Second Chance

As a child, I grew up in the posh locale of Defense Colony in Delhi. I could count the doyen of classical dance, Sonal Mansingh as my neighbour. I would wait for hours to catch a glimpse of her. As I started learning dance, I grew up watching Kiran Segal and Ranjana Gauhar perform. They were dancers famed for their beauty and impeccable Odissi. They were my idols.I never missed their shows.
I didn't watch hindi movies. They were not cool. No one in my school did that. I am glad I spent all those hours watching dance. Somewhere deep down in my subconscious I developed a love for Odissi.
Going to college, priorities changed. My dreams were forgotten.On the eve of my wedding, I did a program on the local TV network.The interviewer asked me if I would dance after marriage? How would I balance family and dance?
Without a moments hesitation, I replied, "I can juggle kids, home and dance. I love dancing and I am sure my family is going to be very supportive."
It took me years to get back to dancing. There was always heart ache if I were to watch Odissi. Moving to New Jersey, I had to find an answer to my restlessness. God gave me a second chance when I found Guru Mitra, the most amazing dance teacher, right in my neighborhood. She became my mentor and Didi as she took on the task of teaching me, and giving me hope every step of the way.I hope to follow in her footsteps and continue this guru shisya parampara.