The Arranged One | ✔️

Chapter 4 - Waltz

Abhi could see the dam of her tears break, which made his resolve break. It was impossible to hold anything against her when she had tears in her eyes.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. Then sighed and stepped closer to her to comfort her.

"Siya stop crying!" he almost pleaded, he hated it when she cried, it made him feel guilty and 'uneasy'.

She started sniffing and wiping the tears off discreetly, her eyes never leaving him. She hated him for acting weird, she wanted to physically shake him to get her answers, and yell at him. But since that would create a scene she contented herself by glaring at him with her tear-filled eyes.

Abhi knew he hadn't been on his best behaviour. But something about seeing her with Manav, smiling at him and laughing with him made a hot swirl of acid rise up in his chest. He didn't like the way Manav was looking at her. She was his friend, bestfriend. His companion...for life. They had shared almost every joyous and devastating moment of their lives with each other. Just who the hell Manav thought he was!

Siya was his life, the centre of his world, the light to his soul...The thought that he wasn't the same for her scared him. And when she accepted the Lunch date with Manav, Abhi totally lost it. It took all his strength not to lung for Manav and wring his neck, right there in the cafeteria. It was some primitive feeling of possession that urged Abhi to forbid Siya to meet or greet an guy outside of professional boundaries. Since that would be way beyond the limit of their relationship, Abhi always chose to maintain stony silence and let the irrational phase pass without opening his mouth and ruining things.

This was his only secret that Siya was completely unaware of. And he could see his behaviour had hurt her. He wanted to make her feel better, but what would he tell her.

"Siya I..." But he never got to complete the sentence, the dance teachers had entered the hall.

They were a couple, a young woman in her mid-twenties and a young man around the same age. Both of them were a shade tanner than average Indians and their beautiful skins gleamed with health that only exercise could provide.

"Hello everyone!" she called, Siya mentally affirmed the woman must be good natured.

There were feeble 'hellos' from the five couples in the room.

"Okay then! Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Alistor, this is my lovely dance partner and wife Suzanne. Before we start, gentlemen step towards your right and introduce yourselves and your partners."

One by one the guys were introducing each other. Abhi was getting more and more uncomfortable by each minute, what with an extra-angry Siya beside him.

"Hey everyone I'm Abhimanyu, and this is my friend Siya."

"Okay people we'll start with some warm ups...music", said Alistor. As he and Suzanne guided them with the warm ups.

Abhi tried making an eye contact with Siya but she seemed to forget that he existed.

"Okay people, now that we're nice and warmed up, let's start with Waltz. Grab your partners...", Alistor said, and pulled his wife in his arms, "Okay just kidding...", he added as his wife smacked him lightly on the chest.