Page 126 of Every Move You Make
So far, all their friends and family had taken the stage. Damien and Aaliya had performed alongside Rishi and Mehak, as well as Sabrina and Aditya. Amara had danced with Vir, while the Oshnov siblings—Armaan, Vedant, and Mihir—had taken the floor with their spouses, Navya, Reina, and Ananya.
It had been quite a shocker to see Mihir dance. He was always so quiet and reserved. And yet, there he was on stage, moving with surprising ease, a small, uncharacteristic smile playing on his lips. Akash had cheered the loudest for him.
The Rajpoot siblings—Shaurya, Vihaan, Aaryan, and Avantika—had followed, paired with their other halves, Myra,Tiya, Sanjana, and Dev. Each performance had been spectacular in its own way, full of vibrant energy and moments that had the crowd cheering endlessly.
But the real highlight had been the kids. All of them—every couple’s children—had been brought onto the stage together for a short performance. Barely thirty seconds long, just tiny feet trying to keep up with the music, swaying more than dancing, some missing beats entirely, others spinning the wrong way. It had been thirty seconds of pure, unfiltered, utterly irresistible cuteness.
He sighed. Tonight had been perfect so far.
He watched as the lights came on and Armaan and Vir walked toward the center of the stage, mics in their hands—the designated emcees for the night.
Shauna turned to look at him and gave him a brilliant smile. He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Dressed in a golden lehenga, its cropped top and flared, shimmery skirt catching every flicker of light, she looked… unreal. Radiant. Her face glowed with happiness and her eyes sparkled.
His chest tightened. God, she was so beautiful. And tomorrow morning, he would be marrying her.
“You look stunning,” he said.
“You’re not doing too badly yourself, Mr. Karia.” She kissed his cheek. “I like you in all black.”
He grinned. She’d selected the outfit for him. A simple black and gold sherwani that matched her gold lehenga.
“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” he said, brushing his thumb over her hand.
Her smile widened. “The best.”
He studied her for a moment, then added, “I’m still upset that you didn’t dance because I wasn’t going to.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Well, if you wanted to see me dance, you should have agreed to dance too.”
On the stage in front of them, Vir and Armaan started to speak.
“Weren’t all those performances simply fabulous?” Vir asked Armaan.
Armaan grinned. “They were splendid indeed.Potryasayushche.”
Akash let out a soft laugh. It still amused him sometimes how seamlessly Armaan blended Russian words into his speech.
“So, this spectacular night is almost coming to a close,da?” Armaan continued, his voice carrying easily across the crowd.
“You’re right,” Vir agreed with a nod. “Only two final performances remain. Let’s start with Shauna’s closest girls.” He gestured toward the stage with a flourish. “We bring to you Rhea and Jiya.”
Applause echoed through the space as the lights dimmed and Rhea and Jiya took the stage. They blew a kiss at Shauna before taking their positions.
The music kicked in. The song was fresh and infectious, a new Bollywood track with a teasing rhythm and a playful, irresistible beat that instantly had the crowd leaning in. Rhea and Jiya stepped into it effortlessly.
Their movements were fluid yet sharp, perfectly in sync, every turn and flick of the wrist matching the song’s flirtatious energy. They glided across the stage, their expressions alive, their eyes sparkling, and their chemistry undeniable as they played off each other with practiced ease. The crowd cheered as they danced like they owned every beat.
The music slowed for a beat, and Rhea and Jiya exchanged a quick glance before breaking formation. Before anyone could quite register what they were doing, they hopped off the stage and made their way straight to Shauna.
Shauna laughed, caught completely off guard as they tugged her toward the stage.
The crowd rippled with excitement as they pulled her up between them. Akash knew she hadn’t practiced this, hadn’t even expected it, but as the music picked up again, she danced to the main beats of the song in rhythm with them, matching their energy, her movements natural and graceful.
Akash was on his feet, unable to take his eyes off her. As the music ended, the crowd erupted in cheers. Rhea and Jiya pulled her into a quick hug before pressing a kiss to each of her cheek, laughing as they all took a bow together and slipped off the stage.
Slightly breathless, Shauna made her way back to him, a shy smile tugging at her lips. He pulled her closer and kissed her smiling mouth.
“Wow, you were brilliant,” he murmured. “I hate that you didn’t perform just because I’m not into choreographed dancing.”
