Page 40 of Strictly Solo
The audience oohed and aahed, clearly intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. Naina felt her heart rate quicken as Ruhaan’s gaze remained fixed on her.
“Any takers?” Ruhaan asked playfully. When no one immediately volunteered, he added, “Come on, Team Bride. Are you afraid to take on the challenge?”
That was when Neil, caught up in the excitement, jumped up and shouted, “My mom! My mom dances the best!”
Naina felt the blood drain from her face as all eyes turned to her. She shot a glare at Ruhaan, who was grinning from ear to ear. This was definitely his doing. He must have planned this all with Neil to take up her name.
“Well, well,” Ruhaan said, his voice dripping with amusement. “It seems we have a volunteer. Naina, would you do me the honor?”
Trapped by her son’s enthusiasm and the expectant looks of the guests, Naina reluctantly stood up. As she made her way to the dance floor, she hissed at Ruhaan, “I’m going to kill you for this.”
He just winked and whispered back, “Looking forward to it.”
As the music started, she realized with horror that she didn’t know the choreography. Ruhaan sensed her panic and leaned in close. “Just follow my lead.”
What followed was a hilarious and somewhat chaotic dance routine. Ruhaan tried his best to guide Naina through the steps, but Naina’s nervousness of not knowing the steps that he and Poonam had practiced led to several near-collisions and stepped-on toes. At one point, Ruhaan attempted to twirl Naina, only for her to spin in the wrong direction and crash into his chest.
The audience was in stitches, with even Kaushalya unable to contain her laughter. Neil was jumping up and down, cheering for his mother despite (or perhaps because of) the comical performance.
As the dance progressed, however, something began to change. Naina, despite the absurdity of the situation, started to relax and enjoy herself. Even Ruhaan, in turn, adjusted his movements to complement hers better. Slowly but surely, their awkward fumbling transformed into a more fluid and improvised dance.
By the time the music reached its crescendo, Ruhaan and Naina were moving in perfect sync, their bodies in harmony as if they had rehearsed for weeks. The laughter from the audience had died down, replaced by awed silence as they watched the pair glide across the floor.
As the final tunes played, Ruhaan dipped Naina low, their faces inches apart, both breathing heavily. For a moment, the world around them seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them, lost in each other’s eyes.
The spell was broken by the thunderous applause that erupted from the crowd. Ruhaan helped Naina back to her feet, both of them slightly dazed.
Rohit, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, came back to the microphone. “Well, folks, I think we can all agree that was... something! Let’s hear it one more time for Ruhaan and Naina!”
Everyone cheered for them again as the two made their way off the dance floor. Poonam glared at them, a bit annoyed.
Before she could approach them, Neil came bounding up, throwing his arms around his mother. “Mom, you were amazing! And funny! Can you teach me to dance like that?”
Ruhaan ruffled Neil’s hair, grinning. “I think your mom might need a bit more practice before she starts teaching, champ.”
Naina elbowed him playfully, then turned to Neil. “Maybe we can all practice together sometime, sweetheart.”
Their eyes met again for a fleeting moment until Kaushalya came there and dragged Ruhaan on the pretext of wanting to talk something to him. Naina could only stare at his retreating back knowing one thing well. Whatever she and Ruhaan had between them was on thing. But his mother was never going to like seeing them together, no matter what.
Chapter 11
Naina stood in the chilly night air, waiting at the back of the garden. It was late, around 10:00 pm. She had been anxiously checking her watch every few minutes, groaning in frustration. What was taking Ruhaan so long? She had never waited for someone like this before, especially not at such an odd hour.
She had initially refused his invitation, worrying about leaving Neil alone at night, but Rohit and Suman had assured her that the kids would be fine. They were watching an animated cartoon movie together and would be put to sleep in the same room by 11:00 p.m. With that reassurance, Naina had finally agreed to sneak out for a late-night drive with Ruhaan. She had made an excuse about a headache, telling the kids and Rohit-Suman she needed to sleep early, and slipped out of the house to meet him.
She had worn a loose off-white woolen pullover over her dark blue jeans. Her hair was tied into a simple ponytail, trying to keep it casual yet comfortable for the chilly night.
Finally, she heard footsteps approaching from the back door and Ruhaan emerged from the shadows, his eyes shining with admiration. He took in her appearance, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary.
Without giving him a chance to speak, Naina marched over to him, clutching his t-shirt in frustration.
“If you had been a second later, I would have gone back to my room and never seen you again, Ruhaan,” she hissed. “Whokeeps a woman waiting like this in the cold? Do you know how difficult it was to lie to everyone and sneak out? I’ve never lied to my family before, never lied to Neil before. And yet, I’m doing this for you. And you’relate. Seriously?”
Ruhaan simply smiled as he reached up to place a finger on her lips, silencing her.
“Who said I came late, Miss Naina Bhalla?” He tapped her nose playfully, his grin widening. “I was here before you, hiding behind that pillar. I’ve been watching you this whole time, admiring how cute you look when you’re frustrated.”
“Are you serious?” Naina’s anger flared even more. She started patting his chest in indignation. “You were enjoying my state? How could you, Ruhaan?”
