Silently Falling in Love: Race - #Wattys2017

Chapter 3 - October 1989

Arjun

I rush to the gym where the tryouts are happening. Damn it's of course across campus and as usual I've underestimated the time it takes to get there. I wanted to get to tryouts early to chat with Anjali. But, unfortunately, I got the Indian late gene. I'm convinced being late is genetic and it's really not my fault. I got it from my dad. Of course, Amar had to get the English gene from our mom and he's always on time. Damn him. Yes, I'm blaming my lateness on him. Just like I blame him for my luck with women too.

Twenty minutes after the start time I walk into the gym out of breath. Tryouts have already started. Damn it, why don't these people have the late gene!!!

"Are you here for the tryouts?" a woman with a clipboard asks me.

"Yes, I am. I signed up so my name should be on the list," I say defensively.

"You're late."

"I got lost," I lied.

She arched her perfectly threaded eyebrow at me. Damn she knew I was lying.

"You're lucky you're a guy and since we don't have as many guys trying out I'll let you try out."

"Thanks," I say sarcastically.

Ignoring me, "So here's how the tryouts work, we'll send you in during a song and you'll dance with a partner and when we motion you to get out you move out and the next dancer comes in. We may call you back in to see how you dance to different songs. Got it?"

"So we have to improvise?"

"Didn't I just say that?" the annoying woman asked.

"Stand over there and we'll call you when we want you," the rude girl continued.

I quickly moved over to where she sent me so I could get away from her attitude. Once I was with the other guys trying out I looked over to the other side to see where the women were standing. There were so many more women than men waiting to try out. I glanced to look through the crowd trying to see if I could find Anjali.

I looked and looked through the group of dark haired women and I couldn't see her. Maybe she decided not to try out. Damn it. I should have contacted her to confirm she was really going to come. I tapped my feet, maybe I should leave. The only reason I was here was to find a reason to spend more time with Anjali so if she wasn't trying out I should leave.

I turned to leave and I saw the rude woman who had checked me in; she glared at me as I headed in her direction, daring me with her eyes to come closer and ask a question. I turned back around to the crowd of guys waiting to perform. I wasn't in the mood to have the wrath of the woman with the clipboard. Resigned to go through the tryouts I turned around to see who was dancing.

Of course, there would be a Helen song; one of the women was dancing to Mera Mehoobaba from Sholay. She looked slutty; like Helen. Most of the men started cheering. She got to dance longer than her allotted time, looks like the judges were enamored with her too. Finally they moved her out and the next woman came in. She wasn't as slutty as the first dancer so she didn't last long. The third woman came in and danced the tail-end of the song before it changed to Ek Do Teen Char song started. Of course you had to have a Madhuri Dixit song if you were going to have tryouts for a Bollywood dance troupe.

She did an okay job and because of that they quickly brought in the next dancer. The next one wasn't as good so she barely lasted 90 seconds before the third woman was brought in. It's no easy task to dance to a Madhuri Dixit song. Doing one of her songs well, is well, a testament to how good of a dancer you are. Even I knew that.