Past - 2

The stage was set and the audience awaited the divine music resonating in the auditorium to be personified by the one to whom it was much more than just a dance performance. As she looked out from the backstage, at her friends who had gathered to cheer for her, her teachers who had graced the occasion for showering their blessings upon her, Vrinda knew that her father had approved of her passion and wanted to proclaim it in front of the world that nothing mattered to him more than his daughter's happiness.

The meager crowd had multiplied several times over from the moment she had called her father and revealed her secret interest to him. Her father wanted the world to see her talent, and wanted to be proud to see her receiving applause and accolades, she thought, and that mere thought made goosebumps blanket her whole form.

Her parents were seated in the first row, along with few colleagues of her father, trustees of her school, her dance mentors and Vivaan's family. Sucheta had managed to make eye-contact with her and that resplendent joy on her face as she reveled in Vrinda's happiness, made warmth spread across her body at her love.

"It's time, Vrinda. All the best! I am sure you will do well," proclaimed Madhuri, smiling at her dear student warmly. Vrinda bent to take her Guru's blessings as she set out to embark a new milestone for herself and proceeded towards the stage.

The crowd in front of her seemed to push her into the past once again as she felt crushed by expectations and suffocated by hope. Shivers ran down her spine as her breath seemed to hitch. Darkness seemed to flood her filed of vision as everyone around her seemed to vanish.

Thak!

That Tabla beat which she had grown accustomed to. That one which made her feel liberated every single time. She did not know whether it was the magic of the music or the magic of the one playing it. She had danced to the same beat innumerable times but something had changed since their previous encounter in the green room, and she seemed to have no qualms of the same.

Her body began to move on its own accord, fluid graceful movements accompanied by the perfect rhythmic steps. Her agonized expression was replaced by that of angst as that of the character she was portraying. Majority of the songs planned for the night were based on the divine love story of Radha and Krishna, and rightfully the music was mainly supported by tunes of flute. Yet, the undertone remained that of the Tabla, and dancing to its beat seemed to be the most natural thing to do, inciting a feeling of oneness that could not be expressed otherwise.

It was that moment that Vrinda lost herself into the character of Radha dancing to the tune of Krishna. She was not enacting her anymore as she had turned into one herself as danced to the beats of one who evoked emotions she could not even reckon having. Her dream performance would have just been a dream if not for his counsel on the right time and the sense of gratitude and storm of affection that filled her seemed to translate into pure ecstatic dance of love like that of Radha.

Everything except the brief eyecontact and a sneaked thumbs-up from him seemed like a blur as she continued to dance with brief intervals in between. Her heart seemed to race like never before by his mere glance and a crimson hue seemed to drench her in his presence.

As she turned to the side for a exuberant dip, she felt a gentle breeze caress her with the sense of his presence and the delightful sight of him moving towards her appearing in her peripheral vision. His touch seemed to unnerve her and soothe her at the same time as he pulled her towards him, twirling her as she gravitated towards him only to land against his chest, with his one arm snaked around her waist and the other cupping her chin. Their breaths collided with one another much like their gazes which were locked with one another.

The resounding applause pulled her out of her reverie as she looked at the audience with a confused smile. Her father's face betrayed no emotions, as always, but her mother seemed to be over the moon to be able to see her dance finally. In that moment, every sense of romance seemed to fade away from her as she desperately craved to know what her father felt about the entire fiasco.

Her Guru seemed to have heard the wishes of her heart as she called him upon the stage to address the gathering. Vrinda was sure that it was pre-planned as no one dared to put Bhanuprakash Chaturvedi in a tough spot.

"Namaste! I am sure everyone is surprised to be called at such a short notice and that to the first stage performance of my dear daughter, Vrinda. I just want to say that this performance is my daughter's dream and like every dream of hers, I want it to turn into a reality that is more beautiful than the dream itself," he exclaimed, moving her to tears of guilt as she ran into his arms, apologizing profusely.

"I am sorry, Papa. I am sorry that I did not tell you about taking dance training. If not for Vivaan today, I would not have never realized that you prized my happiness so much, just because of some stupid notion in my mind. I am sorry, Papa," she sobbed, clutching him. The man with the stiff upper lip was fazed by his daughter's tears and began to console her, while his impression of a certain guy falling down in his eyes after a string of revelations over the day.

"I wish you had told me before, Vrinda, but nevertheless I am glad that you made me a part of this happiness. I do hope that you don't keep any other secrets going ahead," he said, with a hint of warning and bitterness in his voice, which went unnoticed by his daughter who was guilt-ridden. He was undoubtedly hurt by the actions of everyone around him but he knew that if he suppressed them, they were going to rebel against him and he was willing to lose some control to gain the control of the bigger picture.

"Never, Papa. I promise - no secrets!"