharon remained quiet.
Sometimes encouragement meant allowing someone todiscover their own answer.
"You still trust him?"
The question came unexpectedly.
Kriya looked surprised.
Then...
She smiled.
Without hesitation.
"With my life."
Meanwhile...
Rey wandered through the backstage rehearsal corridorsduring another short break.
The Convention Centre housed several practice studios forcontestants.
Most were occupied.
Music spilled through half-open doors.
Excited instructors corrected routines.
Dancers repeated lifts.
Costumes rustled.
Dreams took shape.
As Rey walked past Studio Four...
He stopped.
The piano melody drifting through the room was painfullyfamiliar.
He slowly pushed the door open.
The studio was empty.
Except for a single grand piano standing near themirrored wall.
Someone had forgotten to switch off the speakers.
The melody continued playing softly.
It was their rehearsal track.
The same instrumental piece from college.
Rey stepped inside almost unconsciously.
The mirrors reflected only him now.
Ten years ago...
There had always been two reflections.
He walked toward the center of the room.
Without thinking...
He extended his hand into empty space.
Exactly as he had done hundreds of times duringrehearsals.
A sad smile touched his lips.
"I still remember every step."
A quiet voice answered from behind.
"So do I."
Rey's heart stopped.
Slowly...
He turned around.
Kriya stood at the entrance.
Neither of them had expected the other to be there.
Rainwater still shimmered across the shoulders of herlight blue kurta.
A few loose strands of hair framed her face.
For a long moment...
Neither moved.
The music continued playing.
Soft.
Gentle.
Almost as though it had been waiting for this moment.
Kriya glanced around the empty studio.
"I heard the music."
"I did too."
Another silence.
Comfortable.
Fragile.
Rey looked toward the piano.
"I used to come here during competitions."
She looked at him.
"When things became too loud."
Kriya nodded slowly.
"I remember."
"You always found me."
"I always knew where to look."
The words escaped naturally.
As though ten years had never existed.
Rey looked at her.
For the first time since her return...
There was no crowd.
No judges.
No cameras.
No friends.
Just...
The two of them.
And a rehearsal hall.
Exactly where their story had once begun.
The music reached the opening bars of their oldchoreography.
Both of them recognized it instantly.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Yet somehow...
Every memory in the room had begun to dance around them.
To Be Continued...
Cricket
Anupamaa
Fan Fictions
Bepannaah
Asian Shows
