For The Earth Prologue 2- Chapter 1- 27/1/17 - Page 18

YAARO IVAR YAARO

Dharani happily bounced into dance class. She was so excited to play the role of Sita. It was like her Lord was asking her to understand Sita all over again. Her chance had arisen, without her mother wondering anything. Her father wasn't that much of a problem, considering he was in Saudi, working.

"Hi aunty!", said Dharani, falling at her Guru Radha's feet.

"May you be successful, and bring high accolades to yourself and this dance school", blessed her dance teacher.

"Thank you aunty. I will work hard and make you proud", said Dharani.

"I know you will. Your arangetram one can never forget", said Guru Radha. "People still talk about it and the programme you gave in the Margazhi season"

Dharani smiled, embarrassed.

"And now, I have given you the role of Sita", said her teacher. "About portraying Sita. Let me tell you how you should do it"

"Yes aunty", said Dharani.

"People think Sita is easy to portray. But thinking that instills over confidence in you", said Guru Radha. "Remember. That cannot happen. You know I am hard on you. But you also know that when it is correct, I praise you. I do that only so that you don't get overconfident. You are a fantastic dancer. Your bhava is much more fluid than most people I have seen"

"Thank you aunty", said Dharani.

"That is one of the reasons you have been chosen for Sita. Sita is considered to be the very epitome of femininity, yet of courage, determination and bravery. You have to be subtle in your bhava, yet obvious, to show out who Sita is. It is then that you have portrayed Sita the way I feel she should be. If you have a different perception, tell me", said her Guru.

"No aunty. This is perfect", said Dharani, smiling happily.

Once everyone had assembled in the dance hall, the discussion on the song sequence began.

"First and foremost", said Mythri, one of the senior most disciples, "we have to decide which Ramayana versions we are having. Remember, Dharani, we were randomly talking about it one day?"

"I do, Akka. I said we could make it a mixture of Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, and Kamban's Ramavatharam", said Dharani.

"We can have that", said Guru Radha, "Along with songs written by Arunachala Kavi and Ambujam Krishna"

"Yaaro Ivar Yaaro will be the one Dharani has to dance for", said Harini, Dharani's cousin, giggling.

Dharani shook her head.

"She does, but before that, Dharani?", said Guru Radha.

"Yes aunty?", asked Dharani, smiling.

"You have to do your research on Sita's actions, her subtlety, yet obviousness. You have to extensively understand what Sita would have felt like, seeing Raghava. You have to know Rama to understand Ramaa. Dharani, I know you have studies and a lot going on, but being one of the most important characters, you have to do your research and understand the story of Ramayana", said Guru Radha.

"I will aunty", said Dharani, excited. The Ramayana was one of her favourite stories to do research on. She always understood and saw something new every time she read it or discussed it.

Dharani sighed. Though she knew there was Sita in her, she had never really given it much thought till then. And now, the thought won't leave her head. She was unable to look at the Shri Rama idol at her place, for she felt shy. Every time she thought of Him, there were butterflies in her stomach. Any song on Him had her going red.

Closing her eyes, she put herself in Sita's position, and viewed Shri Rama through her eyes.

yaaroa ivar yaaroa enna paeroa ariyaenae (yaaroa)

kaarulaavum Seerulaavum mithilaiyil
kannimaaDam thannil munnaeninravar (yaaroa)

chandra bimba mukha malaraalae
ennai thaanae paarkkiraar orukkaalae
anda naaLil thoNdam poalae
urugiraar inda naaLil
vandu saevai tharugiraar (yaaroa)

(Meaning: Who is He? Who is this man whose name I do not know?

Who is this man who is standing in the prosperous Mithilapuri, who I am looking at?

Who is He, who is staring at me, with a face like the radiant moon?

That day, when I saw Him, He went as a student, and today, He stands here, looking like the master)

She opened her eyes, feeling her entire body filled with goosebumps. Her face was flushed, her heart was racing. In that second she knew that her deep hidden love for Shri Rama had also come to the fore.

"I am so happy Radha aunty made you Sita", said Radhika.

Dharani was happy, as for once her mother seemed a little happy with her.

"But will you be able to manage it, along with your studies?", asked Radhika. "You did fail, after all. And you don't care"

She should have known, Irritated, Dharani said, "I can Amma. You can't see the work I am putting in my studies. My failure is my fault, yes. But I am not going to let it haunt me. If I do, it won't let me correct my mistakes. Failures are teachers. They teach you a lesson every time you go through it"

"But you shouldn't have to", said her mother. "You should never fail. And only if you keep remembering the past will you realize that you have made mistakes"

"If I keep dwelling on the past, I will get depressed about the mistakes I have made, Instead, I will let go of the past, taking lessons from them, and understanding how to approach a situation when faced with it or something similar to it in the future. Learning from my past mistakes is important, but dwelling on the past will depress me", said Dharani.

"Do you have to be so stubborn?", asked Radhika.

"This is not about being stubborn Amma", said Dharani. "This is for standing to my own beliefs"

"What beliefs do you have that I have not taught you?", asked Radhika.

"The beliefs that I learnt from God and His teachings", said Dharani.

"And why is God going to teach you?", asked her mother.

"I ask Him for it. If I ask Him truthfully and sincerely, love flowing in my heart, He will give it to me", said Dharani.

"And what about Devi Saraswati? What about the knowledge you gain from Her?", asked her mother.

"You once told me that Bhagwan Vishnu, in the form of Lord Hayagriva, taught Mata Saraswati Herself. If Lord Hayagriva is Mata Saraswati's teacher, then why can I not pray to Lord Vishnu as well for knowledge?", asked Dharani.

"When do you pray to Mata Saraswati?", asked Radhika.

"Always. I cannot forget the Mother of Vidya", said Dharani.

"If you say so", said Radhika, a little skeptical.

Dharani shook her head, and walked out of the room.

Dharani was ecstatic. It is like her Lord was answering her prayers. She had been called for three dance programmes in the December season, two solo, one group performance. The theme for one of her solo performances is Anything Krishna! The group performance is Jaya Jaya Devi, and her other solo was not themed. Additionally, it also meant that her free time will be taken up by dance, and she didn't have to be at her house and get yelled at.

Life was indeed looking up!