The Dance in the Tavern

Navani smiled and then put her fists on the table as a kind of sign of defiance. “First of all you must know that I come from a very conservative family. I hardly ever have wine but tonight I will. This may be our last night together on our own. I don’t want to forget it … ever.”

“Oh I know what you mean. You want to let your hair down.”

’Letting my hair down? Oh, I can do that!” She quickly reached for her hair and pulled out a few hair clips. Her hair immediately fell down in a disorderly fashion over her face and her shoulders but, with quick movements of her hands and a shake of her head, she made her hair lay very attractively over and behind her shoulders.She looked sideways at Parval and then shrugged the shoulder nearest to him several times. 

Parval laughed softly and held his hands together. “Wow. It’s the Goddess of Dance herself and she’s sitting here at my table. This will surely be a night to remember!” 

Unbeknown to the happy pair, the group of badly dressed men with the sinister faces, were becoming more and more excited. They looked shabby in their dishevelled clothes. Their drooping moustaches and their long hair showed a total lack of grooming. A closer inspection would have shown that the men were all already intoxicated and were becoming increasingly rowdy.They had begun to stare quite pointedly at the couple who were, at that stage, still blissfully oblivious of them.Sometimes, in the middle of their fierce arguments, one of them would point his finger at Parval and sometimes someone would bang his fist on the table. At regular intervals they ordered another round of drinks. 

The couple was happily enjoying their meal as well as each other’s comments, remarks, teases and general banter.“Parval, this teasing of yours, by the way, is a new facet of your character that I’ve been discovering tonight. Now I’ve a suggestion that will probably make you tease me even more. Order yourself another glass of wine and one for me too. Why not? Don’t argue. Just do it.”

He looked at her with laughter in his eyes. “I’ll get those drinks. I think that I’ll have to do so because I’m sitting here with a problem. I’m going to take you onto the dance floor and that’s where my problem starts. We dance every morning. We dance every afternoon. It’s going to be like work for you, not so?”

Navani lifted her glass towards Parval. “Parval, your worries are over. We’ll not dance for the art lover tonight. We’re going to dance for each other. On the floor, it’ll be just you and me. No one else in the room will matter. Remember that I’ve let my hair down. If I’m the Goddess of Dance then let me weave my spell.” 

As she said that, she rose and ran her fingers through her hair. She came to stand near him, swaying her hips and holding her beckoning fingers towards him. As they began to dance, it soon become obvious, to the others in the room, that they were watching a love dance performed by two exquisite stars.

She stood in front of him and shrugged one shoulder a few times and with both hands held up her hair behind her head while swaying from side to side. The inviting look that she gave him was irresistible. He began by doing dance steps on the spot with his hands held out towards her. She circled around him and while doing rapid turns lovingly reached out to him.

Then they changed positions. While she danced in the middle he did athletic but graceful steps around her.They danced towards each other until their outstretched hands just touched. Then she danced up to him and rested her head on his chest for a few moments. At times, he stood behind her and followed her steps to one side and then to the other. After doing a few such steps behind her, he began to place his head next to hers on one shoulder and then on the other. Sometimes when he smiled cheekily at her , she would roll her eyes and look away from him. 

During one period, he held her affectionately in his arms as they danced and then, as she danced away from him and then again closer to him, he kept holding her hands. While he held her one hand high, she spun quickly around in front of him, laughing as she turned.At all times, he looked at her with fond affection and she matched his gaze but sometimes coyly hid her eyes behind her hand. As she danced she used every part of her body including her hands, lips, eyes and even her eyebrows.

Often one of them would bump the other with a shoulder. As the tempo of the music increased they began to dance next to each other doing hop steps, sometimes on one leg and sometimes on both.They danced back to back and then she spun around several times until she was in front of him and hard up against his chest where he held her. As the music ended she bent over backwards until her hands touched the floor behind her. 

As they walked off the dance area, Parval became aware of the boisterous behaviour of the unruly men in the dark corner for the first time. As he looked at them he saw one of them smash a bottle on the floor and look menacingly at him. The idea suddenly flashed through his mind that one or two of those men might be members of the gang that had attacked him.

He decided to remain calm for the moment and not to act hastily.While collecting his thoughts, turned to her and touched her cheek.“When you dance you move like the Angel of Love. I will carry the emotion of dancing with you to my grave.” 

Then there was a sudden interruption. The owner of the restaurant came up to them and grabbed both of Parval’s shoulders and shook him. He was very excited. “Mister! Mister! I know your lady very well. You’re both in very big trouble. You must leave this place. You must go now!”

“My dear host. What is the problem? What are you talking about?”“Mister, I was near those men over there. They seem to know you. They say that they thought that you were dead and that they now feared that you may talk to the police. Mister, I don’t know why but it seems that they want to kill you for some reason. Perhaps they have something against you!” 

Navani heard his words and was immediately shocked. “Oh, my God!  We must get out of here immediately. We must not wait for trouble. I don’t want you to be hurt again. Please, I beg you, my dearest.” 

“Is there another way out?”“Follow me, Mister. You can use the back door that we always use. Come!”