The Dance

It was summer time and Reeta sat near the window of her room. Her daughter's summer vacations would commence today. Her duty was to bring her home from school. She did not worry a bit. The sun rays reflected on her face and the bangles tinkled against her shadowy skin when she moved it in a grace. Yes, she loved to dance. She stood near the mirror and smiled at herself. 

'Reeta you need to bring Nikita from school. It's already time' her mother-in-law shouted from downstairs. 

She smiled at herself again and started to tap her feet to the tune of a raga. She moved around. The Anarkali she wore whirled in a whirlwind. Her hands outstretched on both directions and made different angles with her face with mingled mudras. 

She stopped to switch on the music player. She gave her heart to the dance. 'Tannan...nana...na...na na na re...Tanan na na re...' her heart melted in joy. 

'Reeta where are you???' she bellowed. 

The eyes above curled, the eyebrows danced to the tune and she felt everything to it's paramount. 

From childhood she wanted to dance Bharathanatiyam, a dream she dreamed! Girls of their age would dance...O my God! That was a sin for the family members to allow that. 

Reeta killed her passion each day in front of the decision of their parents. If she fell in love with anything then it was dance. Now time changed, her world changed. She went on stretching her hands on opposite directions to the tunes to swirl in a whirlpool. The tap of her feet and the hands on her hip was an ecstasy to watch. 

The day when Rakesh and family came to visit her was the worst thing which ever fell on her. Her mother-in-law loved her eyes. She mentioned it was just like the touch of an artist who went to paint Mas Durga's ogle. But she loved dance. Only and only dance.

When Rakesh and Reeta were sent to a room to give each other some space, Reeta spoke with a hope of love that he would allow her to open a dance school after marriage. He simply nodded. She understood what he meant. She forced a smile and agreed for the marriage only to make her parents happy. 

'Reeta what is this noise all about?' her mother-in-law seemed to come upstairs. 

She was engaged in her dream. Her dream of love, passion and desire. No one could ever stop her today. The wind blew through the windows and her hair waved in a sashay. Her lips imparted a cheer to her face. Her visage was clean of all worries and troubles. She was into an unknown world, the world of Nataraj!

Her mother-in-law suddenly entered her bedroom and spoke with anger and disgust after switching off the music player.  'You bitch, you whore, what do you think? You are again dancing.' She kept on dancing still, words pierced like an arrow into her heart to the core, it vibrated, tears rolled, however still she danced. It was her paradise. 

'You witch stop it.' Saying this she slapped her face hard and she fell on the floor, tears jamming her eyes. But surprisingly her hands still moved in a Grace!

 Can a passion, a love be killed so easily?