And now it attained completeness

There is complete darkness everywhere in the auditorium. The audience are on the edge of their seats to watch the next performance. Through the thin curtains a structure could be spotted and as the curtains raised up a bright light spotted on the structure and it’s a lady in classical costumes. Soon she started dancing and her dance made everyone completely involve in it and when her dance came to the end they still feel that there is a continuation. The entire auditorium remained in silence for few seconds. A man sitting in the first row stood up and started clapping followed by huge claps of others. There is a great admiration in his eyes for the performer and a feeling of great achievement in her eyes. . . . . .

The gentle rays of the sun advancing through the transparent curtains of windows gilded the room and those protruding illuminated rays added a glossiness to her face, disturbing the sleep marking that its morning. Its all again a dream, Anandita murmured to herself and got up from the bed.

Devika Das, the co-ordinator of the state dance association is in the car looking outside through the car glasses while her driver is showing an appointment letter to a guard at the main gate of palace. Soon,the guard ordered for the gates to be opened and car entered through it.

Devika’s eyes are searching for the one who is dancing to the beats of sooth classical music and also the place from where the music and the sharp sounds of jingles are coming from. Her eyes fell on a slightly elevated dais like place with golden transparent curtains hanging between the pillars which are completely covered with white flowery climbers, the sweet fragrance of which could be smelt by Devika sitting in the hall, 30 meters away from that place. The curtains are swaying to the slightest wind caused by climbers. Through those gliding transparent curtains and through the slight space between them, she could see a lady in white Anarkali suit with a red dupatta tied to her side and jingles strapped to the feet dancing rhythmically to the classical Kathak beats. In no time,Devika lost herself in the mesmerizing Kathak moves of the lady.

After 10 minutes,the same lady in the same white floor length Anarkali suit, with jingles strapped to the feet and with red vermilion at the mid partition of her long thick black hair and in a completely classy royal posture with an outstanding glow in her face appeared infront of Devika. Devika stood up from the sofa. The lady introduced herself as Anandita Yadhuveer Singh Deo and also surpised Devika by telling that she is informed by the manager of the palace about the appointment and asked her to sit. Devika introduced herself as the Co-ordinator of the state dance association and applauded Anandita for her mesmerizing dance and said,”It’s really my privilege to invite the country’s one of the finest dancers to the national dance festival”.

Anandita responded positively to the invitation as she is aware of that. She is also informed by Devika that this time, the festival is going to be organised in the state and the committee decided to end the program with her kathak dance. Devika confirmed,”It is absolutely the right decision to end the program with your graceful performance”.

Anandita accepted all her compliments with a positive smile. Gayatri Devi, the queen and mother in law of Anandita came there and is amused to know about her daughter in law’s forth coming performance and blessed her. . . . .
While coming from the palace ,Devika felt that Anandita is really an affable and very down to earth person and is nowhere behaved like a princess of the palace and the wife of business tycoon Mr.Yadhuveer Singh Deo, the only heir of the palace.

After Devika’s departure, Anandita is in her room now,sitting on the bed unstrapping the jingles from her feet thinking that though she promised for the performance but how could she convince her husband to let her perform which she knows is hardly possible.

Anandita Suryavanshi, belonging to one of the royal families is a passionate Kathak dancer. Since she was 6 yrs old, she developed a strong liking for dance. Her parents recognized her interest towards dance and always supported her in that way. Soon her interest and liking turned into passion and she is now one of the best Kathak performers in the country.

One the other hand, Yadhuveer Singh Deo also belonging to a royal family, not only the royal family but also country’s one of the richest families has no interest at arts and infact, he is of the opinion that imperial people should not go for arts and especially dancing. He strongly believe that dancing is the duty of courtesans. Though the rule of emperors and the empires is gone but their heirs exist and their wealth too. Yadhuveer belonging to one of those is a business tycoon and the only heir of all the business that their family is into. Their families met first and then they. He was aware that she is a dancer but her angelic face, her divine appearance and her lovable attitude made him fall for her and even Anandita was attracted towards his dashing personality,royal looks and she has heard about him many times in the news and read about him in the business column whenever any of his companies achieve something great.

It took not a much time for them to feel that all these years their hearts have been waiting for each other. And in no time Anandita Suryavanshi is transformed to Anandita Yadhuveer Singh Deo.

After two months of their wedding,that night Yadhuveer surprised Anandita with her favorite red roses made into a bouquet. He grabbed them into her hands and when she was smelling those roses she found a rose somewhat odd. She picked it up and infact it was not the real one. She looked at him surprisingly and he sighed with his eyes to open it. She made a smile at him and opened it curiously. There was a solitaire in it which was very pretty and by looking at which her eyes brightened. He came near her, took it from her hand, put it around her finger and held her palm tightly and looked at the face. She was blushing and smiling. He always love to see her blushing where her cheeks become pinker and she will be looking like a white pearl embraced in rose petals. That moment he proposed her once again and thanked her a lot for coming into his life and cuddled her. She wished that the time should pause there forever. . . .

But she was unaware that the next moment will completely ruin her soul and the one she loves the most will be the one to stop her from flying in the air.When they were having a conversation she spoke,”Its been three months,I stopped practising. I need to start practice now.”

“What practice?”, he asked shockingly but understood what she was saying about.

“Come on. I’m talking about Kathak. Since our marriage got fixed, I stopped practising as every ritual of our marriage happened fast forwardly and after wedding got busy with many rituals and took an ample of time to get habituated to the new environment. And now, it’s time to start everything again. And you are asking, what practice as if you don’t know anything”, she asked him smiling.

“I know”,he took a pause and continued, “I thought you would have understood my What”.

“What! I didn’t get you”,she asked in surprise.

“Okay.Let me be clear. I don’t want you to practice Kathak and give performances. I simply hate imperial ladies dancing for the crowd. It’s the cheap thing and I don’t want my wife and the princess of this palace become cheaper”, he stressed the last line.

For a second she didn’t understand what to speak but took a deep breath and started speaking,”I’m not giving any cheap performance and its Kathak, the classical dance.”, she tried to explain him but was interrupted.

“Kathak or whichever dance it may be. I don’t want you to perform.”,he ordered.

She held his shoulders and spoke,”I know what you think about dance I. . .”he looked at her in a way that how she knows. She understood it and said,”I was told by Daadi once that you hate girls dancing and you think its only meant for courtesans”.

“Then it’s clear that you are not going to perform when you know what I really feel about it”.

“No, I didn’t say that I don’t perform. Its my passion and I can’t leave it”.

“What! After knowing about my opinion towards it, you are saying this? You don’t value me. Why don’t you understand, you are married now and you are a princess now. Please be conscious about your dignity or atleast mine”.

“Who told you that I lose my dignity if I give performances. I’m a princess now and was a princess even before the marriage. And I don’t perform for the crowd. I perform for myself and for my soul. I find peace and immense happiness in dancing. And the crowd, I never felt them as living beings. I always feel lord Natraj coming in the form of each and every creature sitting there to watch my performance as a crowd and I dedicate it to the lord”,she expressed convincingly.

“Stop these philosophies! I don’t want you to perform and that’s it!”, he ordered in a high pitched tone.

“But its my passion how could I leave it”, she spoke almost in a crying manner.

“I don’t care”,he spoke like a dictator.

She was almost collapsed inside by his words. It was like a high tide sweeping the sand castles off and shattering the happiness of a kid. Was like a sudden huge storm wiping away the entire city and destroying the peoples lives. Her heart was broken into a more number of pieces than it was made. She was crying inside and tears were just a bit far to drop from her eyes but she controlled herself from crying because she never wanted to show her tears to anyone and feels as an insult to cry infront of anyone.

She expected that he would oppose her decision but she had a strong belief that she would convince him but nothing happened like that. He destroyed her completely with his harsh words. She couldn’t stand in that room anymore. She quietly came out of that room and rushed to the pool side area. She collapsed on to the floor and cried her heart out.

A couple of days had passed and she became pale and she was at her best in hiding her pain and suffering from everyone. He noticed her becoming pale. Her big eyes became red because of crying and were swollen telling that she had sleepless nights. Her divine appearance became lifeless. Though she was speaking to him normally, he knew that she was acting. That night when he was walking in the corridor he saw her running towards pool and so he silently followed her. She collapsed on to the floor and was crying in such a way that her heart would broke in the next moment. He was terrified by the thought that what would happen to her. He went near her. She heard his foot steps and tried to control her crying.

As he came to her,she saw him and kept her palms against the mouth in order to stop the sounds of her crying. He picked her up and silently took her to the room and she didn’t speak anything.

The next day in the morning, she heard someone calling her and rushed to the hall and was surprised to see a dance teacher. A voice came from behind,”How is the surprise?”

She turned back. It was him came near her and took her face into his palms and told smoothly,”You can start your practice from now”.

Tears of happiness dropped from her eyes and she thanked him. Days and months have passed and she has completely become the past Anandita whose passion is dance. Soon the entire family became fans of her dance and whenever they get time in the evenings they gather at the dais to watch her dance. But he never. Though they both love each other and share a great intimate and friendly bonding still Anandita feels that their relationship has not attained the complete form. He accepted her but not completely. Everytime during their regular conversations when he shares about his business matters, his new achievements, his companies growth, their market value with her and she always wish to share about her dance, how dance has become her life,her achievements and all with him and wish that he shall listen to them but she knew the reality. Though he allowed her to continue her practice but not whole heartedly. She wanted him to accept her completely along with her passion and is awaiting for that day,the day their love attains “completeness”. . . . . . . . .

He came home early that evening unlike routine and was about to climb steps but turned back after listening to his mom’s voice. She asked him some routine questions like how was the day and all. He could hear the unclear and faint sounds of those jingles and music from that place but remained unheard and climbed the steps. When he came down and was about to leave for golf court, he was stopped by his mom and was asked to join them to watch her dance. He gave a kind of bitter look to her but was convinced by his grand-mother whom he never disobey. He sat on the sofa beside his granny and started watching her dance with least bit of interest.

After two minutes everyone except him left that place and he didn’t even notice that only he was there. He lost himself in her moves. Her long luscious curls were flowing smoothly like waves of a sea. Her feet were tapping against the ground so smoothly but the sound of jingles were sharp enough. Her slender yet beautiful hands were making quick moves, the red glass bangles produced clinking sounds which were very melodious to him and her long anarkali has spread like a huge umbrella in the air while she was making spins and of course, her spins made him stunned. He felt that she might fall on ground the next moment.

Suddenly she turned towards him spinning and stopped for a moment staring at him with ventral side of right palm touching the dorsal side of left, slanting near her eyes. Her doe eyes were frightened by looking at him first but soon they turned away from him with an expression of negligence carried them. In a whisk of second she again continued as if she is not at all bothered about his presence. He is completely carried away by her moves and beauty. . . .

After the practice,she came in her room, unstrapped the jingles, kept them in a box and placed them in wardrobe but all that time she was thinking about the strange presence he made and all the time his face flashed in her thoughts. He came in and she felt tensed, her heart started beating faster thinking what he would say. Despite any reaction,he put off all the lights, put on a bed lamp and fell asleep.

Next day, in the evening she was about to set out for practice, sat and was searching for jingles on the bed. He appeared infornt of her with jingles in his hands. She was surprised to see the abnormal scenario and kept staring at him. He came to her, knelt down on the floor, took her foot in hands and strapped jingles. Tears rolled down from her eyes. She recollected the days when they were thrown away by him out of the room whenever he didn’t find his files even though they didn’t trouble him and how she used to pick those up and pampered like a pet and wrap them in a box and keep them away from his eyes. Though they both didn’t speak anything their eyes spoke their hearts and he accompanied her to the practice hall.

All through her dance she appeared very differently to him. She never appeared to him that way. She appeared him as the beautiful creature of the Almighty loaded with an extraordinary talent.

Days passed and it became his evening routine to come early and watch her dancing. Though he never praised her in words but he expressed it in his eyes and she could feel that he liked her dance. And the one sided conversations in which he was the speaker and she was the listener have been slowly disappearing. Her performance date was coming closer but she didn’t inform anything related to it to him as she still had a bit of fear in her mind. Finally,the day has come. She seeked the blessings of elders and reached the venue.

Present

National level performers, delegates, guests, audience gathered at the venue and the 1000 seated auditorium is filled. After a lot of brilliant and amazing performances finally, it is Anandita’s turn to perform after which the festival ends. The stage got a celestial look and the ceiling made an appearance of sky and stars. The background of the stage also got an appearance of the universe. The luminous stage slowly became dark and because of those radium stars on the ceiling and background made it appear exactly like universe and created that feeling among the audience. The white curtains dropped down. A creature in a classical posture standing behind those curtains could be figured out.

Soon the curtains raised and a white light fell exactly on the centre of the dais where the lady is standing focussing her. It is Anandita in a golden Kathak Anarkali with a long braid and completely in a classical avtar. She started performing. Those expressive eyes started making lively expressions and her spins really made everyone astonished. Her soul completely lost in dancing. The performance is so natural that those sitting in the chairs could feel her performance and they too could involve in the dance along with her. The dance came to the end.

There is a silence for few seconds.The man in black suit standing at the middle of the auditorium between the rows broke the silence by clapping with a huge sound which is soon followed by many hands. Anandita looked at the man and to her surprise it is Yadhuveer. Yes,it is him.Though he is unaware of her performance, he was about to cross the auditorium while he was driving back for home. A kind of unseen force dragged him towards the auditorium and his heart made him stop there. For the first time in his life, he attended an auditorium for dance performance. And when he entered inside it was completely dark and he managed to cross few rows and when he saw Anandita he stood still at his current position and completely involved in her performance. She couldn’t think of anything then. It is like a shocking surprise to her.

Yes,finally the dream which she sees every night has come true. She couldn’t believe her dream coming true. The co-ordinators and the chief-guests came on to the dais applauding her dancing skills and praising her performance. She is overwhelmed with applause and applauds from everyone in the auditorium. But her mind, heart and soul are completely revolving around him. And after few speeches of the guests, the festival came to an end. Everyone started making moves to go out of the auditorium but he is standing still at the middle of the auditorium staring her. She came to him from the dais not even changing her costumes.

As she is coming down from the steps, she appeared like an angel to him. Finally she came near him. Silence remained for few seconds but their eyes started communicating. There is a great admiration for her in his eyes and more than that she could feel his greatest love for her. Suddenly he moved few steps back knelt down on his both knees,freed his arms and yelled,”I Love You”.

She stood smiling and blushing and covering her mouth with her palm. She ran to him and now she could feel the “completeness” of love.With tears rolling from her eyes she embraced him tightly and then he wiped off her tears for ever……

–END–