Rishton Ka Manjha - MaAn

𝙓𝙄𝙓 | 𝙁𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣|

Nrityagan Academy, Thaltej

Anuj, GK, Anupama, Devika, Vikram, Samar, Nandini, and Kinjal reached the dance academy. Anupama and Samar lit a diya in front of the Natraj Statue and bowed down in reverence followed by Nandini, who also shared a passion for classical dance. Anupama kept the intricately carved and designed box on the pedestal and handed over the ghungroos to Samar who went away to change. Kinjal and Nandini helped others settle down. The dance studio had been carefully curated. The wooden vinyl flooring along with the earthy hues gave rustic vibes. It indicated a strong connection with nature-the cultural roots to be more precise. Kinjal and Nandini along with Vikram, Devika, and Anuj were sitting cross-legged on the floor whereas GK sat on the sofa near the dancing arena giving all of them a better view of the dance face-off.

Anupama set up the lighting when Samar came in wearing a traditional black cotton dhoti. He was bare-chested. The well-chiseled body gave Nandini a heart attack. She was busy drooling on him, making Kinjal push her elbow into Nandini's stomach. "Stop embarrassing yourself", she said in a whisper. Nandini was flushed out. The red hues on her cheeks gave way to her emotions. Kinjal looked at her teasingly. Devika looked at her with all smiles when Samaira barged in surprising all. She was about to go to Anupama when Vikram and Anuj pulled her back. Vikram shushed her and whispered, "Sit quiet, Samaira, or else there will be no performance." She whined to which Anuj just chortled, when Samar walked towards her and asked raising his eyebrow in a whisper, "Samaira you are really fond of my mother's dance right?" She nodded. Samar being satisfied with the answer said softly. "Choti, Please I would love you to take a video of this in your own style." The statement left Samaira emotional and so she happily obliged.

Anupama and Samar sat down and tied their ghungroos respectively. Both of them bowed down and did classical namaskar. They both shared a look and nodded at each other as Nandini pressed the remote at Samar's signal. The soft instrumental Carnatic music was a melody to the ears. The rhythm started to pulse into the mother-and-son duo. The breathtaking face held its enigmatic smile as she broke into what could only be called an earthly manifestation of sacred grace. Samar lifted his feet off the ground and dived head first onto the stage, as a mermaid would tear the water's surface. His hands gently caress the platform for only a moment, as he comes back, having rotated a full circle. The dance form brought a smile to Anupama's face as she recognized the flow of energy. This was Samar's home. A place where he could be himself away from the chaos of the world. The energy was infectious and thus it was about time for magic and madness to begin.

Anupama twirled in a circle with poise defining the grace and elegance that brought in a wave of feminine aura. The feminine counterpart was a match for the masculine energy that Samar possessed. The soft facial features were the highlight that emitted radiance. The lasya weaved in beautiful emotions of motherhood. Emotions that defined the epitome of creation just like Nataraja himself. The moves were complemented by Anand Tandava. There was a display of pure unadulterated happiness on Samar's face. This shade of Samar caught everyone off guard. The sheer joy and ecstasy. Soon the movements picked up pace as the music got more dramatic. The energetic and power-packed performance had an element of spontaneity apart from the soft footwork rather than the regular heavy tapping. It was well supported by the intricate hand gestures that were well emoted through eyes emphasizing on the core emotion as was the notion associated with Kathak. The subtle transition along with the perfect synchronization of moves was unexpected. It was unusual as there was a seamless blend of a known style that in a way electrified the atmosphere.

It was the mother and son who were reminiscing their bitter-sweet moments. They kept on moving in fanatic circles and let the tears roll down their eyes. It got everyone misty-eyed. It was as if they were getting rid of those painful memories that had held them down or rather weighed them down. The pain of ignorance and years of anguish was strongly reflected which soon culminated in a blissful scenario wherein Samar rested his knees on the ground followed by Anupama who had the signature arm gesture which is the left arm raised vertically and the right arm kept at the shoulder level and bent forward at the elbow, the fingers of both hands decoratively extended. A basic stance that is linear and asymmetric in character. The onlookers were spellbound as they witnessed the clash of two different stark contrasting dance forms - Kathak and Bharatnatyam. It left the audience in awe as the stage had indeed been set on fire. None of them had ever imagined that the fusion of two classical forms would be so enthralling to watch. The face-off was truly one of its kind.