The Girl Who Dreams

The beginning

SHASHI

When the song ended, I opened my eyes fully to the crowd. The girls on the group stood up and clapped. That maybe the far most exciting thing that happened to me so far. Unmistakably my gaze went back where a figure which was very much similar to baba standing. And I felt like the world had crashing down on me, I was utterly frozen on the spot. It was like throwing one-self in icy cold water from a warmness and high.

After another girl was asked to perform, so they gestured me to empty the stage. I didn't knew where to go? What was gonna happen? Yes I feared my father, but way more than that what really shook me from within, was the disappointment he was going to feel because of my dancing. And I let him down, by performing on the stage.

He didn't speak a word, but threw an icy glare to Donna and Daniel, when they were protesting and trying to give him the reason. The drive home was unbearably silent. Neither did he speak, nor did I open my mouth for any excuse. I had put on my long overcoat, over all dress. I still shivered, the comparatively warm breeze was hustling through the rolled down windows of our car.

When we arrived at the house, mom was anxiously waiting by the door. Her expressions told me that she knew, baba followed me to the audition. I walked past her, with my tears on the verge of spilling out of eyes. When I started walking upstairs to baba's voice stranded me.

"Shashi, you know, the thing which you are doing is not right. I will disown you, or I don't know what I will do, but you will never dance again!" His voice was throaty contenting his emotions.

"Yes baba. As you wish," I croaked and ran upstairs to my bedroom.

Over next few days, as I felt torn and hopeless, I saw baba struggling to keep his peace of mind too! Donna, Sabrina came to house, couple of times, to explain him. But he closed the door on their faces. I kept my promise, I did not put my feet into the dance academy again, nor did I saw Dan again.

Once when he came back from his office, he asked during dinner, about how I started. Not making any remarks on my answers. He just listened to me, trying to sort of his own head.

Today when I saw my eyes sunken in the eye sockets, with my disheveled features, I felt pity for myself. Can't I stand up for myself? 'You are caring too much of the old man's sake, that's why you couldn't go against him, rebel him. It's not you.' My subconscious replied me.

My mom, dutifully probed inside her daughter's head for any answer. But I refused to tell her and said, that I wouldn't let them down again.

"There was a call from that group of yours," baba informed while taking his eyes off the newspaper. I didn't respond. "They told me that they wanted you to join them."

I stayed quiet, buttering my toast for yet another halfhearted breakfast.

"So what do you say?" he again asked forcing through his firm tone to respond.

"What do you want me to tell you?" I closed my eyes and let the toast drop in my plate with the knife. "I like dancing. Yes I admit it. It's natural like a breathing to me. It allows me to dream, to be exceptional. I aspire to be become a professional dancer. Yes I know it would not feed me, like I would be fed if I become a doctor or engineer or a lawyer. But I love it baba. I do!"

"Then do it!" he whispered, keeping his hand on mine. "I am sorry I had been hard on you. But I can't see you like this, like the life itself had been drawn out of you. You are my miracle, Shashi! When I saw you dance, I was shocked yet proud of you. But I was bogged down by my own faulty principals. I was too proud to admit it. But now, I want you to pursue it, not only because you are good at it but also you love it."

And from that day onwards, each day baba motivated me to dance. And just like that he opened up to the idea of me, dancing and doing something entirely different.

**THANK YOU PEOPLE, WITH A BOW! I done it.. 

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