by P. G. Van
“Sam, this is by far the best outfit, and you are adding beauty to the jewelry,” Rhea said with moisture in her eyes.
“Are you ready, love?” Nick asked in a soft voice.
“Yes,” I said finding my voice.
Nick put his arm around me as we walked back to the photographer. The background was now dark to highlight the yellow gold that I was wearing.
“Sam, I have no instructions for you for this bit. You are the expert. I will take what I can get,” Rhea said as I took the center position. I started with the prayer pose that all dancers start with when doing a performance. Part of the pose was to squat, and I did so allowing the deep red pleats of my outfit to form a fan displaying the heavy gold belt I had on, and I then brought my palms together to show the ornaments on my hands.
“Love it, Sam. Keep going,” Rhea encouraged.
Nick came to my side to check on me between each pose and kept reminding me that he was only a few feet away. With Nick giving me the boost, I no longer felt the sadness that I did in the past and instead, with every pose, I started to feel that my father was looking down on me and was happy I was still doing what he wanted me to do.
As I posed, my heart filled with endless joy that I was finally able to do what I loved to do and what my father would have wanted me to do. I looked at Nick and knew he was the one I needed most in my life.
“That’s a wrap,” Rhea announced with excitement in her voice after reviewing all the pictures taken that day.
“Rhea,” Nick called out to her as she was getting ready for the designer to take off the jewelry I was wearing.
“Yes, Nick. Thanks for your help with the bridal shot,” Rhea said to Nick looking at me.
“Rhea, I need to take Sameera home with this outfit and the jewelry,” Nick said in a stern voice and added, “I will have someone bring these back to you within the hour.”
“Ohh No Nick, that’s a problem,” Rhea said with hesitation.
“Why is it a problem?” Nick asked curiously.
“This is very exclusive stuff and not to mention expensive jewelry that we do not want people to see until the campaign comes out next month,” Rhea said to Nick.
“My mom is your customer, and I know for fact that you send her the pre-release versions well in advance. I don’t see how this is different from that,” Nick stated without budging and added in a calm tone, “and I can write you a check for the cost.”
“Nick, who is your mom?” Rhea asked enthusiastically.
“Meena Bhatia,” Nick said, and I saw Rhea’s face light up brighter than the studio lights.
“Mrs. B is your mom, and you are Nick Bhatia?” Rhea said covering her mouth with her hands.
“Yes,” Nick said almost rolling his eyes.
“No problem. Please have Mrs. B check out this armlet. She wanted one for Ann,” Rhea said with energy that would allow her bounce off the walls of the studio.
Nick grabbed my gym bag and shoes from the green room and brought them to me.
“Nick, what’s happening,” I asked completely confused about why he wanted me to go with him in my dance outfit.
“I will tell you on the way, trust me,” Nick said giving me my shoes.
“Okay, let’s go,” I said holding his hand.
“Put on your shoes, love,” Nick said teasing me.
“I am still in my dance outfit Nick, no shoes,” I reminded him. Most Indian dances were performed to please the gods so it is a tradition that the dancer is always barefoot.
“Sam, I think you should wrap this around you. It’s pretty chilly outside,” Rhea said and draped her woolen wrap around me.
“Bye, Rhea. I will see you soon. Our reunion is coming up next month,” I said and walked towards the exit.
“Sameera, I am going to have to carry you to the car, the parking area floor is not smooth,” Nick said looking at me.
I smiled and spread my arms so he could lift me up and said to him, “Thank you, sir,” and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“The pleasure is all mine, baby,” Nick said, his breathing strained.
Nick set me down to open the passenger door of the Range Rover and helped me get into the car.
“Nick, where are we going?” I asked him as he started the car.
“My parents place so my mom can see you,” he said backing up the car.
“What? Why?” I asked with confusion in my voice.
“My mom is a sucker for south Indian dance and would be delighted to see you in this outfit,” he said comforting me and added, “We will be there for barely fifteen minutes before we head back to San Francisco.”
“My bags are still in my…Nate’s apartment,” I said almost biting my lip.
“No worries, I will have someone bring them to my parents place,” he said picking up his phone.
Nick stopped for a few more minutes in the parking lot to make the required arrangements and then headed towards his parents’ house.
“Nick, who else is at your place?” I asked nervously.
“Just my mom and dad, and I didn’t tell them anything yet. It’s a surprise,” Nick said smiling at me.
Fifteen minutes later, Nick pulled into the familiar driveway that looked very different now, and the house looked much bigger than what I had remembered. Nick pulled into his garage from the individual driveway, got out, and helped me get out of the car.
“Are you ready?” he asked as he punched in the code for the elevator.
The elevator doors opened, and I took off the woolen wrap after I stepped into the elevator. I looked at myself in the elevator mirror. I saw the reflection of a beautiful dancer that was going to make a dance enthusiast happy. I took a deep breath and smiled at Nick.
“I am good,” I said smiling at Nick and handed the wrap to him.
The elevator doors opened to a foyer that led to a large family room with a sectional facing away from the elevator. The family room was very traditional with bright raw silk curtains and very traditional art pieces.
Nick asked me to stay in the foyer and called out to him mom, “Ma, where are you?”
“In the kitchen, Nick.” I heard his mom’s response.
“Can you come to the elevator, I need help?” Nick lied winking at me.
“What is it beta (child)?” His mom walked towards him but still could not see me.
Nick stood facing me in the family room and as his mom approached him looking at him, he took her by her shoulders and turned her around so she could look at me and said, “I brought you a Bharathanatyam dancer.”
Nick’s mom looked at me in awe for a few seconds and then recognized me and said, “Wow!! Sameera, you look beautiful!!”
“Namaste, Mrs. Bhatia. How are you doing”? I said to her pressing my palms together in a partial prayer pose.
“I am so happy to see you dear,” she said her voice wavering.
“Same here, Mrs. Bhatia,” I said to her smiling.
“Sameera, please call me Meena. I am your fan now,” she said winking at me and guiding me to the family room.
“Nick, when did you become interested in Indian classical dances and how come you did not take me to Sameera’s performance?” she asked Nick.
“Ma, Sameera did a photo shoot for one of her friend’s jewelry stores. I would have definitely taken you if she were performing,” Nick said softly looking at his mom.
“Sameera, you are a dancer and not just a model. Correct?” Nick’s mom asked for confirmation.
“Yes,” I said in a low voice.
“I knew it. I can tell by just looking at you that you are a good dancer,” she beamed.
“Thank you,” I said to Nick’s mom as Nick sat down on the sectional in the family room.
Nick’s mom was so excited that she went to get Nick’s dad from the den.
“Nick, you are good son,” I said smiling at him.
Nick laughed and said, “I try to be a good son.”
A few minute later Nick’s m
om and dad joined us in the family room, and we chatted while sipping the yummy Indian tea. Pammi came by a few minutes later to say hi to me. Nick told his mom that the jewelry was from Rhea’s jewelry boutique, and he teased her that she would have to buy all the jewelry I had on me.
“When did you last perform, Sameera?” Nick’s mom asked with excitement.
“It’s been more than seven years since I performed the traditional dance, but I did a fusion performance a few months ago for the dance studio in the South Bay,” I said smiling at her and asked, “Do you go to the dance performances regularly?”
“Ohh no, I can’t get any of these guys to go so I have not been to one in many years,” she said pointing at Nick and his dad.
“Ohh, that’s too bad. I will take you with me when I go to a performance next time,” I said to Nick’s mom, and she smiled and hugged me.
“Can I ask you for a small performance now?” Nick’s mom asked with hesitation.
“Ma, not now,” Nick interrupted shaking his head and added, “Sameera has not practiced in a while.”
“Nick, a dancer is a dancer. I am asking Sameera for a dance not you,” Nick’s mom mocked him.
I laughed and looked at Nick’s mom and said, “I will definitely perform for my fan.”
Nick looked at me in shock as I followed his mom to the formal living area. The large formal living was beautifully decorated with a combination of traditional and contemporary furniture and artwork, and I was sure that top designers would have matched everything up to perfection.
“Pammi,” Nick’s mom called out and said, “Can you ask the boys to come move the center table so Sameera has room to dance?”
Nick came up from behind as I was looking thorough my phone to set up a playlist for the performance and said, “Sameera, you don’t need to do this. I don’t want you to do something that will make you sad.”
“Nick, I want to do this, for myself,” I said looking into his eyes filled with concern.
“Remember babe, you can stop at any time, and I will take you home,” Nick assured.
“I know.” I smiled at him and added, “And I know I can do this when you are with me.”
Chapter Seventeen
Fifteen minutes later, I had a dozen pair of eyes eagerly waiting for me to start performing. The performance for Nick’s mom ended up including Pammi’s family and their relatives that were visiting them.
Nick helped me plug my phone into the media system and as I took position at the center of the room, I saw Nick hold his breath and turn on the music.
The playlist I built started with the prayer for Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, followed by a song that was my dad’s favorite. I adjusted the jewelry one last time to make sure they didn’t fall off once I started dancing and satisfied with the outfit and the ornaments, I signaled Nick to start the music.
The prayer song started with the beautiful flute playing in the background, and I took the first step from my starting position and looked at Nick. The love and concern in his eyes gave me the strength and boost I needed to continue the performance.
As I moved gracefully to the music with brisk and sculptured moves, I saw the appreciation build up in my audience’s eyes and at one point, Nick’s mom was fighting back tears in response to the thrill a viewer experiences from just watching the dance. As I moved around the room to perform the required moves, I could feel cellphone cameras follow my every move. Nick stood still near the media center without making a move. The close of the second song was a high-paced tune requiring a lot of energy and strength I was not sure I had in me. The enthusiasm from the group gave me the much-needed strength to finish the song, and as I landed on my knee, stretching out my other leg and holding up my palms together in prayer pose, the large living area thundered with applause.
I smiled looking at each and every one and said, “Thank you.”
Nick’s mom was the first one to move towards me. She approached me fighting back tears hugging me and whispered, “Thank you my child. God bless you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” I said looking at her and bent down to touch her feet with my hand to take her blessings.
‘Pammi,” Nick’s mom called out and urged, “Please bring me the aarthi plate from the prayer room.”
I gently turned to look at Nick. He was stuck standing in the same spot with an expression that I could not read. Pammi was back in a flash with a silver tray, camphor, and a small container with kumkum in it.
Nick’s mom looked at me prepping for the aarthi and said, “I know this is a ritual we do when we pray to the gods, but when you were dancing, I could see Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in you.”
I smiled at her and stood with my palms together on my chest as she lighted the camphor and performed the aarthi. The aarthi was also performed in some cultures to protect people from the evil eye.
It took everyone a few minutes to digest what had just happened and as people started to move, I looked at the little kids with their parents watching me dance. I approached the kids and asked smiling at them, “Who wants to dance to some Bollywood music?”
The kids got super excited, and I walked over to where Nick was standing, still in a frozen state, and took my phone from his hands.
I selected one of the fast beat songs that I used for my workout classes and as the beats came through the speakers in the wall, the group started moving to the beat, and the kids took center stage showing off their dancing skills. Nick’s mom pulled me to the center of the room and started dancing to the beat. In spite of the outfit I was in, I was still able to join the group to dance to some famous Bollywood dance numbers. Nick finally came out of his ice age and joined his mom and dad for some Bollywood moves.
“You need to stay for dinner, Sameera,” Nick’s mom said as I was going into the guest bedroom to change out of my classical dance outfit almost thirty minutes later.
“Oh, that’s okay. We can meet some other time,” I said to her politely.
“I will not take no for an answer,” Nick’s mom said smiling and added, “I think you will need help changing.”
“Ohh don’t worry about it, I’ll be okay,” I said assuring her.
“Nick,” she called out to him and said, “Can you help Sameera change out of her dance outfit?”
I saw Nick’s face turn crimson and felt my cheeks heat up at the same time.
“Whatever you say, Ma,” Nick said as he walked towards the guest bedroom with my gym bag in his hand.
“Nick, you are responsible for the jewelry so pack it up, and I will have someone come take the pieces back,” Nick’s mom declared.
“Okay, Ma,” Nick said smiling.
“I am going to go find a pouch for the jewelry,” she said leaving us alone in the guest bedroom.
Nick gently closed the double doors of the guest bedroom and stood looking at me.
“Nick, why are you looking at me like a stranger?” I asked with concern in my voice.
Nick moved towards me very gently wrapping his arms around my waist and said in a deep voice, “Sameera, how can I ever thank you for what you did for my mom?”
“Nick, stop it,” I whispered looking into his eyes and added smiling, “You can start by taking off this heavy necklace.”
He smiled, but his expression did not fade as he helped me out of the heavy temple jewelry. I grabbed some bath towels from the guest bedroom closet and used those for packing up the heavy jewelry.
Nick took the stack of towels with the ornaments and left the bedroom.
I walked into the guest bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror with my dance outfit still on and no jewelry. The dance outfit still had its own way of standing out with the pleated front that attached to the leggings. The gold thread along the border was more prominent than any jewelry pieces I had worn. My hair was still pulled back into a bun with a million bobby pins. I took out the bobby pins and let my hair down running my fingers through it to smooth out the knots.
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Next, I took off the scarf that draped like a sash over one shoulder creating beautiful pleats over my fitted red blouse. I slipped out of the blouse and removed the red pleated fan attachment from the leggings. I realized when I looked at my leggings that I had forgotten to remove the anklets.
The traditional anklets are small pea-size brass bells that have small iron balls inside them. The mini brass bells are attached to a cotton strip tied to the dancer’s ankles to create the sound of the bells with every graceful step the dancer takes during the performance. The anklets that I had on over my leggings were made of gold with many miniature bells that were more fashionable than functional. I put my foot on the marble counter in the bathroom to remove the anklets, but the clasp was on so tight that I could not take them off. There was no way I could take off the leggings without damaging them with the anklets still on, as they were set over my silk leggings in a very snug fit.
After a few futile efforts to remove the anklets, I knew I needed help to take them off. I put on my maroon poplin cotton tunic with a contrast white Nehru collar and looked at myself in the mirror. I smiled realizing that the ivory leggings with the deep red border matched perfectly with my maroon tunic. I stepped out of the guest bedroom feeling a bit awkward about how I was dressed and walked towards the family room. As I got closer to the family room, I realized the group was gathered around the dining table next to the kitchen, and there was a lot of activity going on in the kitchen. Nick was standing with his back to me and turned as I walked towards him with the anklets jingling.
“Hi Sameera,” he said smiling and asked looking at my leggings, “Are you sure you are done changing?”
I smiled at Nick’s mom and Pammi who were standing right behind Nick and said pointing to my feet, “I have a technical problem, and I need help removing the anklets.”
Nick laughed and said, “I’ll help you,” and got down on one knee and reached for my ankle.
“Nick, what are you doing?” I said taking a step back.
Nick looked up at me and said, “You said you needed help removing your anklets.”
“I do, but…” my voice trailed off as he put his fingers around my ankle and gently lifted my foot and rested it on his other knee.
