It had been a few days since the dance battle happened, and fortunately, Jiya understood our situation and why our friends wanted to win the prize money so badly. Therefore, she agreed to keep the secret but made us promise not to pull that kind of stunt again.

Vibhan insisted that I should also get a fair share in the prize, but I refused. I had only participated at the end of the battle, while they had reached the finale by their own efforts. I was content with getting to dance in front of Tejas.

That's why, I had been watching the dance battle's video for three days without getting tired. No matter how many times I saw myself and TJ on the same dance floor, I still couldn't believe that happened for real.

Today also I was watching the video while going to my classroom, with my earphones plugged in my ears and the old torn wire hanging down my neck. I pressed the replay button on my small phone screen and was about to take a corner when my body was crushed against someone.

My phone fell out of my hand, the pain of earphones being forcefully plucked out making me wince. Cursing under my breath, I crouched down to pick up my belongings.

"Sorry."

On hearing a familiar voice, I looked up and forgot to blink. Tejas' twinkling brown orbs were on me for a second before he grabbed my phone from the floor. I noticed his eyebrows furrowing as he saw what was playing on my mobile. For a few moments, he stared at the video and then gave the phone back to me.

"The phone isn't broken," he said. "Did you get hurt?"

It took me more than a minute to get back to my senses.

"Me?" I asked.

Tejas' lips curled up in amusement. "Yeah. You are the one I bumped into."

Unknowingly, I tucked my hair strands behind my ear.

"Um... Yes, I am fine. Are you okay though?" I asked, straining my neck to look up at him.

"All good," he replied.

Even though I wanted him to stay longer, we had nothing else to say. Tejas shot me a small smile, his expressions becoming bland as soon as he took his leave.

I stared at his back, still processing our recent encounter in my head.

Thank you, Ganapati Bappa, for making me crash into him. At least, he talked to me.

"Oye, Boom Boom Boomer!"

As if the earlier accident wasn't enough to rattle my soul, Akshay rammed into me from the side and shook me vigorously.

"What's your problem?" I hissed.

"Oh, so the sweet talks are only reserved for Tejas?" Akshay teased.

I pushed him away as he was leaning all of his weight on me. He didn't budge. He asked me to lend him my earphones, and when I shoved them at him, he gave me a flat look.

"Seriously, Bhoomi? These earphones are wrecked," Akki complained.

"They work fine," I said.

He plugged the auxiliary cord into his phone and smacked me on the head.

"They are busted!"

He threw my cords into the dustbin, and that's how we ended up fighting till we reached our classroom. We took our seats in the back, and Akshay watched some cat videos while I sulked about spending money on new earphones. My mother would surely give me a huge ass lecture for it.

"Should I get a cheap one, or should I order online?" I mumbled to myself as I checked the sound accessories on the net.

Akshay helped me in picking up a new headset, and just like always, we ended up in an argument. We were talking gibberish when the college speakers made a loud screeching sound. All of the students cursed loudly as we thought our eardrums were bombed.

Soon, the annoying jittering noise stopped and the voice of our Dean took over the mic. We were never interested in what he had to say, so all of us continued what we were doing.

We didn't even notice when Dean's voice was replaced with our Student President's; our interest peeked only when the President announced something along the lines of a mega dance event's auditions going to be held in our college campus.

"Akki, did you hear that?" I asked excitedly.

"Let her finish, dumbo," Akki scolded.

I sealed my lips as we intently heard the full announcement. Once our President signed off, Akshay and I sprang up from our seats and bolted out of the classroom as if our lives were on the line. We reached the Student Union's room and asked for the details about the recent announcement. Like us, some other students were also present there for the same reason.

One of the union members nodded, and my eyes widened by each passing minute as he gave us the necessary information.

"One of the top international choreographers of India, Sarthak Pawar, is looking for thirty young dancers to assist him on one of his dream projects. He is collaborating with other choreographers, both from our country and outside, and he will be holding auditions for his dance camp throughout the various colleges in India.

"Luckily, our college is also on his list, and the auditions will be held next month. If the dancers from our college get selected, they would be expected to sign a contract with Sarthak Pawar's agency and would go through a rigorous training for six months. At the start, fifty kids will be chosen and after six months, final thirty.

"There are a lot of avenues you will get to explore, and I would have explained more but I gotta attend a lecture. Why don't you collect the entry forms and pamphlets after school hours? We will get all the stuff from the dance agency by then," the union member explained and left after we nodded.

Akshay and I were frozen on spot as both of us were still in shock.

"Akki, Sarthak Pawar..." I said.

"Sarthak Pawar..." Akki repeated.

We snapped our faces at each other and jumped in joy. I planted myself on Akshay who squeezed me tightly as if we had won a lottery.

"Sarthak Pawar is holding auditions at our college, and there is no way we are not participating," Akshay said.

"Of course!" I said.

Akshay set me back on the floor and glared at some guys who commented that Akki and I looked like a couple and weren't shy of doing PDA.

Fucking assholes!

"Ignore them. Let's discuss which songs we should pick," I said and pulled my best friend with me.

Just like Arushi and me, Akshay was also an introvert, but he was a lone wolf too. He didn't feel like hanging around with anyone from our college except a few of our classmates. Apart from me and Arushi, he wasn't acquainted with any other girl and preferred his solidarity.

That's why, whenever someone passed unnecessary comments about him and me, he would turn hostile. I managed to distract him, and we started listing out the popular songs.

"Hey, Akshay!"

Akshay stopped when he heard his name, his face sporting a huge smile when Hriaan walked towards us and shook hands with Akshay. I stared at him, trying to gauge his height.

This is the boy who kept calling me 'Shorty', and I couldn't do anything about it.

Behind Hriaan, Tejas and one more of his friend called Kshitij Dogra were also discussing something among themselves.

"You going for the auditions?" Hriaan asked Akshay.

"Yes. Let's battle it out again once we get selected," Akshay joked.

Hriaan raised his hands in surrender. "Oh boy, I am scared. Guess what, I am not taking the auditions."

"Why not?" Akshay asked.

"Not interested. Dance is just a hobby."

"Understandable."

"By the way, when can I get to see Boomer again? I could have gotten his number at least. He seemed like an interesting guy."

On hearing 'Boomer' from Hriaan's mouth, Akshay glanced at me as I kept staring at Hriaan like a statue. As if Tejas was directly summoned there, he moved beside Hriaan in a flash and asked him what they were talking about.

Hriaan pointed at TJ in accusation and shook his head. "Don't act like you didn't come here after hearing Boomer's name!"

Tejas elbowed Hriaan in the stomach, and Kshitij Dogra aka KD also joined them and teased Tejas.

"I was asking Akshay about Boomer only," Hriaan said. "Does he go to our college?"

Akshay cleared his throat, and I sensed him getting nervous. He struggled to speak and was running out of excuses as Hriaan and KD kept asking him about Boomer.

What if Akki blurts out my name? His face is going pale. We will get in trouble for sure.

"Boomer... Well, he..." Akshay searched for correct words.

I grabbed Akshay's wrist and searched a way to escape. Tejas, Hriaan, and KD were waiting for Akshay's reply with full concentration, and my best friend was having a hard time to avoid their curious stares.

I looked here and there hastily, and when I spotted Jiya in the distance, I took a long breath.

"Jiya!" I yelled.

My voice must have been really loud because all of the guys were surprised and finally noticed me. When Jiya looked in my direction, I sent her an SOS with my facial expressions, and my friend zoomed on her roller skates in our direction.

She stopped right in front of me, her skates' tires making a white trail on the tiled corridor behind her.

"You are here? I was looking for you all over the college," Jiya lied.

I played along. "I know, but this idiot Akshay wouldn't leave."

Jiya clicked her tongue at Akshay and the rest of the guys.

"You guys gossip more than the girls," she said.

Tejas and his friends rolled their eyes, and Jiya was able to attract all of their attention. Hriaan requested her to DJ the next party at his house, and Jiya told him she would check her schedule. KD commented something, making Tejas laugh.

I squeezed Akshay's hand. "Let's get out of here."

He nodded, and I mentally thanked Jiya for rescuing us from that quicksand type situation.

"My legs had almost given up," Akshay confessed.

Even though we were sure that we had concealed my identity very well for the underground dance-off, the possibility of getting busted anytime still scared us.

When we reached our classroom, Arushi was making notes for her next book review. She noticed us and raised her eyebrows when she saw Akshay's state.

"What happened to you?" she asked him.

"He almost died," I said.

Arushi stared at us for a minute before she realised what must have happened. Like Jiya, she was also not in favour of what our crew had done.

"You guys might have gotten the money, but your actions aren't justified in any way," Arushi scolded us. "You guys shouldn't have cheated. Even if you don't get caught, Karma is still there."

"Don't spook us, man. I just got out of a tough situation," Akki complained and slumped his head on the desk.

"I am only stating the truth. Karma is real."

I wondered about the Karma logic as Jiya entered the classroom and took off her skates before she sat beside Akshay.

"Now listen carefully," Jiya whispered. "I have told Tejas and Hriaan a story about Boomer, and you will have to remember the same to avoid any suspicions. No loose ends tolerated, got it?"

Akshay and I nodded like kids and drilled Jiya's fake story in our heads. What Arushi said about Karma roamed in my head, but I decided to put the past event on backburner and focused on the upcoming dance auditions.