Celestial Bond

5

Sita🌻

I was already exhausted from practicing our dance for the club audition. Every student had to join a club and perform to earn one credit, so it wasn’t optional. Sravan joined the Anime club, Sindhu went for Singing, and after a long night of debating, Divya and I settled on Dance. We practiced in the hostel for days, pushing ourselves to get every move perfect.

When we finally heard, “Next up: Sita Mahalakshmi and Divya Reddy from the Integrated course,” my heart skipped a beat. We stepped onto the stage, eyes all around us, but I believed in our skills—we could do better than anyone who had performed before.

The music started, and we moved, falling into the rhythm, feeling the energy of the crowd around us. As the critical moment approached, I prepared for the backflip, a move I had struggled with during practice.

I jumped high, my heavy anarkali twirling around me, and landed perfectly. Cheers erupted from the crowd, loud enough to make my heart race.

“I thought you’d fall on me like you did two days ago during practice,” Divya whispered, grinning as we walked offstage, “but you nailed it! Did you hear that crowd? We’re definitely in.”

Just then, someone grabbed my hand, pulling me back. Startled, I turned to see Siddharth,the creepy text guy.

“You were absolutely amazing,” he said, his eyes bright with excitement. “That backflip? Incredible. I had no idea you could dance like that—a true peacock on stage.”

“Thanks,” I replied curtly. “Now, if you could let go of my hand, that’d be great.”

“Oops, sorry,” he grinned sheepishly, and added, “can we at least be friends? Pretty please?” He held his ears playfully.

“No,” I replied coldly, not even bothering to hide my annoyance.

“Come on, Sita. I’m just asking to be your friend, not your boyfriend. We’ll be in the same club, at least for a few days until I leave for abroad—it wouldn’t hurt to be civil.”

“Look, I don’t want to be your friend. Just because we’re at the same club doesn’t mean I have to be friends with you. Let’s keep it that way.” I snapped, brushing past him.

Divya pulled me towards the club members, and as they confirmed our selection, she squealed, throwing her arms around me. Her excitement wasn’t just for making the cut—it was for her boyfriend, Satish, already a club member, meaning they’d get even more time together.

After Divya left for the hostel, I started dragging myself home, legs aching so badly I barely had the strength to keep walking. The thought of even making it to my front door felt like a feat.

“Hey. You look exhausted. Want a ride?” It was Siddharth. Again.

“I don’t have the energy to talk to you right now. Just stop pestering me and leave,” I said sharply. The last thing I needed was him tagging along and discovering that Arjun and I lived in the same house.

“I only wanted to help,” he replied, sounding a bit hurt, and turned to walk away.

“Umm, Siddharth. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just that I’m dead tired from practice, and my legs are killing me.” My voice softened, the frustration slipping out.