Tara intentionally bumped into her. The glass tilted, and juice splashed all over Ankitha's dress.
From a distance, Aanya froze in shock.
Ankitha gasped, her voice sharp. "Oh no, my dress! Who the hell—"
Aanya rushed forward, Aryan's eyes following her movement.
Tara clutched her hands together, pretending panic. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Ankitha. I didn't do it on purpose—someone pushed me! Please forgive me."
Hearing that, Aanya's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ankitha clicked her tongue irritably. "You could've at least watched where you were walking! Now my dress is completely ruined."
Before Tara could speak again, Aanya stepped in, her voice calm but firm.
"Ankitha, I'm saying sorry… on behalf of my friend."
Tara looked at her in shock — Why is she apologizing?
Aryan's voice cut through the tension.
"Ankitha."
She turned to him instantly.
Aryan's tone was steady, almost dismissive. "You can just wash it. It's just a dress."
Ankitha faltered, her anger melting. "Oh… yeah… I will." She left quietly.
Tara smirked in satisfaction, while Aryan's gaze lingered on Aanya. She looked back at him — silently — the air heavy with unspoken words.
Aanya pulled Tara aside, whispering sharply, "Why did you pour the juice?"
Tara only smiled mischievously. "You'll know now." She walked away before Aanya could question her further.
Tara clapped her hands loudly. "Attention, everyone! Please look here!"
Aanya's brows furrowed, completely confused.
Tara continued confidently, "Tonight, we have a special dance performance… and not just any performance—it's a couple dance!"
The crowd clapped and cheered.
Aanya's eyes widened in shock. "What is she doing…?" she muttered under her breath.
Dev looked at Prerna. "Come on, let's dance."
Prerna forced a smile and nodded, even though her eyes betrayed her hesitation. They stepped onto the stage.
Suraj perked up. "Oh, then I'll—"
But before he could finish, Nisha grabbed his arm. "You'll dance with me, Suraj."
Suraj blinked in confusion. "What? But… I practiced with Aanya."
Meera quickly chimed in, "Yes, but now you have to dance with Nisha."
"But—" Suraj tried to argue, yet Nisha didn't give him a chance. She pulled him away toward the dance floor.
Before Aanya could process anything, Tara hurried back, grabbing her wrist. "Aanya, come on. Go and dance."
Aanya froze, her eyes instinctively drifting toward Aryan. He, too, was looking at her, a silent pause stretching between them.
"Where is Suraj?" Aanya asked nervously.
Tara didn't answer her question. Instead, she turned toward Aryan with a sly smile. "Aryan, you should also go."
Aryan's eyes shifted to Aanya. He paused, his expression unreadable, as if deciding whether to step forward or not.
Aanya's heart skipped, unsure what Tara was up to.
Tara clasped her hands together. "Well, Suraj is dancing with Nisha… and it also looks like Ankitha will take some time to come. So—" she paused for effect, her eyes flicking between the two of them, "why don't you both dance together?"
Aanya froze, then realization dawned on her. So this was Tara's plan all along. She glanced at her friend, her heart secretly blooming with happiness.
Trying to hide her excitement, Aanya stammered, "Me… with Mr. Aryan? I mean—we didn't even practice together. How can I dance with him?"
Tara's playful smile vanished into a serious glare. She tugged Aanya's arm closer and whispered, "Don't act too much, okay? Just be normal."
Aanya swallowed, her eyes lifting slowly toward Aryan. He was already watching her, his gaze steady and unreadable.
Gathering courage, she smiled faintly and said, "Well… I mean, yeah, we can try even without practice. What do you say, Mr. Aryan?"
Aryan's lips curved slightly. "Let's go." His tone was calm but decisive. He turned and began walking toward the center.
Aanya's heart leaped. She exchanged a quick, sparkling glance with Tara. Unable to hold it in, she whispered, "Yes…!" under her breath, her face glowing.
"Go fast," Tara urged, nudging her. "If that Ankitha comes again, it'll be a problem."
Aanya nodded quickly, her cheeks flushed with joy, and hurried after Aryan. She stopped right in front of him, her hands trembling slightly as the crowd's attention shifted toward them.
Some relatives gathered around Devika, whispering excitedly.
"Oh… even Aryan is dancing?" one of them asked with a smile.
Devika's lips curved warmly. "Yes."
On the dance floor, Aanya's heart was pounding as Aryan's steady gaze locked onto hers. Slowly, almost naturally, they stepped closer. His hand reached out, and she placed hers into his. A shiver ran down her spine as the music began.
Their movements blended effortlessly, as if they had practiced together for years. Aanya couldn't hear the claps of the guests anymore—only the sound of her heartbeat and Aryan's presence guiding her. He was lost in her eyes, and she in his.
One of the relatives leaned toward Devika. "Who is that girl dancing with Aryan?"
Devika, still smiling softly, replied, "She's one of our distant relative's daughters. She's staying here with us. A very nice girl.
"Ohh, I see," the relative nodded. "By the way, both of them are dancing so beautifully."
Another added, "Yes! And they even wore matching outfits… they look wonderful together."
Devika's heart swelled with happiness at the words. But Nandini, who overheard, stiffened. Her expression turned sharp, and without a word, she turned and walked away. Devika noticed her exit, her smile fading just a little.
Meanwhile, Aryan and Aanya remained completely unaware of the world around them. Their eyes never left each other as they danced in perfect harmony, every step drawing them closer, every touch making the world blur.
Suddenly, Ankitha arrived at the edge of the crowd. Her eyes widened as she saw the dance had already begun—and at its center, Aryan and Aanya moving as if they belonged to each other.
As the dance ended, the crowd erupted into applause, clapping and cheering loudly. "Wow!" echoed from all sides. Aryan and Aanya finally broke out of their trance, realizing the performance was over.
From the corner, Ankitha stood frozen, her face completely blank. Meanwhile, Aanya's friends were practically bouncing with joy.
Ankitha stepped forward, forcing a smile. "Aanya… you guys danced together?"
Aanya turned quickly, caught off guard. "Well… I…" She didn't know what to say.
Before the silence grew awkward, her friends rushed in.
Meera gushed, "Wow, Aanya! You both danced so well!"
Aryan and Aanya glanced at each other, a flicker of warmth in their eyes.
Nisha added, "Yeah, exactly! I mean, you didn't even practice together, but it looked like you've been practicing for months!"
Aanya laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Tara smirked and turned to Ankitha. "Didn't they dance beautifully together?"
Ankitha forced a fake smile, said nothing more, and quietly walked away.
Tara immediately grabbed Aanya's hand. "Come with me for a second."
Aanya frowned. "Where?"
"First, just come!" Tara insisted, pulling her along.
Aryan's eyes followed them as they walked away. Aanya, too, turned back for a second, meeting his gaze.
In that moment, her delicate ankle chain slipped loose and fell to the floor. Aryan noticed it instantly. Without a word, he bent down, picked it up, and looked at it for a moment—his lips curving into a faint smile. Then he slipped it safely into his pocket.
Tara pulled Aanya to a quiet corner and stopped.
Aanya frowned. "What are you doing? Why did you bring me here? I was… admiring Mr. Aryan."
Tara smirked. "Oh, Aanya. That's exactly why I brought you here. I have a plan—so that you can admire him not just for a moment, but for a lifetime."
Aanya blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Tara leaned closer, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I mean… now is the time you should propose to Aryan."
Aanya froze. Her eyes widened in shock as she almost shouted, "What? Propose to Mr. Aryan? Right now?!"
Tara quickly hushed her. "Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Realizing, Aanya lowered her tone, still flustered. "You mean… right now… propose?"
Tara raised her brows. "Yes, now only. Or what? Do you want to wait for some auspicious time and call a priest to fix the mahurat for your proposal?"
Aanya bit her lip, lost in her thoughts, her heart racing.
Seeing her hesitate, Tara crossed her arms. "Fine then, we'll wait. Maybe until Aryan directly proposes to you. But you know what? In the meantime, Ankitha might just do it herself. And then…" Tara's voice dropped dramatically, "your Mr. Aryan will become Ankitha's Aryan."
The words hit Aanya like a lightning bolt. Her eyes widened in panic. "No… no! I can't let that happen!"
"Then go," Tara urged. "Go and tell him. Be brave, Aanya."
Aanya inhaled deeply, trying to gather courage. She smoothed down her dress nervously, then suddenly gasped. "Oh no… my ankle chain!"
Tara frowned. "What happened now?"
"I think I dropped it," Aanya murmured, glancing around in worry. "We should search for it first—"
Tara gave her a serious look.
Realizing she was stalling, Aanya forced a nervous laugh. "Ha… ha… forget it, we can search for it later. I'll go now."
Tara's stern face softened into a smile. She placed a hand on Aanya's shoulder. "That's my girl. All the best."
---
End Of Chapter 41.