When My Son Wore A Skirt

Sparkled eyes, roseate lips, hip belt beads, and fish tail skirt. He climbed on the stage with a thumping heart. He looked at the audience and flashed a million dollar smile. As the program began, he started on the floor with heavy sound of ghungroos. He was a different person when he was dancing. His feet moved on autopilot, as he played the music in his mind. Clapping and cheering sound was everywhere. The audience was enchanted by the breathtaking performance.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw him. I was astonished. My heart broke into a hundred pieces.

I wanted him to become a doctor from the time when I picked him up at the hospital as a baby. We sent him to a good school for his education, but he came back, and all he did, was shaking his belly. That was his first performance on stage as a belly dancer.

I knew some people appreciate what he did, but I didn't.

 As he returned, I mustered enough courage, threw his ghungroos outside, and gently warned him “why can't you do something masculine?" People might be mean, and some people in our society still narrow-minded.

 “But I love dancing Ma”, he said with the emotion rising in his voice.

“Rahul, you know it is not easy to convince you papa. You have to keep your father's reputation in your mind in family,” I again tried explaining to him.

“You have always forced your decision on me, without giving me any freedom of choice. But this is the time I expect you to listen to me Ma.

“Why people don't want to see a male dancer in a woman's profession?" I want to be appreciated for my talent. If what people would say and believe, would just come from their existing prejudice.

Whenever boys want to do anything against the stereotypical traditional role, they are chided and mocked. If a girl has the option of making the male profession a choice, wouldn't a boy also have that choice? Ma, every person has a choice in the career they wish to pursue and Yes,I am ok as a belly dancer. "He struggled to separate his gender from his dance and urged.

My son's happiness and well-being come before anything else. I have hence agreed to his decision.

However, braving all odd and staying true of his passion for dancing, he now performs on stage. Rahul's art grabbed the attention of the nation. And now I am a proud mother of a belly dancer.