"Now shall we jazz it a bit this year? Yes, we shall !!!" said the anchor and then gave a cue to his assistant.

His assistant took a bowl with numbers in it and requested the lovely ladies to pick a number each.

"Let me clear up the air of mystery around here. You all must have danced with your partners. Now let us try to dance with someone that we don't know. Don't you think that would be exciting!!!".

"Now that all you lovely ladies have a random number in your hand, I am going to call all the names of the guys enlisted here one by one and you will be paired with them based on the number that you have picked. So let's see who all are paired together !!!"

The crowd cheered this innovative move and everyone was ecstatic except for one.

The moment Vikram heard the announcement, he was displeased, for he wanted to dance again with Akira because the hunger and the thirst inside his heart were still not quenched. He wanted to stop this farce for once and for all, but seeing everyone else all enthusiastic about it, he decided to keep quiet without creating any scene.

"So the first person to be on stage is Mr. Vikram Shah, so the lucky lady with Token number 1 will get to dance with him".

"I am sorry", Vikram said looking at Akira and went ahead to pair with the lady with Token Number1. Right now he had just one prayer in his mind to not to have Akira and Raymond paired together at any cost. But it was all probabilistic and nothing was in his hands now.

The anchor kept announcing the names one by one and the intensity of Akira's prayers increased manifold for she just wanted to have a dance with him. She remembered all the Gods and summoned all her faith within to be paired with Raymond.

"Now number 23, please welcome Mr. Raymond Walker".

Raymond took a step forward and calmly looked at Akira for he knew since long that he would be paired with her. The anchor, his assistant, they all had been instructed earlier by David the day before.

Her face beamed with so much happiness that she had to bite her lips to tone it down.

She walked up to him and asked softly,

"So this was all you?"

He closed the gap between them by inching further and said,

"How could you even think that I will not have a dance with you? This is the first time you asked something from me. How can I not give it to you? I told you Akira all that you have to do is to ask".

She didn't say a word and just kept looking at him, unable to believe that so much love was written in her fate for she could be with a guy who would go to this length just to fulfill her desires.

They stood there totally oblivious to what and who was around them. There was nothing but just an inch of gap between the two and it killed Vikram to see them this close. He was scared if her love would re-surface, he was scared if she would leave him for Raymond. But nothing could be done right now as any silly move could ruin the night and probably his reputation.

So he drank the bitter cup of resentment and got ready for the dance.

Soon the lights were dimmed so much that it was difficult to even recognize people from a feet apart.

She looked up the moment the lights went out and then smiled, for now, she could happily sway in his arms.

The music was yet to start but he came closer already and gripped her tight from her back and leaned in close. She could feel his warm breath over her neck and her bare shoulders. He stayed there for a moment and then asked,

"Are you ready for a dirty dance?"

She didn't answer but raised her hand to hold his shoulder for the music had begun.

She interlocked her fingers slowly into his and the moment she did she was pulled close. So close that his lips were touching her forehead. There was no gap left in between them. She sighed with the touch of his lips and closed her eyes while they moved in each other's embrace in complete symphony.

He then brought his hand which was twined with her fingers up, to rest on his shoulder. She locked her arms around his neck and he locked his around her waist. Then he whispered into her ears,

"Tell me how this feels", saying that he ran the back of his fingers on her bare sides.

She instantly tugged his jacket for she felt a sudden surge inside her body. She whimpered and twitched but that relentless him didn't stop.

With the change of the beats, he turned her and made her back, rest on his chest and he softly kissed her neck. Her hypnotized body tried to move ahead but one hand of his lied firm on her belly and pulled her close.

"Now don't you dare escape from me", he said and pushed her hair aside and gently licked her earlobe and said,

"This right here is all mine. I am marking my territory", he said and then ran his fingers along her neck and on her bare shoulders. He didn't spare an inch of the bare skin underneath as well.

"This corset of yours is blocking me to touch what's underneath and let me tell you that's mine as well" he whispered and then ran his index finger on her chest slowly, awakening her and making her moan and arch like she had been ascended.

"Raymond Stop !!!", she whispered but her request just vanished into the thin air for he was determined not to stop today.

His hands moved to her back and grazed her sides again and he reached underneath the dress and held her bare waist. She was so vulnerable at that moment that the distinction between sanity and insanity was diminishing with every passing moment. All that she could do was to whisper his name repeatedly.

He knew she was about to break because he himself was losing it all. The man inside him wanted to roar and ascend the throne but his palace was crumbling and withering in his arms.

He whispered into her ears again,

"Is that dirty enough or shall I go down", saying that he moved his fingers slowly down and touched the edges of the lace underneath.

Heavens crumbled and the oceans dried for she couldn't bear it. Not even for a split second.

She turned back and he could see sudden panic and anger in her eyes.

He instantly regretted his move and said,

"I am sorry !!! But I warned you before !!!"

"You !!!", she hissed.

"You don't come close to me when we are at my house and you dare to touch me at a place which is crowded by hundreds of people? Aren't you a bit of showbiz?", she said and stomped on his foot as he made her twirl.

He winced in pain and pulled her close and without wasting a second, he bit her lips and before she could even realize he released her.

The song was almost coming to the end, but they weren't done romancing at all.