Dancing Dolls by Sheetal Pahadi (rm book recommendations txt) 📖

buddies- Shlok and Rehaan going for that.

 

(Shlok and Rehaan stand up and wave hands to the rest of them.)

(All hoot for them.)

 

Samar-       The last performance but one of the most important is the Couple Performance. The Male-Female Duet.

         

Couple performance opens up a wide variety of possibilities to experiment upon. It has no restrictions. We can choose any theme in a couple performance. The rest kinds have some limitations. A good couple dance needs just two honest and passionate dancers with good understanding and chemistry between them. They don’t require exceptional choreography, coz if they are honest with themselves, their passion and with each other, they can beautify even the simplest steps. If they know each other well, and are good dancers, they have least issues. While group dancers have co-ordination issues, this type can in fact, be the best in that.

 

Couple dances offer masculine physical strength for lifts and abilities to control everything as well as feminine grace and expressions and flexibility.

 

In all, it is the most special and important kind. So, for this we have two very special people, the hearts of the NRS – Neil and Alifa.

 

Cheers for them.

 

All-    Yay!!!

 

Samar-       Most of you had already guessed about this one , right?

 

All-    Yeah, Samson!!!

 

Alifa- (to Neil) God! I am really excited.

 

Sonya-        Any suggestions for the dance performances are welcomed. Tell us if you are good with your partners.

 

Neil- (to Alifa) Hey Alifa! I need to tell you something.

I really like Jazzlin. I really do. I have had a crush on her since the first day she entered the NRS. And I always wanted to dance with her, but never could.

Alifa, listen, I’m really sorry, but I hope you understand. Can you please help me perform this duet with her, if you don’t mind?

 

(Alifa had tears in her eyes but she wiped them before Neil could see them.)

 

Neil- Look, I am really sorry, but please, now you know na, how much I like her. This is the chance and the only way to get to her.

 

Alifa- (sighing) Yeah, okay. But how do we do that?

 

Neil- Listen, I’m going to talk to Sonya about it. You just accompany me, and agree with me and say that you are very very comfortable with & are in good friendship with the other girl Siyaali in the folk, who is to perform with Jazzlin.

 

Alifa- Hmm… Okay. As your wish Neil.

 

Neil- (hugs Alifa)

Aww, Alifa, thank you so much. You are such a darling.

         

 

 

 

He realizes that he hugged her, even though they were not so good friends . He immediately loosened his arms around her and gave a big smile to her. Alifa replied with a fake smile, tapped him on his shoulders and said, “Go, I am coming.”

 

Again tears started filling up in her eyes, but this time she let them fall. She was really sad, all her dreams were shattered. She had been so excited for this day. But she had no other option, except his happiness, of course!

 

^^^^^

 

Next day while practice, she saw both Neil and Jasleen, practicing together. They were good but she thought that Neil and she herself would have been much more better. She cried a bit, then convinced herself that now she can’t do anything about it. So, better she should focus on her performance. She started ignoring thoughts of Neil, as everytime she thought of him, it made her feel really sad and hopeless.

 

Three days later, Neil approached her and said that he wanted to talk something really important. Alifa ignored him and said that she had an important work. She then left for home. She now knew that she can never gain his love. So, it is better to stay away from him to control her feelings and focus on her career.

 

When at home, she cried a lot and recalled her moments with him. But then, she reminded herself about Neil’s attraction towards Jasleen and tried to stop his thoughts from coming to her mind. She slept with her face wet with tears.

 

Next morning, with a bit positive attitude, she left for school.

 

Yes, Neil and Alifa had been studying in the same school for past 6 years. This was their last year in the school. They were in 12th and in a few months their school life would end.

They were studying together since they were in class 7th. Alifa had shifted in to this city Bengaluru, from Agra. She then joined her current school St. Louis High School the same year and also joined the NRS Studio the next year- when she was in class 8th.Neil had joined NRS 1 year before Alifa.

 

Alifa had started liking Neil the day she saw him perform in the school stage, on Teacher’s Day. Everybody knew Neil to be a great dance performer and a good student.

 

But Neil never took notice of Alifa, neither as a classmate nor as a dancer because in the NRS, they were in separate batches. It was only the last year in class 11th that Alifa reached the Advanced Batch, where Neil had already reached an year before her. It was then that Neil started admiring her for her excellent dance.

 

She reached the school and entered the class. Neil was already there and was waiting for Alifa to come. Neil and Alifa had started to be normal friends since the start of class 12th. He tried to talk to her but could not, since she ignored him again. Neil talked to one of her friends Amaya and took her number.

 

After school, when Neil reached home, he texted Alifa.

 

“Plz plz Alifa, plz reach d studio early 2mrw by 7:30 am. I hv smthng really imp 2 talk abt.”

 

Neil now doubted that Alifa was upset with him because he had refused to perform the duet- the most important and highlighting performance with her. He wished everything to be alright and slept with a hope of a better morning tomorrow.

 

 

 

Episode 6

 

The next day was a Sunday, so there was no school and the NRS was filled with the dance students from the morning itself. Neil was waiting for Alifa since 7:10 am. He was worried and was walking continuously from one end of the room to the other, completely lost in the confusions of his mind. His mind was wondering whether Alifa would come or not. But his heart said that she would surely come, because she was very considerate towards others. His heart was right! How could Alifa not come to the person whose happiness mattered to her the most.

 

Yes, she came at about 7:40.

 

On seeing her, Neil was so relieved and ran up to her and gave her a tight hug. Alifa did not reciprocate coz if she had done, she would have fell down for him again.

 

Neil-      I am so glad you are here. I was so worried whether you would come or not.

Alifa-     Say, why did you call me this early and so urgently?

 

Neil-      Just a sec…. (He brings two sitting cubes near Alifa.) Please sit down first. (They both sit.) ……. First tell me, are you upset with anything that I have ever said to you?

Alifa-     No, not at all.

Neil-      Then why were you ignoring me? I tried to talk to you so many times but every time you walked away.

(Alifa’s whole body became still for a moment. She wasn’t able to decide what to speak.)

Alifa-     No, you are thinking…..

Neil-      (interrupting)….. See, I know you are upset and angry. And I even know why you are angry. So, there’s no good in hiding anything.

 

               You are upset with me because I refused to dance with you, right?

(Alifa did not say anything. She tries to avoid his gaze biting her lip with her eyes wandering here and there. She wasn’t able to say anything.)

 

Neil-      Your silence tells that I am right.

                        See, Alifa……

               (Neil keeps both his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him.)

               Listen, I am sorry for what I have done……… I kept both of our careers as well as the reputation of NRS on stake, just for my selfish reasons….. I am really sorry.

               (Tears rolled down from his eyes as he said those words.)

               I should have thought about it before, but you know na how stupid I am…

 

(Seeing Neil for the 1st time in this avatar, Alifa also started crying with him, for she was the most sensitive girl one could ever meet with.)

Alifa-     Hey…….. Shhh…..

                        Don’t be sorry yaar. Everybody makes mistakes. If you genuinely regret it and apologise from your heart, it’s fine.

Neil-      Did you forgive me?

Alifa-     I was never angry with you….. (in her mind- “How can I be? I was just handling my awkward self! Sorry for this rude behavior.”)

Neil-      Oh God! Thanks…..

               Thank you, Alifa. You don’t know how much better you made me feel.

Alifa-     Was it just this thing for which you called me so urgently???

                        (She gave a puzzled look with her eyebrows lifted up.)

Neil-      No!

               Alifa, I have been practicing with Jazz for about 3 days now, but…….I…….I…….I shouldn’t say this, but…..there’s something missing between us. I mean…….we don’t get the steps perfectly like they should be. I am not saying she’s a bad dancer, but you know na, her forte is traditional/folk/Indian type and we are doing Paso Doble. I do like her a lot, but I’m sure that is not at all helping us in the chemistry which is needed for this routine.

Alifa-     Hmm…. So now, what do you think you’ll do???

Neil-      (Holds her hands)

               Will you please please please dance with me? I have always admired you for your dance. You are so flawless. You are a ballerina. No one else can do this international form better than you…. Alifa, will you please be with me this time?

Alifa-     (Thinking……)

               (Oh God! He says there is something missing between him and Jazz…. And he is asking me to dance with him! Does he think that we both can have a better chemistry than him and Jazz?? He is saying I am flawless in dance….Oh God! Why this???- when I’m trying to walk away from him. I know he can never like me, then why?...... Umm, I think it’s not necessary for me that even he feels the same for me. But it would have been better. But still, what’s wrong to dance with him??? After all, I’ve always wanted to!!!)

Neil-      What happened? Where are you lost?? What do you say? Whether you will………?

Alifa-     Yes!

Neil-      Thank you so much Alifa.

               (Takes out something from his pocket)

               Here, take this- a ‘Thank You’ gift from me.

               (He hands her a chocolate bar.)

Alifa-     But what about Jazz? Have you talked to her about this?

Neil-      No, but I’ll handle it with her. She won’t disagree with me. She will take up the ‘Female Duet’ again.

Alifa-     Okay then, great!

               When are we starting our practice?

Neil-      Tomorrow-- Monday.

               With a new week, with a new partner, we will start a new routine. Everything new & fresh! (winks at Alifa)

 

(Alifa in turn gave him a big smile. Her eyes sparkling like stars!)

 

^^^^^

Next Day

 

Alifa was up awake by 5:00 am. She sipped her coffee which her mom had brought to her, as soon as she woke up. Alifa had the most loving family which