Blogging Challenge – Day 6
It was edavam already… but the monsoon seemed to have a a mind of its own. While dark clouds signalled rain, frogs croaked in anticipation and the night air was filled with petrichor, so far, there was just a trickle here, a drizzle there… It was not raining in torrents, not yet.
Kshama stood by the window, staring at the clouds. “Let it rain and soothe my beating heart,” she thought, as she reluctantly put on her anklets. She switched on the tape recorder, and as the song came to life, she had only one thought on her mind. “Will my body listen to me?”
As guruji taught her, she began with the aamad… her jingling feet making contact with the ground just as a sigh escaped her. Was her heart really in it? What if people mocked her? Tore apart her presence among all those nimble feet ?
And as if to calm her wandering mind, a streak of lightning lashed across the sky, followed by thunder that that brought on a shudder. As she practised the morni chal, she saw the outline of the raindrops on the windows. She could feel the weight slowly slipping from her mind.
What was that Rajan told her? “What have you done in your life so far? Changed 25 jobs… moved five cities. You have no purpose or aim in life.”
Or that one that hit a new low: “You are a workaholic, who will want to marry you?”
Each snide remark that swirled in her mind brought new rhythm to her feet. Outside, it began to rain… the raindrops frolicked to the sound of thunder, the lightning sending out sparks…
It was as if the strobe lights had switched on, bathing the room in an iridescent glow. Kshema brought on the chakars in full flow, as she pirouetted across the room. Chaugun, dugun, athgun, she danced with gay abandon in a perfect jugalbandi with the rain that was now falling in torrents.
It was as if the Edavapathi had heard her prayers.
At 44, she was learning Kathak. Throwing criticism and judgmental cynics to the winds. Taking the reins of her life.
One taal at a time.
Outside, as the wind blew loudly, the storm in the heart settled.
And it was time to take a bow! As if nothing else mattered!
Sweet Somethings 