By Kanishka Jain
"And today, we are starting on a high note... I mean thumkas (wink) with the one and only bootyful bird," announced the creepy anchor of the show. On the side stage, performing live music at the wedding of Manish Oberoi, the son of marble industry tycoon Akhalesh Oberoi. Instruments like tabla, oud, shenai, and santur.
The music is accompanied by beautiful, poised fingers with charming wrist twists. Not a single part of the body is allowed to move without her permission or offbeat. There is a flow in every step, flawless as if the body became one with the beats and movement was meant to be. It's as if ocean waves are rising and going back to the water. Body movements are as fluent as poem rhymes. No, this is not Kathak or contemporary; this is belly dancing in a shimmering white Bedlah suit. Shiny strips of the skirt dance freely in the air like flower petals. She is exactly there yet not at all. She can see what is happening but is lost in the beat of this movement like forever. She dances so naturally as if she is simply breathing, taking everybody's breath away. The fire in her eyes fights with the innocence of her smile. Her chin is a little uplifted, showing off her proud nose in style. The waves of the waist and the fluent rotation of hips afterward justify the existence of every beat. They make her look like an angel out of this world. It seems like even her layered-cut hair enjoys the rhythm of the song. Her feet tap the floor as she elegantly enjoys splashing rainwater. Her skin colour matches from head to toe. It is a flawless performance by a flawless-looking person.
Marble businessmen and other family clans are unaware of the beauty of the dance. They look at it as a shameless, disgusting, filthy performance. This supports the men of the family in ruthlessness dancing around her. Their shirts are open, their faces have crooked smiles. They are bashing her stage appearance and winking all around her. They look at a diamond as just another stone. No women voice against this; opposingly, women go...
"Can you see? How that girl is moving her waist, around men!" Reshma exclaimed.
"Yeah, these women, I tell you, they don't care about anything at all!" Sushma joined the gossip.
Reshma proceeded, "These women are a bad influence on society."
"They are like the dark spots that neither can be erased nor be looked at," Sushma enjoyingly added.
"I assure you she just came into the profession as she was sick of having male attention all the time," Reshma claimed.
Sushma air quoted, "And never worried about which kind?!"
"Don't you know people just get naked even for very little fame?" Reshma replied cleverly.
Sushma agreed, "That's so true!"
Years gone by... Yellow and orange-coloured polka dots kurti with white leggings. Delightful chikan embroidery on the sleeves and neck. A voice strangling the whole hall of the Satsang place, "Naam jaapan kyu chod diya?" So melodious, sharp, and loud that it directly hits the heart like an arrow. An arrow that penetrates the heart with wisdom and light. The dancers celebrate, and the meditators enjoy every bit of it. Some people call her the most devotional person ever seen. There is no mark of any negative emotion on her face, just a charming smile, eyelids shut as if she is wandering in another world and doesn't want to come out of it. Long gold artificial diamond-cut chandelier earrings with a detailed design of leaf and branch. She is sitting gracefully and peacefully.
Someone sitting far aside, who just joined, cannot believe his eyes.
"Bootyful bird!" he is astonished.
He rushes to the organizers and shouts in one corner as everyone ignores him.
"This is admissible, How can a belly dancer do Satsang! She should be banned here!" Aman yelled.
"What rubbish! This is "Aneesha ji," the best devotional singer in the area. One cannot speak like that about her," the organizer said in an assertive voice.
"Oh! I have seen her really devoted to her work on stage with a lot of men too," Aman joked (in laughter and winks).
The organizer (female) interrupted, "Sir, excuse me! Can I know what's the problem?"
Aman shouted, "Yes! you letting a belly dancer sing in satsangs."
The organizer (female) spoke cynically, "Sorry sir, we have no idea regarding the other professions of Aneesha ji, may I ask you how does it matter?"
Aman annoyed, "How dare....
"krodh na choda
Jhoot na choda
Satye vachan kyu chod Diya?!" Aneesha ji sang.
"I will ponder around it and get back to you later," Aman said in a saddened voice.
Now Aman looks at the beauty of devotion by which Aneesha is singing bhajans. Her voice hits his heart and makes him question his perspective and behaviour towards her. After the Satsang, Aman goes to meet Aneesha personally. Aneesha tries to hide her face and realizes that she has no other option than to confront him.
Aman, with admiration, "Namaste, It was an honour to listen to you sing."
Aneesha is astounded. She replies politely, "Thank you very much. It was an honour to sing for people too."
Aman asks, "When did you start all this?"
Aneesha tells her tale, "I love dancing more than anything in this world, but my family comes from a non-dancing background. One day I decided to make dance my profession, and then Krishnaji became my life coach; just like everyone else, he was my palanhara too."
Aman, all perplexed, "What do you mean by that?"
Aneesha, "Nobody in my family listened to me. So, I knew only one person who listened to everyone and provided for everyone, the bal gopal became my friend in all the sorrows and happiness. Gave me a sense of individuality and strength."
As time passed, more and more people came to know both the professions of Ms. Aneesha. This led to people questioning the credibility of the Satsang space. And people started rioting in front of the satsang places where she performed, to close them all. For creating a full stop to allegations. As a peace-making deal, another satsang was conducted. Aneesha, in a lower voice, "Krishna hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna hare hare, Hare rama, hare Rama Rama Rama hare hare." People whispering and gossiping about her. Discouraging her devotion and voice more and more. Anyway, the Satsang goes on and then Aman arrives and joins in, "kya leke aya jagat mei, Kya leke aya jagat mei? Kya leke jayga Kya leke jayga Do din ki zindagi hai, Do din ka mela."
This provides Aneesha immense strength; now she joins with full devotion, forgets all her worries, and gets lost in the world of the friendship of her Krishna and her. Everybody is amazed and dazzled by her voice and question their thought processes about her. Once again, knowledge blossomed the room for everybody there.
By Kanishka Jain
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