Ke Pag Ghungroo

Chapter 2

An evident memory flashed in front of her eyes:

A little girl was crawling all over the room. She seemed quite happy and content. Slowly, she made her way to the small heighted shelf and picked up few beads of ghungroos. They made a tinkilng sound in her hand. She was extremely happy to hear the sounds, which were termed as "Music". A middle aged man was standing at the door, leaning against it. With his head cocked to a side, his eyes were fixed on that little figure. After some thought, he went and tied small strings of ghungroos to her feet. The girl seemed so amused by it, the ghungroos went Chan Chan as she shook her leg. Her joy knew no bounds." Say Ghu- ng- roo", taught the man."Ghu-g-loo", she related in her soft totla accent. The man picked her up and tossed her in air, pouring the sounds of laughter and tinkles in the room. It was a happy moment.

Those beats of music still echoed in her ears and those peals of laughter shared between an incredible Dance Guru and a three year old child brought pain in her heart. She slowly came back to reality. She looked around to find Moushi missing. She had been too lost to look at her, hence she must have sent away.

" Moushi! Moushi!", she shouted. She looked in the courtyard, her bedroom and finally the Rasoi. She was there, right near the stove, cooking her favourite curry. Shubhangi had missed it these days, since Moushi had gone to her relative's place."I forgot to ask you Moushi...", she started,leaning against the platform, " How was your trip?""Khoob Bhalo!", she said cheerfully.

Shubhangi roamed around in the kitchen for sometime, busily chatting away about the village, what she did for the past one month and how Mr. Chatterjee had shown slight improvement.

" You know Moushi, that day when he moved his finger...", her statement was cut off by the doorbell."Who's it? So early?", she wondered as he went to open the door.

But her face tightened a bit and her expression became very stern as she saw who it was." Mr Jerry, how many times do I have to tell you that I am NOT interested in either your offer or your job. Now please excuse me", she said firmly. She was about to shut the door when forced himself into the house."Ms. Shubhangi! Why do you get angry at me?", he remarked. " Give it a thought, what's the hurry? I am offering you five hundred rupees a month, to be a part of my theatre group. Look at you -- how gracefully you dance, quite like an angel, isn't it?", he said framing her between his palms and fingers like a photographer.

" You know English, have a degree too and what are you doing? Babysitting an old man? What a waste of time and talent!""Leave". " I said get out!", she barked."Okay, okay... Relax! I am going. But do think about it".

Shubhangi shut the door on his back , with her head boiling in fury. Moushi came running from the kitchen, hearing her shouts." Ki Hobe Shona?", she asked worriedly."Kuch Nahi Moushi... That same Angrezz""Ohh! Oo Gora? Yes, I remember."

That 'Gora' had been visiting them since over three months now. He was trying to convince Shubhangi to join his elite theatre group. Indian Classical Dance had become a rage amongst the English as they had taken a fancy for it. But very few people knew it's real essence and Shubhangi was one of them.Shubhangi refused to work, not only because it was an insult to the art but also because her principles rather her Gurudev's principles forbade her to do so. She had already committed one mistake of not obeying him. And as it so happened, she is paying for it. And,she did not wish to repeat it again.

Greed and Hunger are two powerful evils that makes a person blind; oblivious to truth. And when the blindfold is removed, reality strikes heavily and everyone is left dumbstruck at the events.