You

A swell rise inside me,
only peaks abundant,
like a thousand fluttering fireflies.
The lights, fairy like,
ebbing in continuum.
I struggle to make sense,
wrestle to find labels, words and tags.
So many,
come to mind, yet none do snugly fit.
One could cipher happiness,
correctly so,
but only part of a whole,
I'd point out.
Some nostalgia thrown in too,
a solitary tear trickling,
a smile playing upon my lips,
music long forgotten,
a song etched into my soul.
Sense of accomplishment galore,
a pinch of pride too.
The realization of Lady luck's benevolence,
a silent prayer to the stars.
Finding love, and knowing it,
enough to drown myself in,
and yet yearn to drown some more.
Try as hard as I may, words elude,
almost as if Medusa's gaze invaded my mind.
Although, Ask my bleeding heart,
And with vigor it will repeat: You.

The Story till now - Shree :- Part 2

SHREE

I don’t get even a wink of sleep before the night of the travel. I lie awake with all sorts of morbid thoughts running through my mind about how awfully wrong my journey could go. This not only goes on when I travel, but also when my loved ones do. This was one of those nights. I couldn’t stop thinking of all the different ways in which we wouldn’t meet each other’s expectations. Perhaps it would be hate at first sight. I had been obsessing over this ever since he had confirmed his trip to seal the deal.  My mind kept racing back to the first time my father had shared his profile with me.

“I’m sick of all these NRI engineers Papa! They’re all the same. Not an ounce of grey matter and boring as hell.”

“Come now Sheeru. Just speak to him once. If you don’t like how he sounds, we’ll politely decline their alliance. Ek try toh banta hai beta.”

And that is how it all began. I reasoned that I had nothing to lose by speaking to the guy once. What could one harmless conversation do? I found out the very next day; I was floored the first time I spoke to him. There was something the way he spoke. It seemed so easy to let go and say whatever was really on my mind. If you knew me, you’d understand how difficult it was for me to open up to new people. I mostly feel like I am speaking in a language different from the one that people around me understand. It felt great to have someone who finally got me! Somehow, he didn’t feel new. He felt vaguely familiar, and I took to him quite easily. I sometimes felt like he could even read my mind. I connected to him at a level that I hadn’t with anyone else before. It felt perfect, may be too perfect.

However, I had a very ominous feeling about this whole affair. It seemed too good to last. I was hoping against hope over here, for this to pan out. The last couple of years were easily my toughest ones. I had tasted failure with everything that I had touched. I wasn’t unhappy with my life, don’t misunderstand me. I was every grateful for everything that had been bestowed upon me; I just felt like I wasn’t ever enough for it all. And somehow, this incredibly familiar stranger had made me feel enough and more. He brought out emotions in me that I had kept locked up for years now. The ease that I felt around him had made me even confess my deepest darkest desires to him. He made me happier than I had ever been, and this was even before I’d laid my eyes upon him.

“Don’t worry Sheeru. It’ll all go well beta. Just have faith.”

“I know Papa. It’s just that everything seems so perfect. I feel like this is it. This either makes it or breaks it. I cannot even picture the emotional consequences for me if this doesn’t work out. And that scares me.”

“Sheeru. Calm down. Don’t think that just because the past has been tough on you, things will continue to be that way. Things, situations and times are constantly changing. Every day is not going to be a bad one for you. Trust your gut beta. Trust your heart. They will never lie to you about how you feel about someone. Take my advice: stop fretting about the decision, just look forward to enjoying the time you have with him. Some people come into our lives to stay, others just come in to bring us happiness, and leave. Don’t worry about which one of the two he is. Just go with the flow, and trust me your heart with take the decision for you.”

I jolted back to the now, as the hot water turned tepid. The day to take the call was here. Today would be our first date. Would it be the first of many? Would our online chemistry take fire in reality? I’d soon find out.

Just like Waves

Like every other poet-ess of my time, I believe that the best expression of my thoughts is through my poetry. So, here is one to talk about my state of mind at the moment.

Just as waves do,

They surge, they ebb.

High and mighty,

Ascending to dizzying heights,

Low, and down below,

Drowning to the sinking abyss.

Such is the journey,

Called Life.

Just like the sand.

A clean slate,

Waiting for the imprints,

Of the myriard laughs you bring.

As your feet dig in,

A memory is sown.

Such is the journey,

Called Life.

Just like the shells,

Scattered about.

Some oyster like,

Holding pearls of happiness within.

Priceless.

Others hollow and empty,

Worthless.

Ensuing one misery,

After the other.

Such is the journey

Called Life.

Just like the Sun,

Sinking for the day into

The black depths of the ocean.

Ascertaining, the value of every ray.

Soon to be extinguished.

With the promise of a come back,

Once again,

Again and again.

Such is the journey,

Called Life.

Time Heals.

Been trying,

seems like forever now.

Evades me, 

makes me relive,

those moments,

perhaps, forbidden ones too.

Happiness, sorrow,

treachery, love.

Reeling in my closed eyes.

Revisiting those places,

left far behind.

On a road, 

forgotten, till now.

Laughter still rings,

Cries and screams echo.

Haunt, even.

On an old path,

long gone.

Still feel my heart thumping,

loud and clear.

Still hear the voice calling.

Even feel my feet carrying me,

towards the alluring call.

Warm embrace, cold breath,

fingers entwined. 

Remember the giddy,

heady, overwhelming 

sweet pain. 

A sigh reverberates.

It is all over now. 

Time heals, does it really?

Grey hair, and wrinkles galore,

Yet,

only takes a moment,

to go back to that time.

Where my wounds are still sore,

blood still ebbs, 

and stands my body,

ripped apart from its Soul.

Agneepath-An Ode

You didn't read it wrong. The title does say 'An Ode'. What normally is supposed to be a review has turned to an ode. I guess, that in itself is an indicator on how much I liked the movie. Though it'll be almost impossible for me to express, and explain why the movie struck a cord with me, or touched my heart; I could give you the top five reasons, as to why you should drop whatever you're doing, and head out to watch this movie. For me the movie was much more than just some revenge saga, it was an epic that unfurled on the silver screen. Anyway, before I get all soppy over it. Here are five reasons why Agneepath is a must watch!

• Sanjay Dutt : Don't let his awful look in the promos, cheat you into thinking that Sanju baba has not done a great job. He has perhaps given the best performance of his entire career. He is the personification of evil itself, in this movie. And truly evil seems to ooze from ever pore in his body on screen. His action is so so perfect, that you hate Kaancha. You want to cheer as Vijay kills him!

• Hrithik Roshan:  Where do I even begin ? He has done such a fabulous job. Right from his look, to his dialogues, his brooding eyes. Everything. He is the perfect Vijay Deenanath Chauhan! He has brought about so many shades to the character. He is passionate, he thirsts for revenge, he is brutal, he craves for his mother's love, he is cold and calculating.And that's just the beginning! You could watch the movie, just to see Hrithik do all this on screen. I see a filmfare in his kitty at the end of this year!

• Rishi Kapoor: Who could've even imagined that the grey eyed, lover boy of the 80s could play Rauf Lala to such perfection? Lala is foul mouthed, and coarse, and Rishi kapoor brings him to life with absolute perfection. Personally in some scenes, I forgot that I was watching Rishi Kapoor on screen, and absolutely wanted to pelt Lala with stones!

• Dialogues : I'm just awed by the dialogues in the movie.They're so well written, and fit the plot perfectly. The dialogue sequence between Father and son in the first 10 minutes, effectively set the tone of the movie, and form the crux of the entire story. The poem Agneepath by Shri. Harivansh Rai Bacchan has been used aptly, creating the mood for the movie. For me, it was absolutely inspirational, and I took much more than just the experience of Agneepath home.

• Chikni Chameli: Last but not in the least, "Chikni chameli" is enough a reason for people to go n watch this movie. Katrina is an absolute treat to watch on screen. The song is peppy, and Katrina's moves are a perfect match for it. She is one person who has grown from movie to movie. And with this one she can be queened!

P.S: Kudos to Karan Malhotra! He has managed to keep the soul of the original intact, and yet give us a complete epic. He's shown us that this is how a remake is made!

So people, don't waste any time. Grab the tickets for Agneepath! Abhi, Isi waqt!

A little something I drew for a Friend's birthday

For a friend who'd been there for me always, in my best and worst times, I felt that just buying something wouldn't give me the satisfaction. So, I decided to sit down, and sketch a little something for him, have it framed, and sent. This is what I sketched, and yes, my friend loved it :)

Know Thyself

Okay. No.

 This is plain weird. I have never ever directly typed out whatever came out of my mind, and posted it. I don't know why I feel like doing this today. I  can't point my finger at the 'why' and answer it. But I sure do know that something is amiss. I normally don't crave for so much of company. I have been quite a loner, and don't really mind my own company. Sometimes, I'd rather be alone than in someone's company. Today is different, I have absolutely no idea, why I feel this way.

 This is how it is. The mind is such a malicious thing. It makes us feel, such a variety of things and that too for no apparent sensible reason. I cannot possibly fathom the cause of this disturbance. Sometimes, I wish that we could sit face to face, and have a frank conversation with our minds to know what was exactly going on. 

Picture this: Mr.Mind and me, are sitting across the table, at a coffee shop, sipping coffee, and I ask him, "Hi mind, why are you behaving in this weird, inexplicable fashion?".

Sigh.Wish.

But then, here I am, with my laptop open, logged into blogger and typing out this article, straight from my volatile mind. It's not like I have nothing better to do. If I sat down this second to jot down all the work that I have to finish, I can assure you it'd be one really long list!

Then, Why am I here? Why am I typing this out?

I have a set of very close friends. Strangely, I don't feel like calling up any of them, and talking to them about this. Guess, this is something I want to talk to just myself about. Again, Sigh. Wish.

Well, the best way for me summarize it, is in poetry, so here goes:

Know Thyself

Are you playing with me now?

'what makes you think so?'

These moods,

those thoughts,

come on, you think

 I don't know your style?

'don't you go around,

fooling yourself this way!

knowing me, aint that easy,

you'd hope, beg and pray!'

You're the one fooling me,

confusing me,

and giving me a real tough time,

this way!

'cribbing won't take you

anyplace.

nor will engaging in a

litany.'

What else is there for me?

with you not even by my side.

Advice me, show me some

insight!

'calm down, soothe

those wild thoughts,

be aware, awaken,

take charge,

control me, let not me control you!

Know Thyself.'

Magic words, 

will they help?

'know thyself,

that's enough for all.'

Well, that answered all my questions didn't it. Simple solution, Calm down, think straight, take it slow, and most of all, know yourself. Know yourself well, and accept yourself first, for whatever you are.

Note: Everything single word in this post is truly unedited.

Hide and Seek

Hide and seek.
Don't play hide and seek now,
the sun's about to sign off
for the day,
the moon's walking in,
our way.
I am tired now,
worried too,
Come on, come out, wherever you are,
stop making me run about,
I aint so young anymore, you see.
my sight's faltering,
and steps uncertain,
come on, come out, reveal yourself now.
why do you play,
so much in the dark, I say.
Show me yourself now,
Can't wait anymore.
You've made me weary in the day,
and hazy vision in the night,
Expose yourself,
and show me the way now.
You know,
you're the only respite,
to take me forward.
So, come on, come out, wherever you are!
Lead me away,
from these shadows,
show me the path of light,
bright and shiny.
Fill me,
with what you promised.
Hope.
Hope to live on,
move on,
achieve more,
bring sense,
meaningful.
Come on, come out, wherever you are!

Best sketch till date !

Okay. I have still not started classes in sketching, thanks to the bandh happening in my city :(. But, what I did do, is roll out my best sketch (in my opinion) till date, sitting at home. Here it is for your viewing pleasure !

Hope my readers like this one ! Do let me know ! Au Revoir !

Fathers

I have just returned from a short vacation in Kuwait, with my father. Though close, my father and me don't agree much on many accounts. In spite of our various differences, and arguments, I truly had an awesome time with my father.  Thus decided to sit down, and write a poem about how much my father meant to me. Here it is :

“Papa”
One of the first words I said,
The one who read me those
Bed-time stories,
Answered my very many queries,
Carried me in his arms,
On his shoulders, chest and head,
The only one who could,
Put me to bed.

“Dad ! Dad! Come quick!”
The one who took me places,
To dance class, music class,
And helped me win those Aces.
Taught me Math, and Science,
And helped me make my Mark.
The only Man behind my success,
And the only Man standing,
In my losses.

“Dad, I know this. I’ll handle it.”
The one who stood patiently,
And impatiently,
Understanding,
And not Understanding,
Worried, concerned, and petrified,
Granting independence,
Watching his lil girl,
Bloom.

“Dad! I can’t believe this is happening to me!”
The one who consoled,
Wiped those tears, and said those soothing,
Yet, criticising words.
Convincing, of a better,
Brighter future, and highlighting,
All those good things you’ve done.

“Dad! I’ll miss you.”
The one who understood the most,
Missing you in equal measure,
Hiding those tears, while,
Wiping yours.
Praying, and Wishing,
That the New Man, would love,
And care for you, much more
Than he did.

“Dad, what do I do?”
The one who answered your,
Questions about life,
Discussed, argued and even fought.
Helped make some of the best decisions.

“Dad! Isn’t she beautiful?”
The one who first carried your little angel,
Just like he’d carried you,
Thinking about how his lil girl,
Is all grown up now.
And reminiscing all those,
wonderful times,
His lil girl had given him.

This poem comes straight from my heart, dedicated to all fathers. Dad, I Miss You. Love you :) Truly enjoyed these 10 days with you.

Fruit of sheer Boredom

Its been more than a week, since I have come on this vacation to Kuwait. Kuwait is where I have done my schooling, and spent most time in my life. But without my friends here, or school to look forward to here, boredom had taken charge of my life. In order to yawn it away, I just picked up a pencil and a sketch pad. This is what lay in front of me after two hours.

This is my first sketch after more than a year. Hah. High time I went back to sketching classes to learn, and improve my technique.

Do let me know of your thoughts on this one :)

Awesome !

I am incredibly happy ! Though a little upset over some aspects, over all, I am Happy, and Content. It was a decent show, and I have recieved some fabulous appreciation, and also some criticism. I got cited, and covered by seven local newspapers ! And It all feels awesome !!

It is such an exhilarating feeling to have pursued a passion, and listen to some praises, comforting words, from the eminent people present, and the audienence alike. It was a proud moment for my parents, and I felt even more proud to have put them in those shoes.

Two pics of the event close to my heart :)

I want to thank evry single person who made this evening possible, and those who have been my support in every walk of life.

Thoughts unstoppered.

It has been such a long time since I've written anything about the happennings in my life. So, today, I just suddenly had this thought. There is so much going on in my life at the moment, I just so, have to document it!

I am incredibly excited about the dance performance that's coming up. I am also at the same time, so tensed, whether I shall be able to recreate the magic on stage, even today, 4 years from my last performance. I have worked so very hard for just this moment in time. I have put in every effort, and worked up every cell in my body for this one. I desperately want this  to work. I crave the stage, and spotlight once again, but am also fearful whether I shall be able to utilise, and showcase my talent or not.  I am even losing my appetite! Mixture of  all these emotions makes me want to write a poem to put it all out ( may be 'cause, I seem to express myself much better in poetry, than in any other form of expression).

So I go ahead, and get a pen, and a paper( sounds much better than saying, I just opened MS word :D), to write that poem, and get those thoughts out. Here is what I ended up with.

Overwhelming.
Thats what all this is.
I remember,
may be you've forgetten,
but oh yes, I do.
The sound still rings in my ears,
and what sound!
The most beautiful one
could yearn for.
Applause.
Crave for it, we all do.
Spotlight, upon me.
Center of attaraction.
Appreciation showered, by all alike.
All of six years.
Today, almost eons later,
I yearn, crave, and want,
everything again.
But, Worry, Nerves,
envelope me,
Will I shine once more?
Or, will I loom dark?
Then, the tiny voice,
I hear,
"Leave it to the Lord, my love,
Leave it all to him."
Peace. Confidence. Acceptance. Courage.
Fill my heart.

Well those are my thoughts, out and about now. I feel so much lighter, and happy to have shared all this with you. I truly feel at peace. And woah ! Looks like I just got my appetite back, am going to go and grab a sandwich now. Chao !

Thoughts.

Everything happens for a reason,
they say.
Mind, nevertheless,
constructs, and destructs,
fantasies, like no other.
If, only we had lasted.
What, If we hadn't met?
If, I was younger.
If, I was older.
If, I had only known, back then.
Would, life be any different?
Can the mind predict?
Did, I really know back then?
If, I had,
would I still have done the same.
Things would change, If I hadn't?
Am I happier?
Was I sadder?
Am, I lying now?
Was, I lying then?
Regret? Pain? Suffering?
Contentment? Love? Happiness?

Stop!
Think straight.
The Truth.
What am I feeling?
I know,
Relief.

Is it worth it?
Totally is.

Dreams in Prussian Blue- A Review

It is breezy, light, and meaningful. It is an excellent read, and an absolute page turner.

I am talking about Paritosh Uttam's maiden novel 'Dreams in Prussian Blue'.

Naina is the protagonist of the book. The book revolves around the lives of Naina, and her live-in boyfriend, and college art genius Michael Agnello.

Naina and Michael are both students at the Fine Arts college in Mumbai. Head over heels in love with Michael, Naina drops out of college with him, leaving behind her family and way of life. It is only after a while that she realises that life is not at all a bed of roses. All Michael is interested in doing is painting through the night. He refuses to share any of the other responsibilities at home, cranky and irresponsible most of the time. Naina struggles with many odd jobs, providing everything for Michael, including his painting supplies. Naina also works hard to get Michael some kind of recognition as a painting genius. The lack of Michael's cooperation on anything leads to failure in every aspect. Just when Naina's patience wears thin, and she is all set to leave Michael, tragedy intervenes. Michael loses his eyesight in an accident, and Naina is back to where she began in the first place. As she struggles to make both ends meet, and Michael happy, she has transcended to becoming a liar, and a cheat.

Will Michael ever forgive her for what she has done to him? Will she be able to forgive Michael, for pushing her to such ends? Or will there be two separate personal tragedies?

The novel is fast paced, and breezy. It delivers just what it promises to be, a Metro read. It goes to show the various nuances in the lives of live-in couples. It shows the consequences of rushing into any relationship without rational thought. It efficiently displays the sorrow, and despair prevailing in such life. It showcases the fact that a person with a passion, like art cannot be capable of adjusting in any other occupation. Blue seems to be the central theme of the book, as it is evident in the title. Whether it is Naina who is blue with sorrow, or Michael who in his blindness, cannot see anything else.

Almost throughout the book, the reader is sympathetic towards Naina. Naina has put all her dreams on hold for Michael's sake, who is insensitive to her needs, feelings or dreams. It is commendable that a male writer has been able to empathise so well, with what a woman goes through in such situations. What one must remember is that Michael is also a victim here, but merely of the circumstances. His views on life and materialism, though indifferent, ring the bell of truth.

The narrative technique is good. The time frame constantly shifts from the present to the past and back. It is something fresh, but definitely not something that is unheard of. It is character central. The characters have been dealt with very well.

It is fast paced, and leaves you dwelling upon the realities of life, as we know it. A good read.

Amy Kumar-A thinking Dancer

Q. How did your journey with Kuchipudi begin?

A: Well, I don’t know how to put it as a journey. It all happened ten years back, I was in the 5^th standard and I always loved dancing. It wasn’t kuchipudi as such because I come from a Christian background, and Classical dance wasn’t something that was introduced to me by my family. It so happened that I was at my Father’s Office in Habsiguda(Hyderabad), and there was a Dance institute in the adjacent house. I saw children dancing, and asked my mother to take me there, and that’s how it started.

Q. How important a role does your family play in this successful journey of yours?

A: According to me, Family plays a very important role in anything you do in life, dancing in particular. I say this because I have seen a lot of people give up this art form because of lack of family support. In a lot of families, people are against dance itself, because of the elements of its past, like the Devadasi system, where girls used to dance in temples, or the mujras of the north etc. Thus for a lot of reasons people don’t appreciate classical dance. Thus Family support is very important. Even more so, because like every other field, even this one has a lot of politics, and other testing times. I consider myself very lucky to have had the support of my family at all times. Before, I realised my interest in dance, my parents realised it. Not just my parents but also my extended family, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, they always came for all my shows. I’ve been very lucky that way. On a scale of 1 to 100, I would give them 101.

Q. Tell us some more about your Guru, and do tell us that which feature of hers inspires you the most.

A: I learnt my basics from Mr.Raghavachary and later pursued dance under the tutelage Mrs. Krishna Bharathi for five years.

My present guru is Dr. Anupama Kailash, she holds a PhD in Classical Dance. She is very young compared to other gurus in the city. She’s a very easy person to deal with, especially for youngsters, because she comes down to our level, she thinks at our level and then interacts. She’s very different from the usual traditional gurus, even the way she teaches is different from the traditional way of teaching dance. The way she tries to relate things to us, especially when she is choreographing, or when she’s teaching she makes it a little more interesting. Best thing about her is that she makes us understand the meaning of what we’re dancing, the theory and everything. I truly love her for everything that I have learnt from her.

One thing that I really admire about her is her creativity. It is very evident when we see a work of hers, that there is always something different, something new in it. She puts in a lot of effort to do something different from the same old items, and dances. She is able to relate to the happenings around us today, and put that into the dance form. She’s very contemporary, and a thinking dancer.

Q. What do you mean by a thinking dancer?

A: Well, It means that she always takes some time to do a proper research about the topic, and theory upon which she is to perform, and then choreographs. For example, two years back we did this ballet called ‘Krishnam Vande Jagat Gurum’. Even before she started the choreography, she took about 2-3 months to do some research about Lord Krishna, and thus many unknown aspects of Krishna were brought out in that ballet. A Lot of theory has gone into it, not only the dance, but also the lyrics and vocal aspect. I don’t say that such dancers are completely absent, but such people are very few.

Q. You’ve had the rare opportunity of performing with a doyen of Kuchipudi like Dr. Swapnasundari. How much do you value that opportunity, and how has it impacted your dance?

A: Well, Dr.Swapnasundari garu is an amazing person. She is full of knowledge, a fantastic choreographer, and dancer and you could say that there is an aura of knowledge radiating from her. The first time that I met her, I was scared, because it was very evident that she is a Padmabhushan. She knows what she’s worth and proud of it too. That’s one of the things that I learnt from her. I had taken part in a ballet choreographed by her, and it was a very different experience from what I was used to with my Guru. The training sessions were vigorous, and that’s another thing I learnt, that no matter how big or great dancer you may become, training and practice are very important. We were with her for a month, and we would practice for at least 3-4 hours every day. She also gave us a piece to choreograph on our own, which was a great experience. We can also just watch her perform and learn. Her abhinaya(expressions) and her footwork is simply amazing. It was an amazing experience in totality, and I feel very lucky to have gotten this opportunity. I give the credit to my Guru for giving me the opportunity; it was through her that I was introduced to Dr.Swapnasundari garu.

Q. IS there anything in your life that you would like to unlearn?

A: Nothing. I’m happy with everything I have learnt, and experienced. I think that it was necessary for me to see both the good and bad aspects of things; otherwise I wouldn’t appreciate what I have. Witnessing the politics in the field, being pushed back, being called arrogant at the age of fourteen , are some of the things that I have been through, but even they have taught me a thing or two. I appreciate what I have, more now because of everything that I have experienced. I’m also happy that I learnt even some of the wrong things in dance, because, now, I look back and laugh at all that. I’m happy about everything that I have done.

Q. That’s a great attitude to carry forward in life. I also know that you’re not only an accomplished dancer, but also a Veena artiste, are you also learning Nattuvangam?

A: I will be training very soon in Nattuvangam also, as I take classes at home now. Dance is an integral part of my future and hence I will learn everything that is related to dance.

Q. You’re also teaching Kuchipudi at Tarnaka(Hyderabad), do you enjoy teaching?

A: I do enjoy teaching; it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing. I think it’s something that runs in my blood because both my mother and my maternal grandmother were teachers. I like sharing what little I know, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

Q. Be it being a meritorious student, a successful dancer, or a veena artiste, you’ve been there and done that. How do you manage to strike that perfect balance?

A: I don’t really know, I just do things as they come. When I’m doing a particular thing, I give it my 100%. I don’t do half baked things. We have 24 hours a day, just divide your day and give each part your 100%. The most important thing of all is Interest, and dedication. If you have the interest to do it, you will automatically give your 100% to it.

Q. What is your most defining moment?

A: There are quite a few of them, but I think that the most emotional one of them was when I did my Arangetram(Ranga Pravesham) in my 9^th standard. I was to propose the vote of thanks, and I broke down while thanking my parents. That has been recorded in a lot of people’s minds and many even remember me that way till this day. That was the day when I realised how lucky I was to have such amazing parents

There was this school competition which I participated in, when I was in my 6^th standard. It was the first time I was dancing on stage and the whole experience of getting dressed up and dancing excited me a lot. My mom at the back of her mind wanted me to win. I won the competition, and my mother was in tears.

Also, meeting so many people, artistes, being honoured and appreciated after a program.

There are many small things like this. I’m a very happy person. I’m happy with a lot of things in life. Every time I see a smile on my parent’s faces when I achieve something.

Q. As a Dancer of today, what’re your main concerns?

A: I just hope that more thinking dancers come into existence, and not stick to same old things. For instance, the way we dress in Kuchipudi, and the synchronization is not great. That’s probably one of the reasons why, when we go out of Andhra or India, Bharatnatyam is more widely known. It’s not that we don’t have it in us to be that way, but we’re just content with what we have. Thus people of our age, should try and make the effort , as it is equal to Bharatnatyam in every way.

Q. Besides, Kuchipudi, and Veena what are your other hobbies?

A: I love reading, its something I’ve started doing off late. I love spending time with my family, I’m a very family person. I love sleeping and eating. I’m like any other teenager, who loves doing the regular stuff.

Q. What is the scene in the dancing arena for other upcoming artistes?

A: It’s very good as long as you have your family’s support, a good Guru, dedication, and the readiness to face some politics. I think the opportunities are going to improve specially in Kuchipudi, as no one is ready to stand in the background for long. Everyone wants to take the centre stage. Things are definitely going to be better.

Q. What are your future plans?

A: Academically, I would want to continue with my MSc. When it comes to dance, I’m done with my BA in dance, and I wish to do my MA. Right now this is it; whatever happens later shall be seen.

Trust you, Yes I do!...My poem is now out!

Trust is the most important part of being in love, here's my point of view on the same, in verse for you--->http://theviewspaper.net/trust-you-yes-i-do/