Twistëd and Tãngled

Chapter 1

"It's not over yet, baby. The real show hasn't even begun until I step into the scene."

In the quiet college auditorium, their footsteps echoed across the stage. The girl's steps were light, barely making a sound as her soles connected with the cool floor-graceful, effortless. She spun on the ball of her foot, shifting her weight with fluidity, as if the ground beneath her gave way to her rhythm.

The boy followed closely, his steps grounded yet smooth, moving in sync with hers. Every glide, turn, and subtle shift of their weight felt natural, their connection to the floor intimate and unspoken, as if they were dancing on air.

As their dance came to a seamless pause, the sound of soft applause broke the quiet in the auditorium.

A girl stood near the entrance, her eyes alight with admiration as she watched them. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the way their movements had intertwined so perfectly.

"That was incredible," she said with a warm smile, her voice filled with genuine awe.
"The way you two move together-it's like you've been dancing for years. The chemistry is just... amazing."

She gave a small nod of approval, her admiration clear as she watched them catch their breath, the silent connection between the two dancers still lingering in the air.

Ishani turned at the sound of her friend Madhuri's voice, her hair falling in loose waves over her shoulder. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the routine, her eyes still carrying the intensity of the dance. She shot Madhuri a look of amused disbelief, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile.

Aryan, still catching his breath, chuckled softly. "All credits go to Ishani Ma'am," he said, glancing sideways at her, his expression filled with genuine admiration. "She's incredible."

Ishani rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Thanks, Mr. Singhania,"
she replied, her voice light but with a hint of sarcasm, clearly used to his praise.

Madhuri, never one to be outdone in banter, wagged a finger playfully. "But I guess even destiny got jealous of your chemistry and decided to stir things up with a twist."

Ishani groaned, her smile fading as she crossed her arms, already sensing trouble in Madhuri's tone.

"Oh, Madhu, please spare me from your fiction language and get to the point."

Madhuri, clearly enjoying herself, took her time.
"Well, this time, the management has put some changes in place for the college dance competition."

Aryan, narrowing his eyes, straightened up. "Changes?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Madhu nodded, her grin growing wider. "Yup. This time, we can't choose our own pairs. It's going to be random..."

Aryan blinked, clearly confused. "Random? I don't understand. How does that work?"

Madhuri sighed dramatically, as though explaining the most exciting gossip ever.
"So, they'll pair up couples by drawing lots. Whoever wants to participate must put their name chit in the box outside the auditorium. The pairs will be selected randomly from that box!"

Ishani's eyes widened in shock, her brows knitting together.
"What type of selection is that? This is crazy. "

Madhuri sighed, giving a little shrug.
"You know, last time there were a lot of issues with pairings. People complained, and the management probably wants to avoid that drama again. But this random pairing is only for the college level. Once it's down to the top five winners, they'll pick the best two dancers to represent us at the inter-college level."

Aryan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply in disbelief.
"How did they come up with the most stupid idea ever?"

Madhuri smirked, her eyes dancing with mischief.
"No idea. But you two were the champions last year. Everyone's been talking about your chemistry since then. If it's random, there's a good chance you two won't end up together this time. I really thought you guys would bag the title again."

Ishani bit her lip, looking genuinely worried now. She glanced upwards in a silent prayer.
"I just hope we'll end up together."

Her voice was softer now, almost pleading.

"Please, Bappa, give him as my partner..." she murmured, her hands clasped together.

Madhuri's eyes gleamed with mischief as she leaned in, her voice dropping to a playful whisper.
"What if it's not just for the competition... what if it's for life?"

Ishani's eyes snapped open, and she glared at Madhuri in irritation.

"Madhu, I've said this a million times. We're best friends, nothing more! He just knows me well, and I'm comfortable with him. That's it."

Aryan nodded, half-smiling, though his gaze flickered briefly toward Ishani. "Yeah, exactly"

Madhuri raised her eyebrows, clearly unconvinced, her smirk still firmly in place. "Mhmm... let's see. Best friends to lovers isn't a bad trope. It's classic, like typical Wattpad romance."

Ishani threw up her hands in defeat. "You and your Wattpad obsession!" she said, shaking her head. "This is real life, Madhuri Maheshwar, not one of your *watty* stories."

Madhuri shrugged with a playful laugh, but the teasing glint never left her eyes as she watched the unspoken tension simmer between Aryan and Ishani.

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"Attention Students, The list of students participating in the dance competition will be posted on the notice board shortly. As per the rules, partners are allocated randomly. You get what you get-no partner switching will be allowed. Each participant will perform only with their allotted partner; otherwise, both will be disqualified. "

As the announcement faded, excitement filled the air. Soon after, a colorful poster was pasted on the notice board, drawing a crowd of eager students, all buzzing with anticipation. They hovered around the board, eyes darting to find their names and those of their partners.

Ishani felt a knot of anxiety twist in her stomach as she and Aryan pushed their way to the front. She stood on tiptoe, scanning the second row where her name was listed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, summoning all her hopes as she prepared to look at her partner's name.

When she finally opened her eyes and saw "Singhania," relief washed over her. A soft smile crept onto her face as she mentally thanked Bappa, feeling a wave of gratitude for the partnership she had longed for. Just as she was about to turn to share her excitement with Aryan, her gaze drifted down the list, and her heart dropped.

"I just saw Singhania above, but Aryan's name is already paired with another girl!"
she exclaimed, confusion etched across her features.
"How does this happen??"

Panic surged within her, and realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
"Wait, what if??... no, no, no. Please don't be......"

She quickly prayed again, glancing back at her name, dread creeping into her heart. Her worst fears were confirmed when she saw the name :
ARJUN SINGHANIA

"Fu**king Fantastic!"