**Shashi's POV**

"Shashee! I want you to meet my niece, Evie, she is a student here," Sabrina's voice was big suddenly making me tore away from the stare.

"Hi!" Evie took my hand and shook it. I smiled at her. "My Aunt told me you dance well. It will be awesome to have you here in our group. You know I have started the class a year back, but you will pick up too! I will teach you."

"Evie, let her breath," the boy said smirking. "She looks confused with your drivelling!"

"Oh!" Evie admitted laughing lightly. "Sorry. He is Daniel, my boyfriend." She gestured towards the boy. I smiled inwardly. What are the chances! Why he has to have a girlfriend! Then again I scolded myself, he was still a stranger, and I should not care about his relationships status.

"We have met before, haven't we? Shaashee?" he teased pronouncing my name as he had done before.

I acknowledged his question only nodding slightly and then turned to Sabrina and Donna. I thought it was probably best if I ignore his presence. I could know his eyes following me as Sabrina led me to the middle of the large rectangular hall with full wall mirrors. Few dancers practised some routine, and their bodies flowed in synchronisation to make an actual live art. A small voice in my head asked would I be able to pull off those steps. But I thought there was no harm in trying. I breathed in and watched Sabrina as she danced in the slow beat music, her expression was conveying the song with whole emotions, and she pirouetted skillfully using the ample space.

When she finished, there was an undoubted appreciation from the other dancers. She signalled to me to take the space, my heart was hammering against my chest, as I felt curious glances from the dancers and especially Daniel. He had crossed his arms leaning on one of the walls as he stood watching me.

I gulped. Did I want to dance? The inner me was nodding her head furiously; she was eager to get out of the closed wall and express herself. But nervousness was building up in me as the music already started. The singer was asking her lover to not to leave her, with building her tempo along with her emotions. I closed my eyes and imagined space was empty and nobody was there to see. And it helped, I started moving my body, freeing my soul and got lost in the movements.

When the music finished, I opened my eyes tentatively. There was uncertain silence followed by a few claps. A spontaneous smiled appeared on my face. Donna, Evie and Daniel clapped more loudly. I could see in the surprise in his eyes.

"With few touch ups, she will fit in here. Perhaps get accepted to the undergrad program." Donna addressed to Sabrina.

Evie was by my side in an instant. "You are so beautiful when you dance. Where did you learn contemporary?"

She was as surprised as Sabrina when I told her about my background briefly. Daniel listened intently. Why was that making me zealous?

"Evie, I will need Shashi and Sabrina to my office." Donna hinted Evie to stop the chatting. "Daniel, it was nice meeting you again. I believe you have other engagements?"

"No. Miss Donna. I am very much enjoying the light conversations and dancing," he glanced at me just a bit. "Especially dancing!"

"Seriously?" Evie taunted. "I thought you didn't want to come up."

"Thank god I came. Or I wouldn't have met Sabrina. It was indeed a long time since we met. But I will take the leave." He said still occasionally stealing glances at me. I felt uncalled disappointment as he left.

Donna took Sabrina and me to her office, giving me a brief about the beginner's classes. But I felt the fees were too much, especially when I was thinking of doing this without my parents' knowledge. It was easy to spend two hours here every day, as classes in the new school were an irregular schedule. They don't need to know my pastime. But the fees made me say no. Sabrina interrupted saying that she will support me, in the bargain, I would be helping her in her document work. That was perfect.

Donna introduced me to other dancers in the class. I forget the names as soon as I heard it.

"So you are Indian?" Evie asked her azure eyes twinkling with interest. She handed me a black T-shirt and shorts.

I nodded and looked uncertainly to the outfit. I was unsure of me being comfortable in such clothes.

"Don't worry. It will fit you perfectly," Donna smiled.

After changing into the clothes, I made my way to the group. Donna was teaching them a jumping movement wherein the boy was catching the girl dancer. Evie hurried to her partner, a boy just about her height and blond hair. Donna looked at me, and then glanced at the group again.

"Ginny, you pair with Jeremy and Shashi you stand beside to your new dance partner. His name is Euan." Donna said.

I looked at my new partner; he was brown like me. Though from two different races. He was tall with muscular built. I was always over conscious whenever I came within close vicinity of the opposite sex. I was not at all comfortable with the situation, but then he smiled slowly, and some of the uneasiness vanished.

When I was concentrating on the steps, I was taken aback. In one of the steps, my partner was supposed to lift and then spin me. He looked at me. "Are you okay?"

I gulped and shook my head. I thought he saw the fear in my eyes and gently touched my waist. How much I tried to shake the feeling of creep, it was not going away. The touch was not I was inflicted on when the old man teased me. It was warm and gentle. It made me wince away from him. He looked confused and taken aback by my sudden jerk.

"Take 5," Donna said to the group and gestured me to her office.

"What happened?" she asked me, her grey eyes concerned.

"I.. I am not. I am not comfortable around boys," I spoke uncertainly knowing that she would not possibly understand me. Here the physical touch was taken very casual.

"Okay. But you must have friends with boys if not a boyfriend." She countered.

"No. I don't have many friends," I answered. Zero.

"Shashi, you know why have I paired with Euan?"

I shook my head.

"Because he is the most gentle, elegant and considerate dancer. Plus he is taciturn like you. He is a perfect guy, and he will not behave with you inappropriately." She came around towards me and held my hand in hers. "Trust me. I will watch over you. But you have to overcome your fear."

"I will try," I promised.

Next few days Euan and I tried the steps before the class, to get accustomed to his touch. He talked very little but always gave away little smiles of assurance as he pushed me slowly to do more. Evie was also surprised at my phobia, but she helped me to not to think about it. I had started to open up with Evie now. Though she seldom listened to others, she always looked keen on me. She had already told me, that she was in love with Daniel over a year. But she complained a lot about him. I listened with curious ears to their stories and wondered what a relationship with somebody would feel. My family is conservative, and the affair was out of the question. An arranged marriage was the ultimate fate for me. Though I was starting to feel the urgency to see Daniel again, he made frequent visits to the academy with Evie. She was more than happy with the attention she was getting. I looked from a background at them and ignored his questions and glances. He was hers. And I was here to dance, nothing else.

I could not ignore his meaningful glares at Euan when we danced together. Euan like everybody else was unaware of Daniel's behaviour. But now I had gotten familiar with Euan's touch. The dance steps made him touch me everywhere, though some warmth I felt in his touch was enthralling for me. I wondered if I had unknowingly fallen for him. He was so warm and caring. Without talking, he was conveying a lot of emotions through me, or was it because of the dance? I shrugged the idea of anything beyond friends. If my Baba gets to know, I will lose dance forever.

Once Sandip, now called Sandy by his new friends, opened my bag to discover the new short clothes. He asked me innocently in front of mom. Then I had to lie to get out of the situation. I told her that I was supposed to pass the dress to somebody from my class. But she was somewhat unconvinced with my lie and told me not to do anything that would upset Baba.

Baba had drowned himself in work, even when at home, we wouldn't leave his laptop away. From the new things that were bought for the house meant that he was indeed doing well in his job. We saw less of him every day. He seemed to have adjusted to the new British-Indian culture, based on his less frequent bickering about the young Indians in London.

I was going to perform our duet after a month of joining the academy. Donna had arranged a small competition amongst us. I had started feeling comfortable with Euan. Though we were not able to pull off one last dance step wherein he pulls me from the ground and catches me in his arms. It required to trust him completely that he would catch me when I would throw myself at him. At the periphery of my vision, I noticed Daniel was intently watching my every move. Maybe that was why it was difficult to pull off the step.

After the dance practice was over, I went to the locker room to change. As I pulled my clothes out of the locker, I saw Daniel leaning on the doorway with confused expressions.

"Shashi, do you have a minute?" he asked holding my gaze.

"Why?" I asked breaking the connection and turning towards the locker.

My heart was in my mouth as I realised that nobody was down here except us. I opened my lips to inhale more air as he slowly walked towards me. My breathing was already uneven with anticipation. I didn't understand the effect he had on me.

"I am breaking up with Evie," he murmured as he stood within a foot from me.

**So what you think?  Keep up with your kind Support.

Next part will be Daniel's POV**