A/N: I swear this is the last rewrite I'm going to do, please feel free to smack me upside the head if I don't. Also, while this story is mostly in English, every now and then you'll find that I'll throw in a monologue or two in Hindi, so I apologize in advance for the sucky translations at the end of the chapter. Happy reading!
The One Where Taani Finally Loses Her Shit
Taani swore that she was going to fucking annihilate the dance team if VP sir didn't get to her first.
Marching down the halls of St. Louis, completely and utterly engrossed in her own fury, Taani nearly knocked over her two favourite captains. Huffing the lone curl that had trickled in front of her face away, Taani sent an apologetic glance towards the innocent bystanders that she might as well have bulldozed over.
"I'm so sorry you guys, I don't know mera dhyan kahan pe tha!"
"Arre, gusse pe tha! Aur kahan rehta hai tera dhyan?" teased Huma, the dramatics captain. This earned her an unimpressed yet fond glare from Taani and a harsh smack on the arm from her best-friend, Ishika.
"Leave her alone," the music captain scolded. She then asked Taani if she's alright, no stranger to seeing that same worried look on their GS's face at least four times a day.
Taani let out a defeated sigh, toying with the cactus-shaped ring on her middle finger. "No, not really. Have you guys seen the dance team? Literally, any one member from the team will do at this point."
"Um, I saw Rey leave not too long ago, but he was by himself," Huma informed her with a sad smile.
"Yeah, none of them were in any of their classes today," added Ishika.
"Thank god for that!" Huma merely shrugged in defence when Taani and Ishika glared at her, yet again. "What? It was the most productive class we've had in months."
Taani simply rolled her eyes at Huma's jabs, telling Ishika to send the team her way if she or Huma manages to find them.
Making her way to the projector room, Taani called Aashi for what felt like the billionth time. She practically stabbed the end call button once Aashi's phone goes to voicemail, yet again. Just as she entered the projector room though, Taani's phone began to ring.
She swore it was like hearing the angels sing.
She hurriedly picked up the call to shout, "Aashi, I have been calling you all day! Where the hell are you guys? Do you have any idea how many messages I've left? Why even have a phone if you're not going to use it? I swear, when you guys get here-"
"Arre meri Jodhpur Express, kabhi toh dekh ke phone uthaya kar!" The voice on the other line chuckled, immediately causing Taani to realize that it was not Aashi that called her.
"Disha!"
A smile finally graced Taani's face for the first time in weeks. Not just any smile, but her 'Disha called so my day just automatically got a million times better and literally no one can fuck things up for me now' smile.
"Sorry yaar Dish Fish, I'm just-"
"Stressed? Anxious? Losing your goddamn mind with each passing second? Not to worry babes, that's what I'm here for. Chal, Kabir and I are taking you to lunch, we're waiting outside your college."
Taani groaned. "Dish, I love you, but I have a lot of work to get done- plus I have a meeting with VP sir in a few minutes! How about I take you guys out to dinner instead?"
Taani didn't have to be there to imagine the scowl that had definitely formed on her best-friend's face.
"Are you the only person who does any work at that damn college? What about that AGS ex-boyfriend of yours? What am I saying, isn't your brother the bloody ACS?"
"Disha, they're on the dance team, so therefore I do have to take on a little more… but it's fine, I'm fine, I promise!"
"Bullshit!"
"Disha-"
"Taani, I grew up on a fucking farm, and even I've never witnessed a load of shit as big as the one you're trying to sell me. You and I both know that you're not fine. If I were you I'd snap their bloody necks."
"Thank god for them that you're not," Taani joked in a feeble attempt to pacify her overprotective best-friend.
When Disha remained silent, Taani added, "I'll take you to that fancy kebab place you like," only to get a grunt in response - Disha's way of saying 'you're so fucking annoying, I'm just worried, why can't you let me be worried?'.
Taani does her best to hold back laughter, which Kabir clearly did not manage to do judging by the wheezing sounds Taani heard in the background. Whether it was Kabir laughing or getting the wind knocked out of him thanks to Disha is yet to be determined.
"Anyway, I'll see you guys tonight, okay? When are you guys done-" Taani didn't get to finish asking when Disha and Kabir got off work thanks to a familiar, perfectly manicured hand plucking her phone from hers.
Taani simply stared at her, downright perplexed. "Sharon, did you just... take my phone?"
The only thing Taani got in response was that classic Sharon Rai Prakash smirk.
"Can I please have my phone back?"
"Why, so you can continue to ignore my calls in favour of catching up with your friends?"
"Well, you guys have been ignoring mine all day so…" Taani trailed off, digging her nails into her palms in hopes of being able to calm down.
"Taani, I called you like fifty times!"
So far it's not working.
"Really? You called me fifty times in the last five minutes?"
Sharon rolled her eyes and Taani has to remind herself that no matter how infuriating she has been lately, Sharon is still one of her closest friends.
"What's going on here?" VP sir's voice boomed throughout the room, prompting everyone to make way for him to enter the room.
Stepping in between the general and cultural secretaries, he glanced down sternly at Sharon. "Miss Rai Prakash, you are the cultural secretary of this college, not a toddler. Give Miss Shekhawat her phone back right this instant."
Sharon simply placed the phone on a nearby table and VP sir mentally reminded himself to pick up some Aspirin on his way home.
"You are not helping your case here, Miss Rai Prakash. If this is how you have been handling your responsibilities as of recently, then I completely agree with Taani's suggestion of electing a new cultural secretary. This, coupled with the fact that you forgot something as simple as the NDC entry forms… I did not expect such carelessness from you."
"Sir, this college also has an AGS and an ACS-"
"But this was not their responsibility, Sharon," Sharon couldn't help but flinch at the sound of their vice principal's voice going up by a million octaves, "it was yours since it was given to you, not Rey or Swayam, you. How-"
"But sir," Swayam cut in, having the decency to at least recoil at the glare VP sir sent his way for interrupting, "Sharon has been our CS for the past two, almost three years."
"Which is why it is absolutely ridiculous that she made a mistake such as this. Forgetting to submit entry forms, really? You had one job, Miss Rai Prakash-" VP sir stopped himself mid-sentence, letting out a soothing breath in an effort to compose himself.
"This is neither the time nor the place for this conversation. The reason you are all here right now is because I have been trying to get Taani to get you here for the last four hours. Please enlighten me as to why some of my brightest students - the dance team and the college's pride and joy - haven't been anywhere near college property all day, never mind attending their classes. And where in the world is Reyansh Singhania?"
"Sir," Taani finally piped up, "I sent Rey to submit some paperwork for NDC."
"Yes, that's where we were too!" Vicky exclaimed, gesturing for everyone to nod in agreement.
Taani widened her eyes in shock at the gang's smug faces, mouthing 'what the fuck?' at them, immediately smiling brightly once VP sir turned his attention back to her.
That poor old man. His health benefits should really be covering his therapy sessions.
"Do you really expect me to believe that the entire dance team went to go submit paperwork?" VP sir couldn't help but shake his head. "Where were you guys? Because I know you weren't practicing for NDC. Are you even serious about helping our college win?"
"Of course we are, sir!" exclaimed Bharat.
"We are 100% committed to NDC!" added Simmi.
That was the last straw for Taani.
"Oh, give me a break! Like you guys would ever put NDC before one of your professional events. Every single routine that I've seen you rehearsing has been used for one of your events, so I really hope that you'll miraculously be able to come up with a brand-new one for NDC. Or did you guys not even read the rulebook like I asked? Honestly, you-"
VP sir put up a hand, immediately silencing Taani. Sending a reassuring nod her way, he turned to the team, the deadly calm of voice sending shivers down everyone's spines. "You guys left during college hours to go do a professional event? And you've been using time in the rehearsal hall that is not part of your rent, because it is for NDC specifically, just so you can work on routines to further your professional careers? You think that's fair to the college?"
No one said a word. VP sir simply sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tries to think of what to say next… but he just couldn't do this anymore. He left the room, hoping that at least Taani would be able to knock some sense into them.
If he could hire the girl, he would.
Once he's out of earshot, everything goes to shit.
"What the hell Taani?" yelled Simmi.
"How could you do that to us?" cried Nilesh.
"Seriously Taani, that wasn't cool." Even Neha couldn't help but snipe at her.
"Guys-" Aashi began to get in the middle of her friends, but Sharon beat her to it.
"What the fuck wrong with you?"
Taani raised an eyebrow, amused more than upset. "Excuse me?"
"You just threw us under the bus! All the while protecting your boyfriend, as usual." Sharon practically beamed when she saw that crestfallen look appear on Taani's face. "But wait, you guys broke up. So why the hell are you still protecting him as if you're still together?"
Rinni tugged at Sharon's jacket, something she always does when she's trying to get Sharon to stop whatever rampage she's so hellbent on going on, but Sharon was having none of it.
"Unless…" she trailed off tauntingly, "you're hoping he'll take you back. Oh, sweetheart-"
"Are you done being a total bitch, or do you need another minute or two to get whatever the hell that was out of your system?" Taani snapped, earning a muffled snort of approval from Aashi.
If looks could kill, Taani would be burnt to a crisp right now.
"How dare you?!"
"I'm sorry, what kind of fucking dictatorship do you think you're running exactly?"
"Listen-"
"You expect me to just stand here, crying as I beg for forgiveness like a good little girl, while you get to say whatever you want? I think the fuck not."
"Okay, you are seriously starting to piss me off!"
"Starting to?" Taani burst out laughing, narrowing her eyes at Sharon once she's through. "Wow, I must not be doing my job right… khair chodo! The bottom line is, Rey asked me to cover for him because he had something important to do, and I did. If you guys had just kept me in the loop and been honest with me, I would've done the same for you."
"Yeah right-"
"I wasn't done, Sharon. I know that you guys don't even go to class to begin with, but which one of you idiots thought that it would be a good idea to book an event during college hours?"
Accusatory fingers flew towards Swayam, causing Taani to bite back a smile.
"Wow, my money was on Sharon, but well done bhai!" Taani clapped as dramatically as she possibly could, the shit-eating grin on her face making Swayam want to tear his hair out as he grinded his teeth to dust.
"Come on Taani, this is your brother you're talking to!"
Taani couldn't help but roll her eyes at the audacity of this girl. Sharon Rai Prakash was the last person Taani expected to be able to talk some sense into her, despite what she and her friends may believe.
"Exactly! So why do I still hear you yapping away?"
"Look here, princess-"
Taani couldn't help but start laughing yet again at Sharon's words.
"Oh my god, what?!" Sharon snapped, absolutely loathing the fact that Taani was getting under her skin.
Taani tilted her head to the side, scrunching her eyebrows together as her eyes darted from Sharon to her brother and the rest of their friends. She took one look at the panicking spiral Swayam's face was on and suddenly it all makes sense.
"Oh my god, you're unbelievable bhai!" Taani threw her arms up in the air in frustration, gaining curious looks from the gang. "I know that they don't know about me but I figured… you didn't tell them, did you? All these years later and your friends are none the wiser."
"You know what, Taani, I've had enough!" Swayam admonished, using that insufferably stringent big brother voice of his.
"You've had enough?" Taani's fist hit the nearest table so hard that everyone swore they heard it crack. "You? Enough of what, bhai?" The look of pure rage with a sprinkle of distress manifesting on his little sister's face made Swayam wish that he'd just kept his mouth shut.
"Are you the one who has been berated by your friends at every given turn whenever you do something they don't like?"
Vicky and Simmi exchanged a knowing glance as they're met with Taani's infamous glare.
"Are you the one who doesn't get treated with respect as a GS just because you can't dance? As if every GS that came before was some kind of dancing prodigy?"
Bharat and Rinni looked down, unable to look their former friend in the eye.
"Are you the one who keeps getting blamed for things that were either out of your control and/or not even your fault to begin with? Are you the one who just got put on the spot and in a very awkward position with our Vice-Principal?" Swayam winced at the harsh tone of Taani's voice - one that she's never used with him. "Please enlighten me, Mr. Swayam Singh Shekhawat, exactly what have you had enough of?"
"Taani-" Aashi tried to butt in once again - Aashi who on any other day Taani would've probably listened to…
Unfortunately for them, this was not one of those days.
"You, Taani!" Swayam all but screamed at the top of his lungs, squashing down whatever speck of guilt had managed to break through his frustration. "I've had enough of you!"
"We all have," Sharon made a point to add, stepping forward just as Taani stumbled back.
"Okay, guys, let's all just calm down-" That was Nilesh, trying to diffuse this ticking time bomb of a conversation, as usual, before it blew them all up.
"I am perfectly calm!" Sharon snapped at him, ignoring the enraged glares that Simmi and Vicky sent her way as she turned her attention back to Taani. She'd deal with them later, she always did.
"Taani, even you have to know that the only reason why any of us are still listening to you is because you're Swayam's sister. You should-"
"Sharon," Taani cut in sharply, taking a step towards the girl in question and looking her right in the eye, brushing off the pang in her heart cause by her brother's words, "pehle toh aap yeh decide karlo ki main Swayam ki behen hoon ya aap logon ki dost… ya phir sirf college ki GS. Voh kya hai na ki aap log mera status har second bas badalte hi rehte hai. Agar itna hi time hai aap logon ke paas, toh NDC ke rehearsals ke liye ek ghanta bhi nahi nikal sakte kya?"
Aashi mumbled an inaudible 'damn' as Amar choked on the bout of laughter that he was desperately trying to not give in to.
Everyone swore they could see steam puffing out of their beloved fire dragon's ears.
"Kuch zyada hi uchal rahi ho tum," Sharon warned, hating the fact that a few months ago, this side of Taani would've had her grinning with pride.
"Kyun? Did you finally decide that you're the only one who gets to lug around an ego the size of a blue whale? You know, the one that's got you so caught up in your own world that it's refusing to let you see that what you and your team are doing is wrong, and will absolutely have a negative impact on our college? My bad yaar, I totally missed the memo. Agli baar college ki website pe zaroor likh dena. Better yet, just let me know and I'll post it whenever you want… as long as you remember to submit an official request, I know paperwork is a little challenging for you."
Sharon couldn't help but groan as she rubbed her temples. "Oh god, this again-"
"Yes, Sharon, this again!" Taani shouted, equally as miffed as Sharon. "When will you get it through that thick skull of yours that you fucked up? You were given one thing to do, one thing, and you couldn't even do that? I don't know what the hell is going on with you, and frankly, I am sick and tired of caring. But the Sharon Rai Prakash that I know and once looked up to would never make a mistake like this, you are way too meticulous for it."
"That's all it was, Taani! A stupid, silly mistake."
"It's not about the mistake, Sharon, it's about the fact that you are too goddamn proud to admit you made a mistake! Do you really think I'm mad about the forms?" Taani immediately softened at the sight of the puzzled look on Sharon's face. "Sharon, I am frustrated with you because you refuse to understand what the repercussions of your stupid, silly mistake would've been. You are not this immature, you have not been this immature since I stepped foot into this college and I know that because I have seen the kind of person you are with my own two eyes. Sharon, I am begging you - not as a friend or even a GS, but as a student who cares about this college just as much as you do - to please, for the love of Krishnaji, get over yourself."
Taani was ready for anything at this point.
A classic Sharon Rai Prakash tongue-lashing - she's used to those by now.
A dramatic exit followed by the dance team telling her off on Sharon's behalf - an everyday occurrence.
Even an emotional breakdown which would then lead to Sharon trashing the projector room as she does on a weekly basis.
Taani wasn't, however, ready for Sharon to swing her spiky glove-covered fist at her face.
Taani should've been on the floor, cheek bleeding, in a matter of seconds. She should've been crying her eyes out and rushing to see the nurse.
Instead, she found herself wrapped up in a familiar pair of arms, ones that had never failed to always make her feel safe as they soothed her to sleep over the years. Who else but Kabir Malhotra would have that instant effect on her?
Peeking out from where she was buried in Kabir's enormous shoulders, Taani knew exactly who had grabbed ahold of Sharon's fist of fury, the snake cuff that hugged her wrist gleaming at Taani, much like its owner did before setting the world on fire for those that she holds dearest.
"Disha," Taani murmured, leaning into the gentle touch of Kabir's hand running through her hair.
The girl in question had heard her friend's soft, broken voice - she always does.
It only made her angrier.
"What would happen if I snapped your wrist right off?" Sharon yelped in pain thanks to Disha twisting her hand as if it were a bottle cap. "Although, I hear that feet tend to be more important to dancers… oh well, someone as talented as you should be able to dance regardless, right?"
"Disha, let her go right now!" Swayam yelled angrily, looking like he was ready to throw Disha off the terrace if she didn't do as he said.
"Back the fuck off, Shekhawat, you'll get your turn soon."
"Right. Now."
Disha glanced over at Swayam as though he were a piece of gum on her shoe. She leaned her head back, as though asking Taani for permission even though she would do as she pleased regardless, and let go of the Dazzler's wrist with a tired sigh.
"You still hate waiting that much? What are you, five?"
"Are you for real?" Simmi, now having pulled Sharon away from the crazy bitch in the floral jumpsuit, all but screamed in Disha's face. "You could've seriously hurt her!"
Disha whipped her head in Simmi's direction, matching her irate glare with one of her own. "She could've seriously hurt Taani! Or did you miss the part where your precious best-friend tried to punch mine in the face? I know that loyalty might be kind of a foreign concept for you people, but if you mess with my friends, you mess with me."
Simmi, for once at a loss for words, simply tightened her hold on Sharon.
"Disha," Swayam grit out, facing her towards him, "what are you doing here?"
"Well, I came here to take my best-friend out to lunch, but it seems like I'll be taking her home with me instead because there is no way in hell I trust you to live under the same roof as her."
"I'm her brother," is all Swayam could manage to say.
Disha simply snorted. "Really? Because at this point I'd trust her waste of space father to take better care of her than you."
Kabir lightly smacked his best-friend on the arm and Disha nearly cried at the sight of Taani shrinking back further into Kabir because of something she said.
She was going to kill every single person in this room.
Repeating the names of the two people she cared about most at least three times - something that Taani's mom taught her way back when - Disha finally managed to simmer down.
Swiping Taani's phone from the table Sharon had placed it on, Disha holds it up for the others to see. "Your friend over there never ended the call, ergo, we heard everything. There was no fucking way that either of us was going to let our friend be around the likes of you any longer, so we made our way here. A very helpful dramatics captain guided us here, actually. She also said to tell you assholes to go rot in hell."
Swayam took one step towards Disha and Kabir had him pinned to the wall in a matter of seconds.
Taani flat out refused to so much as look at her brother.
"I've never liked you," Kabir growled, "and the only reason why I haven't hurled your ass down the world's tallest waterfall is a bigger mess than when-"
Kabir stopped himself before he could say something to set Taani off even more, but Swayam knew right away what Kabir was getting at.
"You're just as insane as she is," he snarled, causing Kabir to tighten his grip on his collar.
"And you're just as vile as ever," Disha retorted. "How you keep getting Rai Prakash women to fall for you is beyond me."
"Excuse me?" Sharon's voice finally rang out amidst the chaos that Disha and Kabir always seemed to bring. "What are you guys talking about?"
Disha, Kabir, and even Taani all widened their eyes at Sharon's question. Curious glares are sent Swayam's way for the second time in the last hour and he tried to remain stoic, he really did… but even the dance team could see the absolute terror that had overtaken his eyes.
"You're a real class act bhai," Taani sniped sharply, standing up straight and flicking her tears away. "You haven't changed one bit."
Swayam had the audacity to look like he's about to tell them to fuck right off.
Taani let out a bitter chuckle because she knew she should've seen this coming. "I hope you have a blast the next time you see Tauji, which will be soon because he's coming home to check on me and - spoiler alert - I won't be there! I am done protecting you. I'm done putting you first and I'm done being there for you because clearly, this whole brother-sister thing only involves me being the sister that you've always turned to and you being the jackass that always turns me away. And don't give me that look because you know damn well that I'm right!"
With that, Taani stomped out of the projector room as fast as her legs would take her, with Disha and Kabir hot on her trail. On their way out, Taani barely spared a glance at Rey, who had chosen that exact moment to show up.
Rey narrowed his eyes at the arm that Kabir had oh so casually thrown around Taani's shoulders as if it belonged there. Somehow managing to refrain from running to Taani and pulling her into his arms, Rey finally turned his attention to his friends. He knew something happened in his absence - it always does when his ex-girlfriend and his best-friends were involved - but this time felt different, final even.
"So… what did I miss?"
A/N: I just realized that I use the word 'really' in every other sentence. I'm so sorry. Anyway, Huma and Ishika are not OCs, they are actual characters that were on the show and I do not own them. I do however own the characters of Disha Shergill and Kabir Malhotra, who have always been changing as far as face claims go, but I would like to officially declare that Ketki Kadam as Disha and Yuvraj Thakur as Kabir are my final decisions.
Musical Inspiration: Go Getter by Royal Deluxe, Count On Me by Bruno Mars, I Don't Wanna Hear It by Kasey Brown (Backstage Sounstrack), Shut Up by Christina Aguilera, Elevator by Oliver Pigott (The Next Step Soundtrack), Wild by Backstage Cast
Translations:
"I don't know mera dhyan kahan pe tha" - I believe that this roughly translates to "I don't know where my mind was"
"Arre, gusse pe tha! Aur kahan rehta hai tera dhyan?" - Ugh, this is gonna sound so weird but here goes: "On your anger! Where else does your mind stay?" Honestly, idk y'all, some things just sound better/make more sense when they're in Hindi
"Arre meri Jodhpur Express, kabhi toh dekh ke phone uthaya kar!" - Not a literal translation, but it basically means "would it kill you to look at your phone before answering" and Jodhpur Express is just Taani's nickname (one of many!)
Yaar - The equivalent to 'dude' which I do use a lot!
Chal - Basically means "come on"
"Khair chodo" - Kinda like saying "oh well" or "anyway, moving on"
"Sharon, pehle toh aap yeh decide karlo ki main Swayam ki behen hoon ya aap logon ki dost… ya phir sirf college ki GS. Voh kya hai na ki aap log mera status har second bas badalte hi rehte hai. Agar itna hi time hai aap logon ke paas, toh NDC ke rehearsals ke liye ek ghanta bhi nahi nikal sakte kya?" - Why the fuck did I do this to my self?! Anyway, here goes nothing: "Sharon, first decide if I'm Swayam's sister or your friend... or only the college's GS. (I don't know how to translate "voh kya hai na" I'm so sorry) You guys keep changing my status every second. If you really have this much time on your hands, why can't you spend even an hour on NDC rehearsals?"
"Kuch zyada hi uchal rahi ho tum" - I can't translate this properly so I'll leave you with 'Sharon is trying to tell Taani to step back and stay in her limit'
Kyun - This means 'why' and I use it a lot
"Agli baar college ki website pe zaroor likh dena." - "Next time make sure to write it on the college website."