Page 25 of Knot So Romantic

It’s the moment I miss the exact timing of the next strike against my partner’s sticks.

And the sticks go straight for my knuckles.

My vision goes white. I crouch in pain, and before I know it, somebody grabs my arm and pulls me away.

As I stumble out of the circle, I find myself face-to-face with Kavita. She’s wearing a stunning red and gold lehenga choli, her hair adorned with flowers.

“Neel, are you alright?” she asks, concern etched on her face.

I nod, unable to form words, my hand throbbing with pain.

Kavita glances down at my reddening knuckles, her brow furrowing with concern. Her dark eyes, framed by long lashes, dart back up to meet mine. “Shit!” she swears, her full lips pursing in distress. “If only I hadn’t called out to you, you wouldn’t have been distracted. This wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not that bad,” I manage, trying to downplay the pain despite the wince I can’t suppress.

“Shit, I’m terribly sorry!” she says, her voice filled with remorse as she takes my hand in hers, her warm fingers softly rubbing over my knuckles.

I think I feel a little better already.

CHAPTER 10

Kavita

I grab an ice pack for Neel from a nearby stall while he stands there, clasping his hand. As I place the ice on his knuckles, he winces.

“Is it hurting badly?” I ask.

“I’ll be alright. You should head back to the dance,” Neel says, trying to reassure me.

I blow on his knuckles to reduce the sting. “I’ve been dancing for the past two hours. I could use a break.”

Neel glances back at the dancers. “They’re really going all out there.”

“Those sticks are no joke,” I chuckle.

I throw away the ice pack once it melts. We then walk away from the crowd, Neel walking beside me. The memories from a week ago when he came to the boutique flood my mind. How I barely managed to maintain my composure while he was there is beyond me.

Even now, as he leans in closer, I breathe in the scent of his cologne, a fresh set of tingles coursing through me. My chest flutters erratically.

“Thanks for rescuing me from the dance floor tonight,” Neel says, turning around once we’ve moved far away from the dance area. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it out in one piece.”

His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, which he does quite rarely. An awkward silence settles between us until I finally realize that he’s looking at me strangely. I clear my throat and shake my head. “That’s what friends are for.”

He smiles again and impulsively extends his hand. “Thank you.”

I take his hand. His grip is firm and reassuring despite the injury.

As I shake his hand, he winces slightly, and I quickly let go, my eyes widening with concern. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I forgot about your hand.”

Neel shakes his head with a laugh. “It’s fine. I’m tougher than I look.”

I find myself smiling. Just then, his phone rings. He excuses himself to take the call. I’ve barely taken a few steps away when my mother suddenly appears in front of me.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Mom says. “Come, I want to introduce you to some friends.” Mom never misses an opportunity to introduce me to her friends at events like this.

“Where’s Dad?”

“Oh, he’s over there, waiting for your grandmother.” She points to a table where my father is talking to a few people. Grandma, my father’s mother, loves to come to the Dandiya every year, too, and it’s one of the times I look forward to meeting her. But I don’t see her yet.