Short story: Dancing with the Timeless Beast

Introduction:

This short story titled “Dancing with the Timeless Beast” deals with the deep transformative power of compassion. It is a part of collection of short stories being written by Mansi and Shivo, tells the mystical tale of the lives of ordinary men and women who bring about extraordinary transformations in not only their own lives but in the lives of those around them by their unconditional love, compassion, acceptance, and intuition. Every story explores a different spiritual discipline which in turn brings further insights, depth, and flavor to the existing tale. While all these stories stand alone in their own right, they are also interconnected by a common thread that emerges when the collection is experienced in totality

Shivo is an enlightened mystic, who has been celebrating the rollercoaster ride of life with totality. He is keen to share the beautiful experiences he has lived through these stories based on real incidents and help readers to develop a mystical and divine perspective on love, relationships and sex. Mansi Bhagdeo celebrates her life completely in the scientific dimension by teaching chemistry and in the spiritual dimension by exploring various spiritual media such as tarot, yoga, and mindful cooking. Writing this collection of short stories enables her to tap into her Source, bring that creativity into her own life and share it with the world.

DANCING WITH THE TIMELESS BEAST

Jai looked out of his window at one of those full moon nights that one couldn’t discern by consulting  the sky. The thick humid black clouds, he noted, seemed to have swallowed the celestial bodies. The only hint of the moon was the faint luminosity embedded in a dark cover like a soul in an apparition. Yet, the everydayness of earth, including his apartment complex, nonchalantly showed its obliviousness to the heavens. The clattering of the television sets in every home, the excited cries of a cricket lover, the pleading of mothers asking their kids to finish the homework, the whistling of the pressure cooker signaling dinner time, and the giggling of teenage girls on the cell phone as they caught up with college gossip, were all comfortably competing with one another.

Despite this all pervading mundaneness, in Jai’s ordinary first floor apartment, something was quietly stirring. Some time later, a loud cry shattered the innocuous night. Instinctively, Jai went very quiet as if to balance the noise. The rational part of his mind panicked as it considered the neighbors. The background score provided by the surroundings could hardly mask the wails originating from his apartment. A certain group of  neighbors had commenced on a whispering campaign about the comings and goings of young unchaperoned ladies into his bachelor apartment. So this could potentially provide the very opportunity, they needed to barge in or to summon the nightwatchman or at worse to call the police. He really had no precedent to guide him. But it was too late to stop, he observed, the wheels had already been set in motion. Fifteen minutes later, a visceral cry – as ancient as time – reverberated in his apartment. Was it only thirty minutes earlier that a young girl had stepped into his home?

Roopali’s maroon titan watch showed that it was exactly 8:00pm and she was already at her destination.  She shot a quick glance, at the glassy windows of the parked cars, and was almost satisfied with her reflection. She was glad she had chosen to wear this kurta, which was attractive without being suggestive. Had she been impulsive about meeting Jai?  Maybe but then again, some events can only be staged in a moment of impulse. Oh Lord, she was meeting Jai for the first time and that too in his home. On one hand, she so wanted to meet him and on the other, she was a bundle of nerves. If she gave herself time to compose herself, she might reconsider the visit. So she took the stairs, two steps at a time, hoping to burn her nervous energy. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the orange door. As if he was reading her mind, he answered the door on the first knock itself.

Jai’s  movements were not only  precise and efficient but also fluid and graceful as he moved across the hall.  He looked into her deep set eyes and saw a myriad of emotions swirling by: each one true but only  for that fleeting instant. He smiled at that earnestness, wanted to calm that nervousness, answer that attraction and soothe those fears. She was modestly dressed in a long sleeved, plain, off white cotton kurta with a printed dupatta and salwar which nicely contrasted her dusky complexion. She was quite thin and her shoulders slouched just a little. He was drawn to her long thin face that was curtained by her waist length long wavy black hair.

Roopali’s anxious eyes slowly swept through the  striped orange and yellow couch, the very high tech looking music system, the well stocked CD collection, chestnut brown end tables, and the neatly arranged book cases as if cajoling them to reveal him. The furniture must have done its job well as she now exhaled with obvious relief and tucked her hair behind her ears. He was fascinated by the way she used her hair as a veil; letting it brush her face when she felt shy and pinning it behind her ears when she was more confident. Sensing the change in mood, Jai  shook hands with Roopali and they both smiled. As his hand casually brushed against her sleeves, he was pleasantly surprised at the softness of cotton kurta.

Barely a week earlier, Roopali had been goggling “tantra” when she came across Jai’s interview on a prominent website. The mention of tantra in creative arts intrigued her. To be honest, anything related to “tantra” had always instinctively intrigued her. In the interview, Jai had talked extensively about his passion for choreographing, his surrender to the divine as a part of the creative process, tantric influences to his choreography, dance as a mirroring of the union between Shiv and Shakti, and the transforming and healing powers of dance. Roopali surprised herself by reading and rereading this interview several times.

Due to the sexual connotations associated with tantra, she didn’t openly share her interest with  friends. Rather, she had researched tantra on the internet and exchanged ideas on online chat rooms. But everything that she believed about tantra -the ideologies and methods and uses- seemed to be completely different than what Jai was presenting. Infact, Jai and his ideas seemed to belong to an uncomfortably foreign but temptingly fascinating world. She was not an adventuress but for once she fantasized about exploring his world. What was it about Jai that so attracted her? Was this a case of opposites attracting? She admitted that she might be wrong about the reason but she was absolutely certain about the attraction. After reading the interview the eighth time, she took an uncharacteristic risk and sent him a friend request on a social networking site.

Jai was enjoying his delectable green tea, with a splash of lime, a drizzle of honey and some ginger, and reading his daily news when he received the friend request from Roopali. Jai normally did not accept friend requests from people he didn’t know anything about, but he had mistakenly accepted this one. A moment later, he realized his error. But the fragrance of the clean crisp morning air mingled with the aroma from the tea was working its magic. In this tantalizing positiveness, he wanted to live everything totally even his so called errors. So he and Roopali remained online friends.

The very next day, Jai and Roopali started chatting. As new acquaintances normally do, they exchanged pleasantries and shared their backgrounds, hobbies, and interests. Roopali talked about her background in microbiology and her master’s thesis which dealt with “manipulating microorganisms to convert algae into bio fuels”. Naturally, they discussed their experiences in dance. In that vein, she told him about her brief stint in traditional bharatnatyam dancing during her teenage years.

“Did you enjoy it? Why did you stop?” inquired Jai.

“Well, I liked it but didn’t love it. Anyway, my dad decided that I needed to concentrate on my studies. He wanted me to be independent and have a career, so I would always be able to take care of myself”, she replied.

Jai asked if she still danced.

“Yes, when no one is at home, I wear a short colorful kurta,  didi’s silver and bead jewellery, and ma’s old ghagara, put on a hindi music channel and dance in front of the tv and imitate the actresses. At some point, I identify so totally with them that I become them: powerful and significant.”

Jai was glad that she was enjoying her feminine self in a very delightful way but quickly pointed out that she is always significant and powerful. They continued this conversation over the phone.

“Do you also dance with friends or in public or is dance a private solitary activity for you?” he asked.

“I feel very conscious in public since I am not a good dancer”, she replied.

“Unacceptable.”, exclaimed Jai, “You enjoy dancing, so obviously people will feel that joy and feel good. Therefore, you are a good dancer”.

Roopali smiled at Jai’s encouraging words and could picture him as a real good dance teacher.

But getting back to the question, she passionately exclaimed, “Oh. I never dance during our college socials. I absolutely detest that kind of thing. I do participate in dandiya but only when it is held in our temple grounds during Navratri”.

Jai was momentarily taken aback with the intensity behind those words and questioned further.

“What happens at college socials can be called a lot of things but not dancing. It can be called flirting, it can be called an elaborate mating ritual, or a performance to show off their physical attraction. Dance is supposed to be a graceful physical form of expression like bharatnatyam. It is supposed to be spiritual and aesthetic. But no, nowadays couples get so physically intimate on the dance floor that it is immoral and revolting. Sometimes a guy will ask me for a dance but I always refuse. Dancing just seems an excuse for guys to physically take advantage of girls or a way for girls to use her charms to manipulate guys. Either the girl uses her power or the guy uses his power to take advantage and be superior”, she ranted.

Jai patiently listened to her words and paused to give Roopali a chance to catch her breath.

Roopali, now in a soft and less angry voice asked, “Jai, you must choreograph sequences with men and women dancing together all the time? I mean, you might have them dancing as couples?”.

“Yes, I do. In my dances, I try to mirror how man and a woman relate to each other. That relatedness, opens infinite beautiful possibilities for both of them. For example in Dandiya or for that matter in Salsa, when a couple dances together, their dance movements get synchronized and their heart beats synchronise with each other and the beats of the music. In this synchronicity, the male and female energy merges and creates tremendous energy. Infact, when the couples play this dance in deep trust and surrender, it becomes divine and miraculous”, clarified Jai with a sparkle in his eyes.

To drive the point home, Jai asked, ” Don’t you feel very energetic while playing Dandiya? You can dance all night? Where do you think this energy comes from? It is a baser physical side effect of the same energy.” “Well, its true that in the temple, the dance is so set up that men do dance with women as couples. And yes, I do feel like I am bursting with energy during those Dandiya nights. But all the dancing is done very religiously and properly, amidst the elders in the temple “,  Roopali grudgingly admitted.

Jai smiled inwardly knowing that he had made his point but didn’t want to belabor it by putting her on the spot further.

Roopali further confided that she had been drawn to temples ever since she was a kid and used to want to attend the pujas and artis with her Dadi. She felt quite at home amidst all that cacophonous chanting to the accompaniment of the brass ghanti and the manjiras and the dholaks, and the heavy fragrance of the nagachampa agarbattis and the methylated vapors from the kapur. “But, now I am older the temple calls me even more at night. I instinctively feel that it is a powerful sacred place where one can meditate and achieve great siddhis“.

Roopali normally kept her thoughts to herself and so wondered aloud why she was so easily confiding in him. “Tell me, do members of your dance troupe also confide in you? Can you tell when they have a problem?”, she asked.

“Yes and Yes”, Jai revealed, ” When you are deep in dance, the boundaries between your external and internal self melt. Your essence, who you are and how you feel, is mirrored in your dance. So yes, their problems are apparent to me. And yes, they usually share their problems. Sometimes they need someone to just hear and accept, sometimes we work on it together, and sometimes I pass on the guidance that I receive.”.

It was getting late and both of them had to go back to their lives. Jai appreciated the trust and openness with which Roopali had shared her opinions with him. Roopali was pleasantly surprised that Jai matched the mental picture she had drawn in her head after reading his interview. He seemed to be authentic but not in a forceful aggressive way but in a gentle flowing way. She went to sleep that night thinking about his kind and soothing voice.

The next day, they saw each other online and talked again. Jai wondered why Roopali had befriended him. Roopali disclosed that she had come across one of his online interviews and his reference to tantra had caught her eye.

“Aha”, Jai exclaimed and asked if Roopali followed the path of tantra.

“I am a beginner. I know a little bit about tantra. But whatever I know of tantra seems to make sense to me”, she replied. Jai invited Roopali to share her understanding of tantra.

“When you meet someone, there is a transfer of energy with that person. Sometimes with certain people, you feel a high. You feel full of energy, powerful, and important. But at other times, with the same people, you may feel depressed and loss of energy”,  Roopali explained in a high pitched voice.

“Yes, that exchange of energy happens when people meet”, Jai agreed.

“Most of the energy transfer that is happening is so scattered. Ordinarily, that energy interaction cannot be controlled. But by chanting certain tantric mantras that energy can be channeled in any desired direction. I know, there is tremendous power in that energy which can be used towards different ends. I know this is true: I can feel it deep inside me. Does this match your view on tantra?”, asked an obviously excited Roopali in a high pitched voice.

Jai was a wonderful listener: he had listened to Roopali with an open mind. Now, his heart intuitively connected her comments on tantra, male female relationships and dancing. He believed that understanding this connection was key to understanding her psyche. Did Roopali beleive that a man and woman did not complete each other but they competed with each other to gain power over the other? Perhaps to her, dancing seemed a kind of physical portal for this transfer of power. Maybe she didn’t trust dancing with a man, since he could potentially “steal” her power. In that case, by Roopali’s own reasoning,couldn’t she have power over a man if she wished? While her online profile picture showed a fairly attractive person,  it also portrayed a kind of physical awkwardness. Is that why she was considering tantra as a weapon in this power game? These were some of the parts and questions that needed to be answered or verified before the picture finally emerged.  He waited for the complete comprehension, trusting that everything that needed to be revealed would unfold at the opportune time. In response to her question,  he acknowledged that while he had heard such theories in tantric discussions, they didn’t appeal to him and so he hadn’t explored them.

Tantra was widely misunderstood and there was a lot of dubious information on the internet, so Jai gently cautioned her  about people who selectively practice the tantric techniques without the understanding of tantric bliss. Roopali was touched by his concern. ” I know you care. Which is why is so effortless for me to share with you”, she replied gratefully.

“Roopali, in my opinion, there is no transfer of energy in tantra. Just as in the highest form of Dandiya, principal male energy Shiva and the principal female energy Shakti merge in totality, trust and surrender to become one or Ardhanareeshwar. And then the divine dance taandav begins. This is the ultimate bliss; the ultimate ecstasy in tantra. Tremendous energy is born out of this ecstasy.  This energy can transform a person or situation beyond comprehension,  heal deep deep wounds, and give immense ecstatic pleasure.

I created a dance sequence inspired by this very experience. Would you like to a see a short video clip of that sequence?”

Roopali was mesmerized as she saw the dance unfold. The beautiful female dancer was in a graceful embrace with the handsome male lead. She could see their bodies moving in tandem with each other but also intuitively sensed that their minds, hearts, and souls were also in tandem. She saw how comfortable they were with themselves. How did they look so pure and innocent even though their bodies were touching each other?  The dance was choreographed but it seemed so real. They danced together as one unit following their bliss. Roopali too seemed to be slipping into their world  as she heard Jai explain that the dancing couple were merged in divine ecstasy and in this union. Notwithstanding her understanding of tantra or her religious and moral beliefs,deep down Roopali wanted to experience this kind of bliss.

“Infact, deep surrender to your tantric partner or lover is one of the many ways to get there”, shared Jai as he sensed that longing in her.

“But I do have a guide, Jai. Lord Shiva is there to guide me. He is my partner and my guide”, argued Roopali.

“Very true. But you have to discover that Shiva in your tantra lover or partner. Your partner is your gateway to bliss and vice versa”

“Well, I don’t know about all that. I am not married. It would be improper. I cannot be with anyone physically. How can you suggest something like that? No, No, No. I can learn this on my own with the help of my Lord Shiva”, Roopali hotly contested.

Jai felt her resistance and dropped his argument. “Roopali, let your heart guide you. It might be better to discuss this further in person. Then, we can not only hear the words but also see the spaces between the words. Would you like to meet?

“Thank God, you asked. I have been wondering how to ask you that. Ofcourse, I want to meet you, Jai.”.

“Wonderful. Where do you want to meet? The mall, my dance studio, my home? I want you to be comfortable, so choose” asked Jai.

“Can we meet day after tomorrow at your dance studio? At around 6:30pm?”

“Excellent. 6:30pm is doable. However, I have some other group coming in to practise at around 7:30pm so if the plan changes or if you are late, let me know.”

The Day After Tomorrow, 6:15 pm.

Roopali’s group ( or rather this one person) had messed up their experiment. She groaned inwardly as she started isolating the colonies again. Why couldn’t people just concentrate a little more on the lab and a little less on whether Arti liked Deepak more than just a friend. Her lab group was sweet and helpful but today was one of those days that she didn’t want to be late. At 6:30pm, she had to let Jai know that she was running late. He offered to meet her another day. She would certainly be done by 8:00pm, she texted back. Taking a deep breath, he asked her if she would like to drop by his home instead. Yes, she texted back, relieved that he couldn’t see her face.

8:15 pm.

Roopali took a step forward to bring herself back to the present moment in Jai’s home. “That is a nice collection of Nataraj’s that you have there”, she was glad to have found her voice.

“Yes, I have been collecting those. One for each year of my life dedicated to dance”, he answered.

“I am glad that you are here, Roopali”

“Me too”, she said with smiling eyes.

Jai, playing the perfect host, offered her refreshments and the use of his washroom but Roopali assured him that she was fine. They settled into a companionable silence. Roopali’s thoughts flew to the dance video: the dance video has been playing in her head ever since she saw it. She was riveted by the blissful faces and the intimacy of the dancing couple and yearned for that experience. As if channeling her thoughts, Jai casually asked her if she would like to dance. A thousand old objections arose but her yearning silenced them for once.

“Roopali, what would you like to dance to? Do you want to Salsa?”

She hadn’t ever tried the Salsa. “Lets explore it together then”, said Jai as he turned on his music system.

Ever the gentleman, with a bow, he took her hand.

Warm hands held cold hands till a feeling of warmth coursed through them. As Roopali started feeling the music, Jai showed her some basic Salsa moves. “Here, watch me do the basic step. It involves 3 steps in 4 beats and then we pause for a beat and then reverse. Quick 1, Quick 2, Slow 3, Pause,  Quick 5, Quick 6, Slow 7, Pause.”  he demonstrated. Supporting her waist gently but firmly, he helped her master the basics. “Keep your upper body level, so as you take the step, your hips move like so”, he advised. Roopali’s footwork was quite good but she still was shy. Lifting her chin up, Jai looked into her eyes. Roopali’s eyes met Jai’s gaze and looked into the kindest eyes she had ever seen.

As time progressed, Roopali  relaxed,  grew more confident, and finally started to enjoy the upbeat music. Now, they were breathing in and out in unison to the tune of the music. Everything was moving along smoothly till Roopali missed a step and lost her balance. Out of the blue, a scream pierced the room. Jai was completely baffled. Tracing back his steps, he realized that he might have accidentally brushed against her chest. But even then, her reaction was completely out of proportion. What the heck was happening here? He hastily stepped back but she continued to cry aloud. He froze in thought and action. A vision of his  neighbors flashed in front of him, he panicked. Already, they were nosy and suspicious and prone to gossip. He had overhead them muttering conspiratorially about his lifestyle, his lady friends, and his chosen profession. If the neighbors barged in, they would completely misunderstand the situation. And who could predict the consequences of such a grave misunderstanding?  Roopali was slumped against the farthest wall from him. She looked like a coiled mass of nerves spiked with pain.  How could he be thinking about potential social snafus instead of taking care of Roopali, he chided himself. What was happening to Roopali was infinitely more consequential to him than his social reputation.

Jai felt the biting pain mirrored in Roopali’s eyes and the anguish echoing in her voice. “Why did you have to touch my breasts”, she screamed again and again in an anguished voice. He hurriedly tried to mutter a apology. “Even I don’t touch them”, she whispered hoarsely with a torrent of tears flooding her cheeks.

He drew her close, kissed her tears and tenderly took her hands again as if in a dance. Compassionate eyes looked into sad eyes. Their breathing then fast, was now slower and more synchronized. They settled into a comfortable rhythm slowly circling the floor. The silence between them grew heavier and was compounded by the heat and humidity outside. Their eyelids half closed as they continued to dance into deeper and deeper relaxation. At this moment of drunken awareness, a feeling of heaviness assured him that this was exactly where he needed to be. He reached to touch her breast again. Her startled eyes fluttered open and questioned him. “Trust me” he mouthed soundlessly. And she did. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she had trusted a man. His touch felt tender, caring, warm, and compassionate on her body: it felt right. She had never been touched by a man. In this touch, she connected with her body. With deft movements, he undid her brassiere and removed her kurta.

He was totally unprepared for what happened next. His hands instinctively recoiled. Years of being on stage enabled him to compose his features while he screamed inwardly. He had never seen a more ugly body. Her body was wrecked with scars, acne, rashes, and blisters that furiously warred with each other for prominence. His cheeks burned as he saw her naked wounds. But that comforting heaviness embraced him once again. His thoughts turned a full 180 degrees.

Who was he to judge what was beautiful and what was not, he told himself. His empathetic heart blossomed as it opened and accepted her wound. Oh the poor thing, thought Jai, how much must she have suffered. The fact that her name was Roopali, which meant a “beautiful form” almost seemed cruel to him. Was this the reason why she wore those loose fitting clothes made of the softest fabrics? Had these scars scarred her relationships with men right from the onset? Was this why she so adamantly didn’t want a boyfriend? Was this why she chose the moral high ground when he asked her to consider a tantric partner? Did her dad feel that it might be difficult for her to married? Is that why he wanted her to be financially independent? All these questions became dervishes whirling in his head.

He felt an immense need to protect this vulnerable, trusting girl from all past and future hurts. Deep compassion flowed from his heart to his fingertips as he stroked her breast. As he continued to gaze at her, he saw her in totality. Everything about her seemed beautiful to him.  Jai looked into Roopali’s eyes and told him how beautiful she was. When Roopali saw his honesty, she too wanted to see herself through Jai’s eyes. She too fervently wanted to accept herself in totality.

Her trust and longing, and his compassion and acceptance, and intuition created a magical intimacy. As they continued to dance in unison, Roopali surrendered herself completely, no holds barred, to this moment. The universe responded with synchronicity. The alchemical magic of that particular moment had created a portal for Roopali. Roopali’s spirit accepted that portal and traveled, through space and time, to a place she needed to visit. Jai continued to support and massage Roopali as her head swayed to the beat of some unheard music and her body got colder and colder.

The crack of lightning followed by a thunderous roar jolted her awake. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked around and found the place vaguely familiar. It continued to be very hot and humid but she didn’t mind. Many nagging questions were beginning to form in her head but it seemed more comforting to ignore them and go with the flow. She could now distinguish the outline of a small temple dotted with several diyas. On inching closer, she noticed a mass of undulating long, thick black hair kneeling in front of the altar. Cupping her hands to her ears, she discerned faint rhythmic chanting chants originating from the same direction. Intrigued, Roopali moved towards the direction of the temple guided by the sound of chanting.

As she approached the temple, her senses were engulfed by the cloyingly heavy nagachampa fragrance and methylated kapur vapors, the loud chanting, the sharp clanging of the brass ghanti’s and manjiras, the steady rhythmic Dholak beats, and the thick cottony white clouds of the incensed smoke. This temple and this sounds and smells reminded her of the temple she frequently visited. The chanting seemed somewhat different. Oh, that is tantric, she realized.

Finally, her eyes rested on the dark tressed woman dressed in a black saree. This woman  was dancing to the tune of the chants giving her the appearance of a column of curling black smoke. As the chants and the drumbeats grew louder, the woman’s body reciprocated with greater frenzy. Roopali was now able to see about 10-15 thunderously roaring people. Some of them  were playing the drums,  some were vigorously moving their head in circular patterns, and most of them held lighted torches in their hands. As she crept closer, she overheard men talking about the “powerful tantrika” in hushed reverent tones. Incongrously, on the other side, a young woman with a clean shaven head and dressed entirely in white was wailing and struggling to break free of the three women who were restraining her. This young woman must be widow, Roopali deduced. As time progressed, the tantric chanting and Roopali’s heart beat got louder, the head swaying got more vigorous, the wailing got shriller, and the tantrika grew more frenzied.

The temple was charged with several unnamed, undefined undercurrents. The energy in that temple seemed to be undoubtedly building up. Like a bolt of dark lightning, the tantrika fell to the ground. As if by an unspoken agreement, the entire place went very quiet. As suddenly as she fell down, the tantrika authoritatively snatched a sleeping baby from its cradle. This action woke the young widow from her stupor, which lead to increased wailing and struggling, to break through the restraining hands. Hearing the widow’s cries, the baby too joined in. Oblivious to those pleading cries, the tantrika applied some ash on the baby’s body and the holy vermilion on its forehead. Amidst much celebration from the mob, she raised the screaming baby to the temple deity. All the people assembled there prostrated at once to the temple deity and to the tantrika.With a dramatic flourish and a booming voice, the woman in black proclaimed, ” Oh Supreme Power, I offer this innocent soul to you. Please accept my sacrifice. May your power and that of your devotees grow”. With those words still echoing in the temple, she placed the baby on the altar, picked by a gleaming sword and forced it into the baby.

Roopali screamed and screamed but she couldn’t hear her own voice; this inhumane episode had immobilized her. The mob was still prostrated. Slowly, the tantrika turned towards Roopali. Her neck was weighed down by several silver necklaces made of bone and beads, arms were covered in ash,  forehead with vermillon and eyes heavily lined with kohl. Roopali gasped as she realized that she was staring at her own face. A visceral cry erupted from her body. With a flash of insight, she realized that she had practiced this inhumane, manipulative tantra to “steal” energy and attain power. She brought her arms close to her body and hung her head in shame. As she touched her body, she felt her bruised, blistering, burning skin. This punishment was too little, she cried aloud. She was a beast who deserved to be burnt in hell for that dastardly deed. She begged again and again, to the baby, to his young widowed mother, and to the universe, for forgiveness.

Her screams had turned into heavy sobs as she slowly came back from the trance. Jai was holding her, massaging her breast, and whispering comforting words into her hair. After what seemed eternity, Roopali told Jai what had transpired. The weather seemed much cooler now that the thunder and lightning had given way to the heavy rains. They both wordlessly went to the balcony and let the gushing rains cleanse them. After they were  completely soaked, Roopali touched her breasts. There were still tears in her eyes but the storms that raged in her eyes had abated. They looked at each other, in trust and compassion, knowing that they would carry the miracle of this dance in their hearts forever.

“Roopali, the unresolved memories that were imprisoned in your breasts, and wounding you, have now been liberated”.

Three months later

Jai’s dance studio was full of excited chatter as beginners registered for the Beginners Salsa class.

“Hey Jai”, shouted a beaming Roopali, “I want to introduce you to my boyfriend, Deep. We are here to learn dance together.” “My skin is responding beautifully to medical treatments now. Thank you for that, Dr. Jai.”, shared Roopali with a wink.

In his touch, she touched her pain
the festering clot of a mother’s curses
In her breast, came her release
the rivering of a thousand arteries