"She's still alone… where is the groom?" Whispering began once again in the hall.
Just then, another shadow appeared and gently took Sarangi's hand.
Behind the curtain, Sarangi looked up in surprise—it was Vairagya. In a serious tone, he said, "If I may… may I dance with you?"There was an irresistible pull in his eyes that Sarangi couldn't ignore.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.Vairagya gave a signal, and the music began.
Soft blue lighting spread behind the curtain, and a romantic song started playing. Vairagya gently held Sarangi's hand, his fingers brushing against her delicate ones. Sarangi looked up and lost herself in Vairagya's deep brown eyes. In that moment, they were unaware of the world around them.
As the first line of the song played, Vairagya pulled Sarangi closer. Without hesitation, she came near. Their breaths mingled. Vairagya placed one hand on her waist and held her hand with the other. Sarangi slowly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Tu hi haqeeqat, khwaab tu, darya tu hi, pyaas tu..."Vairagya softly sang, his voice filled with deep affection and tenderness. Sarangi's eyes welled up with tears.
Vairagya pulled her closer, and they began to sway gently. Their steps were perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the song.
"Tu hi dil ki bekarari, tu sukoon, tu sukoon..."Sarangi softly echoed, her voice carrying a strange calmness. As the music intensified, so did the depth of their dance. Vairagya lifted Sarangi in his arms and twirled her gently. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment. When he lowered her back down, their eyes met, and for a second, they forgot everything.
"Jaaoon main ab jab jis jagah, paaoon main tujhko us jagah..."Vairagya rested his forehead against hers, their breaths blending into one. Sarangi looked up into his eyes.
She lifted her hand and gently touched Vairagya's cheek.
"Saath hoke na ho tu, hai rubaroo, rubaroo..."Vairagya felt her touch and looked even deeper into her eyes.
"Tu humsafar, tu humkadam, tu hamnava mera…"They both sang in unison, their voices melting into each other. Vairagya embraced Sarangi tightly, and she wrapped her arms around his waist even more firmly.
"Aa tujhe in baahon mein bhar ke aur bhi kar loon main kareeb..."Vairagya pulled her even closer. Their bodies now fully pressed together, they continued dancing, sharing every step, every emotion.
"Tu juda ho to lage hai aata jaata har pal ajeeb..."Sarangi opened her eyes and looked into Vairagya's.
"Iss jahaan mein hai aur na hoga mujhsa koi bhi khushnaseeb..."Vairagya leaned in closer to her lips, their breaths meeting again.
"Tune mujhko dil diya hai, main hoon tere sabse kareeb..."Sarangi slowly closed her eyes.
"Main hi toh tere dil mein hoon, main hi toh saanson mein basoon..."Vairagya leaned back slightly and gazed at her with love.
"Tere dil ki dhadkanon mein main hi hoon, main hi hoon..."Sarangi placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.
"Tu humsafar, tu humkadam, tu hamnava mera..."They sang together once more.
"Ho kab bhala ab yeh waqt guzre, kuch pata chalta hi nahin..."Vairagya gently took her hand and placed it close to his heart.
"Jab se mujhko tu mila hai, hosh kuch bhi apna nahin..."Sarangi placed her other hand on his face, caressing his cheek.
"Uff yeh teri palken ghani si, chhaav inki hai dilnasheen..."Vairagya closed his eyes, feeling her touch.
"Ab kise dar dhoop ka hai, kyunki hai yeh mujhpe bichi..."Sarangi gently opened her eyes and looked at Vairagya with love.
"Tere bina na saans loon, tere bina na main jiyoon..."Vairagya opened his eyes and looked into hers.
"Tere bina na ek pal bhi reh sakoon, reh sakoon...""Tu hi haqeeqat, khwaab tu, darya tu hi, pyaas tu..."Vairagya pulled Sarangi even closer."Tu hi dil ki bekarari, tu sukoon, tu sukoon..."Sarangi rested her head on Vairagya's shoulder.
"Tu humsafar, tu humkadam, tu hamnava mera..."As the final lines of the song echoed, they stood completely still, lost in each other's arms.Behind the curtain, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
As the stage lights dimmed, tears streamed from Sarangi's eyes. They fell on Vairagya's hands, still holding hers. Vairagya gently wiped her tears with his fingers and silently shook his head, signaling her not to cry.
Then slowly, he let go of her hand and walked away—disappearing into the darkness.
Sarangi slowly stepped down from the stage. Compliments were coming from all sides –"Wow, Sarangi, what a performance!""You looked stunning!""Your chemistry with Ajit was amazing!"
But in her heart, a new feeling was taking root. A sensation she couldn't quite define, but one that made her feel peaceful and content. She had never felt this easy or comfortable, not even with Ajit, the way she had felt in just two days with Vairagya.
When she sensed Vairagya's gaze on her, she didn't feel anger. Instead, she wanted to hide in his chest, to lose herself in his eyes. Even after the argument by the pool that night, while dancing with him on stage today, she had felt a strange sense of safety and belonging.
Suddenly, the noise around her felt overwhelming. A sharp pain pierced her head."My head is hurting badly," she said, stepping away from the crowd and walking toward her room.
Vairagya walked swiftly into his cabin, shutting the door behind him without delay. The room was pitch dark, except for a soft moonlight trickling in through the balcony, but in his mind, a storm was raging — a whirlwind of thoughts spinning wildly.
He yanked off his tie roughly, his throat suddenly parched, unease spreading through his entire body. He began pacing across his luxurious cabin, his footsteps quickened by an unseen tension.
"Damn it... what's happening to you, Vairagya?" he whispered to himself, his voice a mix of shock and fear."Why does my heart race when I see her... why does it feel like my breath stops...?"
Why did her tears unsettle him so much? Why did that pain feel unbearable? Vairagya ran his fingers through his hair, caught in a web of questions.
"What is wrong with me...?" he said in frustration.
And then, like a flash of lightning, a question struck his mind –"Is it...? Could it be...? Is it... love...?"
The very thought stunned him."How could I...? How is this even possible? She's so much younger than you, Vairagya... just a naïve little girl... and tomorrow... yes, tomorrow is her wedding day... to someone else." He scolded himself.
"Are you mad? Have you lost your mind? You've fallen in love with the one girl you were never meant to meet... someone who's not even destined to spend a single moment with you...?"
Vairagya stood on the balcony. The calm of the night couldn't soothe the turmoil inside him. The city lights twinkled in the distance, but all he could see was Sarangi's face – her innocence, her mischief, and the unspoken tears in her eyes during tonight's performance.
With heavy steps, he leaned on the balcony railing. The peaceful, starlit night still couldn't quiet the storm within. The glowing cityscape in the distance blurred in his vision as Sarangi's innocent face replayed in his mind – her playful smile, her naïve words, and those silent tears she had shed during that soul-stirring performance.
He took a deep breath.Tomorrow, Sarangi would belong to someone else.That realization pierced his heart like a blade.He couldn't understand how he had grown so deeply attached to her in such a short time.Was it just infatuation… or something more? That question gnawed at him from within.
"Pull yourself together, Vairagya…" he scolded himself loudly."You'll ruin that innocent girl's life if you act foolishly… and destroy your own too."He closed his eyes tightly.
"Yes... I must stay away from her now... that's the only right thing to do."He took a deep breath."Anyway, it's just tomorrow... after that, Sarangi will be gone forever… to begin her new life… with someone else..."The thought sparked a strange ache in his chest, one he tried to ignore."I'll distance myself from Raj too... yes, even from him. I'll cut all ties… so that Sarangi's memory doesn't haunt me… so that I can control my emotions."Vairagya said, though a corner of his heart trembled at that thought.
Meanwhile, Sarangi sat on her bed in her room, deeply tangled in confusion. Her face showed clear signs of conflict and restlessness.
"What... what is happening to me...?" she whispered to herself.
"My wedding is already fixed with Ajit... and these strange feelings... these should be for Ajit Ji, right?Then why can't I stop thinking about Mr. Rajvansh...?Why do his brown eyes, his calm voice keep echoing in my mind all the time...?"She frowned deeply.
Could it be... that I'm sick?Or... or has Mr. Rajvansh put some kind of... spell on me...?
While pondering these thoughts, Sarangi eventually drifted into sleep — a deep, dreamless slumber without eating or drinking anything.
On the other side, Shikha was busy celebrating her small "victory", assuming that Ajit's absence from the stage must have ruined Sarangi's performance and embarrassed her in front of everyone. But when she entered the hall and heard everyone praising Sarangi and her partner, she was left stunned.
Ajit stood silently in a corner, dumbfounded. He couldn't understand who it was that had given such a spectacular performance alongside Sarangi.
"Who did Sarangi perform with...?" Shikha whispered to Ajit, a mix of shock and jealousy in her voice.
"How would I know...? I was with you..." Ajit shrugged nonchalantly."In hindsight, I should've targeted Rajveer instead of this idiot... at least then it would've been worth something," Shikha thought to herself bitterly.
Her plan had clearly backfired, and now she was left to devise her next move.