Stage

Sneha looked up in utter disbelief. Still, she could not trust her ears of what she just has heard. It left her in absolute shock. She kept her voice low and asked in complete dismay.

'I don't think I heard you saying that. I'm not quite sure whether you truly mean it.'

'I do not see any other alternative now that the doctors have confirmed too that your Mom will not be able to get up from the bed for another two months. Performance is the least we can expect from her.' Sneha was uncertain what Mr. Arora was concerned about: her Mom's health or about the stage show. She was surprised to see tension carved over his forehead and a feeling of helplessness fixed on his face. Seeing Mr. Arora's condition, her heart softened. She was thinking, but Mr. Arora seems to be studying her thought across the table. Or why wouldn't he? He was a professional person and knew the art of reading several artists' minds. She said in a composed voice,

'Ask me to do anything else, Mr. Arora, but taking over my Mom's place in your dance drama is probably the last thing in this world that I'll ever agree to.' After a moment of silence, she finally apologized, 'I'm very sorry I cannot do it.' She looked at him for quite some time, unable to gather what he was thinking. Then again, she asked, 'Can't you think of any other alternative?'

'I'm deeply disturbed after her accident. How do you think I'll even think about it seriously?' 

He hesitated a bit but finally gained the confidence to say at last. 'Sneha, all I can think right now is you. You can help me out. All you need to do is take over your Mom's place in this dance-drama, please. You are the only one who can do it in just two weeks.'

'I don't think I can, Mr. Arora. All my life, I have never seriously considered it. I had hardly attended dancing lessons when she urged me to join her. I had indeed expressed my desire initially, but it was all because I wanted to stay close to her. That's was a way of seeking her attention. And now you're asking me to perform, and it seems so ludicrous to me. You really think I'll be able to replace her? Let's face it, I'll be looking like a fool on stage, and besides, now after my Mom's accident, I don't feel like doing anything.' After a moment of silence when she looked into Mr. Arora's face that looked more serious now, but she continued with what she had to say, 'I know I have upset you, but I seriously think you must try for something else.'

Mr. Arora, with a final sigh, asked Sneha, 'Is that your last decision?'

Sneha felt a sudden unleash of relief that she could finally convince him. 'I am sure that I am not the last resource. Hence I am sure, very much.'

'O.K. then. I see that my reputation or my position in this theatrical world means nothing to you. I won't insist you do something which you do not want.'

She had nothing to say. She only knew that she had upset Mr. Arora. Leaving all her thought and remorse behind, she said, 'I would like to leave now. Dad is probably waiting for me.'

She stood up from the chair and picked up her handbag that she placed it on the table. Once she was outside the room, she promised that this emotional conversation would not drive her. She rushed quickly for her home, leaving all her thoughts behind.

She was about to enter her home when suddenly her mobile ran. She immediately attended the call without wasting a single moment. 

'Hello!'

'Hello! Miss Sharma. This is Doctor Sinha speaking.'

'Oh, yes, Doctor! Is everything O.K.' She sounded tensed now.

'The matter is serious, indeed. I should have discussed the case with you when you came over to my clinic in the morning. But then………. can you come right now?' He finished, and then there was a long silence.

'Give me twenty minutes; I'll be there. I'll try and get there as soon as possible.' She said it with a single pause, but at the back of her mind, she was torn between her thoughts. She wondered what exactly could be the matter. She disconnected the line and mounted up the staircases. She found her father was in the balcony, sitting on his recliner. He was looking outside at the view.

'Good Afternoon, dad.' And her father stood up on his feet.

'Good Afternoon, beta.'

'Have you taken your lunch?' She placed her bag on a corner table and sauntered towards her father.

'No, I was just waiting for you.' Then he moved forward in the dining hall and pulled out a chair to sit quietly.

Sneha removed the lids of the bowl and inspected all the dishes carefully. 'I see Dad, Asha Tai has made all your favorite dishes.' She looked directly at her father. 'Dad, what happened?' She found her father was sitting quietly. She knows the reason but seeing her father, who was so upset, she still asked.

'I wish I wouldn't have spoken to your mother so harshly.' And he covered his face with his hand, 'It's only because of that she was absent-minded while crossing the road. All she asked for was my permission to do her last stage show.'

Sneha's arms were immediately lifted to console her father. 'Oh, Dad, please don't blame yourself. I know that you are deeply upset, but the more you think about it, the more you will get upset. Dad, I have a suggestion for you. Join your work again that will keep you engaged.' She was silent for a moment or two and said again. 'I assure you Mom will be absolutely fine.'

A deep silence prevailed for quite some time, and after a few minutes, she said again, 'Dad, I'll be off for an hour or two. And I must leave early, as soon as I finish my lunch.'

'Is it urgent?' Her father asked.

'I hope not much, Dad.' She finally engaged herself in serving lunch to her father and dropping it in her plate, eventually settling down on the chair across the table, and eating quietly. Her mind was still occupied with the thought of what exactly Doctor Sinha wanted to discuss with her. She finished her lunch and rushed quickly for the Doctor's clinic. She, with her steady hand, knocked at the door, from the other side of the door, a sharp voice blew out.

'Come in.' she slowly stepped in.

'Please sit down.' Doctor Sinha said with a cold voice.

'What is it, Doctor?' She looked straight into his face.

'Sneha, your Mother, had a dangerous accident, surely you know that. She has badly hurt her legs, and the damage is a severe one. It has greatly affected her knees. We have suggested to your mother to take two months of complete rest, but I would also like to add that your mother should cancel all her future shows if she has any.'

She speechlessly stared at the Doctor. 'Don't look so surprised.' He continued again, 'I'm sure you know your Mom's age and the aftereffect of this accident could be worse. Her willingness has taken her so much further, but it is the time that she realizes she must take care of herself.'

'I know what you mean Doctor. But you also know what this entire thing means to her. She'll lose her heart if she is asked to stop something which she likes the most.' She explained with an expression that reflects Sneha's feeling of anguish for her mother.

'But Sneha……………you'll have to break this news…………to your mother.' He hesitated a bit before finally saying it.

'Isn't there any other way…I mean….cacan't you do anything about her condition? Isn't there a chance of recovery?' She nearly started sobbing, getting to know about her mother's condition.

'We are trying our label best. But she has almost crossed the age of bone recovery.' He explained.

'Can I see her?' She asked at last with drops of tears lying on her cheeks.

'You can.'

She erased the last drop of tears, stood on her feet, and headed to her cabin to meet her.

As she entered the room, she found her mother lying quietly on her bed. She called her, standing still at the entrance.

'Mom.'

Sneha's mother opened her eyes instantly and looked at the direction of her daughter.

She smiled, 'oh dear, it's you. Why are you standing over there? Come here, near me.'

She walked almost quickly over to her mother's bed and hugged her with equal ease. She started crying, after a while her tears ceased to fall. Her embrace slowly slackens, and she looked at her mother with a smile that only made her Mother worry more, for she couldn't understand what made her daughter so upset.

'Sneha, is anything serious?'

'No, Mom, nothing is wrong.' She said, managing a smile on her face.

'Your Mom is fine now, please don't cry.' She clearly wipes off tears from her eyes. 'You are soon going to see me at home.'

'Yes, Mom, I want to see you back home, with Dad and me.' She exclaimed gladly.

'How's your Dad now?'

'Much better. He was a little upset today afternoon.' After a momentary pause, she said, 'He still feels that he is the reason behind your accident.'

'No, it was completely my fault. I understand now I could have done away without upsetting your dad. He wasn't wrong at all. But I wanted somebody to take my legacy forward.' And she stopped with a feeling of regret

Sneha's eyelashes that were lowered for quite some time slowly lifted up. She was particularly thinking about something now. After a few minutes of silence, she moved from her mother's bed and said, 'I'll be coming over to see you tomorrow. I have to leave now.'

'Bye dear Good Night, see you tomorrow.' Then she threw a final embrace to her mother and placed a kiss on her cheeks. She slowly moved outside the room and closed the door behind her. As she turned, she found Doctor Sinha was waiting for her outside the door.

'I just couldn't reveal it to her Doctor Sinha, and I just couldn't.' She said with a distressed look.

'I understand, there will be more opportunity in the future when you can tell it to your mother.' He said it with a consoling voice.

She was heading towards her home when a memory recoiled in her mind. In just a few seconds, she drove back to her past, back to fifteen years.

A huge hall full of young girls, all in a colorful mood, looking up at her mother. Her mother is standing on an elevated platform, giving clear instructions to those young girls, who were her students. She looks at her daughter, who was silently standing at the corner of the room.

'Sneha, why don't you come and join them? Why are you looking from a distance?' She had said.

'Will I be able to do it, Mom?' She said with an innocent voice.

'Of course, you can.' And there she began her dancing lessons.

Step by step, she learned her dance. She knew her mother takes pride in everything that she does and everything that she has ever done. She easefully and passionately enough completed her full course and by the time she reached to her teens her desire was no longer alive. She slowly moved away from dancing. There was often time when she missed her practice sessions. When she would walk out from stage shows, and more often than never turned up when her mother needed her the most. Her mother got the indication that she was no longer interested in the field of creative art like dancing.

One such day had come when she voiced her desire to her father.

'What's this beta?' Her father said, putting a glance over a form that was lying on the table in front of him.

'Dad, I want to take up a course on designing.' She answered confidently.

'Designing what?' He asked.

'Jewellery designing, Dad.' More specifically, she answered.

Her father said in a loud voice, 'Your daughter wants to take up jewelry designing after her graduation.'

She turned back to see her mother standing near the entrance of the room.

'And what about your dancing lessons, will you be continuing with that?' Her mother asked at last.

'No, Mom, I'm quitting it.'

'Is that the reason you have been absent from the practice session quite often?' With the silence flowing after her question, Sneha's Mother understood that Sneha's plans were somewhat different.

She jolted back to the present times when the cab came to an abrupt halt.

She paid the driver, got down from the car, and moved inside her house. She picked up the receiver and dialed a number. With the end of the fourth ring, a man answered the call. 

'Good Evening, Sir.'

'Hello! Sneha.' Arose a sharp voice from the other side of the line.

'Sir, I have to take a week off from the office. And…'

She was interrupted immediately when her Sir said, 'Sneha, it's just four months that you have joined us. And now you are asking for not a day but a week off.' He sounded surprised.

'I have my problems, and surely you do understand that.'

'Is it related to your mother? How is she now?' He asked.

'Better, but not absolutely fine. I have to complete a work.' She said with a complete balance over herself.

'So, when are you going to take that one week off? He asked

'Next week Sir.'

'O.K. if that's what you need.' He said with disappointment fixed in his voice.

'Thank You, Sir.' And disconnected the line.

She then slowly moved into the room where her Mom was the only sovereign. She slowly unlocked the room and moved inside it, closing the door behind.

Her mother's voice filled the room. And there she was in the center of the room all by herself. She could still hear her mother's instruction: "Do it this way. No Sneha spread your arms. Do it as nothing can ever hold you back. Follow the rhythm, Sneha." And so on.

Sneha closed her eyes, and all this lighted up her mood.

Next, as she remembered, she was standing in the middle of the crowd performing before them. Then she stopped, but almost immediately, the hall filled with high applauds. She surveyed the entire room and gathered that she was immensely appreciated. Slowly the jingle ceased, and Mr. Arora walked towards her.

'Marvellous! Sneha. I knew from the very first you have the talent what it takes, and today you have proved it.' He added with a pause, 'So you will do the show.'

She nodded.

'Even though your mother is not well.' He asked with a smile fixed on his face.

'All the more reason to do it.' She finally confessed.

'I'll go and meet your Mother today.' Mr. Arora said it with a smile.

'Mr. Arora, there is a small request; please don't say it to Mom. It'll just be a surprise for her.'

Mr. Arora looked at her and nodded.

When she reached the Nursing Home next on that same day, the room was already filled with visitors. There was her father, Doctor Sinha, himself. And there was her Sir sitting on a chair just next to her mother's bed.

She viewed the whole room with wide-open eyes. She stared at Doctor Sinha, who was holding a file in his hand. She finally looked at her mother and stepped inside the room.

'How are you feeling today, Mom? She asked, moving a little ahead towards her mother's bed.

'I'm feeling quite fit today.' Sneha's mother answered with a smile fixed on her lips.

Sneha then turned to look at her, Sir, and in the absolute approachable way, she greeted him, 'Good Morning Sir.'

'Good Morning Sneha.' And returned her greeting with an equally friendly manner.

'I'm sorry I'm a little late for the office, Sir, I'll leave after a little while from now.' She explained a little regretfully.

'That's O.K. take your time. I'll leave along with you. There is something I need to talk to you about.' He exclaimed it to Sneha.

They stayed there for another half an hour, finally heading off for their office.

He was calmly concentrating on the road lying ahead when Sneha first broke the silence, 'Sir, thanks for coming to meet my mother.' And he just smiled at Sneha.

'You have something to tell me.' He said with a confident tone.

Sneha looked at her Sir with searching eyes. 'I don't understand what you are saying.'

'I mean, that your mother seems to be absolutely fine, I even heard her Doctor was planning to release her in three days or so. Do you really have to take a week off?' He asked with a stable voice.

'Yes, Sir, I have to. Though I cannot tell you the reason.' Then she turned to look outside the window.

'Then I refuse to give you a week off if you don't tell me the reason.' He smiled at his own sentence. Her Sir found Sneha was quiet for sometimes. He again called for her attention, 'Sneha…'

She cut it sharply when she managed to say, turning to face him, 'I'll only tell you if you promise to help me.'

'That's right. You have my words. I'll help you.' He said.

'I'm going to do a stage show for my mother, and it'll be a surprise for her. All you have to do is Sir; please do not call me on my landline number for a few days if you don't reach me on my cell number. Leave a message if there's something important. I shall call you back. I'll tell my parents that I'm attending my office.' She completed it almost in a single breath.

His car came to an abrupt halt and faced immediately at Sneha, 'that's wonderful.' he said.

'A small effort to bring a smile in my mother's lips………. This was probably she wanted me to do in my entire life.' She then looked outside the window again and completed the rest of the sentence in her, "and I ignored it for my dreams, my desires, and my achievements."

Suddenly, a particular incident flashed in her mind. Not so long ago, when she was in her 11th standard, together, she and her mother were supposed to perform.

'O.K. so out of nowhere this seminar crops up.' Her mother had said when she declared that she wouldn't be able to perform on the following day.

'It didn't crop up, Mom. It means a lot to me. He has done so much in his career that getting an opportunity to meet him is a good thing.' She turned back to look at her mother, 'Mom, please, I wouldn't be able to go with the performance.'

'Sneha, this was a request, and you promised me.' Her mother looked at her.

'Next time, mom, I will not let you down.' After a pause, she pleaded, 'Please…Mom.'

She finally leaped her feet back into the present, when her Sir parked the car outside their office. She managed to hold her emotion back and rubbed the last traces of tears and looked at her, Sir.

'Are some thoughts disturbing you?' he asked, looking at her for quite sometimes. 'You can tell me if I can be of any help.'

'I'll tell you, Sir, definitely.' She stepped inside the office, unaware that he was still looking at her. Her glance was fixed on her as both slowly entered the office.

Finally, the day arrived when Sneha's Mother was released from the hospital. Sneha, her father, Mr. Arora went to collect her mother from the hospital. And when they reached there, Sneha found that her Sir was already present in the spot.

'Dad, you all wait for me outside, I'll just be back. I just want to have a word or two with Doctor Sinha.' And she moved from there.

From outside the Doctor's chamber, she knocked at the door, 'Doctor Sinha, are you there? May I come in?'

'Yea, you can.' Slowly she stepped in. 'Yes, Sneha, do you want to ask me something?

'Yes, Doctor.' She moved little forward, and her eyes were fixed on the ground, she slowly lifted her eyes to look at Doctor Sinha, 'actually, Doctor is there a change in your diagnosis?

Doctor Sinha smiled little ruefully, 'No Sneha, I'm afraid there isn't. I'll still suggest your Mom not to do something that her legs would not permit.

Sneha stood silent there, and then Doctor Sinha said again, 'I know how it feels, Sneha, but you have to understand this.'

She nodded slowly. 'O.K. Doctor, I'll leave. They are waiting for me.' And she walks out of the room to find her Sir standing there.

'Sneha, I can guess something has happened which you'll not tell me, but it'll be better if you inform your father.' He said.

'Sir, please no.' She said, almost immediately.

'Which means, there is something.' He said as if he has touched right on her pulse.

'Sir, I cannot tell it to anybody right now. But I promise when the right time comes, I'll inform all.'

With a sigh, her Sir looked at her, then Sneha broke the silence, 'Sir, shall we go?'

'Sneha, I feel I have given you permission to call me Rajib.'

Sneha looked at Rajib and smiled. Together they headed towards the car. Rajib's look was fixed on her. 

For the coming weeks, she left all her thoughts behind and concentrated entirely on her rehearsals step by step, and she completed one dance. Then one after the next, she completed three more, finally giving rise to a dance drama.

She looked happy about her success.

And the last day before the show she came to meet Mr. Arora to his room. 'Mr. Arora.' She called before entering the room.

'Mr. Arora gave the heartiest smile and asked, 'Is it all set for tomorrow?'

'Yes.' The word was out from Sneha's lips as a relief.

'How do you feel now?'

'Wonderful.' She said looking more. Then she asked, 'did you call up, Mom?'

'I did. Your mother said it could have been you. As you said I have not revealed it to your Mom that it is you who is performing. She still thinks it is somebody else.'

'We are not talking to her anything about the show at home.'

'Should I call her up to ask if she is coming?' Mr. Arora asked.

'She has to come please insist on it if you are calling her.' She looked at her watch then finally said again, 'I need to take rest I….'

She was interrupted in the middle when Mr. Arora's desk phone rang suddenly, and he answered immediately, 'Hello!' And he pressed the receiver with one hand and said to Sneha with a low voice 'your mother.'

'So, are you coming tomorrow?' He asked.

Sneha could not hear anything, but what she could gather from the conversation was very clear that her mother would come.

'See you then. Goodbye Madam.' Mr. Arora said finally disconnecting the line.

He looked at Sneha with a smile fixed on his lips, 'Your Mom is coming.'

While coming back home, she received a call from Rajib.

'Am I invited tomorrow?' he asked

'Of course, Sir. Need you to ask? Please come. I'll be waiting for you.' She said with a smile too happy that her mother is coming to watch her performance.

'See you tomorrow then. Bye.'

'Bye. Bye, Sir.'

She reached home and went straight to her mother's room.

'Good evening, Mom. How are you feeling today?' She asked, coming next to her mother's bed.

'I'm fine, dear.' She responded with a smile.

Just then, her father came inside the room and said, 'beta, will you be free tomorrow?'

'What for Dad?'

'We are going to see dance-drama tomorrow.' He said

'Dad, I'll be a little busy tomorrow, but I'll come over and join you there.' She smiled and continued again, 'I'll go and change.' And when she left the room, her mother said disappointingly, 'nothing has changed.'

Sneha's father then looked at her and said, 'Oh, please don't say that at least she said she would join us later.'

The next day was not far behind with the rising sun; A new day just has begun. She was feeling great right from the daybreak. She reached the auditorium as early as possible and prepared herself for the evening. And soon, when the entire guest arrived, the show was started. Sneha couldn't see her parents' surprised face, but she knew that they were indeed happy. The show ended and the curtains dropped. She immediately rushed to her mother to see her reaction and found a group of journalists surrounded by her mother. She hugged her mother and cried. When she pulled herself back from the embrace, her mother said, 'this is probably the best gift of my life. My heart sank when Doctor informed me about my condition,' Sneha stared at her mother with a surprise this means all through her mother knew about her condition, 'yes Sneha I knew it, but your surprise has added a new hope in me, thank you, love, thank you so much. You care for me, my darling, you do.' 

And they both hugged each other again. Sneha's eyes met her father, who was crying. And finally, she found Rajib standing at a corner, silently watching her with eyes filled with appreciation.

She moved towards him and looked at him for quite some time. 'Why don't you come and join the family?'

'Really, Sneha, do you really want me to join your family? I assure you, there will be no moving back, even if you ask me to.' Rajib smiled when he noticed that Sneha was completely confused. 'Oh, Sneha, don't tell me you have never really understood my feeling for you.' He saw her eyes widening. 'I care for you, Sneha, I love you, I do.' Sneha couldn't meet his eyes anymore. She lowered her eyes. 

He held her hand and took a step to meet her family. This was a whole new beginning. 

Sometimes love strikes when you least expect. That's the magic.