TO THE STARS THAT LISTEN

CHAPTER 17:The First Dance

Ira

He holds out his hand to me and I take it with a shy smile. A pretentious shy smile. Our hands touch and a shiver runs down my spine. 

What was wrong with me?

We make our way towards the stage and everyone gathered around started congratulating us. We climb up the slightly elevated circular platform where all his other family members stood along with my parents.

I stand tall infront of him, yet his 6'1 height towered over my 5'6 increased to 5'10 due to pump stilletos. My right hand being gently held by his left one while my left one rested on his shoulder just above the pocket square. His right hand rested on my waist, his fingertips gently brushing  my bare back and my breath hitched. 

The song Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran started playing and his body went stiff.                                [You may now start the song]

I leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Are you not comfortable?" I asked.

"I...I don't know how to dance. I hate it." he said in my ears.

I stood straight again smiling and said a little louder yet for only him to hear, "Just follow my lead." Our eyes locked and something fluttered in me with a mix of nerves as I felt the warmth of his hand in mine.

I took a step towards him and he took a step back,stumbling a little. However, his body very slowly relaxed under my hands. I took a step back and he followed me to maintain the very little gap between us. He smelled of lemon, vetiver and masculinity. We kept going back and forth for half a minute before he surprised me with an elegant twirl. My both hands now rested on his shoulder and his around my waist now completely touching my bare back just as the line 'Take me into your loving arms'  came up. We were even closer now. Our chests inches apart both,very slowly, shifting our weights on our legs. Our eyes locked on each other making the rest of the world fade away. 

First time ever, a man's embrace felt safe to me.

I pulled my hands back from his shoulders and captured each of his in mine. Crossing them over I turned my back to him and settled our hands, crossed over each other, on my abdomen,his hands resting above mine and my bare back now touching his silky chest seperated just by my hair. My head rested lightly on his shoulder and his chin on the side of my head just above my ear. 

It was weird given our situation, we fit perfectly together.

"You look beautiful tonight." He whispered in my ear and my body shivered under him.

"Thankyou." my voice was barely above a whisper, all the confidence from before was now lost. My eyes were hooded, looking at the ground when he twirled me around again, this time no space in between us and I stood flush against his chest. His dark brown gaze clashing with my honey brown ones. His eyes were intense.

So. Fucking. Intense.

The music stopped and I heard distant clapping, we distanced ourselves from each other. That's when I noticed that no one else was on the stage anymore and we were under the spotlight. Everyone was staring at us with a genuine smile on their faces except my parents, ofcourse, who had a sense of accompishment. The relief of selling off their imperfect daughter to someone in exchange of an impending success.

"Haye nazar na lage mere pote aur pota bahu ko." His dadi came up, circling her hands over our heads and then fisting it on both the sides of her head, as we descended the stage. His dadu, stood beside her. I once saw them at the hospital when his mother and bhabhii were admitted but we never really met.
[Oh! May the evil eye be cast off my grandson and grand daughter-in-law]