And there it was.
“Well, no, sir. I did get in—but it wasn’t for me.”
“Ah, just like my daughter—medical school ‘just wasn’t for her’—now she teaches little children.” If there was such a thing as having negative pride in your children, Anil Mehta had it for his daughter. And it showed in his voice and in his demeanor. “Well, at least you are still in the medical field—and Nilay speaks very highly of you.” He smiled with some semblance of warmth.
She snuck a glance at Daniel. If he was offended or hurt by her father’s comments, it didn’t show. He nodded politely at the older man, his gaze flicking toward Annika for only the smallest fraction of a second as he clenched his jaw. That was all it took for him to portray his sympathy to her for lack of parental support. She answered with the most minute eye roll.
“Daniel and I work together quite often, Uncle, and he has saved quite a few lives,” Sajan said into the silence.
Her father nodded, slapping Sajan fondly on the back. “But not quite as many as you, eh, Doctor?”
“Papa!” Annika chided her father before she could help herself. “Don’t judge so quickly.”Wait, what?What did she care if he was rude to Daniel? She was angry with him. He hadliedto her—and could be a stalker for all she knew. But she hadn’t kept Nilay from him, and she never got any stalker-like vibes from him. Daniel wasn’t really anyone to her anyway. Was he? Her father opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Nilay was tugging at her elbow.
“Annika? Annika? Are you coming? Hello?”
“What?” Her residual irritation with her father landed on Nilay, who was thankfully oblivious.
“Garba, Didi! The jaan is starting!” Nilay was already bouncing to the beat in his eagerness to join the dancing.
She had somehow blocked out the call of the dol. But now she heard it beckoning to them, loud and clear. She grabbed her brother’s hand. “Well, let’s go!”
“Come on, Daniel,” Nilay called over his shoulder.
“Well, I’m on the bride’s side...”
Nilay grabbed Daniel by a biceps to make him move. “So what? Just come. Sajan and I will show you how.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Annika heard the confidence in Daniel’s voice, but when she turned to him, he simply raised his eyebrows at her and motioned for her to move.
Annika loved being part of the jaan. Dancing in the street (or parking lot) was one of the many highlights of the wedding. This groom had opted out of the traditional horse in favor of a fancy sports car with the top down. He sat on top of the back seat, dressed in his fancy turban and white-and-red wedding outfit, holding a coconut with leaves.
Annika and Nilay joined the dancers in front of the car. Sajan stood to the side and joined in the clapping. These were the groom’s friends and family, and they would dance the procession to the hotel entrance to celebrate the joy of the day. Thedol was in full swing, its beat revving up the dancers. Annika joined a group of her friends in a small circle and danced garba, which was a line dance done in a circle. Skirts twirled, hands clapped, and hips swayed, faster and faster in time with the beat of the dol. A few men joined in the garba, and Annika actually stopped, causing the girl behind her to trip, when she recognized Daniel in his emerald-green sherwani, easily moving to the complicated steps and beat of the drum.
Her flub did not go unnoticed by Daniel, who winked at her but kept pace and didn’t miss a beat. Annika was forced to step out of the circle so as not to cause a backup. She inhaled deeply to gather herself. Daniel was dancing garba like he’d done it all his life. There was a natural, masculine grace about the way his body moved, the way his feet kept the beat, the way his arms moved in sync with everyone else’s.
As his part of the circle came her way, Annika picked up the step and joined the circle in front of Daniel. Just for fun, she motioned to Naya and a couple of friends to change up the step to a yet more complicated one. Having done this together all their lives, the girls quickly and gracefully switched up the step. After missing only one or two beats, Daniel easily made the switch, as well. Annika couldn’t help the impressed grin on her face. Daniel was holding out on more than being in her room that night, and suddenly she was curious about all of it.
They finished the garba in a synchronized fury of clapped beats, quick feet and excited calls, many people dropping out, while Annika and Daniel remained the last two with the stamina to continue. At the final call, she caught his eye, slightly out of breath, and they took a small bow to the cheers of the other members of the jaan.
The dol slowed its beat, starting a bhangra. This was a dance from northern India, done with the shoulders to start, but then also progressing to hip swaying, twirling and complicated footwork. Though both men and women danced bhangra, the men’s and women’s steps differed slightly. As the dol beat sped up, the men jumped and squatted, using their scarves to accent the beat. Annika usually had no problem keeping up, but she had never really done it in a sari. Not to mention her left hand was still a bit sensitive.
Her sari and hand ignored, Annika and Naya—and she noticed Ravi as well, and, from the sidelines, Sajan—joined the guys as the beat got faster, and they quickly approached the hotel entrance. Some sari goddess must have been looking out for her, because as Annika kept up, her sari gracefully flowed, not once getting in her way. Daniel danced next to her, and she was aware of his every movement, as well as his gaze upon her. From the corner of her eye, she saw gray and blue, which meant Sajan was dancing on her other side. She dared a glance at Daniel and was captured by the amusement in his eyes. That was all it took, and she missed a beat, caught her sari underfoot and was falling, her newly stitched hand ready to brace her fall, when she was caught midfall. Strong hands encircled her waist and held her as she fought for balance, her injured hand flailing in the air.
“Whoa, there.” Daniel dodged the errant hand, avoiding a smack in the face. “Careful with my handiwork.”
Annika grabbed what she could with her good hand and found herself clinging to a whole lot of biceps. Or steady rock, because that was what it felt like. Daniel pulled her up to standing, where she avoided the green gaze by checking her sari and all the surrounding area as if her very life depended on it.
“Are you okay?” Sajan was at her other side.
“Yes. I’m fine—just tripped over my own sari.” She flushed. “Not used to bhangra in a sari.”
Sajan’s brow furrowed. “Maybe skip the dancing for a while? Until you’re healed.”
“I’m fine.” She tried not to sound irritated, but really, she was a grown woman.
“Sajan!” A hushed male voice called out to him, grabbing him and dragging him toward the groom. “We need you to guard the shoes.” Sajan nodded and left, leaving her alone with Daniel.
