Ishani's POV

I was so nervous. Thank you so much, God, for sending Rohan as my blessing at the last moment. We didn't have enough time to practice, but I explained everything to him, and I had a feeling he would do great.

"Let's go, Di," I said to Jia, trying to mask my nerves. She nodded, and we hopped into the car.

"Di, today is my event. I'm dancing," I said, excitement bubbling in my voice.

"Why were you hugging him?" she asked coldly, catching me completely off guard.

"What?" I replied, confused.

"Nothing. Yes, what were you saying?" she changed the topic abruptly, as if nothing had happened. What was she talking about? Hugging who? Oh, she must be referring to Vihaan. Seriously, my sister was asking about a guy? I smiled sheepishly at the thought.

"Ishani, why are you smiling?" she questioned.

"Nothing, Di. I was just saying that today is my event. Are you coming to see it?" I asked hopefully.

She looked at me, her hesitation apparent. "You know, Ishani," she began, but I cut her off.

"I know... you don't have to explain," I said quickly.

Her indifference stung. She could at least come and watch.

When we reached college, I headed straight to my practice. After an hour of preparations, the event finally began.

"Ishani!" I heard someone call. It was Rohan.

"Hey, are you ready?" I asked.

"Actually, no," he replied, his face troubled.

My heart sank. "What?"

"I can't dance, Ishani. I'm sorry," he said, avoiding eye contact.

"And you're saying this now? The next performance is mine!" I shouted, frustration bubbling over.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, guilt evident in his voice.

"Get lost!" I snapped angrily, and he walked away, leaving me on the verge of tears.

I took a deep breath. Okay, Ishani, you can do this. I stepped onto the stage. The first half of the performance was entirely mine, and I could handle that. But as the second half loomed closer, my confidence began to waver.

Then, out of nowhere, I spotted a familiar face in the audience – Jia di. She was smiling. Just a little, but it was enough to reignite my confidence. I began my part, and the cheers and applause from the crowd fueled my energy.

As I reached the end of my solo routine, ready to signal for the performance to conclude, I heard a loud cheer. I turned to see Vihaan stepping onto the stage. I was shocked to my core. He seamlessly pulled me into a dance move, and I instinctively followed his lead.

I glanced at him, surprised at how effortlessly he executed the steps. His presence brought an unexpected surge of energy, and together we completed the performance with renewed vigor.

When we finally finished, the crowd erupted in cheers. "Once more, once more!" the audience chanted, and the judges stood in applause. I couldn't believe it. Backstage, I turned to Vihaan, gratitude overwhelming me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, unable to contain my excitement.

He smiled. "You're welcome," he said casually.

"You know, I thought there was no hope after Rohan bailed on me at the last moment," I confessed.

"He didn't bail on you," Vihaan replied, a playful smirk on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, utterly confused.

"It was all Vihaan's plan," Rohan chimed in, smiling.

"What?!" I exclaimed, looking between the two of them.

Vihaan explained with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, Ishani, you know how uniqueness always stands out? I wanted your performance to be extraordinary. By creating a moment of hopelessness for you – and for the audience – my dramatic entry amplified the impact. Trust me, you're going to win because of it," he said confidently, pulling at my cheeks like I was a child.

I stared at him, processing his clever strategy. "Thank you so much for breaking my heart and then patching it back together," I said, laughing.

"Congratulations, you've got this," Rohan added with a smile before they both left me backstage.

We waited anxiously for the final results. The anchor's voice boomed over the microphone.

"And this year, the best performance goes to..."

My heart raced as I held my breath.

"Ishani and Vihaan!"

I stood frozen for a moment before pure joy flooded me. The crowd erupted into cheers as I made my way to the stage. This was the happiest moment of my life. I called Vihaan up to the stage, and the applause grew even louder.

One of the judges praised our performance. "Ishani, that was a brilliant strategy. It truly made your act stand out," they said. I thanked them, my heart swelling with pride.

After the announcement, I rushed to Jia di. I hugged her tightly, not expecting much of a response. To my surprise, she hugged me back.

"Congratulations, bub. You deserved it," she said softly. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Pulling away, I stared at her in shock. For the first time in two years, she was smiling.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing, di. It's just... you hugged me after two years, and I missed you," I admitted.

She took my hand and said, "Today is your day. You won, Ishani. Be happy."

I told her about how Vihaan had helped me, explaining his role in the performance. As I spoke, her expression shifted.

"What's wrong, di?" I asked cautiously.

"Nothing," she said abruptly, turning away. "Let's go home."

I wanted her to come celebrate with me, Rohan, and Vihaan, so I asked, but she declined.

"You go and have fun. Just be safe, and call me if there's any problem," she said firmly.

I watched her leave, and Rohan approached me. "Let's go," he suggested, and I nodded.

As we were leaving, a voice called out, stopping us in our tracks.

"Oh, so this is what's going on behind my back?"

It was Yash.

Rohan reacted immediately. "Seriously, dude?"

I wasn't in the mood to deal with his excuses. "Yash, you ditched me. You can go," I said coldly.

"Come on, baby, you know I was stuck," he tried to explain.

"Where were you stuck? At a party?" I pointed out, annoyed.

"Babe, you know that party was important," he argued.

I'd had enough. "Shut up, Yash. Don't try to justify yourself. You ditched me, and now I'm ditching you. We're done!" I snapped, anger boiling over.

I turned to Rohan, holding his hand as if seeking support. He understood immediately and played along.

"You can go, Yash. I've found someone better," I declared, walking away with Rohan.

"Thank you, Rohan," I said once we were far enough away.

"Seriously, you broke up with him just like that?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course," I replied. "I deserve someone who values me. If you're missing something important, the reason better be valid."

"You're really strong," Rohan said, smiling.

I smiled back, feeling a sense of liberation. Together, we left the drama behind, ready to celebrate this incredible day.

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I'd like to let you know that the next chapter is in the works. However, due to my work commitments, I might not be able to update daily. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to provide regular updates.

Thank you for your continued support and happy reading!

Warm regards,

Erica <3