Threshold...The Passage
The gate looked imposing, she gathered up her frayed energies yet again and taking a deep breath knocked. She had become quite good at this repeated gathering of energies and their slow dissemination into thin air as she met the umpteenth dance director or troupe manager for a chance to be hired.
Inside the gate she could hear a dog barking and someone admonishing it in a hushed voice to keep quite and not disturb the recitals. Inspite of herself she couldn’t help but smile as she remembered Ramprasad who would be waiting patiently for her to return. He would jump up and smother her with wet licks the moment she opened the door. She had surprised herself by taking a liking to the mongrel not that she had much choice it had followed her resolutely on her journey to a new world and once when she had hitched a ride on a tempo had run alongside till the driver had stopped and picked it up. With a reproachful look Ramprasad had sat down panting close to Sujata’s feet, dripping saliva all over her. He had his uses too, on her lonely forays he had stuck to her and his presence had warded off many a lecher and poacher.
The gate was opened and she walked in to be confronted by two sour looking guards who asked for her details before showing her the way to where the renowned man was doing his evening recitals. She was warned against disturbing the master and told to hold her tongue till he deemed it fit to speak to her.
In front of her rose vision-like the marble facade of a haughty building. She was shown in by a servant who made it known by his manner that she had no business in that house and he was surprised at her audacity that she wished to see the Master.
Told to wait in an anteroom, she could see the Master sitting on a raised platform in a long room with mirror walls. The reflection of the students who were barely five or six in number filled the room and it looked like an army was dancing.
The room echoed with the sound of the ghungroos and Sujata lost herself in the rhythm that emanated and filled up her being. She so wanted to be a part of this enchanted circle of dancers and dance to the rhythm that the Master beat for them, faster and faster it went into a frenzy and the dancers followed suit beating the ground with their feet and then suddenly all was silent. It was like someone had splashed cold water over her.
She looked up to find that she was frozen in a mudra and the students were looking at her aghast. She thought of fleeing but found herself rooted to the ground. Hours seemed to pass as everyone kept silent, unmoving and she thought she should pinch herself to see whether it was a dream or reality.
Finally the Master beckoned, she went forward after taking off her slippers and respectfully bowed to touch his feet, he raised his arm to bless her and a collective gasp was heard from the students. Never before had the Master been heard or seen to bless someone by touching, a mere nod of the head was what even the best of the students got.
Sujata felt she had arrived.
Inside the gate she could hear a dog barking and someone admonishing it in a hushed voice to keep quite and not disturb the recitals. Inspite of herself she couldn’t help but smile as she remembered Ramprasad who would be waiting patiently for her to return. He would jump up and smother her with wet licks the moment she opened the door. She had surprised herself by taking a liking to the mongrel not that she had much choice it had followed her resolutely on her journey to a new world and once when she had hitched a ride on a tempo had run alongside till the driver had stopped and picked it up. With a reproachful look Ramprasad had sat down panting close to Sujata’s feet, dripping saliva all over her. He had his uses too, on her lonely forays he had stuck to her and his presence had warded off many a lecher and poacher.
In front of her rose vision-like the marble facade of a haughty building. She was shown in by a servant who made it known by his manner that she had no business in that house and he was surprised at her audacity that she wished to see the Master.
Told to wait in an anteroom, she could see the Master sitting on a raised platform in a long room with mirror walls. The reflection of the students who were barely five or six in number filled the room and it looked like an army was dancing.
The room echoed with the sound of the ghungroos and Sujata lost herself in the rhythm that emanated and filled up her being. She so wanted to be a part of this enchanted circle of dancers and dance to the rhythm that the Master beat for them, faster and faster it went into a frenzy and the dancers followed suit beating the ground with their feet and then suddenly all was silent. It was like someone had splashed cold water over her.
She looked up to find that she was frozen in a mudra and the students were looking at her aghast. She thought of fleeing but found herself rooted to the ground. Hours seemed to pass as everyone kept silent, unmoving and she thought she should pinch herself to see whether it was a dream or reality.
Finally the Master beckoned, she went forward after taking off her slippers and respectfully bowed to touch his feet, he raised his arm to bless her and a collective gasp was heard from the students. Never before had the Master been heard or seen to bless someone by touching, a mere nod of the head was what even the best of the students got.
Sujata felt she had arrived.
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