Finding Him and Me

Chapter 41 - New Feels

I literally run to my bag to fetch Miss Shona's Cinderella pointes from a blue net pouch. Ballet slippers and shoes are aways kept in a porous bag so that they can breathe. If its packed sweaty and damp, they can rot. Moreover these shoes are very old, probably one of her first shoes. They are too precious.

I walk to miss Shona and every girl watches me intendedly. It's as though I'm walking the red carpet, having everyone's eyes on me is unnerving and I suddenly feel so special. The back of my eyes burn and I pray that tears dont roll down my cheeks anytime now. I'll seem like a drama queen and I'm not keen on attractimg that sort of attention. I sniffle loudly and try to stay strong.

Shona pulls a chair from the side and motions me to sit down. "This," she starts loudly addressing the whole room, while taking out the shoes from the pouch, "pair of Cinderella pointes are my first pointe shoes. They are broken right down to the sole. I've danced in them so so much. They are so special and mean so much to me. They are my magical shoes and now is it's Alia turn to use them." She finishes, her voice choked and flooded with withheld emotion. My eyes water as I watch her lovingly turn the shoes in her hands, examing the new elastic and sequins.

The spell is broken as the basement erupts into claps and hoots. It's one of those moments that you wish you can lock into a little heart locket and wear around your neck forever. And when you hold it, all the memories come flooding back like a warm hug from a loved person.

I look around seeing everything, the look of joy and excitement in everyone's eyes. A nostalgic story from Shona is a rare treat and since it's so connected to ballet and the upcoming program I think everyone's heart is touched. I take in the sound of the celebration.

"Well?" Shona whispers looking at me. I don't understand and shake my head.

Then she does something I never imagined. She kneels in front of me and places my feet on her lap as a gasp escapes my throat. "Please." I beg. For what I'm unsure.

She slowly slips the shoe onto my left foot and a tear slips out of my eye. Everyone says "awwwww" and more tears roll down my face as I furiously rub it away.

They're a perfectly like a glove. Snug and delicate. The pink satin is brownish and the silver stones contrast beautifully. I examine the shoes on my feet in wonder. Shona holds my hand and pulls me up. "How does it feel?"

"Magical." I breathe. "They feel like Cinderella's magic glass slippers. And they feel as delicate and special. I love it." I say biting my lip, trying hold hold back a tsunami of emotions in me.

She smiles sweetly and does a little dance, typical Shona I think to myself. God I love her so much!!! "Okay okay now do on point once." She jumps.

Once again the whole room falls into anticipatory silence and I catch a glimpse of Arjun in the corner, staring right at me. A tinge of self consciousness fills me and I slowly plie'. Then take a long deep breath and go on point watching Shona. Jesus.

"Feels okay?" Shona asks.

"Better than my own shoes actually." I grin feeling like the queen of the world. I let out a little laugh and hug my teacher tightly. Trying to tell her how much I love her and the shoes and that this means so much and more to me. The gesture, the trust, everything.

"Hahaha I'm sure." She says hugging me back. "Let's start the warm up."

Everyone gets into place to start the pointe warm up. Shruthi connects her phone to the huge JBL speakers and flips on Uptown funk by Bruno Mars. The songs we always use for the warm up.

5 6 7 8 and-

16 ankle stretches
16 over-pointe holds
16 forced arch presses later, we begin the exercises.

Plie' releve' pointe' hold 2 3 4 5 - and plie' stretch.

Everyone goes about that same routine 10 times. Every releve' feels different. As if the shoes are me and I am the shoe. The split base pushes into the arch of my foot and my heels can help point deeper without getting a catch. The mere feeling is pure magic, bliss. They are broken to the point of almost falling apart. The wooden soul is hard, the fabric worn and absent at some places. But no other shoes has ever felt so special to dance in. The tips of my toes aren't very squished or too roomy. They are comfortably bent and the knuckles brush against the roof at a times. They don't have an elastic lace in the front, instead it's a rigid thread tied into an adorable bow and I keep looking down to peek at them. I'm losing my mind over it's cuteness.

Half an later, in not even close to stop obsessing about my shoes. I mean my teacher's shoes. Shona suggests we repeat the ball scene so I can get some practice in them and the junior batch takes their places quickly.

My entry to the ball is pretty iconic, it's right after Arjun is forced around the stage to dance with the step sisters. He takes a moment to gather his misplaced wits and that's when the music takes a high note going all Pam pam pam, and I run in from the last wing.

The prince is required to look shocked/enticed/spontaneously in love and come to me as the soldiers cordially walk me to him. It's fantastic. Gives my ego a boost and all in all makes me happy. You know the attention and all.

On queue the music of our dance begins, just after we exchange a bow and perhaps a look or two. Like lovestruck fools. I don't act it, not while practice atleast. He holds out his hand and I happily place mine in it.

The room falls silent and we start flowing together, like every other time, however its different this time. The pointes or just how we've bonded so much than before. I'm glad. And I realise that whatever happens, always happens for the best. And Arjun is getting to me.

That feeling you know, when you lose control over your thoughts and it's dominanted by one person and one person alone. A little bit like that.

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After the junior batch finishes all the work for the day and the seniors work on they're ballet pieces, I take my bag and meet miss Shona up front.

"The maid costume is ready, I got it today." I inform holding out the dress.

"Oh! Thats great, let me see." She looks approvingly. After scrutinizing it she says, "perfect. The other costumes will be here in a week and then we have to do a dress rehearsal for you atleast 5 times because there are so many costume changes throughout." She tells me. I nod.

She hands it over and I say goodbye.

Arjun looks up from his iPad and pulls down his headphones when I approach him. Why headphones? Aren't earplugs better? Anyways.....

"Can we do that turn step now?" I ask plonking down on the sofa beside him. I'm dead tired.

"Take a breather for five minutes. Otherwise you'll pass out on me." He smiles. Gee thanks.

All the blood loss during girl calamity really drains me. "Good idea." I whisper shutting my eyes and reclining comfortably.

I play the day over in my head, mentally doing the step in my head and focus on my breathing. Things appear brighter than before I think.

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Also, this chapter had a lot of description about the shoes. I'm sorry if you found this a little boring, but its really important to me and I thought you could also get a deeper insight as to what a ballet dancer really feels.

Things between Arjun and Alia will escalate really fast from now on. There will be a lot, I repeat a lot of exciting scenes that's going to make your eyes go hearts😂😂😂💕💕💕💕!!!

Stay tuned. Love you soooooo much 😘😘😘😘