"Anupama, come sit," Mr. Patel, told her. 

She quietly walked in and sat down, still perplexed as to why she had been specially summoned to his office, that too so urgently. The peon who had informed her about had interrupted her mid-class to do so. And he had been extremely vague about the reason.

In the ten minutes that it took her to get to Mr. Patel's office, a million thoughts ran through her mind. Her classes were going great, the press debacle was also over, the school administration now treated her with kid gloves since she was engaged to one of their trustees, although she had never taken advantage of the situation. She was back in school, working regular hours, not missing any days. What was it that could have gone wrong? 

Anupama never expected anything to go right in her life. Nothing had for the last 26 years. Except.... Everything had changed since Anuj had walked into her life unannounced. On her way to the Principal's office, she passed the staffroom and momentarily stopped to peek in; memories of her first meeting with Anuj flooding her mind. 

Her cheeks coloured at the thought of Anuj, something that had been increasingly happening in her life. She managed to see him everywhere. She saw him while buying vegetables the other day, and then again at the chemist. She managed to see him everywhere and often chided her fertile imagination for placing Anuj Kapadia at these unique locations. She'd smuggled one of his kurtas into her wardrobe and often hugged it while sleeping. The kurta kept bad dreams at bay.  

She gently touched the door to the staffroom, caressing it, reminiscing...

The ringing of the school bell brought her back to the present and she doubled her pace to get to the Principal's office.

Once there, her nervousness heightened. As she knocked on the door, she said a little prayer. She hoped she still had her job. She would need it once Anuj would no longer be part of her life. That thought hurt her like a million pieces of shattered glass pricking her skin. And so she parked it aside, praying silently to her Kanhaji. For what?

Mr. Patel noticed her shuffling feet at the door and invited her into his office.

"Anupama," he continued after offering her a seat,  "Our school has been invited to participate in Modhera Dance Festival next year."

Just as Anupama nodded her head to indicate her attention, two others - the Geography teacher Mrs Kokila Patel and the science teacher Mrs Jyotsana Karthik knocked on Mr Patel's office door to indicate their arrival.

"Come in," Mr Patel motioned to them all to take a seat before continuing.

"As I was telling Anupama, the school has been invited to participate in the Modhera Dance Festival next year. The dance festival is a highlight event of Gujarat Tourism.  As you all can imagine, this is a moment of great prestige for our school. We have less than five months to go.

"The three of you indicated on your extra-curricular surveys that you are professionally trained dancers - Anupama and Kokila in Kathak and Jyotsana in Bharatnatyam.

"Now I am no dance expert but I was thinking something on the lines of classical and folk fusion for our school's performance. I'd like you, three teachers, to work together to audition and finalize eight students from Class X who will be participating in this showcase. The practise sessions should start soon. Whatever resources you need from the school will be at your disposal.

"Just remember one thing, our performance needs to be the highlight of the festival."

As the teachers, one by one made their way out of the Principal's office, discussing their ideas, Anupama was lost in her thoughts. She was being entrusted with the school's honour. And her fiance was one of the trustees. Would she be able to do this? Would she be able to make them all proud?

She hadn't danced for the last 26 years. Did she still have it in her? Oblivious to her predicament, Jyotsana turned to her and asked, "So tomorrow at 2.30 pm?"

She nodded her head, clearly realizing she'd missed some very important elements of the conversation.

"And what will we do then?"

Kokila replied: "Well, I guess we should finalize the choreography before we begin the auditions. We should give ourselves a week to finalize the steps. Once that's done we can work on the auditions and practices."

Anupama mutely nodded before making her way to the staff room. While a small part of her was excited about this opportunity, a bigger part of her was nervous. She didn't know if she remembered anything about dancing at all. 26 years was a very long time to stay away from art - any art - to be able to forget it. 

*****

Anupama twirled. And twirled again. And again. With each twirl she felt a bit of stress leave her body, she felt a little more healed. Her classes after 1 pm had been allocated to a substitute teacher for the next five months so she could give her undivided attention to the preparations for the Modhera Dance Festival.

As soon as she was able, she'd promptly made her way to the school gymnasium, that had been booked for their dance practice. Playing music on her phone, she pulled the stole of her sari tight across her belly and tucked it to her waist. She then began to nod her head to the music, a little. She'd wanted this time to herself before her colleagues came, to reacquaint herself with the person she'd been 26 years ago and the art she'd loved.

She'd taken the time to read up on the history of the festival. Each year, it took place right after Uttarayan (Kite Festival) with the Modhera Sun Temple as a backdrop. One of Gujarat tourism's highlight festivals, dance connoisseurs from all over the world visited the state to participate and patronize global forms of dance. Anupama had seen some dance videos on YouTube and was mesmerized by the scale at which this event took place.

As her feet continued to familiarize themselves with the beats and rhythms that had long been forgotten by her being, she smiled, a little and then some more. She stretched her hands out, first left and then right, and then jumped a little, first left and then right.

Gaining confidence from the agility she felt within her being and the way her hands and feet responded to her dance moves, she tried some more complex ones. 

Pinching her hands and placing near the parting in her hair, she emoted the happiness of a bride dressing up for her loved one. Her hands depicted the bride wearing a necklace, and then another, wearing bangles, tying her waist belt, wearing anklets, colouring her eyes with kohl, painting her lips, adorning her head with a little bindi, admiring herself in the mirror and then feeling shy, rejoicing in that new found love, twirling and dancing in that happiness. 

A twirl, then another, and another and looking up with the expectation of meeting her beloved, sad that he wasn't there as yet, sitting down, eagerly awaiting his arrival; the expressions showcasing her excitement at hearing his footsteps, the bride going to the mirror for one last peek, to assure herself that she still looks pretty. She fixing the odd piece of jewelry that has moved from its designated spot. And then going back to the door, peeking outside, her cheeks colouring crimson with heated anticipation. 

Not seeing her lover anywhere; coming back into the room and yet feeling his presence, placing her hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. Celebrating that feeling, dancing and twirling, another twirl, still another twirl, and her lover's physical presence breaking that motion. 

She brings her hand forward and gently places her head on it, willing her heart to stop beating so erratically. She shyly raises her head and locks her eyes with those of her lover; with those of Anuj Kapadia.

Shocked at his presence in the school gymnasium, Anupama stood frozen, her face mere inches from his, her eyes locked with his, the surroundings ceasing to exist at that moment. Then impulsively she leaned in and gave him a chaste peck on his lips.