"I have saved you all from the trouble of choosing the partners." Mallika announced rather loudly as she placed two glass bowls on the table.

"In one bowl there is someone who knows how to dance and in the other who wants to learn. Me and Tia, will pick out the chits and the one who matches will be partners." She declared.

Annika shrugged, sounds like a good plan.

And she watched as she announced the partners.

~•~

"It wasn't a good plan." She muttered to herself as she heard her name being called along with his.

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

She watched as his eyebrows arched in surprise. He straightened himself up from the wall that he was leaning against.

He knows how to Waltz? She didn't know that.

He is going to teach her?

The batch broke out in murmurs. And why wouldn't they? They were termed 'Rivals' by every student that knew them around the campus.

He turned to look at Mallika who looked at him with an unreadable expression——did she just winked at him? What was going on?

He walked over to her.

"Apparently, we are partners, Annika."

Annika. Not Trivedi. Today was full of surprises wasn't it?

~•~

"Alright, so let's start shall we?" He asked as he looked at her intently.

He was being oddly nice, considering they were rivals for as long as she could remember.

She nodded, her eyes turned to her friend who sent her a thumbs up from across the hall before turning to her own partner.

"Have you done this before?" He asked as he adjusted his shoes a bit before turning to her, "Can I trust you to not step over my shoes?" He asked with a playful grin.

She shuffled on her feet and shrugged. "Sure." Then she bit her lip, "Or maybe not." She muttered before stepping closer.

"Alright, we are learning how to Waltz, you need to step closer, Annika." He spoke and she sighed taking a step closer.

He looked at her deadpanned, "A bit more." And she stepped a foot closer once more, and they stood at approximately one foot of distance.

She looked up and she regretted it soon. The way his eyes were intently fixed on her——those cerulean eyes that glinted with mischief were staring right at her. Her cheeks flared up in response. This was a bad idea.

She should have gotten paired with someone else.

Anyone but him.

She could smell his cologne at this proximity——she subtly breathed in—her eyes fluttered close momentarily before they opened again to see him staring at her in amusement.

Her hair was done in a messy bun——which she had made on the way coming from her classes.

Shivaay looked at her carefully, his lips curving up mischievously——if there was something they couldn't compete in, it was dancing.

"Alright, let's begin." He spoke and he stepped an inch closer.

"Your right hand in my left." He instructed as he positioned them the correct way. She blinked before nodding and placed her palm into his.

"I will place my hand beneath your left shoulder blade." He added softly looking at her. She nodded.

Annika's eyes widened, she had to step a little more closer because of that. He tried hard to keep the smile away from his lips. He's having fun isn't he? She thought with narrowed eyes as she looked up to him.

Her left hand came to rest on his right arm, near his shoulders.

Was it just her or did the temperature of the room have risen up a few degrees?

It's just dance Annika—

"This is the typical pose." He spoke as he angled them in a way that was deemed right to him.

She could smell the scent of coffee, chocolate and something that she couldn't identify——it was making her dizzy—but it was in a good way. Did it make sense? No, right? Just like the situation she was in.

"Calm yourself. Your muscles are tense." Shivaay spoke as he turned to look at her.

"Are you sure you are alright?" He asked, concerned. Am I? I myself don't know, Oberoi.

"We can schedule it for some other time." He spoke ready to step away.

"No—" she winced, it was too quick for her liking, he merely arched an eyebrow looking at her, amusement clear in his eyes.

"I will take the lead then." He spoke and she nodded, briefly registering his words.

"I will step forward with my left foot and you will step backward with your right." He said his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

"And we will do it slowly and in a flow, like fluid." He spoke, she nodded.

"One the count of two." He spoke.

"One, Two."

"Ouch—"

"Sorry—" she winced as she stepped right on his shoe. He groaned softly before shaking her head.

"My left forward, your right one backward." He spoke once again.

She mentally nodded.

"I'm sorry—"

"It's fine, don't mention it." He smiled at her.

Why is he being so nice?

"Follow my rhythm." He uttered those words softly——that she couldn't comprehend if he did at all or did she imagine it.

He stepped his left foot forward and she stepped her right foot backward. But it was apparently too slow and too jerky for him.

"We need to do it in rhythm." He said and he demonstrated once again, his movements fluid and agile. She blinked. How she wished she could dance like that.

"Let's do this once again." He muttered and placed his arms around her. Her breath hitched for a moment——did he feel it? Is that why he looked up so quickly?

"Your left foot forward, my right foot backward." She muttered to herself. He nodded at her words, "that's right."

And this time they did it without bumping into each other.

"Yes, we did it." He smiled brightly at that.

And she returned his smile.

"I will move to the right with my right foot and you will have to move along with me." He spoke seriously.

She nodded and shifted her entire focus to follow the steps.

He stepped on the right, she felt a gentle tug and she followed his movements.

"A little more gently and in the rhythm." He added. She nodded.

She smiled as they moved in rhythm.

"You don't have to rush. It's a slow dance. Keep your movements calm and enjoy." His eyes twinkled.

"How are you so good at this?" She muttered, but he heard her words and chuckled softly.

"I do have talents outside the studies." He winked.

"I can see." She smiled. His lips curved upwards at that.

"Who taught you how to do Waltz?" She asked unable to keep her curiosity in.

"My badi maa, well, kind of, bade papa as well. I used to copy their movements, when I was a child." He spoke.

"You learned it yourself?" She asked impressed.

"I wish. But badi maa decided to hire a professional teacher to train me." He spoke. And for a moment they both didn't say anything, they just stood there glued in their position before he cleared his throat and leaned away slightly——when did they lean closer in the first place.

"Alright, let's continue." He said suddenly breaking the trance. He looked at her momentarily before averting his gaze.

They repeated the steps from the beginning and they were able to do it without breaking the flow or the rhythm, for which she was happy.

"Move your left foot to meet your right." He spoke. She did.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Step with your left foot instead of sliding." He spoke softly as he examined her steps, his lips curved up——she had noticed whenever she did it the right way——she averted her gaze when he looked up.

"Since, I am leading the dance I will step backward with my right foot." He informed.

"And when I take another step back you will follow the moves." She nodded to indicate that she understood.

She looked at him intently, trying to mimic his movements the best she could. "So, kind of mirror image," she muttered. He looked up at that and nodded.

"Like a mirror image." He repeated with a nod of his head.

He moved back, and another step and she found herself following his movements with ease, she smiled brightly. "Did you see that?" She asked.

He chuckled. "I admit, that was smooth."

She blinked as he stepped back diagonally. "And here, when I step back diagonally with my left foot, we reset the dance." He spoke.

~•~

She didn't realise how much time had passed as she stepped away.

He looked tired as well.

"One last time, from the beginning."

"From the beginning." He agreed and he placed the now empty water bottle back.

"When I count one, I step forward with my left foot..." He spoke demonstrating the movement at the same time.

"...I step backward with the right foot." She finished the sentence.

"On two, I step to right."

"Follow the lead." She spoke as she moved along with him.

"Three, bring your feet together..." He trailed off as the movements came fluid.

He grinned, "Now the other half."

"One."

He stepped back.

"Two."

Diagonally.

"Three."

And they completed the round again.

"Well, that's it for today." He spoke as he stepped back as soon as they stopped, his smile dimming slightly.

"Thank you..." She spoke but he shook it off with a smile. 

"We did it..." She added.

His eyes twinkled again, "With you stepping on my left shoe seven times and on my right, two."

Her eyes widened.

"You were counting—"

"No, it's just a speculation. The original number could be much higher..." He smirked. And she realised that he was simply teasing her.

"Alright then, Trivedi. I would pray for your dance partner." He spoke as he turned away.

Trivedi?

Weren't they on first name basis a few minutes ago? Or that was just his dance persona?

"Annika! You guys were so good——everyone was watching you——" she barely registered her friend's words as she watched him go.

"Oberoi——" she called, he halted in his steps but didn't turn around.

"Shivaay..." At this he did. Surprise was evident in his features as he turned to look at her.

"Same time, tomorrow?" She called.

His eyebrows furrowed, before a smile took upon his features.

"For practice of course." She added and his smile widened.

"Tomorrow, same time." He called back, a sweet promise lingering in his voice as he raised his hands in a small wave before turning back and walking away.

.

No, idea how it turned out but I had always wanted to write something like this hehe.
Also, this is the last thing I am releasing at this moment.

REPUBLISHED