Had to borrow the title of the chapter from the timeless Hardy classic, which Thomas Hardy, himself had taken from Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. English Literature puritans, pardon my audacious act.
Chapter 4
Far from the Madding Crowd
1
Morning /Atrium
All the Dazzlers and Weaklings, except Rey and Kriya have assembled in the atrium. It looks like they are waiting for something. Bharat is sulking as usual. "Ek to itte subah subah bulaya, aur khud aane ka naam nai, khali pili mere neend ki waat laga di..."
Neha adds in her melodramatic tone, "Morning nahi Bharat, midnight bolo. Yeh to Neha's beauty sleeping time hai."
Vicky who was still upset with Neha, taunts her, : "Puri raat facebook pe rahogi to subah to midnight jaisi hi lagegi!"
Even before Neha could react, Vishakha jumps in the battleground to defend Neha. "Oh Hello, Mr. Vicky, Neha ne tum se kuchh kaha kya? Aur wo raat ko online rehti hai isse tumhe kya? Are you the cyber police now?" Neha helplessly looks on as Vishakha hurls her vitriolic words at Vicky who couldn't do much in his defense. Hence Nilesh takes up the cause of brotherhood and plunges in to salvage Vicky's tarnished honour. "And who the hell are you? Neha's self-appointed lawyer?" retorted Nilesh.
Simmi and Rinni too wanted to join in but couldn't as they had promised Sharon. Bharat Amar and Vicky try to stop the fight. Nilesh and Vishakha continue fighting like cats and dogs, their voices echoing in an otherwise empty St. Louis.
Swayam and Sharon, indifferent to everything around them, were lost in their own worlds. They both sat on the steps, facing each other, glued into their notebooks, hardly looking up. They were heedless of their friends fighting, and looking at them one could say, they were least interested in the announcement that awaited them. They were two lonely souls, who only had each other to complement and each other to contradict. Here were two people, who could be lonely even among a crowd of millions, who could be oblivious to anything but each other, who could have a conversation without uttering a word, who could hear each other even amidst chaos. Their silence spoke volumes, and only they could read each other's silence. Sharon looked up and stealthily looked at Swayam, who was busy jotting something down in his notebook. Her eyes waited for one glance from him, but in vain. He looked up only once to look at the ongoing battle and then turned his gaze toward his notebook. Her eyes drooped as her heart was filled with sadness.
Simmi runs to Sharon urging her to step in and put an end to the fight which Vishakha was clearly winning: "Sharon, just look at how that Vishakha is yelling at Nil, we can't keep quiet after this..."
Sharon inattentive, as her mind was already too full with other pressing matters at hand, decided to walk towards the battleground. Amar too went and nudged Swayam at that very instant, to interfere and stop the ongoing war. Both Sharon and Swayam walked toward their friends. As fate would have it, Vishakha pushed Nilesh and he collided with Sharon only to push her into Swayam's arms. Their notebooks fell as the Diva looked at the Weakling expectantly. Swayam let her go after a brief eyelock, bent down, picked his notebook, hesitated a moment, and then got up and walked away, leaving Sharon stunned once more. She kneeled down to pick hers up. (dil sambhal ja zara in bg) Any other time, she would have yelled, insulted Swayam, but now she didn't feel angry anymore, as an extreme sense of dejection, rejection overpowered her. Rejection, yes. So this is what rejection feels like, thought she, being acquainted with it for the very first time, so this is what I've been putting him through, all along... She looked at Swayam who now stood between Vishakha and Nilesh, arms flung up in the air, trying to pacify the two groups and negotiating with Bharat and Simmi, on whose crime was more severe. She slowly stood up and moved to a corner, her eyes transfixed on the boy she no longer had a claim on.
"And I hope iske saath aapki aaj ki fight ki quota khatam hoti hai," remarked RDX in acrid tone, who entered with Rey and Kriya.
Everyone stood in attention seeing RDX.
"It's a good thing guys, aaj subah subah ladliya aap sabne, toh poori din ladai karne ki zaroorat nai hogi, aur college mein bhi shaanti rahegi," RDX smiled sarcastically. "So coming to the point, aap logon ko aaj maine yahaan bulaya hai yeh batane ke liye that the St. Louis Annual Dance Fest is just a month away. Yes guys, aaj se exactly one month baad we'll have the Dance Fest, that is on the 6th of December. Excited?" Asked RDX looking at the students, he had an amused expression on his face. "Well maine aap sabko bulaya tha, because I was hoping that the two dance teams can share the responsibility of the St. Louis Dance Fest, par aap logon ko dekhke mujhe aisa bilkul nahi lagta hai that you people can work as a team. In fact, you guys can't even stand in the same room together without fighting," remarked RDX.
Rey and Kriya looked at each other and they decided to intervene. "Sir, aisa nahi hai sir, we are very excited to host the Dance fest Sir, right guys?" asked Rey looking at the other students.
He was expecting a positive reply, while all he got was a murmur of different monosyllabic replies.
Kriya jumped in to save her GS's honour. "Yes Sir Rey is right Sir. We're all very excited," she said and looked at Swayam urging him to speak, who replied in positive.
Bharat instinctively added, "Sir aap humein response deke to dekhiye, faad ke rakh denge,"- he was going to continue but then Swayam shut his mouth with his palm.
"In fact sir," Rey spoke, "Sharon toh kaafi dino se Dance Fest ki planning kar rahi hai, right Sharon?" Sharon was lost in her own world. Simmi elbowed her back to the present and she found everyone including RDX staring at the clueless Diva.
"Sharon, aap college ki CS hai, sabse zyaada responsibility aapki hai. You can't afford to be so zoned out when we're having a meeting for the fest," spoke RDX, disappointment ringing in his voice.
"Sir," Swayam spoke up, "trust us Sir, we can and we will work as a team," saying this he looked at Sharon for a moment only to turn away, "and we'll make you proud. Shikayat ka mauka nai denge Sir aapko. Bharosa rakhiye."
"Yes sir," said both Rey and Kriya. The other team members joined in.
"Fine," said RDX, "aapki conviction pe mujhe bharosa hai. Get started guys, aapke paas ek mahina hai. Utilize this time well. And Sharon..." RDX looked at the cultural secretary, who still looked spaced out and hadn't spoken a single word so far. Finally she opened her mouth, realizing that her silence was drawing attention. "Sir, aapko shikayat ka mauka nahi denge Sir. Trust us," said Sharon, only to realize that she just repeated Swayam's words.
"Cool. Prepare a list of possible events that you have on your mind for the fest, and show me the list," said RDX, "And Sharon it's not like aapko yeh sab akele handle karna hai, so don't look so lost. Swayam is there with you. Only remember, the events that you finalise must go with the theme."
RDX turned towards Rey and Kriya, "And Rey, Kriya you guys have to pick a theme, and do it soon, as all the work will be planned accordingly. Okay? So plan it well and let me know. Aur agar aapke kuchh requirements hai to wo bhi bataiyega mujhe. You know where to reach me. That's it guys. All the best."
RDX walks out.
2
Evening/ Atrium
RDX was wrong. The battle began again, and that very day, after classes, as the two teams sat down to decide the theme. Because the Weaklings and Dazzlers were not entirely ready to let go off their differences, even though they were well-aware that they had to conduct the fest, together.
"Bollywood! Marvelous! Ab St. Louis' ki annual Dance Fest ka theme hoga bollywood. I'm sure tumne performance ke liye song bhi select kar liya hoga? So what is it? Munni or Sheila?" Sharon burned Neha in the ultimate diva style.
Kriya and Vishakha were ready to wage war, but Neha, who was the target of this firing, in her excitement, cries out, "not Munni not Sheila. Dhoom taana!" She also sings the first line of the song while demonstrating the steps. Vicky covers his face with both the hands. Sharon and Simmi begin laughing. Vishakha goes and whispers something to Neha. She retires from her filmy reverie and frowns at the Dazzler girls.
"Kyun Bollywood mein kya kharabi hai?" asked an irritated Kriya. "Oh please," retorted Sharon, "just cuz hum Mumbai mein rehte hai, doesn't mean we have to do everything the filmy way." "Aap sidhe sidhe kyun nai kehte aapko bollywood aati nahin hai!" said Kriya. Sharon was outraged. Simmi's jaw dropped. After all nobody challenged the diva on a dance style. "Gimme a break! Mujhe tumhare gande LS dance form try karni bhi nahin hai... And remember this is St. Louis, not your gaon ka government college." Sharon fired back.
Rey who till now, was prancing around to pacify both Sharon and Kriya, finally gave up and went and stood beside Swayam, who looked on.
Swayam smiled at him. "Daant mat dikha samjha," said Rey to Swayam. "Abhi se yeh haalat hai, pata nahin aage jaake kya hoga," Rey said to himself.
"Chill. Inn dono ko khud bhi nai pata ki yeh bilkul ek jaisi hai. Inhe bas ek common topic chahiye, to get them started... phir dekhna... kissi din baith ke humare baare mein gossip kar rahi hogi."- Swayam assured Rey.
"Whoa guys, I can hear the excitement in you voices from my cabin," said RDX who just walked in. "So what is it this time?" Sharon and Kriya both composed themselves and said in unison, "Sir theme!"
"OK. And what are the suggestions for the theme?" asked a calm RDX.
"Sir," Kriya spoke, "Our suggestion is bollywood aur humne college ke students se unki rai bhi puchhi thi and a lot of them think bollywood is a good theme aur..."
"I guess college ki students mein main bhi shaamil hoti hoon", interrupted Sharon, "and being the CS I don't think bollywood is a good theme. Food stalls mein kya bechenge? Paani puri? Ya phir guests ko rickshaw mein layenge?" argues Sharon. Simmi and Rinni start laughing.
"Actually that can be very innovative if you think about it, and economically viable too," Swayam intervened. "Tumhare paas koi aur better plan hai to batao." And even before Sharon could respond, he stops her gesturing with his palm, and says "I'm sure it'll be something to do with the pretty pink world of Mills and Boon. Right?"
"Waoh! Mills and Boon... that'd be so cool Sharon" Rinni exclaims. This time it was Kriya and Vishakha's turn to laugh. Sharon was dumbfounded. She tried to say something, but stopped halfway. She looked at Swayam who was laughing with Kriya. She could have said a lot of things, if it was some other time, but this one time she just blanked out. She couldn't find the words to respond, to hit back. If looked closely enough in her big, beautiful eyes, one could see the myriad of emotions playing in her mind.
This was Swayam, the same Swayam whose life revolved around her. This was the Swayam who'd even fight with his friends to defend her. How could you! Sharon rebuked Swayam in her mind. Itna important hai humesha apni friend ko defend karna, that today you're publicly making fun of me! Thought a bitter and angry Sharon.
I didn't make fun of you, thought Swayam, issiliye apni badi badi aankhon se mujhe guilt trip dene ki koshish mat karo. I was just helping my friends, who btw, are much better people than you shallow Dazzlers. He knew that if he looked in those eyes any longer, he'd lose it, all over again, and he couldn't afford to do it. Not this time. Damn it! He turned away from Sharon and decided not to look in her direction. The students now surrounded RDX shouting their ideas.
"Okay okay guys," RDX spoke after listening to the students for a while, "let me tell you something, dance fest doesn't mean you have to focus on any one particular dance form. You're free to showcase and experiment with as many as you want to- it's about providing a platform to your talent, not about limiting it. Kisne kaha hai ki agar aap bollywood karenge to hip hop nahi kar payenge! There are five days, you can try it all." "Sir, so you're saying we can perform any style we want to?" asked Rey. "Precisely," replied RDX, "instead of having one uniform theme for the five days, you can have five different themes based on different dance styles," smiled RDX.
"Waoh Sir, you're great!" exclaimed Simmi. "Yes sir, she's right," said Rey, a relieved GS of St. Louis.
"I just wanted to mention one thing," RDX added, "this time there has to be a partner dance performed by any two students on the last day of the fest as a closing act, and here I don't mean Indian folk. I mean the traditional couple dance in the Western style." A faint murmur is heard as the students awkwardly discussed among them on who would do the partner dance. "But Sir," Swayam came forward, "ballroom humara forte nahin hai... I mean kabhi kiya bhi nai hai, so..."
"I know Swayam. Rey and Kriya told me. Issiliye I've arranged for a dance instructor for you guys. She'll train you for the fest. This year I want you to push the limits and go out of your comfort zone," winked RDX.
The students stared at each other, as Professor Ravi Dixit, cultural head of St. Louis, walked away leaving them behind.
Edited by bleu98 - 12 years ago
Anupamaa
