The Exhilarating moment...

Finally, the "D" moment arrived. There she was, standing at the mirror and looking at herself one last time. It was like watching a movie. She couldn't believe that it was her own eyes and face that she was looking into. She rotated her eyes to either sides without turning her head. Moved her head from left to right and back. She enjoyed that moment. She tried all sorts of expressions on her face and stopped suddenly as though someone was ridiculing at her from the other side of the barrier, the mirror.

"Does it feel like this everytime before the event", she wondered. The question made her more tense than ever. Before she could get lost in this intriguing thought, something passed her. It came from far she felt. Could it be in her dreams? No!!Her mother's voice called her beautiful name. It was getting late. She was ready! Yes, she eventually had to.

She had waited for this for an era!!! She hurried out of her room. And, it being her first time, she did not know the directions. She searched frantically for her mom. The beautiful voice which seemed far seemed closer now. She drifted towards the magical, musical voice. She could have almost lost her senses to it but for a gentleman who directed her to another place!!

The place, it seemed magnificient. There was absolute silence. It was pitch dark for sometime. Her mom nudged her forward. She clasped her mom's hands tight in fright. What else could be expected of so young a girl in such a situation? "God has definitely cursed me", she murmured. Her big eyes could have fallen off the next minute had she not caught on to that melodious golden music which, once again filled her mind. And slowly, she saw something like the mist in front of her. Light emerged gradually from the thousand lamps that surrounded her. But now, all her attention was at one thing. The music... and.. the gentleman!!! .. Gentleman, who was he? What was he doing standing right in front of her and smiling? He seemed to be singing to her. She watched him plainly for sometime. Then, as the music took the better of her, she let herself be dragged into a whole new world. There was now bright light everywhere. But she couldn't see anything beyond that gentleman.

Poignantly, she took some flowers and placed them at his feet. She took his blessings and faced the light. The lyrics of that song was very familiar to her. She had heard it so many times before. She knew what exactly would follow. She felt a surge of happiness fill her and take control of her. She began to move in rhythm from one corner to another, with expressions on her face that so matched with the lyrics of the song. As she worked her way through all the popular steps, she swirled to the climax of the song with her feet beating the ground a thousand times. Did she think mother earth would cry in pain? No was the reply she got from that gentleman in the corner. By now, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She leapt like a deer in ecstacy!! She had become the cynosure of all eyes there. She captured everyone's heart. Now everyone including her were moving together through every beat, every trough and every crest of the music. The feeling was all divine. There was no separation among the individuals' hearts. They were all one now.

And after one final jatiswaram, she came to a stand still in her favourite pose that of Lord Nataraja. Her eyes were beautiful and wide open. She was gasping for breath in exhaustion. But beyond all this, there was a confidence in her face, in her demeanour that she had never felt before. She had successfully completed her arangetram. She rushed to take the blessings of that gentleman, her Dance Master one more time. The feeling of immense pride and total satisfaction in his eyes defined the exhilarating moment of hers...