Finally, presenting you *drum roll please* the first chapter of In Bangalore City.

Enjoy xo

Chapter 1

2 years later~

Vineeth~

"Vineeth!"

I turned back instantly and watched Akshay walk up to me, his eyebrows creased together in worry.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Suraj is still sick with the flu," he informed me. I shrugged my shoulders. There were many instances, many days when we had to change the plan at the last moment if one of us couldn't make it for various personal reasons.

That's why Akshay always made us watch the individual steps of our crew mates so in circumstances as these, someone else could take the part.

I didn't know why Akshay was fretting so much until I realized.

Suraj was the lightest amongst us so there was a silent agreement that he would be launched into the air and he'd do the job perfectly, each time.

Somersaulting perfectly in the air and landing gracefully with the backdrop of screams and claps.

It was one of our star moves and I also realized with doom that this was the first time he wasn't there amongst us.

"You want me to be launched into the air in the place of Suraj?" I asked him, disbelief in my voice. "I have never practiced it—"

"I know but you need to trust your crew members. You know we can't drop that move, not on a night like this. I know I'm putting a pressure on you like—"

"Glad you noticed it," I said sarcastically.

"If you want, I can tell someone else. Each one of you are equally great but I trust you more—"

"I'll do it," I said, sighing.

It's not the first time I'll be tossed into the air and I'll have to perfect the landing.

During my school days, I trusted no one to do it but me. Back then, a part of me also feared that my crew members may get injured but strangely, I never worried about that in this crew because I wasn't its leader. Akshay was.

And now, he was pulling me in to save him from this crisis and I felt like I couldn't let him down at the last moment.

I haven't ever practiced it with these guys but in the back of my head, I trusted them. That they'd give me the perfect lift that they gave Suraj time and time again, sometimes more than once, during a show.

"If we win this one—"

"It will be our sixth consecutive win," I stated, a grin spreading across my face.

"Sixth win of the season, baby. We will make history and the season isn't even done yet," Akshay said, my grin mirrored on his face.

"I'm trusting you," he said, his hand messing my hair up, as if I was a small boy before walking away. I mean, technically I was much younger to him anyways. He was doing his post graduation right now and I was still in my third year of architecture.

The two years of friendship had drawn us both closer and I respected him like an elder brother I never had.

"Gather up, boys," he called out. All of us ran upto him from various corners of the backstage.

"We go up there and do what we do everytime and what's that?" he asked with authority in his voice.

"Our absolute best!" we chorused as we heard the announcer shout out our names.

"Damn fucking right!"

~*~

The lights, the shrill screams of girls, the claps, the whistles, the shouts.

I was used to all this as we took our positions. Adrenaline was already rushing through me. The excitement gripping me right before the beat of the first song fell.

I was in the left at the front for the first song and for the second one, I was in the lead and so on it went.

Even when I was at the centre, I was at ease. A confident grin on my face, my steps were in sync with the beats, effortlessly. I could hear the vague screaming of my name coming from the crowd and I wasn't even surprised.

People knew your name when you're in a city famous dance group, winning all the titles consecutively.

But my heart pumped with every beat and I could feel the adrenaline rush through my veins and yet, I felt content.

I loved the stage and everything it did to me.

As we lined up on a slow beat, I felt Akshay's eyes on me for a fleeting second. Usually, Suraj would take a break from the earlier performance so he could have all the strength to do the somersault in the air but I didn't take the break and I could feel a minute tingling of nervousness because of it.

No, I can do this, I chided myself.

Akhil and Parth gave me a nod as I positioned myself, ready for the launch. My heart was in my throat and I realized that for the first time, I was doing something on the stage without the tremendous amount of practice I put in, to perfect it on the days leading to the final showdown.

A thousand things could go wrong, my mind whispered to me.

I said a quick prayer, right before the beat fell and I was launched into the air. I somersaulted perfectly, pride enveloping me as I heard screams and claps, cameras flashing right before I landed on the floor.

My weight falling on my one foot instead of balancing it out on both, something I attributed to my lack of practice. My landing wasn't good but the crowd's attention was on my crew again as they covered me up and started dancing. I tried getting up but a gasp of pain came tumbling out.

Fuck.

My ankle hurt like a fucking—okay, I've got nothing. I don't even have a simile for it.

It was that bad.

I noticed Gaurav a few feet away from me and hissed out his name. He didn't look at me but I knew he was listening. Call it best friend instinct or whatever shit you want.

"Take my place in the front in the next rotation," I told him. His face showed concern for a second right before the grin for the watching crowd was back on his face.

When the song changed, Gaurav was in the front and I took his position. My steps came out clumsily for the first ever time on a stage with me hissing in pain every time I had to put pressure on my ankle. I prayed to the Gods that it wasn't a fracture.

No way that I could deal with a fracture right now. Not in the middle of the season. I tried my absolute best, willing myself to do everything to not ruin it for the rest of the crew even though the ankle was killing me.

When it finally ended, I was more than happy to leave it, not even going for the line-up that we do along with the bow to the crowd that we do ritualistically, paying our respects to the crowd who was out there.

I limped backstage and collapsed on a bench, my hands quickly pulling off my white sneaker from my injured foot.

I touched it tentatively and hissed in pain. Shit, I'm screwed.

I'm so screwed.

I watched as the crew slowly came in, laughing and clapping each other on their backs. Another perfect performance. But I wasn't in it this time. I almost ruined it.

"Vineeth, are you alright?" a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Gaurav looking at me with concern etched on his face.

"I'm fucked," I replied honestly as I cradled my injured ankle in my hands. His eyes flitted nervously between my face and my ankle before he started shouting out to Akshay.

Half an hour later, I found myself in a waiting room with my entire crew hovering above me. The disgusting smell of disinfectant hitting my nose strongly. Argh, I hated hospitals with a passion.

What I'd give to be anywhere but here.

"That looks like shit," Akshay mumbled as he inspected my ankle.

Feels like it too, I thought, gritting my teeth as I glanced down at my ankle which didn't look like one anymore. It was swollen and bruised and horrible.

I hoped with all the stupidity in my head that the doctor would give me a magic ointment and my ankle will be new as ever. But the science in me shook its head profusely.

That wont work so I just hoped against all hope that it was a minor injury and I could get back to dancing as soon as possible.

I prayed that to whatever fate that led me there.

~*~

We know exactly what fate led you there, Vineeth *winks*

For all of y'all who are already crushing on Vineeth: he is my fav character of all my books xD Hands down, no competition *sighs*

I know I said that they'd meet this chapter but please sympathize with me because I'm so sick that I can't even right now.

Argh, I hate being sick.

Thats why please give me time to update FPS. I will update it as soon as I feel better again.

Love you,

Until the next time, vote, comment and promote.

anamika~

Insta id: anamika__p

Twitter: anamika__wp