She rolled her eyes fondly and flicked his nose. “It was my choice, Mr. Karia.”
Before he could protest, Armaan and Vir returned to the stage for the final performance.
The music hit hard. It was pulsating, electric, a popular song from one of Vir’s superhit films, and the two of them launched into it without hesitation. Their steps were wild, energetic, full of unrestrained confidence as they moved with the beat.
Akash let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head as he watched them. They were amazing. And then the music paused for a split second. Out of nowhere, Nirvaan, Rohan, and Dheer joined them on stage. Akash shot to his feet.
“Oh my God,” he said, turning to Shauna. “I can’t believe they’re all performing for us.”
Shauna was already standing, clapping excitedly, her eyes wide with delight.
Rohan, Dheer, and Nirvaan were as reclusive and quiet as Mihir. All these men avoided attention. And yet, here they were, right at the center of it all, dancing, celebrating… for them. For him.
His chest tightened, and warmth flooded through him as he watched them. Those men on that stage, laughing, moving, letting go… they were his tribe. His closest friends. And he adored every single one of them. He cheered the loudest as they finished their performance.
Jiya linked her arm through his. “I’m so grateful you’re Rohan’s friend. He’s changing, coming out of his shell, and a lot of it has to do with you.”
Akash laughed. “Actually, that’s all you, Jee. But I’ll happily take the credit.”
He looked ahead as Armaan and Vir returned on stage, mics in hand, and Jiya disappeared from his side.
He frowned. The performances were all over. So what were these two up to?
“Didn’t we say that those were the final two performances?” Vir said, a naughty gleam in his eyes.
“We did,da,” Armaan replied smoothly. “But we never spoke of the grand finale.”
“Yes, we have one last performance for the night,” Vir added, grinning. “Get ready for one last dance, the showstopper of the evening.”
A ripple of excitement moved through the crowd as the two of them stepped off the stage.
The lights dimmed once again as anticipation built in the air.
Akash turned to Shauna, his brows knitting together. “What grand finale?”
She smiled quietly and held her hand out to him.
He stared at it, confused.
“You said no choreographed dances,” she said.
“Yeah… so?”
“This night would be incomplete without you dancing.” Her smile widened. “Besides, it’s also customary for the bride and groom to dance together at their sangeet. So… shall we?”
He blinked, then let out a surprised laugh. “We wing it?”
She nodded, her fingers curling around his, and then, without giving him time to overthink it, she led him toward the stage.
The music began, soft at first, then building into a familiar rhythm. Akash took just a second to catch the beat, to recognize the flow of it. And then he moved. Not with rehearsed precision, not with practiced steps, but with her.
Shauna smiled as he followed her lead, and soon they were both laughing, falling into the music together. Their steps weren’t perfect, not clean or synchronized like the others had been. They missed beats, overlapped, improvised, but somehow none of it mattered. Because they flowed in tune with each other, instinctively matching and adjusting their steps. It wasn’t a choreography; it was… their connection. Their love flowing through the dance. And it was beautiful.
Akash couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop looking at her. A deep happiness filled his chest. God, he loved her.
The music swelled toward the end, and without thinking, he extended his hand. She took it instinctively. He tugged her toward him, and in one smooth motion, he lifted her with a single arm, pulling her off her feet as they spun in a circle together, round and round to the music. Her head fell back in pure delight, laughter spilling from her lips as her golden lehenga flared around them, catching the lights in a dazzling whirl. For a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
Then, gently, he set her back on her feet, not letting go. He spun her once more, slower this time, drawing it out before pulling her in and dipping her low toward the ground.
