The Sacrifice of love !!

  It was said : "When she danced, she was in trance, nothing could stop her, she was filled with romance".

  Dance was what she had begun with. Her flavor of life - Dance. Dance was what she had started to live with. Her mantra to success - Dance. It's uncanny how these five letters could be so cogent. To some souls, dance means the finest art and to some its void. I believe its all about perceptions, passion and depth. Her depth of ecstasy lied in the ghungroos and those waist belts. She had an urge to absorb various information's of dance, that positive aura of doing something from all the heart. However, attaining the vision wasn't that facile.

  Belonging to a Muslim household, Asfa was never consented to learn Classical Indian Dance. Her ami (mother) and abu (father) were against the Hindu localities. Their disbelief in the Hindu religion was firm. Asfa, had lived in Pakistan for more than a decade. So, she was informed of those values taught by her parents being a Muslim. Those restrictions and burns she had to go through, for glorifying the Indian Classical Dance.
We have always perceived and learnt that Muslim women associate themselves to a religion where they are required to cover their entire body when out in public, with the exception of the hands and face. The importance of Hijab, in the religion is followed to the core. Whereas, they are also expected to refrain from any actions that may draw any attention to them such as wearing jewellery, jingling ornaments and perfume. They are must to behave in the best of their behaviors and a dignified manner. 
Despite keeping this in mind, Asfa had her attention diverted to the form of dance, Kathak. It was a form of trance she used to get in, when a sound was heard, letting her feet move spontaneously; her hands clinging to the context of the harmony; her body being ambiguous, echoing the melody. 

   Asfa had grown up learning Kathak, the forms of that dance, the intensity of emotions it is performed with, clearing and cleansing the mind and soul. She had a thought to escape from the phony cosmos to the reality of her merriment. Asfa's ami used to gaze at her, practicing Kathak in her room, putting ghungroos on and losing herself to the eternity. For Asfa, dazing and musings were all at once in the form of Kathak. Her love for the particular dance never ceased.  

  Seeing this, her ami and abu had started being anxious for their daughter cultivating a Hindu mentality. It was hard for them to pause her, as she was close to chasing her dreams. Her passion for Kathak had grown succeeding day, making it compacted for her parents or any members of the society to confront her. Where Asfa's parents feared the society's ridicule and derision, Asfa was shining with a beam of light practicing every move in order to be a phenomenal Kathak artist. Her faith in her doing was concrete. Concrete than the slandering of the society upon her and her family. 

   Knowingly, Asfa had crossed the boundaries which were set and had devoted herself to Kathak. Living in Pakistan, had snatched the priceless beauty of hers, her parents who never permitted Asfa to soothe her inner self and opt for her choices. Asfa had felt that she was being slammered. After giving a deep pensive envision as to what she was supposed to do to chase Kathak, she came to a point that being in India would be the only way for her to rise higher in her ambitions and projections. Sooner or later, she had realised that the culture she was instructed in would however never grant her the liberty to do as per her wishes. The scorns of the community would still persist. 

   Pondering over that, Asfa had decided to abandon her country and fly to get the whole of what she was loving half way. Asfa, had flown to India, Bangalore, with an inkling that now she would be able to make an identity for herself establishing self satisfaction and atonement. Asfa, had made something toughest to be the easiest thing. The only thing which made it that smooth was mere efforts and her emotions with which she flew to India and took a personal training in Kathak in being a dancer. 
Living in India, had taught Asfa, a lot in life, it seemed like a different outlook to the world, while staying away from your own country and inventing another, in authentic moods and hues. She was termed as an Indian-Muslim 'devotee of dance'. Experiencing through distinct slopes, Asfa was turned to be a follower of Lord Krishna. Her faith and fortune had commenced with the blessings of the lord, or were never there behind her success. With this kind of notion and mindset, Asfa had eradicated all the religion ties. The difference between a Hindu-Muslim mentality with which she had lived, so her parents, had made her devise a new orbit which constituted of positive spirits. No malicious doings, nor the gains.. every quantity seemed unexacting.. easy..worth living. 

  Everything was later sorted out between her parents when she had planned a trip to Pakistan. This time, she had returned with the vibes of being a Kathak artist. She was content in all ways, and so was her family seeing her flourishing in every point of the circumstances.

         It was dance indeed which transported her into another world, away from the usual calms. She chased, she procured with pleasure and mirth, the relevance of joy. Echoing "An artist doesnt discriminate, nor did I. Therefore, I claim being an Artist".


© Latika Sareen