MG Dancing Frm the Ashes 2 Chp 56 pg 39 - Page 14

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

Perfectly done SAUTs😳

now is the time to get them to realise their closeness has other meanings too..😳😳

Ohhh whats brewing between isra n farhan...turn on the heat madam😉

Anddd...vicky meera passe also needs to end..whats going to brk the impasse?😕😕

Originally posted by: mechantefille

Have I ever...ever...turned on much heat? Tu kisse baat kar rahi hain? Jaa FB ka chat padh le.

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

padha baby padha😉 isliye to boling😛 encouraging my sauts😃

Originally posted by: mechantefille

tauba tauba - yeh kaise ashleel demands kar rahe ho tum...??

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

😲

who are u? what have u done to my sauts😡

Chapter 53 - Unfamiliar territory.

Maan watched Geet's face as she leaned back on her arms and felt the breeze waft over her face. Her legs were over the rock ledge, that overlooked the magnificently lit up city below. Her serenity and calmness were giving him a new kind of heartbreak, one he distantly remembered, but still felt distinctly new. It was at times like these, that he appreciated the dark, and the fact that they could only hang out this late, when his eyes didn't betray him.

It was 1 am at night, and they were back at the spot that had become their regular hangout. The fireflies were out again, flying closer to them, as if they had identified them as regulars. They cast their soft charisma, giving the spot a surreal glow, illuminating an otherwise depressing ambience.

It had become a habit for Maan to pick up Geet from the Studio, everyday, after she finished her last batch. Vicky and the other team members had magnanimously shifted all her classes to the evening slot, as she could only manage that after her work at Handa Construction. Maan wondered if he had been too adamant, that she go to Studio 77 every evening, even if it was for conducting one class.

He was haunted by her strained face, when he had seen her after that first presentation. It had wrenched the happiness out of his soul, seeing her like that. She was yet to accept her work at Handa Construction, wholeheartedly; or she would never look like that. And till she did, he had to let her get a piece of that which made her happy.

And so he had asked her to do what she lived for. Dance !

And then they had started their own tradition of driving to this spot to hang out in peace and quiet. There were days when he lived for that one hour spent away from the city with her...when they talked, or laughed, or simply sat in silence, cherishing the quiet.

This last week had been particularly tough and so it was decided that they'd stay a bit longer. Since Geet was driving, Maan had brought along some scotch. What had surprised him was that Geet had asked for some too. This was the first time he had seen her drink, but it was clear she was used to it.

Her glass was held precariously in between her thumb and her index finger, as she closed her eyes and smiled slightly.

"I signed the deal today', she said, startling his gaze away from her.

''What took you so long?', he asked, his face now reflecting her smile.

"I don't know. I was scared to take a step.' She sighed and stayed lost in thought for some time, then said quietly, '' ... you know Maan, that day of the presentation...I was terrified. For the first few minutes, I had simply stood rooted, staring at the computer screen. And I still run cold, if I think of what I would have done, had I not pored over those files earlier...Never in all my life have I felt such fear; like the one I felt that day...not while performing on stage, not when I beat up guys who misbehaved... never. I had never been so scared of failing"

He reached over and squeezed her hand, trying to convey that he understood; knowing what she shared was very private. "From what I know of you Geet, you can take on anything you want and outshine the world. You don't ever need to be afraid."

He saw her look back at him, a soft gratitude creeping over her eyes. She blinked and looked away, before looking back at him and asking him teasingly, " So what else do you know of me?", clearly trying to change the topic.

He knew she was trying to hide how deeply his words had touched her; but he added seriously, " I know you to be the most honest person I've met, without any facade, without any kind of superficiality.'

The smile left her face, as her eyes widened with emotion. " And...'', she whispered; her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat.

"...and I know that you're an inherent rebel. You rebel from everything...not knowing what you might be made for." He reached out for her and stroked her hair, as she stared into space, his words sinking into her. "Can't you see Geet, the work at the office is you. No matter how half-hearted an attitude you take towards it, you are equipped with everything to do this right. You only need to accept it."

She looked at him, trusting in everything he was saying; wanting to believe she would be able to do it. "The way I see it Geet, the day you accept it, you'll never fail...and anyway, you can never fail in my eyes", he added, unable to keep himself from saying it.

She had leaned closer to him, staring at his face, her eyes intensely glazed with emotion. He watched her face, looking back at him, her eyes roaming his face. When she stayed like that, for a few more moments, he gently called out to her.

She appeared startled and moved away.

"What?', he asked, not understanding her confusion.

" Errr..nothing, there was a firefly near your face", she replied looking at everything but his face. .

He looked about him and saw that a few had indeed moved very close to them. He got caught up staring at them, when he heard her speak in a jittery manner, quite unlike herself...

"Maan, we have office tomorrow. Let's go." He saw her stand and gather their belongings and walk back to her jeep.

He wondered about her weird behaviour, assuming she was embarrassed by everything he said, and followed.

*********************************************************

They had gone out shopping that day. He had said her clothes looked really old and boring, and so had taken her to the newest of malls. Instead of shopping much, they had ended up window shopping and expressing each other's tastes. Eventually, Meera had picked up outfits, the very kind that she had never tried on or thought of wearing before. As she had tried them on, the look of appreciation in his eyes had made her want to get them for herself.

They had arrived at her flat, exhausted and sleepy. Just as Vicky had placed all the bags on the table, the lights went out and she heard his keys fall out of his hand and slide to some corner. She heard his curse and fumble for his cell phone. The light it emitted wasn't enough, but it was enough for them to figure out where the other was. With his help, she lit a few candles around the room.

It was late in the night and she was sure, he wanted to sleep. But, try as they might, they were unable to locate his car keys in the candle light. She had walked into the bedroom to hunt for her torch , when she heard him behind her.

"Meera, do you have a bandage? I think I stubbed my toe"

She finally managed to pull a spare torch out. As she sat him down to bandage his toe, she heard him strangle out, "What on earth is that lump on your bed?''

She turned to the torch beam on her bed's edge.

"It's a mosquito net", she replied, with a smile.

He looked at her disbelievingly. ''You still sleep in a mosquito net?"

She pushed her chin out, not liking the ridiculing tone in his voice. "I can't sleep without it".

"I don't believe this", he said in the same tone. How can you sleep in it? It must be so suffocating!"

"Heyyy'', she protested."It's not. Come I'll show you", she replied, pulling him towards the edge.

She hitched it up at four corners, tucking the ends in. It formed a soft willowy cage around her bed. Hiking one edge of the 'door' up, she moved into it, pulling him along. He climbed in after her, looking around. She sat cross-legged and smiled at around her. The window next to her bed was open and a cool breeze was wafting in. But even if it hadn't, Vicky could sense no suffocation or heat.

She leaned back against one head board, propping pillows behind her. Vicky still had a dubious expression on his face, in the torchlight, but Meera didn't care anymore. She saw him look at her relaxed pose and then grab another pillow and take a seat next to her. They didn't say anything...maybe because there wasn't any need to say anything. The past few days had been sublime and Meera wanted life to go on and on just that way and never stop. She hadn't said anything to him, but she knew, that he knew that her feelings were changing towards him.

Nevertheless, he never forced her to say anything... and she was taking advantage of it. She knew she mustn't, but she couldn't bring the courage to move out the comfort they currently were in. It meant opening a whole lot of boxes...and the things that would spill out would spell doom.

Vicky slowly took the torch out of her hand and switched it off. There was enough moonlight and she could almost see him clearly. Neither moved though they knew it was probably wasn't a good idea to do so...but they sat in silence, enjoying it.

A family walked out under the window, taking advantage of the darkness. The young boys had a dog with them, who they played with and ran about with. Meera looked out at them, a wistful soft smile coming aglow on her face.

" Back home, I have a huge window, just like this next to my bed. Every night I used to look at the families taking a stroll or the people who hung about from my bed. And because it was dark and I was behind the net, nobody realized I was looking at them."

'Right little spy weren't you?", he said teasingly.

She blushed, but replied," It's got a lot of uses, ok My cousins and I used to share a room, and there was nothing better than a mosquito net to hide in and read or dream, or stay away from everything. I used to love staying awake in the dark, gazing out...once I was in it, my family automatically assumed I was asleep and I was left alone."

'Left alone for what.", he asked softly.

'Just...left alone, you know."

She stayed lost in thought for a while, not seeing the thoughtful glance he sent her way.

'How come your cousins lived with you?', he asked, at length.

'They've always lived with us. My mom and dad have raised them. Rajesh is my mother's favourite, amongst the three of us, and Suni was always the sensible one.'

A waft of cool breeze rode over them again, lazing the conversation out. She leaned her head back on the pillow and relaxed, further. Both knew it was time he had to leave. That he must leave... that the lost keys was just an excuse...but still, neither moved.

It was sometime in the early morning that she woke up. There was moonlight beaming straight on her face. She shifted, when she felt something warm next to her. She turned, and saw his sleeping face. He was sleeping on his stomach. His hair disheveled, but stretched out in a cramped position, nonetheless.

As she looked at his quiet, peaceful form, she wondered at the number of changes he had brought about in her.

Just a few months ago, she would have screamed at the thought of having a boy in her house, when she was alone. And here, a man was asleep with her in her bed. She knew if her mother or family found out about the impropriety of it all, there'd be hell to pay. But the past few days of unbound life had changed her. She wondered how long it would be till she reverted back to her prudish self and repented over her sins.

He stirred in his sleep, as the chilly morning air rushed in through the still open window. It was a small bed and not so comfortable for two. And there were only so many sins she wanted to indulge in, rather than what his waking up might lead to...and so she quietly pulled the quilt over him and moved to the front room, settling on the couch.

Things with Vicky were racing ahead of her capacities of being able to cope with them. She still hadn't answered his confession of love, but she knew that the time for quick thinking had come. She had to come to a decision of how to break this news to her family. So lost was she in thought, that she didn't realize when she fell back to sleep.

Morning came with the chirping of the birds and the morning rush of the traffic. She stretched lazily, not wanting to leave the bed...bed?

She raised her head to look around. She was lying in her bed, covered cozily with her quilt. Her mosquito net was still around her, but un-tucked from a corner. She wondered if she had dreamed him in her home all night? Dazedly, she sat up and looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. The only evidence of him having been there was the torch that was propped up on her dressing table and the peels of paper from the bandage.

He had carried her back to bed!!

Like it always did, her heart gave a slow lurch, shutting down her throat. She walked out to check the other room, only to spot everything, exactly the way it had been. A Post It on the kitchen door informed her that her coffee was ready. A slow smile tugged her face...as she reached for the pot, pouring the brew, musing that he enjoyed carrying her about.

*********************************************************

Geet punched in the air, as she pushed her feet out with as much force as she could manage. The air in the studio was still musty from the slow air-conditioner's ineffective cooling. She was the first to be in the studio, having reached there even before Farhan had, and was practicing the latest freestyle routine that Vicky had asked them to learn

She moved her feet in equal spacing and turned her arched foot, to suit her style. It was a hip-hop based routine involving a lot of stunts. She pushed her hand and her feet in parallel movements pushing her body out in aggression, doing two somersaults, in quick succession. The steps were made with the intention of building up the tempo for when she would burst into a difficult stunt. It was easy enough, having had practice for the past 3 years. Her lithe body shoved her fist out and in with agile ease. It was only possible, because Geet already knew the routine well. And a well learnt routine meant that, teaching the students would be easier.

But despite the movements, her mind was far away.

She worked harder than she normally did, the booze from the night before was taking its toll, like it rarely had done before, and the lack of sleep making her tire out. Perspiration slid down her face, as she forced herself to concentrate on the steps.

But she couldn't.

Her mind kept going back to the cliff last night, with Maan. When he had stroked her hair and bolstered her courage, she had for an inexplicable moment... felt like kissing him.

Kissing...Maan!!

Maan!!

Maan, her buddy!

The chap she met every day...her support system!

What the hell had happened to her?

He hadn't realized what she had felt like, but she had and it had freaked her out. She blamed it on the booze, but she knew that was not the effect booze normally had on her. She'd had been drunk way to often in the past, to forget just how many drinks she needed to get tipsy, let alone drunk.

No! She tried to recall his words from the night before. She shut her eyes and imagined herself back at the cliff. She could feel the ease she had felt around him, the smell of his aftershave; now faint at the end of the day, his eyes shining with pride at her, his voice coming at her in soft waves, lulling her fear away and polishing the courage that almost always came naturally to her. She could hear the tone and resonance of his voice and the comfort he poured towards her...and then she felt the urge come back to her, tenfold. ...to ease herself towards him and kiss him...to grab her to him and crush him to her.

It startled her and she stared at herself in the mirror. She forced herself to concentrate on the dance again, concentrate towards the song and the beats. But her well-trained body moved, not needing the mind to concentrate and she drifted back to thoughts of Maan.

She asked herself how she could want to do that. Surely it was a sign of showing she appreciated his concern. But she had had such concern from Sid and Mayank many times before. She had never wanted to kiss them. The thought itself, made her gag.

Maan on the other hand, had always been around and had taken care of her like no one had. But that should not have made her want to smooch him...slobber all over him...she shook her head, trying to shake the thought. She leant on one side and eased herself on the toes of one foot, arching the other in the air and leaping in the air.

...But why now, after all this while, did she want to do it, when she had seen his acts of kindness towards her plenty of times. How was it that she was thinking about him...what about Nik...?

No...she was sure that this was nothing to do with Nik, as she had never been sure of anything before.

Maybe the drink had addled her head, she thought as she leant her hand on the floor in a swift move and stood upside down and one hand. She hadn't drunk a sip of alcohol for the past 2 years. She whirled from one end of the room and somersaulted again, two-three-four times, easing her arms out in another step.

And if,... her thoughts resumed their analysis, as she swung herself in the air, neatly and landed on her feet, only to turn around to aim to do the so again...if she had wanted to kiss Maan, then that meant that she was attracted to him.

And if Geet Handa was attracted to somebody, she evaluated; it only meant that she had begun falling for him!!

The thought caught her off balance as she soared in the air, shock permeating through her being. She forgot the breathe, to brace her muscles, to bend her legs, and she came down in a haze, crashing noisily into the ampli-speakers on the floor. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had fallen, and then the pain rushed on in a blinding force, as her legs burned beneath her. And then when she thought she'd burn from the pain, a howl tore from her, and she succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness gratefully.

Originally posted by: mechantefille

gave into the teacher and nprudish side of me.

I have to keep things under PG-13 - my students may end up reading this. Crap dang!!

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

i just hope they do🤣

Originally posted by: mechantefille

[

Aashuuu 🤗

I wont be able to look them in the eye and teach ever again yaar. ...you know, U've been named Kamini quite rightly.

Waise...how're u feeling now?

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

Amru🤗🤗

hehe...yup then u wud be like Sush in Mai hoon Na😉

Sexy saree and all😳😳😳